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What is the importance of character development in literature
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Everyone has someone that they love dearly and for whom they would do anything. Most people have done something to disappoint that person they are so loyal towards, which, undoubtedly, causes guilt. Throughout history, many authors have discussed said relationship in their works. One such author is Khalid Hosseini in his novel The Kite Runner, Characterization is used to prove that lapses of loyalty cause guilt, and guilt causes people to do things they normally would never do.
Topic Sentence. The only reason Amir felt the need to go save Hassan’s son Sohrab was because he felt guilty about how poorly he had treated Hassan at times throughout their childhood. At the very end of the book, Amir says to Sohrab, “‘For you, a thousand times over,’ I heard myself say” (371). Hassan had said the same thing to Amir when they were children. Amir finally felt he had made up
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Hosseini throws the reader straight into the action with, “It’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years” (Hosseini 1). The first thing the reader learns about Amir is his guilt, the specific cause of his guilt is not revealed until later. But eventually the reader learns that Amir, rightfully, felt mortified that he watched Hassan get raped and did nothing to try and prevent it. Furthermore, even before Amir found Hassan in the ally, his loyalty toward Hassan was not consistent. His action of searching for Hassan showed loyalty, however, he would not even tell people why he wanted to find Hassan. He always told people he was looking for his servant’s child rather than his friend. Once Assef said that Amir and Hassan were not friends Hassan felt guilty because he had been acting that way. Had Amir been a more devoted friend he would not have felt guilty because Assef’s statement would have been
Clearly, Amir hears how his father compares the two, and unlike Hassan who manages to meet Baba’s expectations, Amir grows bitter towards Hassan. He is unable to fight off his envy which later causes him to sacrifice his best friend’s innocence: “Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba” (82), and this is all because he realizes “his shame is complicated by his own realization that in part he doesn’t help his friend precisely because he is jealous of him” (Corbett, 2006). From here, Amir develops strong feelings of guilt that induces him to perform even more destructive acts, such as having Hassan and his father evicted from the house. Amir not only loses a close friend, but now he has to continue to live with remorse as he dwells on these memories.
...by Amir in his childhood not only gravely colors his relationship with Hassan, whose innocence he failed to protect from evil and overbearing Assef, but this guilt continues to stay with Hassan as he moves to America and starts a new life. Finally Amir chooses to redeem himself by opting to protect Hassan’s son Sohrab. The guilt which estranged Amir from his childhood friend in a way manages to reunite him with Hassan, albeit in a different manner.
Amir learns of many things going on in another world that will hopefully help with his guilt once and for all. In Rahim Khan's call he says “there is a way to make things good again,” this may be the most powerful quote in the book as it shows both the reader and Amir that there is a solution to his guilt. Amir eventually finds out from Rahim that Ali was sterile: “she left him childless after three years and married a man in Khost. She bore him three daughters”. Amir puts the dots together and is outraged, but not only that it adds a major connection to the theme of guilt. Baba carried around the guilt of having sex with the wife of what he viewed as his brother, it shows a deeper theme that it's a generational thing starting with Baba betraying Ali and Amir betraying Hassan. Amir shows him coming to see Rahim as: “a way to end the cycle”. Amir recognizes this as his only way to relieve himself of his guilt and also Babas.
Hosseini constructs parallels between Amir’s relationship with both Hassan and Sohrab in order to provide Amir with the chance to redeem himself. He heads Rahim Khan’s advice as he finds a way “to be good again” (226). Amir builds a new relationship with Sohrab and ultimately earns the redemption he longed for. Without the connection between Sohrab and Hassan, Amir would never have been able to make amends for his past. He not only earns Hassan’s forgiveness, but also his own, which is what truly allows Amir to move on.
Guilt is a result of sin, and sin is a result of misaction. In the novel, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, the protagonist, Amir, goes on a journey to redeem himself for his sins. When Amir was 12, he witnessed his best friend, Hassan, get raped in an alley. Instead of standing up for his friend, Amir ran away in selfishness and cowardice. The guilt of his choice plagues Amir for the rest of his life, until one day, he gets a call from an old uncle, who tells him that “there is a way to be good again.” (2) The Kite Runner follows Amir on his odyssey to redeem himself for his hurtful actions. Through this journey, Khaled Hosseini delivers the message that sins and guilt can always be atoned for.
The only reason that Hassan got raped was that he was trying to get a kite for Amir. Now the kite acts a reminder to Hassan of his wrong-doing and it will now begin to haunt him for a long time. Although when in America, Amir does not get reminded about Hassan, deep inside he still feels guilty. Amir immediately begins to feel the most guilt when he goes to Iran when Rahim Khan, Amir’s childhood friend, asks him to come. He feels that Rahim Khan has reminded him of his “past of unatoned sins”(Hosseini 2).
To atone for his past sins, he embarks on a journey back to Afghanistan to redeem himself to Hassan for not treating him the way he was treated. He redeems himself by saving Sohrab and giving him a safer and enjoyable life in the Untied States. Amir tyres to attain redemption to baba for being the cause of his mother’s death as he believes. Gaining his fathers love and care will make him feel redeemed from all of the resentment and lack of care that his father shows to him. He must prove to Baba that he is worthy of spending time with everyday because he feels the hatred that his father shows to him. One way how he gets redemption from his father is by winning the kite running tournament to prove to him that he is worthy of being his son. Amir’s path of redemption is not only directed to other people but personal redemption for himself. He attempts to redeem himself by building an orphanage with his wife Soraya and giving Sohrab the childhood that is safer and more suitable for a young boy to grow up in. Amir has to realize that the past doesn’t define who someone is although you can’t forget the past, the actions that they decide to do to redeem themselves from the past mistakes defines who someone is. If Amir’s mother did not die at birth would he be resented from his father greatly and have to make great
Even when Amir was nasty and cruel to him, he had always been a faithful, kind soul. He never doubted that Amir was his friend and that he held a special place in his heart. When Hassan got raped, Amir did not help Hassan. There were ultimately two options: step up to the bullies and rescue Hassan, or run away. Even after hearing Assef say how Amir would never do the same for him, about how he would never stand up for him, he still chose to run away and pretend like he did not just witnessed what had happend. There is also scene where Amir is feeling guilty and both the boys are around a pomegranate tree. Amir just starts pelting Hassan with pomegranates and threatens to him to throw one back. He exclaims, “You’re a coward,” (...). And what does Hassan do? He picks up a pomegranate, but instead of hurling it in Amir’s direction, he smashes it on himself and says, “are you satisfied?” (....). There is this constant pressure on Hassan and Amir’s relationship. The Afghan society would not approve of such “friendship.” Both of the boys were good, but Amir was so young when he made the mistakes that it made the reader question whether there was a way for Amir to be morally good again.
“There is only one sin. And that is theft… When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth,” (Hosseini 225). The main character's father would say this to him try set a good example and try make the best of his son. Betrayal is an, unintentional or intentional, act of disloyalty and distrust. Throughout The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, there are constant, unintentional acts of betrayal. These characters believe they are doing what is best for them but in the end they realize they have been cheated of the truth. Being betrayed can affect people’s personalities and relationships with others. Amir’s betrayal of Hassan is a direct result of Baba’s original betrayal of both his sons.
Although Amir is a Pashtun he continuously associates himself with Hazara's which affects his pride based on the religious beliefs of the people around him. Hossaini opens up the story with a boy named Amir who lives in Afghanistan with his father and their servants. One of his servants, Hassan, was born at about the same time as Amir and although they might be considered worlds apart, they act as if they are close friends. Early in the book Amir is hanging out with Hassan near a pomegranate tree when they are confronted by a notorious bully named Assef. Assef soon starts to ask Amir questions about why he is friends with a Hazara when he is a Pashtun. To which Amir almost responds with, “‘But he’s not my friend!’ I almost blurted. ‘He’s my servant!”’ (41). Through this quote we are able to see how Amir is acting differently when he is exposed the others from his culture that are outside his immediate family. By almost using the phrase “my servant” Amir displays how he wants to show his true feelings for how he thinks of
Guilt is the emotion that a person feels when they are responsible for an action that has violated some set of standards. Khaled Hosseini conveys this through his novel, The Kite Runner, by following a young Afghan boy and the events that surround him with the build up of guilt that continue to follow him as he ages.The consequence of guilt is that it stays with the person for the rest of their life, but one way of getting rid of its weight is to use the past to make the future better by acting upon it in the present. As seen in both Baba's and Amir's actions throughout the novel, guilt can propel actions in order to ease the burden the person had experienced.
Although Hassan is Amir’s family servant, they are best friends and share a bond like family. Amir enjoys hanging out with Hassan, flying kites together, and reading to Hassan. Their childhood together was very innocent and memorable. As Amir grows older he constantly tries to seek his father, Baba, love and approval. This urge for his father’s love, causes him to sacrifice the friendship with his best friend Hassan. Amir had just won the big kite flying tournament which he knows would him father proud. Hassan volunteers to retrieve the kite so Amir can show it to Baba. While doing so, Hassan ran into a bully, Assef. Amir witnesses the encounter between Hassan and Assef. He was faced with the choice to either help Hassan or the get the kite so he can impress and gain Baba’s love. He tries to convince himself by saying, “Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay to win Baba Was it a fair price?” (Hosseini 82). Ultimately Amir chooses his father’s love over his friendship with Hassan. He did not confront the bully, Assef, who ended
Throughout his childhood, Amir conforms to society and treats his Hazara servants poorly, but he questions the morality of such treatment. When Amir’s childhood bully, Assef, confronts him, Amir thinks to himself that Hassan works only as a servant for him, and that they have no friendship. Afterward, he thinks, “Why did I only play with Hassan when no one else was around?” (41). Hosseini uses a series of rhetorical questions to accentuate how Amir questions his beliefs about his relationship with Hassan....
Moral ambiguity is lack of clarity in decision making. Basically, moral ambiguity is when you have an issue, situation, or question that has moral or ethical elements, but the morally correct action to take is unclear, due to conflicting. The author of The Kite Runner is Khaled Hosseini, the book is about a boy named Amir and how much of a easy life he has at first, but near the middle of the book his life is horrible from there to the end of the book.
When people sin they go to great lengths to seek redemption after being tormented from their guilt. In “The Kite Runner”, Hosseini writes about the life of Amir, who sinned at a young age and was left with psychological, emotional, and physical struggles that put him on a journey to find redemption. Betrayal is one of the many sins that can create pain and suffering in a person caused by their guilt which leaves them seeking an important healing process called redemption.