Because of the emotion provoked by Khaled Hosseini in his novel, The Kite Runner, it has been very difficult for me to justify the intense suffering that faces Amir, Hassan, their fathers, wives, mothers, and Hassan's son. But is it my role to justify their suffering? Perhaps Hosseini is insisting that there is a balance to suffering that may not seem to balance out, while in fact a single smile can, in an instant, take and individual back to the place and time before suffering. Suffering may never be justified, but an individual (in this case, Amir) can be refined. He may gain honor and true life. Can there be life without suffering? Hassan seemed to live much more than Amir in their childhood. Could that be because Hassan suffered? Amir had to travel back to his past to complete his suffering. Perhaps God allows suffering in order to develop thought within our minds. It's what makes us human.