Carry it Forward: The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner has countless important themes and lessons that can be applied to daily life. One theme which I find extremely important is that of honesty. Amir suffers from endless regret due to the fact that when he was a child he wasn't honest about what had happened to Hassan. If Amir had been honest so many of his problems would have been avoided. I believe this book exhibits how difficult it can be to tell the truth. It also shows how horrible it is to keep a secret; to live life pretending. The Kite Runner shows the reader that no matter how frightening or unfortunate the truth may be, it must be told. I believe this is an extremely important idea to carry forward throughout the rest of my life. I try to be as honest as I can, and thus I expect the truth from those around me. Life can be complicated at times, and people surely don't need countless lies to complicate a situation any further.

My Journalism teacher has a poster that says something like If you don't lie you'll never have to remember anything. This basically strikes the point that lies are never helpful and the more of them you tell the worse the situation gets. As I was reading and analyzing The Kite Runner I couldn't help but compare Amir to the people I see on the show The Moment of Truth. For those of you who haven't seen it, the premise is that someone is put through a lie detector test as their friends and family watch. I find this show extremely depressing because some people have such horribly tragic secrets that those closest to them don't know. Like Amir, the contestants on the show have developed strong relationships with people who don't know about significant experiences in their past. It's so upsetting to see adults on a "reality show" confessing all their lies and sins while simultaneously ruining their relationships. On the bright side, it definitely motivates me to live a life where I could pass the lie detector test with flying colors. That is one of my biggest goals in life. Not necessarily to live with no regrets, but to be proud of my decisions and the honest way in which I dealt with adversity. 

The Kite Runner, along with other experiences, has taught me the value of honesty. Lying is never the best option and in the long-run will only cause problems. I see the value in truth and hope that in the future I won't loose sight of its importance.