Effects Of Betrayal In The Kite Runner

“For you, a thousand times over,” Amir said, completing the circle of overwhelming loyalty, betrayal and finally redemption. Significant meaning of friendship and the length that true loyalty can go has the possibility of being taken advantage of and ruined. In the novel, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, the author illustrates through the friendships of Amir and Hassan and Baba and Ali that unbalanced relationships cause for a life full of betrayal and the hungry desire for redemption.
The unbalanced relationships between Amir and Hassan and Baba and Ali have deep rooted causes due to social caste division, consequently leading to viewing the friend of the lower class as insignificant which creates the foundation for possible future betrayal.“I

“I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan--the way he’d stood up for me all those times in the past--and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end, I ran.”(77). The constant cowardice and uncertainty Amir feels towards his relationship with Hassan forces a wedge and a lack of loyalty on Amir’s part. Consequently leading to Amir sacrificing Hassan to be raped by Assef in the alley is as a ‘greater good’ for Amir’s relationship with Baba. Directly showing the negative consequences of the one-sided friendship between Amir and Hassan and Amir’s view that Hassan is not important. “How had Baba brought himself to look Ali in the eye? How had Ali lived in that house... been dishonored by his master in the single worst way an Afghan man can be dishonored?”(225). Earlier in the book, Baba stated how theft is the worst possible sin a man could commit. Yet he commits the same exact sin. The affair Baba had with Ali’s wife, Sanaubar, which leads to Hassan’s birth is the ultimate betrayal Baba commits towards Ali. The unbalanced nature in Baba and Ali’s relationship ultimately leads to the betrayal. The unbalance consequently created by the deeply rooted cultural divide in Afghanistan leading to the betrayal and ultimate sin Baba transgressed against

“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