The Kite Runner is a title which has effectiveness on multiple levels, including the main moral, cultural and emotive ideas which are presented throughout.
The importance of kites is introduced in the opening chapter where he takes a walk and sees, "a pair of kites, red with long blue tails". The colours of these kites are an embodiment of the moral highs and low which happens throughout the novel. The kites also foreshadow the ending of the novel with Sohrab, making what happens in-between the encapsulation of the title.
Kite Running is highly influential in Afghan culture, highlighted by Farid, on Amir's journey to Kabul, when he says that, "You won't find kites or kite shops on Jadeh Maywand or anywhere else in Kabul". The loss of culture in Afghanistan is based on the flying of the kites, with the Taliban forbidding the flying of kites. Farid mentioning the kites serves as a link which resides in all Afghan men, thus the title encompassing the brotherhood of Afghanistan.
Finally the idea of kites represents the cyclic nature of the novel. On the final page of the book when Sohrab shows a glimmer of joy through flying a kite Amir greets the smile, "with open arms. Because when spring comes, it melts the snow one flake at a time, and maybe I just witnessed the first flake melting". The idea of winter references the kite competition in 1975 when Amir's life changes forever. This also takes Amir's problematic life and shows, through kite flying, how everything can become great, even if it for a split second in time.
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