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The kite runner betrayal and redemption
Betrayal essay introduction in kite runner
Betrayal essay introduction in kite runner
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In the novel The Kite Runner, the one recurring theme is betrayal. A handful of characters in the novel choose to betray loved ones. However some decide it is not worth the time and effort to betray someone they care about. Whomever their character is they all have had a chance to betray someone, it’s just some of them don’t take that chance. First of all, the protagonist in The Kite Runner, Amir, is probably the most obvious person that shows signs of betrayal. Throughout the novel Amir repeatedly betrays those close to him. One example is when Hassan was getting raped and even after that tragic event. The novel states “I could stand up for Hassan-the way he’d stood up for me all those times in the past...In the end I ran.” (Hosseini 77.)
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
In the book “THe Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini, betrayal is is one of the big themes that occurs in this book. Amir shows the most betrayal of all, like him witnessing Hassan's rape and not helping him at all. That was his cowardly thing that he did and experiences guilt from it. Many years pass since that event he starts to feel what other people felt when he would betray them, like when he was betrayed by his father and Rahim Khan, because he found out that Hassan was his brother and he felt betrayal of trust just as he made the people he betrayed feel.
In the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini he uses many works of literature that contain a character, Baba, who intentionally deceives other. Baba is seen has the man who can do no wrong, he helps out people, gave people jobs and more. He always use to tell Amir to never sin and that stealing something away from someone is the worst sin you can do. He could do no wrong right? Babs past decisions of dishonesty towards Amir, Hassan, and Ali have already caused great sin. Is the result of the pressure of Afghan society to blame? In Afghan cultures a man’s honor, ethnicity, and family name are paramount. Well, it can be shown in these three areas of Baba life, Baba life in America, Amir going back to visit Rahim Khan, and
‘The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies… It comes from friends and loved ones’ 1 this quote is quite competent here. What is betrayal? Betrayal is a very menial act of breaking the trust or the social contract with someone. It is probably the most devastating loss a person can experience. It is utterly copacetic that not all friendships are meant to last but it is very heartbreaking when bonds meant for eternity break due betrayal. In true friendship there is an ear to hear, and shoulder to lean on; there is a sense of safety, affinity, and acceptance. The ease and comfort. All of which was there between Amir and Hassan but there was also a sense of prominence that caused all predicament.
On multiple occasions, Amir deceives and betrays Hassan’s trust because of his jealousy towards Hassan’s relationship with
Amir makes mistakes and hurts his friend Hassan, and immediately afterwards he felt guilt, and wanted forgiveness, but Hassan acted like Amir did nothing, which bothered Amir even worse. And that lasted on, throughout his childhood he’s constantly upset about what he has done to Hassan, he doesn’t feel like it can be fixed. And he strives to do things throughout the novel to achieve that. One good deed he does trying to be good again, was when he goes back home, he is at a house with Farid and
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
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’s father claims the worst sin is stealing. He always says that when someone lies, they steal someone’s right to the truth. Knowing this, Baba has committed the worst act of sin and betrayal in the entire story. When Amir goes back to Afghanistan as a grown man, to visit Rahim Kahn, he learns that Hassan is his half-brother; his father had been their father all along. He went back to his home country to redeem and find forgiveness for himself, but now he is faced with also redeeming his fathers’ sins. His whole childhood was spent believing that Hassan was only his servant, barely letting himself believe that he was a friend, and now he has to find out that his father lied to him and that this boy was his brother. Amir is now not only on a journey for himself, but for his dad, and Hassan, determined to prove that he “can be good again” (2).
In The Kite Runner Amir was always rude and tried to deceive Hassan. Hassan was a Hazara and he always stayed faithful to Amir and Baba. Hassan even says to Amir, “And I dreamt that someday you will return to Kabul to revisit the land of our childhood. If you do you will find an old faithful friend waiting for you.” (Hosseini 218) After all the times Amir treated
Amir takes advantage of Hasan because he is a Hazara and his servant. “When it comes to words Hassan is an imbecile” (29). This is when Amir first starts to belittle Hassan knowing that he is a Hazara therefore illiterate. Instead of helping his friend, Amir chooses to instead downplay him and mock Hassan. “What would you do if I hit you with this?” (92). Amir pelting Hassan with the pomegranate after he asks this question continues his betrayal because Amir knew Hassan would not do anything about it. “A loyal Hazara. Loyal as a dog” (72). Assef of all people acknowledged that Hassan was loyal to Amir. This in some ways makes Amir as disgusting as Assef but it there are worse instances of betrayal by Amir.
Amir’s redemption is a large part of the novel and is carried out almost entirely until the end of the story. He travels to rescue Hassan’s son, Sohrab, from the orphanage he was placed in after the death of his parents. He promises to find him a safe home with someone but after time passes he feels like this is not enough. He then speaks to his wife and decides to take Sohrab back to the United States with him and take care of his as if he was one of his own. Earlier in the novel when Baba is speaking Amir over hears his conversation as he is referring to him stating, “A boy who won 't stand up for himself becomes a man who can 't stand up to anything” (Hosseini, 22). Thus meaning that if he is able to stand up for himself as a young boy, when he is grown he will not be able to stand up for anything that is in his future. This is true throughout the story until he stands up for himself and Sorhab when he is arguing with his life long bully, Assef. Amir lacked the courage to defend himself in the novel until he finally took charge and went against
The themes of the loss of innocence and redemption is used throughout the novel The Kite Runner to make a point that one can lose innocence but never redeem it. Once innocence is lost it takes a part of oneself that can never be brought back from oblivion. One can try an entire life to redeem oneself but the part that is loss is permanently gone although the ache of it can be dampened with the passing of time and acts of attempted redemption. Khaled Hosseini uses characters, situations, and many different archetypes to make this point.
Also, another central theme of The Kite Runner is the severe impact of betrayal and the journey towards redemption. The main character and narrator, Amir, deals with guilt and shame after betraying his childhood friend Hassan. After betraying Hassan, Amir carries guilt that affects his relationships for years. His journey back to Kabul to rescue Hassan’s son, Sohrab, demonstrates his attempt to make up for his past mistakes. This theme resonates with readers of all ages, as we
Loyalty and honesty are vital in being a good friend. From the time people are born society teaches that honesty is the best policy and to care for others others more than someone would care for care for themselves, in other words to not be selfish. People are usually taught these values but is it okay to not install these values into one's lifestyle because we are at a young age? People who don’t live by this lesson the author teaches will not only be hurting others but will also hurting others. In the novel, The kite runner the character being focused on that struggles personally in their life is Amir.