Amir’s Search For Identity

Searching for identity has become one of the recurring motifs in contemporary American literature, especially in minority writings. In Khaled Hosseini’s debut novel-The Kite Runner, the identity pursuit is a foregrounded persistent theme. Taking Hosseini’s hybrid cultural background and his subtle position as a minority writer into consideration, this thesis argues that searching for identity is of great importance to both the writer and the protagonist Amir. Amir’s growth is marked by a series of perplexing events in childhood, the family’s immigration to the United States, and brief return to his home-country. It is the key argument of this thesis that these major events in his physical growth are not a mere process of gaining in years, but a trail of the crucial stages in shaping an integrated identity. The chapters of this thesis take these different stages as the foci of discussion respectively and trace the complex process of Amir’s identity crisis, his relentless pursuit of identity and finally the reconstruction of an integrated identity.The present thesis consists of three chapters apart from the introduction and the conclusion. The main body deals with the identity formation in three specific periods: identity crisis in1970s’Afghanistan, identity pursuit in1980s’America and identity reconstruction in2001Afghanistan.Chapter one focuses on Amir’s identity crisis in childhood. The first part analyzes the causes of Amir’s individual identity crisis. Due to the absence of his mother and failure to obtain recognition from his father, Amir suffers from individual identity crisis. The second part studies his vague conception of ethnic identity. Individual identity crisis poses an obstruction in Amir’s formation of judgment and ethnic identity. Failing to mediate the roles between a master and a friend, Amir is always confused about the relationship with Hassan. The ambivalent attitude leads to Amir’s betrayal of Hassan.Chapter two deliberates on Amir’s efforts made in identity pursuit in the new world. The first part explores Amir’s success in pursuing individual identity. With the shift of dominant power in father-son relationship, Amir gradually reconciles with his father. With his authorial power, he also obtains recognition from public and starts his career as a promising writer. The second part lays its focus on Amir’s identification with Pashtun culture. Living in a country without ethnic recognition, Amir gradually forms a better understanding of his ethnic identity as a Pashtun. He assimilates the essence and discards the dross such as double standard in Pashtun culture.Chapter three carries a discussion on Amir’s endeavor to reconstruct identity after he returns to Afghanistan. The first part concentrates on the reconstruction of Amir’s individual identity. His individual identity is affirmed in his fighting against Assef and rescuing and adopting Sohrab. The second part examines Amir’s reconstruction of ethnic identity. His ethnic identity as a Pashtun is perfected in overcoming the racial discrimination towards Hazaras. The third part examines Amir’s negotiation with bicultural identity.This thesis concludes that the dynamic formation of the protagonist’s individual identity is tightly woven with his perception of ethnic identity. By identifying himself as Hassan’s half brother, Amir also establishes his ethnic identity as a brother of Hazaras. The reconstruction of Amir’s individual identity paves the way for the reconstruction of his ethnic identity.