Amir's Mouth Wires
“Is Fate getting what you deserve, or deserving what you get?” (Jodi Picoult) In Khaled Hosseini’s bildungsroman, The Kite Runner, the protagonist Amir watches his best friend and half-brother Hassan get raped. He tells no one and acts as if he didn’t see it happen. Later in the novel Amir is assaulted by the boy who raped Hassan resulting in the breaking of his jaw. His recovery involves metal wires being put in his jaw causing him to not be able to speak more than a few grunts or small words at a time.
The metal wires inhibiting Amir’s speech are directly correlated to how he refused to interject during Hassan get raped. The wires could be interpreted as a form of karma for Amir turning his back on his brother in his time of need. After watching Hassan get raped, Amir wanted to talk. He wanted to lift the weight off of his conscience but he was too afraid to speak. Similarly, after waking up, Amir wants to speak, but cannot- this time due to physical incapability rather than fear. Overall, Amir’s inability to speak in after his brutal beating symbolizes how he lost his innocence when he refused to speak of Hassan’s rape.