When reading a book like The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, there are so many different messages to take away from it. But in my opinion, there was one message that stood out more than the rest. I believe that Hosseini was trying to prove that redemption can be acquired. This is shown throughout the whole book. The most major point of redemption showed in the story is when Amir goes to Afghanistan to get Hassan’s son, Sohrab. By getting Sohrab from Afghanistan, Amir feels that this will help make up for Amir’s cowardice. Amir watched Hassan get raped after a kite tournament and was too scared to help him. Throughout the journey to Afghanistan, Amir tries his best not to be a coward. This results in taking Sohrab from his former enemy, and
Eventually, Amir received a call from his old mentor, who told him to come back to Afghanistan because "there is a way to be good again." What Amir learned while he visited his mentor would lead him to what he considered redemption. Hassan had been killed, which Amir partially considered his fault, but Hassan's son, Sohrab, was still alive. With the idea of giving him to a good placement organization, Amir set out to save Sohrab. Amir found Sohrab in the possession of a Taliban member, the same man who had raped Hassan when they were children. In order to save Sohrab, Amir had to fight the man, and he was injured very badly in doing so. Despite his injuries, he felt better about himself. He felt free, at peace. He finally had the courage to tell his wife about what he had done, and that took a weight off of his shoulders, as well. Even though Hassan had forgiven him long ago, Amir refused anything less than Hassan's fate.
The only way to have full redemption is to tell the truth. In The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, Amir is a boy living in Kabul, Afghanistan, as the son of Baba. Who is a wealthy businessman of great success. He is a very generous person, building an orphanage, giving to the poor, and lending money to friends in need. Baba has a very well acquainted business partner and a good friend Rahim Khan, who gives Amir great attention that Baba does not give to him. They have Ali and his son Hassan, who are servants to them. Amir and Baba flea Kabul when the Soviets invade Afghanistan, leaving everything behind. When they emigrated to America, Amir and Baba live in great poverty. Baba is a manager at a gas station, then gets lung cancer and dies. He has a lot of guilt, giving to people and doing good deeds is not a way to redeem one’s self.
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
“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.
In the Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini wrote that “true redemption is […] when guilt leads to good” (Hosseini 302). this connection between suffering and redemption develops throughout the whole story. Hosseini hints that sacrifice leads to redemption in the book the Kite Runner through the actions of Baba, Sanaubar’s return, and Amir’s journey to atone for his sins.
At first, Amir does not seek to earn redemption. We know that he is ashamed at what he has done but he prefers to hide his guilt rather than confess and redeem himself right away. After the incident, Amir attempted to avoid Hassan at all costs. Even when Hassan approached him to see if he wanted to go for a walk, like they used to do frequently, Amir refused to go with him and told him to go away (88). He knew that he didn't deserve his friends unwavering love and loyalty.
Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner is an award-winning novel and considered one of today’s most popular, contemporary classics. The story is one of familiar themes such as loyalty, forgiveness, betrayal, love, and redemption. It follows the tale of Amir and how he must atone for his sins and find a way to “be good again” (Hosseini 2). The quintessential message of this book relies on the idea of second chances. Themes of redemption, betrayal, loyalty, and forgiveness are not only shown without doubt through this book, but are also common among many literary works and religions. Hosseini is successful in showing the significance of these themes throughout the novel.
The Kite Runner Part Two The theme of redemption and atonement of sins and misbehaviors is a strong one, this theme expressing regret within characters and strong character development .This theme is perfectly done by the author Khaled Hosseini in his novel The Kite Runner. He has many examples of redemption throughout. The first time we encounter redemption in this novel is when the main character Amir overheard a conversation his father had with Rahim Khan about how he wouldn't believe that was his son if he hadn't seen him born himself.
“I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded; not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night.” That quote from the book The Kite Runner was something that to me represented forgiveness. The quote was said by Amir after he had brought Sohrab to his home in America and he was closing his bedroom door. Amir thought to himself that maybe that was how the forgiveness started because he had basically hurt Hassan and thought maybe this was a way for Hassan to forgive him for the things that happened in the past. One of the major things that happened in the book and the movie was that Amir was called to go back to Afghanistan and rescue Sohrab. One of the major differences between the movie and the book was that in the book Hassan’s mom comes back but in the movie that is not shown. During all of this Amir was able to figure out how to redeem himself by going back to Afghanistan to rescue sohrab and Hassan was able to show forgiveness by letting his mom Sanaubar come into his house and treated her as family instead of just leaving her outside even though she wasn’t a very good person in the past.
Richard von Weizsaecker once said, “Seeking to forget makes exile all the longer; the secret of redemption lies in remembrance”. Weizsaecker’s statement elucidates that sin is inevitable and the concealment of sin elongates remorse. Redemption lies in how one determines their actions towards their transgression. Literature has made redemption a topic of study. Khaled Hosseini is no exception and deliberates redemption and the hardships and sacrifice that are affiliated with it. This is present throughout Khaled Hosseini’s fictional novel, The Kite Runner, which portrays the constant seeking of salvation, whether salvation of oneself or of broken relationships through the characters Amir and Baba. In Hosseini’s, The Kite Runner, the author
Khaled Hosseini's, The Kite Runner, is a flashback narrated by a 40 year old Afghan-American man named Amir, who is plagued by his childhood sins until he seeks redemption for his wrongdoing and figures out that redemption requires painful sacrifice. Amir is a kid who experinced someone so loyal to him be raped and Amir did nothing to stop the rapist. One sin led to another and before Amir knew it, he was destroying his life. After his father died, who was someone who he looked up to most, Amir started to go on the path to redeem himself and his guilt where is when he learns the true meaning of sacrifice. Hosseini uses Amir’s misguided notion of sacrifice and his long journey toward redemption in order to ultimately convey that true
In a lifetime one will face many battles and deal with guilt as said “nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character give him power” (Abraham Lincoln). Guilt from deceiving others or other immoral acts will result in one constantly searching for redemption. Khalid Hosseni’s novel Kite Runner and Shilpi Somaya Gowda’s novel Secret Daughter revolve around betrayal and redemption. Firstly, the search for personal redemption will strongly influence ones character. Secondly, the bond a child forms with their parents will affect their actions. Lastly, the persistence of the past will cloud one’s ability to redeem their life. Throughout the novel the authors integrated the themes of
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a historical fiction novel set mostly in Kabul, Afghanistan and Fremont, California. The novel spans the time periods before, during, and after the reign of the Russians (1979-1989) and the Taliban’s takeover (1996) of Afghanistan. It is told through the first person perspective of Amir alongside his father, Baba, his half-brother, Hassan, and Baba’s companions Ali and Rahim Khan. Growing up, Amir and Hassan are practically inseparable, as they are always playing games, reading poetry, or simply spending time together. Hassan’s mother, Sanaubar, is never present during the children’s youthful years, but they both have Baba as a shared father figure in their lives. The themes of betrayal and redemption
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini tells the coming of age story of the main character Amir. Throughout the novel, many themes are apparent as Amir gets older and deals with the events of his past. One of the main themes is regardless of any action there is always a way to redeem yourself. There are many examples of this theme in The Kite Runner, like when Rahim Khan tells Amir that he can redeem himself, another would be when Assef beats up/hurts Amir but he feels healed, finally were Amir is flying a kite with Sohrab and he smiles. The theme of redemption is present throughout the events of the novel.
Restorative justice, a key factor in today's society that allows us to function in a orderly way can be portrayed in many ways such as the loyalty towards one friend or the redemption from despair and pain.In the story “The Kite Runner” restorative justice is the leading factor in the role of the main character Amir and is quest of redemption. Restorative Justice itself can only be achieved through hard work along with the willingness to change and because of this I feel as though the movie (The Kite Runner) had less of an impact showing the struggle of redeeming oneself unlike the actual book.This being said having the opportunity to watch the film and read the book both greatly impacted how I now view restorative justice. It made the theme of redemption being something you only achieve with hard work and willingness to change oneself clear to me as the reader.