Redemption is the act of atoning a wrongdoing or mistake. Shaka Senghor, the speaker of the Ted Talk, “Why Your Worst Deeds Don’t Define You” talks about his story of growing up a troubled teen in Detroit. Also, about how he went through the jail system and how he wants to change that. While Khaled Hosseini, the author of the novel, The Kite Runner, writes about Amir, a kid who grows up with regret and hatred towards himself for being afraid to speak up. Whereas, Gabriele Muccino, the director of the film Seven Pounds, showcases a film about Ben Thomas, a man who killed seven people in a car accident caused by a single text message. Although all three types of media are different, they all share one common theme, redemption. The Ted Talk, “Why …show more content…
All three characters have to be courageous in order to redeem themselves from past wrongs. In the Ted Talk, “Why Your Worst Deeds Don’t Define You”, Shaka was freed from prison and was able to build up the courage to be able to go back into a community that thought he was an awful person. He came back and to his old Detroit community and built up enough courage to help kids who grew up in bad neighbourhoods like him. He says this in his Ted Talk, “The third thing was atoning. For me, atoning meant going back into my community and working with at-risk youth who were on the same path, but also becoming at one with myself,” (Senghor). When Shaka said this, it showed how he had the courage to go into the community and help people. He went back into a community that criticized him for murdering someone when he was a troubled teenager, and helped the kids that were also beginning to walk along the same path as himself. This is very courageous because the community could have destroyed Shaka’s self-esteem and made him not want to come back and redeem himself by helping others. In The Kite Runner, Amir’s entire life he never was courageous because he was always too shy. This was held true when his best friend was raped and he did nothing to help him, so he made sure he was courageous enough to save his friend’s son. Amir says this courageous quote in the novel, “I remembered Wahid’s boys, and...I realized …show more content…
This is no different for Shaka, Amir and Ben. Shaka tries to help people that went through the American prison system just like he did, so they can come out of jail as better people. He talks about the American jail system in his Ted Talk, “...but unfortunately the system that currently holds 2.5 million people in prison is designed to warehouse as opposed to rehabilitate or transform. So made it up in my mind that if I was ever released from prison that I would do everything in my power to help change that,” (Senghor). This shows that Shaka wants to come back into his community and help others. With the courage he built up to get back into his community, he wants to do everything in his power to help that community. He wants to help others who went through similar experiences as him in order to make himself feel like he has redeemed himself. Similarly in The Kite Runner, Amir tries to redeem himself by going to Afghanistan and saving Sohrab, Hassan’s son. The biggest way that Amir can help Sohrab escape his brutal life in Afghanistan, is by bringing him to America. Amir says this to Sohrab, “ ‘Would you like to come live in America with me and my wife,’ “ (336). Amir knew that what he did to Hassan was cowardly, so he needed to help Sohrab to feel like he redeemed himself. He asks Sohrab to move in with him in America because he
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
Shortly after Amir and Sohrab meet, they arrive at the airport with no troubles. In doing so; the film fails to portray Amir’s character development. At one point in the novel, it seems almost impossible for Amir to take Sohrab to America when the worker at the embassy tells them to “give it up” after hearing their story. Amir’s determination to help Sohrab is a key point in the story as Amir’s character development is shown during this time. Amir’s selfless and strong-willed characteristics aren’t shown in the film which takes away from the true essence of the overall story.
During the course of these four chapters Amir is on a mission to find Sohrab, Hassan’s son, in the city of Kabul. Initially Amir is uncooperative on Rahim Khans dying wish to see Sohrab once more. When Rahim Khan confronts Amir about being “A man who cannot stand up to anything,” (Hosseini 221). This ignites a flame within Amir to prove Rahim Khan wrong. If this statement had not been spoken to Amir, the events in twenty through twenty-three would not have happened. Based on the previous chapters of The Kite Runner Amir can be described as placid as well as
After some misgivings, Amir agrees to rescue Hassan's son, Sohrab, from an orphanage in Kabul. Amir even squares off against a Talib official who is actually Assef. In order to save Sohrab, Amir has to fight Assef, but Amir get beaten up badly by Assef. Amir can be seen as good because of what he done, he risked his life and almost got killed by Assef, but Sohrab saved Amir by shooting him in the eye with a slingshot. Even though Amir didn’t do anything good in his childhood and most of his adulthood too. He could have only saved Sohrab out of guilt and maybe some good intentions of actually being thought of as a good person for once, “Sometimes, I think everything he did, feeding the poor on the streets, building the orphanage, giving money to friends in need, it was all his way of redeeming himself. And that, I believe, is what true redemption is, Amir jan, when guilt leads to good.” (302). Amir is trying to redeem himself after all these years of being a coward and it pays off in the long
Rahim Khan asked for Amir to come and save Sohrab because he knew about the past and felt this was the way Amir would be able to make up for his mistakes. However, Amir wasn’t willing to risk his life for the son of the man who was not only his best friend, but who had put himself in danger countless times to save Amir. This is very selfish because this boy in in need of help and he simply wants to throw money at the situation and stay out of it. Another example of Amir being selfish was when (Pg 309) they found out that the couple who were going to adopt Sohrab weren’t there so he was willing to just dump him with Farid without any further thought. This is extremely selfish because that is his nephew and he is willing to leave him in war stricken Kabul where the boy has already been abused by the Taliban. He only concern was getting home safe to America and doing the bare minimum to save Sohrab in hopes to clear his conscious. The final example of Amir being selfish was when he said that he hopes that he doesn’t end up letting Sohrab get hurt like he let hassan get hurt, only because he doesn’t want that sin stuck with him too: “I will do all of this one wish: My
Later on, Amir comments, “Listening to them, I realized how much of who I was, what I was, had been defined by Baba and the marks he had left on people’s lives. Now he was gone. Baba couldn’t show me the way anymore; I’d have to find it on my own” (Hosseini ___ ). This excerpt illustrates the turning point of the story of Amir’s redemption. The word “I” is extensively used in this specific quote showing that he begins to ruminate on how he should be changing himself for himself rather than himself for others. Another notable aspect of this quote is that Amir realizes that he is on his own now. This proves that he is now prepared to figure things out on his own which almost propels him past the conventional stage towards post-conventional. Further on in the book, Amir converses with Rahim Khan and states, “”You know,” Rahim Khan said, “one time, when you weren’t around, your father and I were talking…I remember he said to me, ‘a boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything.’ I wonder, is that what you’ve become”” (Hosseini ___ ). This extremely important quote shows that if Amir is unable to worry about himself as a child, he will be unable to help people out for nothing in return in the future. If Amir is a boy who can focus on redeeming his own actions in a post-conventional way, he will turn out this way in the future or
In the past, Afghanistan has been attacked by many foreign invaders. As a result, the Afghans have developed a culture where they are expected to stand up for themselves, keeping out anyone who tries to topple them down. Amir recognizes that he does not meet the stereotypes and standards of what an Afghan male should should
One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. 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.” ( ) This section of The Kite Runner was astonishing and unfathomable, but nevertheless sets the scene for Amir’s journey to redemption.
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
At the beginning of The Kite Runner, young Amir wins a kite fighting tournament. He feels like he has finally redeemed himself for his father. However, Amir’s happy day turns dark, when an hour later, he witnesses Hassan, his best friend, raped in an alley. He had “one final opportunity to decide who [he] was going to be. (77) Instead of standing up for his friend and...
The story The Kite Runner is centered around learning “to be good again.” Both the movie and the book share the idea that the sins of the past must be paid for or atoned for in the present. In the book, Amir can be seen as a troubled young boy who is struggling with a tremendous amount of guilt. It is easy to blame Amir’s actions on his guilt and his father’s lack of love for him.
After weeks of secrecy, a brutal fight, and battles with the immigration office, Amir is able to return to America with a bright perspective of his new home albeit broken, beat, and scarred, and a new adopted child, Sohrab. The developed Amir is brought out with his interaction with General Taheri. In the novel, Amir shows his new found ability to stand up for himself with the quote, “‘And one more thing, General Sahib,’ I said. You will never again refer to him as a ‘Hazara boy’ in my presence. He has a name and it’s ‘Sohrab’” (361).
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
...achieves redemption and finally succeeds in overcoming his guilt. Hosseini uses this struggle to persuade those who feel extreme guilt for a wrongdoing to seek forgiveness and to help others in need. The author emphasizes that atoning one’s sins comes from reaching out to others. He expresses this when Amir offers to help Sohrab and he rids himself of guilt from his former relationship with Hassan. In addition, Hosseini writes to those who challenge the ideals of society in order to encourage them to create and follow their own values. The author uses Amir’s struggle in his relationship with Baba and his acceptance with Amir’s writing career to demonstrate this idea. Throughout his novel, The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini develops a main character that questions his decisions, yet conforms to societal ideals to represent his theme of redemption and self-acceptance.