Th Kite Runner vs. Where There's a Wall: Comparative Essay on Character and Symbolism Anonymous 11th Grade

One thing that perhaps all humans can agree on, based on their own experiences of life, is that obstacles cannot be avoided. They can be ignored, they can even be dodged sometimes, but at the end of the day, they cannot be avoided. In the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and the poem “Where There’s a Wall” by Joy Kogawa, character and symbolism are used to demonstrate that one’s own thoughts and deep contemplations are the biggest obstacles standing in front of one's need for redemption and self-fulfillment. Those who leave their guilt unaddressed are clearing the pathway for guilt to consume them, leading to an overall change not just in their lives, but also an overall change in who they truly are.

Character is one of the most fundamental tools used by both Hosseini and Kogawa to convey the obstacles that both characters have created for themselves using their own thoughts and feelings. Throughout The Kite Runner, Amir’s biggest goal was redemption, whether he was in his childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Throughout his life, Amir has always tried to redeem himself, not necessarily for himself. During Amir’s childhood years, his goal is to redeem himself to Baba, as he is constantly trying to do that because Baba...