The Kite Runner

This one decision left a stain on Amir for the next thirty years. A quote on pg. 88 states “I wish someone would wake me up, so I wouldn’t have to live with this lie anymore” This quote explains how guilty Amir felt after seeing Hassan get raped as he desperately sought for anyone to find out but didn’t chose to tell anyone the actual truth. Another example from the text is when Amir tries throwing pomegranates at Hassan, as an attempt to get Hassan to fight back and punish Amir for choosing to leave Hassan. However, Hassan refused to throw any pomegranates at Amir, but instead smashed one into his face. A quote on pg.94 states “I wanted Hassan to fight me back for the way I failed him” This quote indicates that Amir wanted Hassan to fight him back, so he could have the “punishment [he] craved” (93) This demonstrates that Amir wanted to feel the act of being punished for his wrongdoing, similar to how Hassan was brutally raped due to Amir’s apparent mistake. Amir’s guilt forces him to travel across two countries to seek redemption for the mistake he made. 15 years later, Amir’s guilt led him to make the hefty decision of returning to Afghanistan “to be good again” (189) by rescuing Hassan’s orphaned son, Sohrab, from the terrible conditions he was left to face in Kabul. Amir sees this as an opportunity to redeem and free himself from

Amir gets fully redeemed for his sins against Hassan, but when he breaks his promise to Sohrab, he has to start all over again. Amir promised Sorab that he would never have go back to another Orphanage again, but when Sohrab couldn't go back to America with Amir right away and might have had to go to an orphanage, it took a turn for the worst. Amir then has to start all over on the path to redemption with Sohrab. At the end of the book it leaves Amir and Sohrab flying kites in America, after over a year of Sohrab not speaking to Amir, he shows Amir a slight smile which foreshadows Amirs next path to

Amir has carried an exceptionally strong guilt throughout his life for the last twenty-six years for the betrayal of Hassan. Amir is willing to do anything to let go of that guilt, even if it means putting his life in danger. This is the type of chance that Amir now has; he needs to travel to Kabul, a very dangerous place since the Taliban is ruling the country to save Sohrab in order to earn redemption. Amir has left Pakistan and is heading off to Kabul. When he arrives in Kabul, Amir and his driver, Farid, head off to the orphanage where Sohrab is in order to rescue him. However, Sohrab is not there because the director of the orphanage had no choice but to sell him to a Talib official. The only way to retrieve Sohrab now is to meet with

Amir watches his best friend Hassan get assaulted by Assef and some of his friends in an alley on the way home from the kite tournament. However, Amir does not go and defend Hassan and struggles to forgive himself. Fast forward in the story Amir has been living in America for some time and decides to go back to Kabul to save Hassan’s son Sohrab who he had never met. “From the past that had come calling. And from this one last chance at redemption” (Hosseini 231). In other words, Amir is saying that if he doesn’t do this there is nothing he can do to redeem himself for what he did in the past. This will lead to how Amir will be willing to do anything to save Sohrab even if it means risking his life and leaving his family behind.

By Finding Sohrab Amir feels as if he is doing a favor for Hassan, relieving his everlasting guilt. Amir explains, “I hadn’t been happy and I hadn’t felt better, not at all. But I did now. My body was broken-- but I felt healed.

Events like Rahim Khan's phone call to Amir's "way to be good again," Assef not forgetting who Amir was because of what Hassan did, and what Sohrab did to Assef all follows this theme of past events becoming relevant in the present and the future. Overall Amir with his story, redeems himself from what he did to Hassan by Rahim Khan's "way to be good again" by taking Hassan's son Sohrab from a bad place, and back to America to make up his action of not doing anything to prevent the rape of his half brother Hassan, giving his son a right to a better future, away from Kabul, away from the Taliban, and most importantly, away from Assef, the threat to the main characters of the story. Courage is something Amir was scared to do at first but overcomes it and does an act of courage, by fighting Assef for

When Amir and his wife, Soraya, can’t seem to have a child, Amir believes that it is because of his wrongdoings in the past. Right up until Amir is in his 30’s does he confront his mistakes. It takes a call from Rahim Khan to persuade him that there is ‘a way to be good again’ (Pg. 2). Amir knows that he needs to make up to Hassan for the wrong that he did all those years ago, and so by confronting his mistake and trying to redeem himself by rescuing Sohrab, Hassan’s son. Amir’s confrontation with Assef when he is getting back Sohrab made him feel like he was confronting his mistakes and gaining redemption ‘For the first time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace… In some nook in a corner of my mind, I’d even been looking forward to this.’ (Pg. 265). This is the punishment and redemption that he has been waiting all these years for, because Hassan wouldn’t punish him all those years ago when they were under the pomegranate tree.

When Amir returns to Kabul to rescue Sohrab, he watches the cleric accusing a man and woman of adultery. The Taliban, numb to the horrific screams of the woman as she is thrown in her grave, derive pleasure from pelting stones at her. Forced to silently watch the hateful scene, people like Amir cannot dare to object or they risk being killed. Unable to do or say anything, Amir watches those lecherous animals kicking the dead couple’s bodies barbarically. Internalizing this incident, Amir realizes that the only way to save Sohrab is by confronting oppressors. A Talib official now, Assef is responsible for killing Hazaras and for sexually abusing Sohrab. Reminded of the same scene where Assef bullies Amir and Hassan, Amir this time fights instead of staying silent to Assef’s tantrums. Fortunately with Sohrab’s help on the slingshot, Amir is able to defeat Assef and atone for his past mistakes of abandoning his half-brother, Hassan. Taking the initiative to right a wrong, Amir defies the bystander effect thus breaking the cycle of immoral acts. Knowing that he cannot change Assef’s brutish ways by mere words, Amir soughts violence but saves Sohrab. Assef, a bigot, believes that Pashtuns can show their power over others through

Amir put his watch and a few items in Hassan's mattress and then Hassan told Ali about how he got rapped so they used the watch...

Hard work is the key to success, but the worst thing you can do is allow yourself to be comfortable. Every successful person in the world has had to work for what they got. They did not get to where they are with only 50% effort. Good Will Hunting shows how allowing yourself to become stagnant can affect those around you. The kite runner exhibits the power of working hard for what you want.

While in Afghanistan, Amir learns that Hassan and his wife have been recently killed by the Taliban and that their son, Sohrab, is in an orphanage. Rahim tells him of an American couple in Pakistan that takes in Afghan orphans and convinces Amir to go find the boy in order to bring him to

When faced with a troubling choice there are two instincts every person and animal has. This set of responses are either fight or flight, coming face to face with adversity will cause someone to pick one of the two instincts. Depending on which one you choose determines wether you fail or prevail when put up against a challenge. In Animal Farm and The Kite Runner the main characters show their tough times and how they did or did not over come them. “These are times that try men's souls.” ~Thomas Paine.

The significance of redemption, demonstrated through Amir’s character revelation, in addition to self – examination, paves Amir’s first steps to develop his self - identity. Throughout the novel, Amir tries to find redemption but is held back by his fear and cowardice. However, when Rahim Khan provides him a path, he takes a step forward when he realises, “A way to end the cycle. With a little boy. An orphan. Hassan’s son. Somewhere in Kabul” (Hosseini 239). When Amir examines how America is simply a place to drown his sins, he decides that for him to no longer feel guilty, he needs to seek redemption rather than allowing time heal his sins. This sheds light on his character revelation as he is no longer a twelve - year - old boy who seeks his Baba for guidance in everything, but an individual who is able to make his own decisions. To further exemplify Amir’s call to action, the author uses short sentences and asyndeton to emphasize Amir’s metaphorical awakening where he is now able to seek redemption. Amir realises that he has to take action for redemption and this allows him to develop a sense of his own identity through the examination of what he has done in America. Secondly, the use of a paradox of healing through pain further develops Amir’s self – identity. When Amir and Assef meet again in Kabul, Amir willingly battles Assef to free Sohrab, a Hazara. In doing so he finally retains

Moreover, Amir’s sacrifice is also to help free Sohrab from Assef. Even when Amir would like nothing more than to leave Afghanistan, he stays—to help Sohrab. He spends countless hours talking to lawyers and on phone calls to ensure that Sohrab will never have to live in the “captivity” of an orphanage again.

Hassan’s son, Sohrab, is a symbol of redemption for Amir because by saving him, he would redeem himself for what he did to Hassan in the past and as a result, let go of his shame. After Amir finds out the tragedy of Hassan’s death and that he is his half brother, he feels a great deal of guilt inside and therefore urges to find Sorab for the reparation of his past sins.