Whether it may be a false accusation or guilt that has been building up for the past twenty years, redemption is something that brings people to a realization of their actions. Many people, after redeeming themselves, come to a sense of realization because they feel as if they have learned their lesson even if it meant the hard way. Consequently, this starts to result in Amir from The Kite Runner to learn his lesson of not standing up for Hassan. Throughout the process of redemption, a person starts to feel fulfilled, which helps them become wiser. Andy from Shawshank Redemption receives a false accusation for the murder of his wife. Some values held by people who go through the process of redemption include hope, a sense of achievement, and …show more content…
consequently a broken heart. With a deep feeling of regret for the day Amir betrayed Hassan and Andy feeling remorse for all the times he did not show love to his wife, they need redemption. Since the fragile age of twelve, Amir has been living with the guilt of not being able to rescue his half-brother, Hassan, from getting raped.
Being the son of a wealthy man, Amir was not able to prove to his father just how capable he was. Amir also felt very excluded from his father’s love because Baba would favor Hassan’s accomplishments over that of Amir’s. In Amir’s eyes, standing between Amir and his father is one being, Hassan. Thus, Amir wins the kite flying contest to prove to his father how capable he is. Celebration approaches Hassan as he begins to feel accomplished all around the streets of his town, not knowing what is to come. Momentarily, he is in the alleyway on the verge of getting assaulted by Assef. Amir watches it all and has to “decide who I [Amir] was going to be. I could step into the 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. I ran because I was a coward” (Hosseini 77). It was clear at this point that Amir did not know what it meant to be there for someone because all his life, servants took care of his needs alongside Baba always thinking lowly of Amir. Amir also talks about how …show more content…
“Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay to win Baba” (77), not because he didn’t love Hassan, but because he loved his [Amir] image in Baba’s eyes. Hearing how far a human mind can go just to win over someone’s love for their own satisfaction is indeed haunting. Reading from Amir’s life experience, the reader concludes that nothing in this life comes free of sin and pain. Guilt can teach humans plenty, such as the fact that guilt doesn’t hit one’s heart right away because it builds up over time, resulting in the guilt striking painfully. Amir recalls a dream of a monster in a lake where Hassan is assuring Amir that it does not exist “Except he’d [Hassan] been wrong about that. There was a monster in the lake. It had grabbed Hassan by the ankles, dragged him to the murky bottom…I was that monster…That was the night I became an insomniac” (86). That dream of Amir’s resembles just how hard the guilt had hit him. Approximately 20 years later, Amir finds out that Hassan has died by the hands of the Taliban and left his son behind, but in the possession of the Taliban. This is Amir’s one chance at redemption because there was “An orphan. Hassan’s son. Somewhere in Kabul…Hassan had loved me once, loved me in a way that no one ever had or ever would again. He was gone now, but a little part of him lived on…Waiting.” (227). Amir is feeling confined and realizes that saving Hassan's son can aid him to less guilt. Being a banker who is convicted of committing the murder of his wife, after she cheated on him, Andy Dufresne is serving two life sentences in Shawshank Prison.
He knows that he did not kill his wife, however he still feels guilty. Andy knows his capabilities, perhaps that was one of his only strengths, other than hope itself. Andy believes that “hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies” (The Shawshank Redemption). Being aware of this, Andy tries with all of his soul to find himself. Contradictingly, Ellis Redding [Red] on the other hand, believes that “hope can drive a man insane” (The Shawshank Redemption). The reasoning behind Red saying that is because he himself once had hope, and that hope got him nowhere and now he’s broken because of that. It is human nature to fall towards imagination and their own little fairy tales when they want something to happen, whether it be someone endearingly close to the heart or a prison break, hope is what keeps it all alive. Andy has tried his best to find the rejuvenation in the 19 years, nevertheless, fails every time he tries to find it. After serving 19 years at Shawshank Prison, Andy escapes by digging a tunnel through his cell wall made of cheap concrete, in hopes to find his rejuvenation. Right before escaping, he personally talk to Red and admits to the fact that Andy did kill his wife. Despite the fact that he hadn’t physically killed her, he was the cause of her death because he drove her
away alongside him becoming the reason she found love somewhere else. Andy had been a bad husband and he only realized that before his escape. Andy shows a feeling of remorse towards his wife the more time he spends in prison. He starts to realize that “She was beautiful. God I [Andy] loved her. I just didn't know how to show it, that's all. I killed her, Red. I didn't pull the trigger, but I pushed her away. And that's why she died, because of me” (The Shawshank Redemption) and from then on, he realizes that he is the murderer. The audience comes to the realization that redemption is all about realization and forgiveness, and hope is needed for both. After all, even when Red didn’t have any hope in him leaving, Andy brought some hope when he escaped prison. That is when Red realizes that he can do it, and he will do it. Knowing that the lessons of redemption are always about realization of the character’s wrongdoings, these stories go a little more in depth with that. The Shawshank Redemption and The Kite Runner both resemble how mental clashes establish in one’s own head when it has sinned. Whether it may be seeing a loved one get sexually assaulted or being the reason for one’s death, it all needs redemption, and redemption is something that will hurt but gives one a sense of rejuvenation.
As he grows into a man and pushes his regrets to the side - though not ever completely out of his mind - he learns to live through and accept the pain he caused both himself and his best friend, Hassan. Towards the end of the novel, Amir goes to great lengths to earn the redemption he feels he needs in order to finally be at peace. The Kite Runner asks the audience what it truly means to be a good person - do we need to be born with goodness in our hearts, do we live the way that is comfortable and right according to ourselves, or do we have to constantly fail and prove that we are good?
For example, “I [Amir] watched Hassan get raped, I said to no one…A part of me was hoping someone would wake up and hear, so I wouldn’t have to live with this lie anymore…I understood the nature of my new curse: I was going to get away with it.” (Hosseini 86). When Amir is lying in the dark with his thoughts he feels the guilt slowly taking over his life. He realizes that he will get away with his crime and feels that he should be punished for it, only then will he feel redeemed. Amir tries to provoke Hassan by throwing pomegranates at him to give himself the punishment he deserves, “Hit me back!’ I spat…I wished he would. I wished he’d give me the punishment I craved, so maybe I’d finally sleep at night. Maybe then things could return to how they used to be between us.” (Hosseini 92). The guilt is so deep that Amir is consumed by it and not able to sleep at night. Amir then decides to forget about his sin because he thinks nothing can be done now that it is already
Flying kites was a source of Amir 's happiness as a child as well as a way to attain his father’s approval. In Kabul, Afghanistan, a kite flying tournament was held annually. Young boys laced their string with glass and attempted to cut the strings of other kite flyers. That last on standing was deemed the champion and the idol of all the younger children. Before Amir competed in his kite tournament, Baba said, “I think maybe you 'll win the tournament this year. What do you think?” (Hosseini, 50) Amir took this opportunity and told himself that, “I was going to win, and I was going to run that last kite. Then I’d bring it home and show it to Baba. Show him once and for all his son was worthy. Then maybe my life as a ghost in this house would finally be over.” (Hosseini, 50) Amir wanted the approval and affection of his father badly enough that he was willing to allow Hassan to get raped in order to attain it. After this kits became the symbol of Amir 's betrayal to Hassan. The kite ultimately becomes the way that Amir connects with Sohrab, mirroring how Amir connected with Baba when he was a
Assef's vow comes true during the day of Amir's favorite sport: "kite fighting". In this sport, children fly their kites and try to "slice" each other's kite. Amir wins the tournament, and Baba's praise, with his kite the last one flying, but when Hassan goes to fetch the last cut kite, a great trophy, Assef and two henchmen are there instead. Hassan tries to protect Amir's kite, but Assef beats Hassan and brutally rapes him. Amir hides and watches Hassan and is too scared to help him. Afterwards, Hassan becomes emotionally downcast. Amir knows why but keeps it a secret, and things are never the same between the two. After hearing a story from Rahim Khan, Amir decides it would be best for Hassan to go away. Amir frames Hassan as a thief but Baba forgives him, even though he admits to committing
Redemption is gaining honor and self-forgiveness through a selfless act that reflects off of one’s regretful actions of their past. In the novel, The Kite Runner, Amir is the main character who goes through many life struggles and mistakes, then finds himself on a road to redemption. Amir and Hassan were best friends throughout their childhood and Hassan was the honorable, trusting best friend, the one to always take a stand for what he believed was right. Amir’s lack of courage caused him to stay silent in the worst of times, letting Hassan get tortured for the things he did not deserve. The themes of sacrifice, honor and redemption are carried out in many ways throughout this novel being shown through the actions of Hassan, Baba, and Amir.
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
Sometimes no matter how big a mistake you make is you can try to be forgiven, and make up for your mistakes by seeking redemption. No matter what someone does, if they truly want to be forgiven they can, and will, seek redemption. And more often than not they will succeed and they will be forgiven. The book The Kite Runner, is about a kid named Amir, from Afghanistan, who was rich and privileged until having to move to America. And Amir stands by as Hassan is raped, which causes the guilt he has, and this is why he’s trying to strive for redemption. 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
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...
On the day of the kite running competition, Amir vows to win the entire competition in Baba’s honor. To end the competition, Amir cuts down the last remaining kite in the air, at which point in time Hassan runs after the falling blue kite. In hopes of retrieving the last cut kite for Baba, Amir follows Hassan on the run. However, Assef and his two sidekick bullies corner and rape Hassan. Amir watches the entire occurrence in
Over the course of the novel, Baba implies that he is not proud of Amir and the only reason he knows Amir is his son, is because he witnessed Amir 's birth. He states to Rahim Khan that he thinks Amir needs to stand up for himself more often. Countless times during the novel, Amir feels like he has to fight for his affection, that he has to earn Baba’s love. In order to prove himself worthy of affection and to redeem himself for not being a son Baba could be proud of, Amir yearns to win the kite runner competition. He reminisces on a memory, when all “I saw was the blue kite. All I smelled was victory. Salvation. Redemption” (65). In the aftermath of Hassan’s rape, Amir got rid of Hassan so he would not have to face the cause of his guilt on a daily basis. Amir buries the secret of the rape deep within him, where he hopes that it will not come back to haunt him, which is not the case. “We had both sinned and betrayed. But Baba had found a way to create good out of his remorse. What had I done, other than take my guilt out on the very same people I had betrayed, and then try to forget it all? What had I done, other than become an insomniac? What had I ever done to right things?” (303). As mentioned earlier, Amir is not one who stands up for himself. In order for Amir to redeem himself for betraying Hassan, and not standing up for him earlier,
As a foreword, the story of The Kite Runner focuses on a man named Amir. In his childhood, he enjoyed a high-class life in Kabul, Afghanistan, living with his father Baba. They have two servants, Ali and his son Hassan. They are Hazaras, a lower class ethnic minority in Afghanistan. In one Winter of their childhood, Amir and Hassan participate in a kite-fighting tournament; the goal is to be the last kite flying. When a kite is cut, boys chase after it as a trophy. Amir wins the tournament, and Hassan flies to catch the losing kite. Later, following Hassan's path, Amir comes upon a neighbourhood bully named Assef about to rape Hassan who has the trophy, the blue kite. Amir does not interject, believing this will secure him the kite. Thus, Amir sets forth a chain of events he must redeem in his adulthood.
“It's wrong what they say about the past, I've learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out” (Hosseini). In The Kite Runner, Hosseini shares Amir’s journey to atonement. As Amir states, he was unable to bury his past, similar to his father, Baba, who spent the majority of his life haunted by his sins. While both father and son are consumed by guilt, the way in which they atone for their iniquities is dissimilar. While Baba attempts to live his life according to the Afghan saying, “ Life goes on, unmindful of beginning, end...crisis or catharsis, moving forward like a slow, dusty caravan of kochis [nomads]” (Hosseini 356), Amir strays from this traditional perspective. Baba chose to continue his life unmindful of his past, while Amir, eventually decides to confront his. Although both Baba and Amir have acted immorally, the choices they make find redemption affect the success of their individual attempts. In the novel, Amir’s quest for atonement is more effective than Baba’s because he acts virtuously, while his father, acts selfishly. Ultimately, Amir is the more successful of the two because, in opposition to Baba, he seeks holistic atonement and is willing to make sacrifices to achieve redemption.
The other source of tension in Amir’s life is his relationship with Baba, his hard-driving and demanding father. Desperate to win his father’s affection and respect, Amir turns to the sport of kite flying, and at the age of 12, with the assistance of Hassan, he wins the annual tournament in Kabul. Amir’s victory soon is tarnished when he witnesses a vicious assault against his friend, who raced through the streets of Kabul to retrieve the last kite, Amir had sliced from the sky, and fails to come to his aid. Amir’s cowardness is compounded by a later act of betrayal that causes Ali and Hassan to leave their home, and he now faces the nightmare, bearing the burden of his poor choices for the rest of his life.
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.
When people sin they go to great lengths to seek redemption after being tormented from their guilt. In “The Kite Runner”, Hosseini writes about the life of Amir, who sinned at a young age and was left with psychological, emotional, and physical struggles that put him on a journey to find redemption. Betrayal is one of the many sins that can create pain and suffering in a person caused by their guilt which leaves them seeking an important healing process called redemption.