Kite Runner Guilt Essay

In the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini guilt and redemption play a big role in the development of characters as well as their personalities. Throughout the novel Amir always had a sense of guilt. Amir’s sense of guilt stems from how he did not stick up for his best friend Hassan when Assef assaulted him. The guilt played a very important role in how Amir was characterized and how his personality changed towards everyone. Throughout the novel Amir was consistently trying to find redemption through various ways, he felt like the assault was his fault and he wanted to get punished so it would end his guilt. In the novel guilt and redemption were always hand in hand especially when Hassan and Amir were at the pomegranate tree in Chapter

Amir throughout the novel always felt guilty for not sticking up for Hassan especially when Assef raped Hassan in the alleyway. Amir 's guilt during this time made it hard for him to even be around Hassan because he didn 't know how to feel except guilty. Amir started treating Hassan very distant from him and doing things that would eventually ruin their friendship such as stop talking to him, hitting him with pomegranates, and trying to frame him as a thief (Chapter 8). Rahim Khan who played a very important role in the lives of Hassan and Amir felt guilty for keeping the secret about how the two boys were actually half brothers ( Chapter 17) . The secret was discovered once Amir returned to Afghanistan, this was part of the reason Rahim Khan disappeared after Amir left his house to go find Sohrab. Throughout the book Amir 's actions affected how he treated and dealt with everyone else. Amir 's actions often made him feel guilty because he didn 't stick up for himself or others. Amir 's actions such as when he asked Hassan “You’d do that? Eat dirt if I told you too” especially made him feel guilty because Hassan would do anything Amir asked of him (Chapter

Amir was most affected by guilt and redemption, he felt guilty for majority of his life. The guilt changed Amir 's personality from a happy and energetic little boy to a sad and lonely one. The guilt made Amir lose his greatest friend and basically ruined his life because the thought was always in his mind. Amir 's personality changed mainly in Chapter 11 when Baba and Amir moved to California (Chapter 11). The personality change stemmed from the new environment as well as Amir 's maturing as an adult. The guilt and redemption taught many life lessons to Amir. The most important life lessons that Amir learned were about loyalty and second chances. Throughout the novel you see the use of loyalty to the most extremist levels especially when dealing with Hassan and Amir 's friendship. Hassan was loyal to Amir even to his dying day no matter what the circumstances. Amir also learned that there is always a second chance regardless to whatever transpires. The novel shows how second chances are important from Baba fathering Hassan to Amir going to save Sohrab from the Taliban , giving him a second chance at a childhood and a normal life. The use of these life lessons in the book motivate the characters but it allows for their personality and conscious to be