The Theme Of Redemption In The Kite Runner

“That was a long time ago, but 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” said Amir, the main protagonist in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. A universal truth is that every soul has a past; on the other hand, every sinner has a future. Amir is set on what seems as an impossible search for redemption that was created by his past full of unatoned sins. Since Amir’s past is full of unatoned sins, Hosseini sets the theme of the novel to be an emotional journey of redemption.

The theme of redemption successfully controls the plot of The Kite Runner, for it is the driving force behind the entire story’s purpose. For example, Amir states, “In the end, I ran. I ran because

I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me. I was afraid of getting hurt. That's what I told myself as I turned my back to the alley, to Hassan. That's what I made myself believe. I actually aspired to cowardice.” In these lines, Amir explains his actions involving Hassan’s rape. Amir chose to run away to save himself instead of running to save Hassan, his best friend. He made this decision, for he “was a coward” and “was afraid of Assef.” Hassan has always been loyal to Amir as well as protected him from other bullies despite Amir constantly mistreating Hassan.

There was a desperate situation in which Assef targeted Amir, and Hassan displayed his loyalty to Amir. For instance, the text states, “Hassan had pulled the wide elastic band all the way back. In the cup was a rock the size of a walnut. Hassan held the slingshot pointed directly at Assef's face.” In these lines, Hassan stands up for Amir, by aiming his slingshot at Assef’s face. Even though the situation is an extremely risky one, Hassan stood up for Amir in his time of need. Therefore, what tortures Amir is the fact that he failed to stand up for his best friend. As a result, he still feels guilty for his “cowardice” 26 years after the incident. Consequently, this pain Amir so much that it drove him to seek redemption. Amir’s search for redemption controls the direction of the plot, for it has become the purpose of the story. Hosseini continues to expand Amir’s search for redemption beyond the exposition which directly impacts the climax of the story. Additionally, Rahim Khan states, “Come. There is a way to be good again.” In this one quote, Rahim

Khan informs Amir that he can still save himself from his past unatoned sins and “be good again.” The phrase, “a way to be good again” implies that Rahim Khan knows about Amir’s betrayal of Hassan. Hosseini successfully develops the theme of redemption by using Rahim Khan to invoke Amir’s desire for righting his past wrongs. This controls the plot because it directly affects the decisions that Amir makes throughout the story; it creates a turning point in the story in which Amir travels back to Afghanistan in order to find the redemption for his sins. Furthermore, Amir states, “I looked down at Sohrab. One corner of his mouth had curled up just so. A smile.” In this quote, Sohrab, Hassan’s son, has finally smiled for the first time since being in America. Before Sohrab was living in a destitute orphanage in Kabul, he was beaten and raped by Assef, and he even attempted suicide. However, Amir was able to conquer Assef and bring Sohrab to San Francisco. Sohrab showed little interest in anything and didn’t say a word in America. The various amounts of psychological trauma that Sohrab experienced rendered him dumb and emotionless. For that reason, Amir tries to entertain Sohrab by performing Hassan's favorite kite-fighting trick. Surprisingly, Sohrab smiled from this performance. Through Sohrab’s “smile,” Amir’s saw his redemption finally being obtained. Now, Amir is able to make sure that Sohrab has a good life in America, unlike his father. Amir’s redemption marks the end of the story and proves that redemption is the controlling theme of the story.
Similarly, Hosseini successfully develops the theme of redemption that controls Amir’s emotions. For instance, Amir states, “And the harder I laughed, the harder he kicked me, punched me, scratched me...What was so funny was that, for the first time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace. I laughed because I saw that, in some hidden nook in a corner of my mind, I’d even been looking forward to this.” These lines explain Amir’s state of mind during his beat down. Amir was once “afraid of Assef” due to his “sociopath” reputation. This is one of the reasons why Amir betrayed Hassan; however, Amir now must encounter the one person that stands in his way of achieving his redemption. This resulted in Amir being brutally beaten by Assef. Even though Amir is being beaten, he feels elated because he believes he is finally getting the justice he deserves. That justice is the redemption that Amir has been longing for. The fact that Amir feels “at peace” about his brutal “justice” shows that his desire for redemption has a great control over his emotions. In addition, Amir states, “It takes me a moment to register what he has just said. Then he says more but I don't hear him. Because I have taken his hands and I have brought them up to my face. I weep my relief into this stranger's small, meaty hands and he says nothing now.” In these lines, Amir shows his response to a doctor who has been treating Hassan’s son. Earlier in the story, Amir informed Sohrab that he may have to temporarily be at an orphanage again, for it’s very unlikely to receive a visa to America. Consequently, Sohrab attempts to commit suicide since he was scared of being harassed at another orphanage. The doctor notifies Amir that, “He is alive.” As a result, Amir expresses his relief by weeping tears of joy. The word, “weep” truly shows that Amir is relieved that Sohrab is still alive, for he is Amir’s last chance at true redemption.
Lastly, the theme of redemption that Hosseini develops controls the structure of the novel which is the beginning, middle, and end of the novel.

For example, Amir states in, “I knew it wasn’t just Rahim Khan on the line. It was my past of unatoned sins.” In these lines, Amir realizes that not only Rahim Khan was on the phone call, but also his unforgiving past. Hosseini uses the phrase, “It was my past of unatoned sins,” to make a flashback in the exposition that explains Amir’s “unatoned sins.” Hosseini structures this phrase to appear in the first chapter so that it will hint that the following chapters will explain Amir’s past in the form of a flashback. Additionally, this quote is found at the beginning of the novel and is significant because it marks the moment that Amir begins his search for redemption. Furthermore, over the phone, Rahim Khan states, “Come. There is a way to be good again.” In this quote, Amir is told that he still has a chance to redeem himself. Rahim Khan calls Amir from Pakistan to inform him that he is very sick and to ask Amir to come visit. However, it’s the phrase “There is a way to be good again” that strikes Amir. This quote occurs in the middle of the novel and serves the purpose of giving Amir two choices that will greatly affect his life: to either go and find his redemption or to stay home and continue the life he is living. As a result, these choices establish a man vs. self-conflict. It creates a man vs. self-conflict because Amir must

now contemplate with himself about whether he should continue to live his happy life with his wife or to return to Afghanistan to face his sins. The story now takes place in the present versus the exposition taking place during a flashback. In the middle of the novel, Hosseini decides to show the development of Amir’s redemption by using a phone call. Also, in the text, Amir states, “I ran. A grown man running with a swarm of screaming children. But I didn't care. I ran with the wind blowing in my face, and a smile as wide as the Valley of Panjsher on my lip.” In these lines, Amir is finally happy with himself because he has procured his redemption. Earlier, Amir made the decision to go back to Afghanistan and get Sohrab. Now, he has Sohrab in America living with him and his wife. Thus, the story ends shortly afterward, for Amir has secured his redemption. Since the story ends with Amir’s redemption, it’s understood that the theme of redemption controlled the structure of the story.
Using redemption as a theme in literature is prevalent; however, Hosseini took the common theme and turns it into something unique for his novel. Hosseini develops a theme of redemption that pushes the story forward while also taking control of the plot, Amir, and the overall structure of the novel. Amir’s impossible search for redemption eventually comes to an end; all in all, he conquers his own rite of passage and moves on with his life.