Hassan disappears from the novel for a while and reenters as a married adult with a son, Sohrab. Baba builds an orphanage, while Amir. He protects Baba's honor by not revealing his relationship with Sanaubar (Hassan's mother, who was Hazara; Baba would have been looked down upon by society). At the end of Chapter Four, Amir presents his first story to Baba, who ignores him and dismisses the accomplishment. Furthermore, Rahim Khan's encouragement was probably the only reason that Amir finally decided to redeem himself. Rahim Khan takes care of Baba's house, brings Hassan back to Kabul. . A sociopath who worships Hitler. He dies at the hands of the Taliban, defending Baba's house from takeover. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. Friend of Baba and Amir. Rahim Khan appears as the agent of Amir's past, as it is his phone call that brings Afghanistan back to Amir and Amir back to Afghanistan. Thats just the way of things. Rahim Khan (p99). General Taheri in The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini | Character & Analysis. Rahim Khan is Amir's father's best friend and business partner. As revenge for Hassans humiliation of him, he later rapes Hassan. Hassan Character Analysis in The Kite Runner | LitCharts The Kite Runner study guide contains a biography of Khaled Hosseini, 100 quiz questions, a list of major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Analyze Rahim Khan from The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Rahim is encouraging because he inspires Amir to continue writing. He grew up alongside Baba just as Hassan did alongside Amir. Why does Amir Hate Baba? He draws a comparison between Hassan and the lamb sacrificed during the Muslim holiday of Eid Al-Adha to commemorate Abraham's near sacrifice of his son to God. What do other characters say about Rahim? Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. Amir's father. Baba is Amir's father, who is considered a hero and leader in Kabul. Sohrab suffers a lot of trauma by what hes experienced with Assef. Also, if the question asks for specific details from the text, make sure to include that information in your response. | 2 Rahim Khan is a minor but important character in The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Honor is one of the most important things a man can have. He reveals that Hassan, now dead at the hands of the Taliban, was Baba's illegitimate son all along, and, therefore, Amir's half-brother. Rahim Khan, though, negotiates the differences between Baba and Amir, countering Baba's frustration with a metaphoric point that Baba needs to accept Amir for who he is and value Amir's talents. Additionally, Rahim Khan is utilizing this story to try and manipulate Amir into confessing his betrayal. In the culture of Afghanistan, a man's betrayal of his friend is an extremely shameful situation. Rahim Khan in The Kite Runner | Shmoop Rahim Khan symbolizes the journey toward redemption and goodness. Active Themes Furthermore, his statement about becoming good again propels the adult Amir to return to the Middle East to begin his physical and emotional journey toward goodness and redemption. We first learn of Rahim Khan in Chapter 1, when he places a phone call from Pakistan to his friend Amir in America. Sanaubar in The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini | Who is Sanaubar? This is the man who follows his conscience and summons Amir back to the Middle East to try to make things right. Amir is reluctant, but he knows there is something deeper in Rahims invitation. After the country became a republic instead of a monarchy, the former Soviet Union invaded the country. Assef is the example of complete devilish cruelty. There is a slight bit of hope when, in the end, he chases a kite-like his father Hassan and smiles for the first time in a long time. The Kite Runner Character Descriptions Flashcards | Quizlet Some characters in plays and novels simply aren't rich, fully developed characters. They fanned her and looked at me as if I had slit her throat. Is Rahim Khan a flat or dynamic character? The Kite Runner Character Analysis | LitCharts The difficulties of the past have faded and they have a special bond now, a father and son bond. However, working with what we do know, let's take a closer look at Rahim Khan. Free trial is available to new customers only. Explain. Continue to start your free trial. Rahim Khan. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. aving developed his own ethical framework. Furthermore, Hassan had a son, Sohrab, who is in an orphanage in Kabul. I remember he said to me, Rahim, a boy who wont stand up for himself becomes a man who cant stand up to anything. I wonder, is that what youve become? (p221), Caring - Amir[to Baba about Amir] Children arent coloring books. In the novel the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini he illustrates the sacrifice one gives for love. I've got to catch it before netflix takes it off of streaming :) Nice review. Hurricane.' Rahim Khan, Baba's best friend and business partner, symbolizes redemption. He also shares Baba's deepest secret with Amir. He felt himself causative for the death of his mother who passed away during childbirth. Explain why you chose each trait. The Kite Runner is a novel by Khaled Hosseini. Look into the character of Rahim Khan with a limited analysis and quotes on the impact of his well-intentioned manipulations. In this novel, the author demonstrates the journey of one boy through his struggles with. Many critics consider Hassan's character "too good to be true," for even after he is betrayed by Amir, Hassan continues to lie for the person he considers his friend. And that, I believe, is what true redemption is, Amir Jan, when guilt leads to good. Rahim Khans letter to Amir (p302), Understanding - AmirBut I hope you will heed this: A man who has no conscience, no goodness, does not suffer -Rahim Khans letter to Amir (p301), Manipulative - AmirI have a wife in America, a home, a career, and a family. Hassan is illiterate but smart and stands up for others. GradeSaver, 29 September 2007 Web. In the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Amirs character has been shaped and heavily influenced by Baba, for shaping him into the man he is, also Hassan for showing him that forgiving is important and Sohrab for helping him redeem himself. At the end of the story, he calls Amir back so that he can redeem himself, saying himself that money is not the issue when talking about getting Sohrab, leaving the opportunity to save Sohrab to Amir alone. One of the only people in the novel to know everyone's secrets (Baba being Hassan's father, Hassan having been raped, Amir having betrayed Hassan), Rahim Khan works toward helping Amir redeem himself. He saves Amir by taking him to a hospital in Pakistan. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. According to Amir, Rahim Khan ''was the only person I knew who could get away with saying something like that to Baba. Next. Whether it is Rahim Khan's statement "There is a way to be good again" or his lie about the American couple wanting to take Sohrab, Rahim Khan pushes Amir toward Afghanistan and self-forgiveness. He fears that his love of reading and writing, Through this event, Amir wished to get his fathers attention. However, he feels emotionally detached from his father, and he always lets Baba down when it comes to showing courage in the face of trivial confrontations, including protecting his friend and servant, Hassan. In the culture of Afghanistan, a mans betrayal of his friend is an extremely shameful situation. As a young man, when he was in love with a Hazara woman (forbidden in his society), Rahim Khan wanted to be honorable and marry her. Kabul is a dangerous place, you know that, and youd have me risk everything for I stopped.You know," Rahim Khan said, one time, when you werent around, your father and I were talking. As an adult, Amir travels to Pakistan to see Rahim Khan, where they discuss his relationship with Hassan. These last two sentences reflect Rahim Khan's love and compassion. Later, when Amir discovers his talent and passion for writing, Rahim Khan reads Amir's stories and offers feedback. Rahim Khan is Baba's best friend and business partner. Rahim Khan is Baba's best friend and business partner. Rahim Khan says this to Baba in Chapter Three when they were sitting in Baba's study. Hassan wasn't exactly the Hazara I imagined but he did look different to the rest haha! While his father is represented as a physically imposing man, a bear wrestler in fact, as well as an important male in his community and land, Amir is calm and apparently without courage and determination. succeed. Even trivial items-such as the construction of the orphanage-have the power to provoke. At Amir's thirteenth birthday party, Rahim Khan gives Amir a leather-bound notebook to use for his writing. He has tried his best to instill the same qualities in his son, Amir. Guilt is an emotion that comes from believing one was responsible for a particular mistake whether the assessment was accurate or not. Ali has a crippled leg and paralysis in his lower face muscles and the neighborhood children ridicule him. '', Rahim Khan, in Chapter Seventeen, has just told Amir the truth about Hassan's biological father, Baba. Khaled Hosseini, the novel's writer, was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. Below are examples of how to answer these questions. Receiving asylum, the family moved to America, where Hosseini, like Amir, graduated high school and attended university. Even as an adult, Assef uses a pair of brass knuckles to demonstrate both his power and cruelty. He then assumes the role of Sohrabs father, adopts him, and takes him to America. He goes from having wealth and a position of power to working a low-paying job at a gas station and living modestly. The main characters are: Amir . Amir reflects on Rahim Khans words spoken over the phone. She was a professor of literature at the university and her books inspire Amir to become a writer. Baba foreshadows Amir's betrayal of Hassan, and Rahim Khan reflects on Baba's statement, showing the adult Amir that he has fulfilled Baba's unhappy prediction. And that's OK - they might serve another purpose. Although not a completely sympathetic character, Amir is one for whom most readers feel compassion. He is always loyal to Amir, even when Amir betrays him. For example, he tells him that only people who have a conscience and goodness can suffer. Chapter four opens with the story of how Ali became a part of Baba's family. She is a kind woman who likes to sing, although her husband does not let her. This website helped me pass! copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. His father was a diplomat, and the family lived in Paris when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. I shall hear any story you have to tell. He is Baba's foil, serving as a counterbalance to Baba, who seems gruff and uncaring toward Amir, who is sensitive and creative. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Only their five-year-old son, Ali, survived. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! 2023 Shmoop University Inc | All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Legal. Baba Character Analysis. If Hassan and Ali are off in the land of bright, shining moral purity, and Assef is in depths of devilish cruelty, and Amir and Baba are somewhere in between, Rahim Khan is a voice reason standing outside this hubbub of moral questing. The Kite Runner Characters with Examples and Analysis - Literary Devices Therefore, Rahim Khan repeats this conversation with Baba that Amir overheard in Chapter Three. Caring/Empathetic At the beginning of the novel, Rahim Khan is seen defending Amir against Baba's criticisms, encouraging Amir to keep writing and attempting to cheer him up. Rahim Khan is Babas closest person, the one who knows all dirty secrets. Furthermore, Rahim Khan's encouragement was probably the only reason that Amir finally decided to redeem himself. By the storys end, Amir and Baba become closer. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. Rahim Khan is encouraging, persuasive, and wise. Baba is always doing things for others and always seems to expect more from his son. Rahim Khan is one of the only people in the novel who knows all of the secrets; however, he carefully guards this information and protects each individual. List three or more character traits for Rahim Khan. In Afghanistan there are two major ethnic groups. He is one of the only people who knows everyone's secrets (Baba having fathered Hassan, Amir having betrayed Hassan, Hassan having been raped), and he protects each individual by remaining silent. Yet his relationship with Amir improves. As an adult, Assef is a member of the Taliban and buys Hassans son, Sohrab, and subjects him to sexual abuse. Baba is a force to be reckoned with--in fact, Rahim calls him 'Mr. Characters make up the skeleton of a story. Rahim Khan is a minor character in Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, but nevertheless he plays an important role. These words, written by Rahim Khan in his final letter to Amir, reflect one of the central themes of the book: the power of grace. May 2, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 Rahim Khan in The Kite Runner: Character Analysis & Quotes 9 chapters | You don't get to fill them with your favorite colors.''. Brief Summary. He is persuasive because he convinces Amir to travel to Pakistan and adopt Sohrab. He often tried to be very open to Amir, not to cause any problems to him and to try to . My mother actually fainted.
