Afghanistan’s Redemption
Honor, religion, and poetry are the most important parts of Afghanistan’s culture. Stereotypes are used to cover up all of the culture and goodness that once was and still can be seen all over the nation. Headlines all over the world focus on all the things that have created the war-torn country that it is today. Khaled Hosseini illustrates the goodness and cultures of Afghanistan before the Soviet take over. He also shows all that has happened to the country and the hope that remains. Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, uses the character Amir, conflicts between characters, and the theme of redemption in order to show Afghanistan’s downfall and the ability to rebuild.
Amir's life and Afghanistan change drastically throughout the novel.
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Childhood in Kabul, Afghanistan shows the first side of Amir that is introduced to the reader. He begins the story alongside his best friend and servant Hassan. In the novel, Amir states that "we spoke our first words. Mine was Baba. His was Amir" (Hosseini 11). This quote emphasizes who is most important person in each of their lives. Hassan would do anything for Amir, even if it means him getting hurt in the process. Amir on the other hand only wants to receive his father’s love and affection. Judi Hayes explains how Amir tires to get Baba's attention by claiming that he has cancer but, "Baba doesn't even acknowledge him" (Hayes 1). By doing this he is displaying the lengths he is willing to go through to get even the smallest amount of attention. Amir's childhood consisted of him trying to please his father and Hassan stepping in when things did not go exactly as planned. Amir and Hassan’s relationship is can be used to show the changes that occur in Afghanistan in the 1970’s. Hassan and Amir are the same age but live very different lives. In the article, Afghanistan’s Next Chapter, Ray Conlogue describes their relationship by stating that “The child's name is Hassan, and his friendship with Amir is deep even though he is from the despised minority group called the Hazara, and a mere servant in the household of Amir's father" (1). Amir treats Hassan in two different ways. The first is as his best friend, the one who shared the same breast when they were infants. The other is as a Hazara who cooks and cleans his home. While Amir tries to figure out which version of Hassan means more to him, Hassan’s loyalty never waivers. An example from the book states, “This was Hassan’s final sacrifice to me…. he knew I had betrayed him and yet he was rescuing me once again, maybe for the last time" (Hosseini 105). This shows how loyal Hassan was to Amir even after he knows that Amir could have saved him from being raped. When Hassan and Ali leave the house, nothing is ever the same for Amir. As Amir and Hassan’s relationship rapidly changes so does the Afghanistan’s people and country. Afghanistan tries to figure out if they want to become a free state or be controlled by another country. The war starts a prolonged time of fear and guilt that begins in Amir. Baba and Amir's move to America changes Amir's life and reminds him of all that he tried to leave behind. The traditions and culture that they practiced in Afghanistan followed them. Even though they travelled to a new continent, all Amir could think about was how he betrayed Hassan. Amir states, "For me, America was a place to bury my memories" (Hosseini 129). This quotes explains how Amir hoped that after they arrived in America he could "restart" his life. His inability to sleep stays unchanged even after the move. All he can think about is the guilt he feels from betraying Hassan. He soon dove into his education to distract himself and as another way to prove himself to Baba. When Amir graduates, he decides that he will, "enroll in junior college classes in the fall, I told Baba the day after graduation" (Hosseini 134). Graduating from school left him with too much time to think about all of his mistakes. Amir enrolls into college to distract his thoughts but also because he felt this was another way that he could grow into a person Baba could be proud of. Even as an adult, he looks for Baba’s approval. After moving to America, Amir and Baba’s relationship changes. No longer is Amir looked at as a child who only cares about himself. For example, Baba learns he has cancer and that night after returning home from the hospital Amir prays "half-forgotten verses from the Koran-verses...and asked for kindness from a God I wasn’t sure existed" (Hosseini 154). Amir starts to think of other people before himself. He begins to take care of Baba from that day until the day he passes away. One thing that Baba wishes for before he does pass is that Amir settles down with a family. Hosseini describes the happiness that Amir and Soraya’s marriage gives to Baba by stating, "I could see his internal smile, as wide as the skies of Kabul on nights when the poplars shivered and the sound of crickets swelled in the gardens" (Hosseini 173). This quote shows how much Amir has waited for Baba to be happy like this. It makes Amir feel at peace after Baba dies because he knows that he died with that happiness. Amir matures through this experience as does Afghanistan during the war. Amir is constantly riddled with guilt about how he left his relationship with Hassan and Afghanistan. Even though he knows Afghanistan is not like he remembers he never expects it to be as horrible as it was when he returns. Amir’s motivation to go back is when he receives a call from Rahim Khan. In the call, Rahim says, "There is a way to be good again… A way to end the cycle" (Hosseini 198). These words stick with him on his way to Afghanistan. They also motivate him to complete the task of Rahim has planned for him. The task: saving Hassan’s orphaned son, Sohrab. In the article Living Life “A Thousand Times Over”, Judi Hayes explains how, "Amir has a choice to make. He can let the old cowardice take over, proving once again in his own mind that Baba was right about him after all, or he can risk everything [to rescue Sohrab from Afghanistan] and get out of the spiral of guilt and fear" (2). Amir could have taken the easy way out like he had his whole life, but he chooses to face his fears. He realizes that this was his one chance to redeem himself and make it up to Hassan. By choosing to risk his life to save Sohrab shows that Afghanistan is not as hopeless as it seems. Redemption can not be defined by one action.
Redemption occurs over many years of struggling and determination. It takes an entire year for Sohrab to speak to anyone once he moves to America with Amir. Soraya and Amir both try relentlessly to get him to open up to them but minimal progress is made. They try to give Sohrab the best life he can possibly have. Amir finally succeeds when they fly a kite together. A little smile appears on Sohrab’s face and Amir exclaims, “’For you, a thousand times over’” (Hosseini 371). This quote shows how much the small gesture means to Amir. He understands now the loyalty Hassan felt towards him because that is the same way he feels towards Sohrab. In that moment, he finally feels like he has redeemed himself. In his article, The Servant, Edward Hower explains that “[I]n the end, we're won over by Amir's compassion and his determination to atone for his youthful cowardice" (2). The development of Amir shows how he becomes someone who can make up for all the wrong he has done in the past. Sohrab brings out the compassion and determination that Amir was missing. Afghanistan misses that one piece of itself that will allow it to contain the same qualities as Amir finds with
Sohrab. The use of the character Amir, the conflicts he has with other characters, and the theme of redemption demonstrates how Afghanistan falls but has hope of rebuilding in the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Amir's begins the story as a young boy who only cares about himself but slowly develops into a selfless adult. Hassan and Baba’s relationship with Amir drives him to do things that he regrets for the rest of his life. His guilt motivates him to make up for the past by rescuing a young Hazara and bringing him back to America. Amir’s redemption illustrations that there is still hope for Afghanistan. Forgotten cultures of Afghanistan are shown throughout the novel to inform the reader that there is another side to the devastated country.
The history of Afghanistan influences the way Amir’s life develops by affecting his relationship with himself, Baba, and Hassan. People are greatly influenced by the culture that they grow up in, and a community’s culture is shaped by the events that they go through. Throughout the book, the reader can see that Amir struggles with his self-confidence and often-times looks down on himself as a weak and unworthy human being.
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
Many people have done things that they can’t seek redemption for or can’t forgive themselves for, such as not being there for a friend when they need you most. Including Amir, from The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Amir is best friends with Hassan, a Hazara boy. They grow up together, and Amir later finds out that they are half brothers. Hassan helps Amir, but he allows a boy, Assef, and his group of friends to rape Hassan, which he doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to forgive himself for. Amir is redeemed because he receives letters from Hassan, he adopts Sohrab, and fights Assef.
“Forgive and forget” is a common phrase in our society. However, one may argue that mistakes are never truly forgotten. The Kite Runner suggests that the best way to resolve your past and make up for your mistakes is through doing good. Through Rahim Khan’s wisdom, the actions of Baba, and the journey of Amir, Khaled Hosseini illustrates that the need for redemption, due to unresolved guilt, can haunt someone throughout their life.
“For you, a thousand times over.” In The Kite Runner by Kahled Hosseini, there is a recurring theme of redemption that is portrayed by various literary devices. Kahled excellently juxtaposes devices such as irony, symbolism, and foreshadowing to show redemption within his first novel.
It is difficult to face anything in the world when you cannot even face your own reality. In his book The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini uses kites to bring out the major themes of the novel in order to create a truly captivating story of a young boy’s quest to redeem his past mistakes. Amir is the narrator and protagonist of the story and throughout the entire novel, he faces enormous guilt following the horrible incident that happened to his closest friend, Hassan. This incident grows on Amir and fuels his quest for redemption, struggling to do whatever it takes to make up for his mistakes. In Hosseini’s novel, kites highlight aspects of Afghanistan’s ethnic caste system and emphasizes the story’s major themes of guilt, redemption and freedom.
In the literature, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, the idea and representation of justice, and its relationship to that of the treatment of women in Afghan society, the ever-changing politics of Afghanistan, and the desired results of redemption and forgiveness, become illustrated through the novel’s characters and motives. Justice can be defined as the quality of being guided by truth, reason, and fairness. The Kite Runner illustrates the power of influence from an outside power and its effects on society, and the minds and lifestyles of the people. In relationship to the Cheverus High School Grad-at-Grad profile the actions and wrongdoings that take place in the The Kite Runner and in Afghanistan prove to be injustice.
War establishes many controversial issues and problems within society and can often expose an individual to many economic and sociopolitical hardships; thus creating an altercation in the way they view life. Amir, from the novel The Kite Runner and the novel’s author Khaled Hosseini, both saw the harsh treatment toward the people of Afghanistan through a series of wars, invasions, and the active power of a Pashtun movement known as the Taliban. Amir, much like Hosseini, lived a luxurious and wealthy life in Kabul. He is well educated and immerses himself in reading and writing. After transitioning from a life in Afghanistan to a life in the United States, both Hosseini and Amir faced obstacles in order to assimilate to American society. In The Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseini, the protagonist Amir parallels the experiences and hardships that Hosseini endured in his own lifetime.
Guilt is a strong emotion that affects many people around the world. It can either lead people into a deep and dark abyss that can slowly deteriorate people or it can inspire them to achieve redemption. Guilt and redemption are two interrelated subjects that can show the development of the character throughout a novel. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, are two literary works that convey the connections between guilt and redemption and show the development of the character by using theme and symbolism that are present in the novels.
In both of his novels, Hosseini has both protagonists and antagonists originating from Afghanistan. He depicts the flaws of the broad generalizations many people believe due to a lack of information or insight into the concerning situations occurring in Afghanistan. As awareness about the indecencies taking place in Afghanistan increases, hopefully more individuals will take action to aide those being oppressed and help solve the turmoil occurring due to the presence of the Taliban. Works Cited Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner.
Khaled Hosseini, the author of The Kite Runner, grew up in prejudiced Afghanistan during the 1960’s as a middle-class Pashtun living with Hazaras working for his family. His move to America after the Communist Coup proved difficult for his family, especially his father. In his novel, Hosseini writes through a young boy, Amir, very similar to himself, who grows up with his father and two Hazara servants in Afghanistan at the time of the Taliban attacks. Both Amir and his father, Baba, treat their servants, Hassan and Ali, like family. Society, however, does not approve of such relationships between Pashtuns and Hazaras. As Amir hides and watches horrified, another Pashtun boy rapes Hassan. This leads to the continuation of Amir’s internal conflict about the treatment of Hazaras by the public, and also makes him feel guilty and self-conscious throughout his entire life. In addition, Amir strives for affection and attention from his rather indifferent father. Amir’s outward conformity to societal values in his relationships with both Hassan and Baba, as a result of his inner struggle and guilt, contribute greatly to the significance of The Kite Runner.
...a kite for Amir to put a smile on his face, and now that Hassan passed away, Amir is left with Sohrab who he repeats the same action with. In a way Amir did not truly find redemption as he was only trying to free himself from the consequences of sin rather than change for the better. In conclusion, redemption is so important because it frees a person from the sin and suffering they have endured.
After many years of war with the Soviet’s, the people of Afghanistan looked towards a group to take control and return the peace. However, in a situation similar to the rise of Hitler in Germany, a group called the Taliban took control of the land. The Taliban rapidly rose to power in Afghanistan, imposing laws on citizens with punishments many deemed gruesome and harsh, many of these laws can be seen in Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner. These laws and their dehumanizing qualities bring a lot of attention to this country and the events that occurred, and bring a shock to those who learn about them.
Since I first picked up Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, as an assigned text for my senior AP English literature class, I was fascinated with the small Middle Eastern country of Afghanistan. Of course I had heard about Afghanistan before. Every child my age was taught about Osama bin Laden and the 9/11 attacks. Thus Afghanistan was portrayed in a negative light, with a focus on the Taliban and al Qaeda, so I, along with my classmates, grew up to view this country rather negatively. My view changed when I finished The Kite Runner. I realized that this was an incredibly old country, rich in its unique culture, and should not be solely defined by its recent interactions with the United States. However, another issue was brought to my attention at this time, as highlighted in this novel and Hosseini’s follow up, A Thousand Splendid Suns. This issue was gender and human rights.
Khaled Hosseini in his novel Kite Runner creates a portrait of the beauties and horrors of his hometown Kabul, Afghanistan. The novel is based on real-life events. Hosseini depicts the racial, religion and class issues in Kabul. The setting and social milieu drastically changed from the early 1970’s when the country was western and had not undergone warfare to the late 1970’s when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and violence and instability began. The Soviet Union’s invasion created violence and increased the inequalities between social class and religion. Hosseini shows how the novel’s setting and social milieu in Kabul directly influence and shape the relationship between two young boys Amir, an upper class Pashtun, and Hassan, his servant’s