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Theme of guilt and redemption in the kite runner
Theme of guilt and redemption in the kite runner
Essay on kite runner guilt and redemption
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What is life? Life is a collage that every individual has been gifted with. Unfortunately, there are people who don’t realize the significance of this endowment and treat it with disrespect. By decorating their memories with arrogant attitudes, egocentric behaviors, and cowardly acts, they are igniting their steady downfall. Guilt within the mind and a lack of self courage are often the two main components that lead to harm. In The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, Amir is displayed as a classic tragic hero to articulate how the breaking of the moral code through excessive cowardice can lead to the hero’s downfall.
Amir’s wealthy status in the city of Kabul allows him to have excessive hubris, which eventually initiates his tragic downfall.
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Despite living majority of his life with the guilt of not helping Hassan, Amir’s nemesis is yet to come. Destiny plays a huge game with Amir and reveals to him that Hassan is his illegitimate brother during his visit with Rahim Khan. Reacting with various emotions, Amir first decides to head back about to America, but in the end makes the first brave decision in his life by going back to Kabul “…to atone not just for [his] sins, but…Baba’s too” (198). Amir tries to compensate for his sin by rescuing Hassan’s son, Sohrab, from the brutality occurring in Kabul. Amir puts his entire life in jeopardy by facing the oppression in Kabul so he could make a genuine effort in eliminating his sins. In an ideal world, when one truly makes an effort to redeem themselves for their wrongdoings, they are usually gifted with forgiveness. However, in reality, Amir’s heroic act of saving Sohrab, did not free him of sorrow because he still has to live with his nemesis for the rest of his life. By taking Sohrab to America with him, Amir constantly is reminded of his hamartia by envisioning Hassan through Sohrab. This shows how the guilt from a cowardly act leads one into a lifelong feeling of
Although Hassan is his best friend, there are many instances where Amir reveals his jealousy, most notable when Baba sees Hassan as the stronger boy, "self-defense has nothing to do with meanness. You know what always happens when the neighbourhood boys tease him? Hassan steps in and fends them off. I 've seen it with my own eyes…” (Hosseini 24). 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. The only way for Amir to redeem himself of his repercussions is through a challenging process of sacrifice and self-discovery. Although one is unsure at this point whether Amir succeeds at his endeavors, it is clear that this story
While Amir is a Sunni, his childhood friend Hassan is Shi’a, an inferior division of Islam. Simultaneously, Amir and Hassan belong to different ethnic groups-Amir is Pashtun while Hassan is Hazara. During his childhood, Amir would constantly mock Hassan’s illiteracy and poke fun at him. But, the pivotal demonstration of pressure from his surroundings that makes Amir commit his own act of cruelty is when he watches Assef rape Hassan for refusing to give him the kite that Hassan caught for Amir. To this, Amir describes the look of Hassan’s face to “a look I had seen before. It was the look of the lamb” (76). Throughout his upbringing, Amir constantly believed that his father blamed him for killing his mother in childbirth. To Amir, Hassan’s rape is a sacrifice that Hassan has to pay the price, the lamb to kill, in order to win his father over. To justify his refusal to intervene, Amir reminds himself that “[Hassan] was just a Hazara, wasn’t he?” (77). Amir’s surroundings cause him to have a negative outlook on people that his society deem lower. Amir knows he is morally wrong for not helping Hassan, but his need for his father’s love overpowers his friendship. Adding to his pressures, Amir believes that Baba prefers Hassan over him, a belief that further drives him to be cruel to Hassan. As a result, Amir’s motivation for validation and love from his father
Amir goes through many events that take place in the book that change him, and the way he is perceived within the book. Amir is a young boy, who is tortured by his father’s scrutinizing character. Amir is also jealous of Hassan, because of the fact that his father likes Hassan instead of Amir. Amir fights for his father’s approval, interest, and love. This is when Amir changes for the good as he deals with the guilt of the rape of Hassan. Amir witnessed Hassan getting raped, but decides to nothing in order to win over his father’s interest. The guilt that Amir builds up is carries from his premature times as a child to his mature times. From Afghanistan to
No one in the city of Kabul thought anything less than greatness and admiration for him. Hassan’s with Amir, ready to defend and protect him no matter what the cost. And Amir’s with Baba, wanting to please him and make him proud to have a son like Amir. By making a decision of who Amir was more loyal to as well as who he wanted to please more, inadvertently led to his betrayal of Hassan. “I had one last chance to make a decision.
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
When Amir returns to Afghan to help Hassan's son he promises Sohrab that he will not put him back into the orphanage (324). When trying to make a foreign adoption the lawyer said the only way to put him back in orphanage was the only option to help with paperwork. Amir tells this is Sohrab and he tries to commit suicide because Amir could not keep his promise (343). Amir realizes that he shouldn't have used the word “promise” and instead said that he should do everything he can to help Sohrab. While Amir is still living with the guilt of Hassan's rape, he thinks it has come back to haunt him. After he faces a terrible tragedy with Hassan's son, Sohrab he thinks this is the consequence of never confessing what he saw in alley back in 1975 (346). He he continues to pray that this is not linked with what happened and prays that his lies have not caught up with
This self-condemnation that he had from the past haunted him throughout his life and was a major factor in every decision that he made. “There was so much goodness in my life. So much happiness. I wondered whether I deserved any of it.”(183). He questions himself about what he deserves for the mistakes he has made in the past, he cannot live with the fact that he is happy and well off when he blames himself for completing ruining anothers life. Amir travels back to Kabul in attempt to make up for the injustices he once committed. Amir indicts himself for Hassan’s murder and for the current status of Sohrab, all events he truly believes were set in motion by his actions. Amir exhibits why the past cannot be buried, he is an example of how the past can affect things in the future and that there is no true way to be rid of it, no matter how hard he tries to push away his feelings of guilt from all those years ago, it finds a way to return. Sohrab the son of Amir's childhood friend Hassan is the boy Amir seeks out to redeem himself for his actions in the past. Similar to Amir, Sohrab has a disturbing past that continues to influence his present actions and behaviors. Sohrab suffered from rape and physical pain much
Amir always looks up to his father Baba, everything he says he takes to heart and all he wants to do is receive his approval. Amir always heard his father preach about how lying is stealing the truth from someone. Amir becomes enraged when he learns that Baba never told him that Hassan was his brother. Amir then comes to realize that even though his father lied he was still right about some things. Amir said, “Baba had lied about a lot of things as it turned out but he hadn’t lied about that”(Hosseini 227). Amir forgives his father because even though he deceived him he was only trying to what was best for him. Amir comes to the realization that the only way that he can redeem himself is by rescuing Hassan’s son Sorhab. Amir still feels the guilt press down on his shoulders. He is still overwhelmed with regret for what he did to Hassan. After he goes to rescue his nephew he has an epiphany while Assef is bludgeoning him, “My body was broken-just how badly I wouldn’t find out till later-but I felt healed. Healed at last”(Hosseini 289). Amir finally forgives himself for everything that he has done. When he is getting beat to a pulp he feels as if it is atonement for what he had done in the past. The role forgiveness plays in Amir’s life is one of healing. When he forgives his father and himself he feels whole, he feels happy. As if all of his sins have washed from his
Amir is, to be put bluntly, a coward. He is led by his unstable emotions towards what he thinks will plug his emotional holes and steps over his friends and family in the process. When he sought after Baba’s invisible love, Amir allowed Hassan to be raped in an alleyway just so that the blue kite, his trophy that would win his father’s heart, could be left untouched. In the end, he felt empty and unfulfilled with the weight of his conscience on his shoulders comparable to Atlas’ burden. Unable to get over his fruitless betrayal, he lashes out and throws pomegranates at Hassan before stuffing money and a watch under his loyal friend’s pathetic excuse for a bed, framing Hassan for theft and directly causing the departure of both servants from his household. Even after moving to America, finding a loving wife, and creating a career for himself in writing, he still feels hollow when thinking of his childhood in Afghanistan. Many years later, he is alerted of Hassan’s death and sets out on a frenzied chase to find his friend’s orphaned son. He feels that he can somehow ease his regrets from all of those years ago if he takes in Hassan’s son, Sohrab. He finds Sohrab as a child sex slave for Assef, who coincidentally was the one to rape Hassan all of those years ago. After nearly dying in his attempt to take back Sohrab, he learns that he can take the damaged child back to the states with him. Sadly, Hassan’s son is so
After Rahim Khan reveals many secrets to Amir regarding his childhood and what occurred after he fled to America, he asks Amir to retrieve Sohrab from Kabul. When Amir agrees, he suggests for Amir to stay with him in Peshawar for a few more days so that they are able to carefully map out his travel plan. Amir worries that he will convince himself to leave Pakistan and return to America. After deliberation, Amir claims, "I [am] afraid…that I [will] wade back into that great big river and let myself forget…I [am] afraid that [I will] let these waters carry me away from what I [have] to do. From Hassan. From the past that [has] come calling. And from this one last chance at redemption" (243). Amir is able to think logically, and based on his previous experiences, realizes that he has a tendency to flee from uncomfortable situations, as can be seen when he witnesses Hassan’s rape. This time, Amir displays responsibility and determination through his choice to leave before he has a chance to change his mind, a result of maturity. His decision to confront his past and stop running from the guilt that is preventing him from enjoying his life allows Amir to start his journey towards redemption. In addition, when visiting his childhood home after 26 years, Amir is visibly upset by the sight but still wishes to proceed. Farid senses his discomfort and attempts to offer advice. Before returning, Amir converses with Farid: “‘Just forget it all. Makes it easier…’ Farid said. ‘I don't want to forget anymore,’” (276). Amir’s response to Farid’s comment confirms his willpower to put an end to his guilt and to face his past bravely. This shows that Amir is no longer ignoring his history but instead is acknowledging that it happened and actively trying to change himself for his betterment. Both his response to Rahim Khan’s plea to stay longer and his answer to
In Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, the author follows the development of protagonist Amir through a life filled with sorrow, regret, and violence. Amir encounters numerous obstacles on his path to adulthood, facing a new test at every twist and turn. Amir embarks on the long journey known as life as a cowardly, weak young man with a twisted set of ideals, slowly but surely evolving into a man worthy of the name. Amir is one of the lucky few who can go through such a shattered life and come out the other side a better man, a man who stands up for himself and those who cannot, willing to put his life on the line for the people he loves.
When Amir finds out about Sohrab. He tries to redeem his own self-worth by rescuing Hassan's son; from Assef and the taliban by going all the way to Afghanistan. He risked his own life because he thought it was a second chance to bury the 'Long open wound' between him and Hassan. The relationship after the lie, they both became more close. (Hassan was killed by the taliban before Amir was told the truth.)
However there are some characters that become better people and change becoming a better, stronger, more loyal individual in the end. The individual that demonstrates this development within this novel is Amir himself. All of the guilt Amir holds with him as a child allow him to realize his duty to be loyal to his brother Hassan ion the end. An example of this is when Amir goes back to Kabul, Afghanistan to retrieve his nephew Sohrab. Amir says, “I remembered Wahid’s boys and… I realized something. I would not leave Afghanistan without finding Sohrab.’ tell me where he is,’ I said” (Hosseini 255). Here, Amir is at the orphanage waiting to find out where Taliban has taken his nephew. Amir remembers the three young starving sons of Wahid, a man whose home he had been in earlier, and realized that Afghanistan is not a safe place for Sohrab. Amir is finally aware of one thing, Hassan has always been there to protect Amir like a loyal friend and brother would and now Amir knows that it is his turn to return that loyalty to Hassan by protecting Hassan’s flesh and blood. A second example of Amir’s loyalty to Hassan near the ending of the book is during Amir’s confrontation with General Sahib and the dinner table after Sohrab is safe in America with him. Amir proclaims to General Sahib, “…That boy sleeping on the couch
What is it that makes us human and what does it mean to be human? These questions should be frequently and relentlessly contemplated by all members of society. What makes us human is the notion that we have complex thoughts and emotions. No two individuals are exactly alike in every way who share the same opinions, tastes, thoughts, ideas, or feelings. Which is quite fortunate, because it would be a complete bore if everyone acted completely identical to one another. So, what is it that makes us abhor another based on their uniqueness as an individual or as a group? The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is about a friendship between two boys set in Afghanistan. The story spans over the last thirty years. Amir is the son of a wealthy business man, Baba. Ali is a longtime childhood friend of Baba’s and works as a servant for him. Hassan is the son of Ali and spends time with Amir. Hassan and Amir one day run into Assef—who has a superiority complex—and threatens to beat Amir for being friends with a Hazara. Later on in the story, Hassan is cornered by Assef and his two friends and Assef rapes Hassan. Amir witnessed the event concealed in the shadows, and is tormented for the rest of his life with his decision for not standing up for Hassan. The author,
“I was afraid that I’d let the waters carry me away from what I had to do. From Hassan....And from this one last chance at redemption. So I left before...that happening”(231). The guilt Amir experiences after he betrays Hassan consumes him. Then which lead towards Amir’s decision to return to Kabul and rescue Sohrab. As a way to find redemption for his past transgressions against Hassan. Amir’s motivation to rescue Sohrab is to redeem himself and make up for his past sins. This illustrates a slight change in Hassan and Amir’s friendship. Amir still experimces feelings of cowardice but overcomes them by his guilt and the desire redemption pushed that aside to help Hassan’s son. “Baba hiring Dr.Kumar to fix Hassan’s harelip. Baba never missing Hassan’s birthday....He had wept, wept,when Ali announced he and Hassan were leaving us”(224-225). The guilt Baba lived with since Hassan’s birth forcibly put a distance between the two, or Baba’s reputation is ruined. Baba’s way of striving to earn redemption for what he done against Ali is everlasting and never was redeemed. The small acts Baba did for Hassan were ways to redeem his past transgressions. Overall, Amir and Baba both betray Hassan and Ali causing for them to constantly strive for redemption and be filled with guilt for the rest of their lives. Only Amir gains some form of redemption to redeem himself from his