Betrayal In The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini, has important themes of redemption, guilt, and betrayal. The plot of the story revolves around Amir’s betrayal of his best friend Hassan. Amir is plagued of guilt because of his actions, and does not seem to know how to resolve the situation until his friend Rahim Khan gives him a way. Amir strives to redeem himself in Baba’s eyes by proving he has the courage to stand up for what is right.
Throughout the novel, many characters are haunted by their past memories. Amir is constantly troubled with his memory of his best friend Hassan’s rape. Rape occurs several times throughout the novel and is present as the ultimate act of violence. The main betrayal is when Amir watches as Hassan is raped and does

nothing. In a conversation with Assef, Amir says “He’s our servants’ son” (69). This shows Amir is ashamed to call Hassan his friend to others. Hassan has always stood up for Amir but he never returns the favor. Not only does he watch the rape, but he rejects Hassan’s friendship and says Hassan stole from him. This act is what drives Hassan, and his father Ali out of the household. Amir learns later in the story that his father also betrayed his brother Ali. Amir knowledge of these events comes as another betrayal for him because he always looked up to his father, and was stunned to hear his father’s flaws.
These low points in the life of Amir creates tension and guilt throughout the novel. Amir attempts to deal with his guilt by avoiding it. Doing this does not help his redemption, so he continues to grieve. The first time in the novel that guilt takes place when he and Hassan are playing in the neighborhood and are approached by Assef. Assef is a boy with a similar status to Amir's. Assef and his friends surround Amir and Hassan and begin to humiliate them both. Assef asks Amir why he befriends Hassan because he is in a lower status. Embarrassed, Amir almost says that Hassan is not his friend. Hassan protects Amir from Assef and his friends, who were in preparation to beat him. Amir is struck with remorse when he realizes how loyal Hassan is to him. The most significant event in the novel that supports the theme of lingering guilt begins when Amir wins the Kite Fighting Tournament. Hassan runs off in quest of Amir's trophy kite, which is flying away. When Amir finally locates Hassan, he discovers that he has been surrounded by Assef and his two friends in an alleyway. Assef and his followers rape and beat Hassan. Amir doesn't do a thing to help Hassan and runs back home before the attack on him is even over. Amir's guilty conscience is so strong that he cannot bare to even look at Hassan anymore. Hosseini uses the quote “I didn’t speak to Hassan until the middle of next week” to show how guilty he is, and that he could not even bare to speak to him (87). Amir is under the impression that if he rejects Hassan, his guilt will go away. The author also says “I hurled the pomegranate at him, it struck him in the chest” to show how frustrated he has been (92). Amir puts a large amount of money under Hassan's bed in expectation that Amir's father will discover it and punish Hassan for stealing. When Hassan is asked about the theft, he apologizes and Amir's father forgives him and allows him to stay. Hassan's father Ali is so ashamed of Hassan's actions that he takes his son and leaves forever. Amir's guilt is even worse and he realizes that he made a huge mistake that will haunt him forever.
The betrayals of Amir lead to the pursuit of redemption.

Throughout Amir’s childhood, he tried to redeem himself to his father for his mother’s death during his birth. After Hassan is raped, he spends his whole life trying to redeem himself for his betrayal of his faithful friend. In chapter 7 Amir says, “I caught a glimpse of his face and saw the resignation in it. It was a look I had seen before. It was the look of the lamb.” (76) This quote shows the foreshadowing of a sacrifice that was going to be made. The lamb was the sacrifice for Abraham. Both Hassan and Sohrab are innocents who are sacrificed by being raped, but these sacrifices have very different meanings. Amir sacrifices Hassan for the blue kite. But in Sohrab’s circumstance, Amir is the one who discontinues his sexual abuse. The sacrifice is portrayed as the misuse of the innocents. Amir is still haunted by his wrongdoings, even after he has settled down in America and has started a new life as a writer. One day his friend Rahim Khan calls him on the phone explaining a way he can redeem himself back in Afghanistan. In Afghanistan he learns that Hassan his brother. He also finds out that Hassan and his wife were shot, leaving his son Sohrab in an orphanage. Amir decides a way to redeem himself is to take Sohrab from the orphanage. Amir’s redemption is tested when he is forced to fight Assef to save Sohrab. The author uses the quote “what I saw was Hassan with his slingshot pointed at Assaef’s face” to show how Hassan was there in the moment to help him survive (286). It is ironic that the person who haunts his dreams, is the person he must get by to save his nephew. He is beaten by Assef but stands his ground as he has been destined for this abuse. For the first time, Amir has sacrificed himself for Hassan. Amir later realizes that to completely redeem himself he must adopt Sohrab. By accepting this fact, Amir displays the ultimate courage and redeems

himself.
The Kite Runner has important themes of redemption, guilt, and betrayal. The plot of the story revolves around Amir’s betrayal of his best friend Hassan. Amir is plagued of guilt because he watches his friend get raped and does nothing. Amir does not seem to know how to resolve the situation until his friend Rahim Khan gives him a way. Amir strives to redeem himself in Baba’s eyes by proving he has the courage to stand up for what is right. Amir decides a way to redeem himself is to take Sohrab from the orphanage in Afghanistan.