When one commits a sin, there are typically many external consequences that follow. Some people also find themselves having internal conflicts due to feeling regretful for engaging in their wrongdoing. In Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, Amir commits a sin that results in him severing a brotherhood between him and his half brother and friend, Hassan. Due to the fact that Amir and Hassan had a very strong relationship growing up, it should have been implied that the boys would show each other undying loyalty. However, Amir neglects to defend Hassan on the day that he was raped. This decision to be a bystander instead of a hero leaves Amir with a heavy load of guilt that will not disappear. Luckily for him, he is given the opportunity to redeem …show more content…
Amir has always known Hassan to possess all of the traits that a good and pure human being has. In his article “To be good (again): The Kite Runner as an allegory of global ethics,” David Jefferess discusses a theory that states that a person’s face determines how others feel that they must act towards them. He claims that Hassan’s face represents goodness and, “Amir’s redemption depends on his ability to fulfil this moral demand” (Jefferess 396). It seems as if Amir’s brain becomes wired to always relate everything back to his sin. The result of this is Amir constantly being reminded of this moment. This is likely Amir’s conscience speaking because for a majority of his life, Amir does not take action to redeem himself. However, his thoughts and feelings prove that he knows his action was immoral and he must redeem himself. Due to the fact that he recognizes that he needs to improve as a person, the way to go about finding redemption will be to begin to model his behavior off of how Hassan treated people. This causes the direct correlation between Hassan’s persona and Amir’s actions while working towards atoning for his sins. Growing up, Hassan was always friendly, loyal, and loving. He clearly shows his possession of these traits on the day that Amir and Hassan participate in a kite flying competition. After they win, Amir requests that Hassan runs for and …show more content…
For Sohrab’s sake, after Amir saves him, he attempts to build a bond that resembles a father-son relationship. In time, Sohrab opens up to Amir and admits that he feels as if he had sinned. Ironically, Amir describes the moment of Sohrab crying into his chest as a remarkable one,“As the boy’s pain soaked through my shirt, I saw that a kinship had taken root between us too” (Hosseini 320). This is the first moment that Sohrab does not seem distant. By emotionally opening up to Amir, Sohrab shows that he trusts him as a result of all of the genuine, father-like love that has been shown. By fulfilling this role that Hassan would likely want someone to play in his son’s life, Amir is continuing to transform and thus, redeem himself. Amir’s patience in waiting for Sohrab to open up is also significant in showing his progress. As Mishra describes in the article “The ‘Eternal Loop’ of Guilt and the Attempt to Atone in McEwan’s Atonement and Hosseini’s The Kite Runner,” Amir is willing to wait for Sohrab to become more comfortable with him. “Amir must make the patient effort to break this bubble and love Sohrab” (Mishra 87). In order to fully redeem himself, Amir must become a caring person. In that, he has to respect Sohrab and allow him to take his time in opening up. Amir could have tried to force their relationship to move faster in
Anticipation is prevalent throughout The Road, which is set by the narrative pace, creating a tense and suspenseful feeling and tone.
In the book Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer wrote about Christopher McCandless, a nature lover in search for independence, in a mysterious and hopeful experience. Even though Krakauer tells us McCandless was going to die from the beginning, he still gave him a chance for survival. As a reader I wanted McCandless to survive. In Into the Wild, Krakauer gave McCandless a unique perspective. He was a smart and unique person that wanted to be completely free from society. Krakauer included comments from people that said McCandless was crazy, and his death was his own mistake. However, Krakauer is able to make him seem like a brave person. The connections between other hikers and himself helped in the explanation of McCandless’s rational actions. Krakauer is able to make McCandless look like a normal person, but unique from this generation. In order for Krakauer to make Christopher McCandless not look like a crazy person, but a special person, I will analyze the persuading style that Krakauer used in Into the Wild that made us believe McCandless was a regular young adult.
Hosseini’s purpose of writing the Kite Runner was to teach the readers the different ethnic groups in Afghanistan. The main character, Amir, is a Pashtun and Pashtuns are Sunni Muslims, then there are Hazara’s that the Pashtuns do not get along with. Hazara’s are not welcomed by the Pashtuns because they are different social classes.
Taylor Swift is once again under fire over the allegedly racist theme of her new music video for “Wildest Dreams.”
Throughout The Kite Runner this theme is shown many times without this aspect and understanding of this part of the book it would be incomprehensible. Amir eventually learns how to cope with his own guilt and his
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.
The Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseini, shows how lying and deceit is a counterproductive route when trying to live with a dreadful past, exhibited through the actions of Amir. Amir’s decision to withhold the truth and blatantly lie in several situations due to jealousy and his desire for Baba to be proud of him amounts to further pain and misery for himself and those he deceives. Because of Amir’s deceit towards Baba and Hassan, his guilt from his past manifests itself into deeply-rooted torment, not allowing him to live his life in peace. The guilt from Amir’s past is only alleviated when he redeems his sins by taking in Sohrab, contributing to the theme that the only way “to be good again” is through redemption, not shunning the past.
The book’s opening chapter focuses on Amir's conversation with Rahim and Amir’s "way to be good again” (Hosseini 1). The reason Amir flies all the way to Pakistan leaving behind his wife and life in America is Rahim Khan. Amir desires to make up for what he did to Hassan, so he answers Rahim's quest to “be good again” (Hosseini 1). This meeting allows Rahim to tell Amir what he must do to make up for his past. Rahim tells him he must put his own life in danger to save Hassan’s son, Sohrab. At first, Amir wants to refuse Rahim Khan’s wish, thinking of his life back home. He also thinks about how Hassan’s life may have been different if Hassan had the same opportunities he had. Then he realizes, “ But how can I pack up and go home when my actions may have cost Hassan a chance at those very same things?” (Hosseini 226). Rahim Khan warns Amir that it cannot be anyone else; Amir must make up for his own sins. Although he knows it's dangerous, Amir agrees to get Hassan’s son for Rahim as his dying wish. Amir believes that saving Sohrab is “A way to end the cycle” (Hosseini 227). Amir’s commitment in the face of danger proves his determination to be better and finally atone for his sins. Amir realizes his mistake and knows he can't change what he’d done. Eventually, with Rahim's help, he begins to see saving Sohrab as a “way to be
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?
Amir from The Kite Runner has two main desires throughout the story: “pleasing his father” and “Being a good friend to Hassan”. The two desires are constantly conflicting with one another as Amir tries to fulfill both
...rough his actions to save Sohrab, Amir became the man his father had always wanted him to be. Although Baba never lived up to the persona he created for himself, Amir did, and that is why his attempts to achieve atonement were more successful than his father’s. While Baba was unable to seek more than personal redemption, Amir found atonement with himself, Hassan, and God. Amir also found the courage his father lacked to make the necessary sacrifices to achieve redemption. Amir’s ability to transform into a strong character was a result of what he learned from his father’s strengths and weaknesses. While Baba was unable to achieve true redemption, he was a true role model that provided his son, Amir, with the necessary skills to achieve atonement for both of them.
To begin, the first instance of redemption is found and portrayed through irony. As Amir's mother died giving birth to him, he has always felt guilty. Leading up to the annual kite-fighting tournament, Amir feels as if winning will redeem her death, and solidify his relationship with Baba. When he comes upon Hassan who is cornered by Assef, Amir feels as if his rape might be justified: “Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay to win Baba. Or was it a fair price?” (Hosseini, 82) If Amir gains the kite, he wins Baba's heart. Ironically, the sacrifice of Hassan is the catalyst to Amir's need for redemption. Instead of redeemi...
The search for redemption is prevalent through the description of Amir. Early in the novel, Amir strives to redeem himself in his father’s eyes. In order to do so, Amir feels as if he must win the annual kite-tournament. The redemption Amir seeks later in the novel is from his guilt regarding Hassan. In chapter three, Baba says, “A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything” (Hosseini 25). This is when Amir’s moral standard for complete redemption is set. As an adult the only way he may redeem himself is by proving he has the courage to stand up for what is right.
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.
During The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini reinforces the theme of the loss of innocence and redemption. Many characters lose innocence or are the cause of another character losing theirs. Amir both loses his innocence and that of others. His innocence is stolen by his father. In the novel Amir overhears Baba saying, “‘If I hadn’t seen the doctor pull him out of my wife with my own eyes, I’d never believe he’s my son’” (Hosseini 24-25). This affects Amir for his entire life as he tries to compete with Hassan for his father's attention. He does not realize that in doing so, this crumbles his world as he knows it. It makes Amir resentful, calloused, and even cruel, all of which are characteristics of someone who has lost their innocence. In turn, Amir’s loss of innocence causes other to lose their innocence because of his lack of courage and disregard for others feelings.