essay about guilt in the kite runner

Guilt in the Kite Runner

How it works

By not facing the past, internal conflict becomes prevalent in life and can prevent one from moving forward. In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Amir lives in Kabul, Afghanistan with his father, Hassan, and Ali during 1963-1981. Hassan and Amir grew up with each other and were each other’s best friends, but when the bully Assef raped Hassan, both of their lives changed. In his novel, Hosseini explores the internal conflicts of jealousy and guilt, ultimately portraying how neglecting emotions can lead to damaging one’s self and their relationships with others.

From the start of the novel, it is evident that the bond between Hassan and Baba leads to Amir’s unrelenting jealousy. At Gharga Lake, Baba showered Hassan with attention but gave Amir close to none: “Baba was there, watching, and he patted Hassan on the back. Even put his arm around his shoulder” (Hosseini 14). Amir desires a strong relationship with his father since the strength of their bond was next to nothing in comparison to Baba and Hassan, and his jealousy later prevented him from taking action when it was necessary. Amir sends Hassan off to find the kite they had just cut, hoping to present it to Baba as a way to earn his pride; however, when Amir sets off to find Hassan, he sees him defending the kite against Assef. The first thing Amir worries about is the kite: “Behind him, sitting on piles of scrap and rubble, was the blue kite. My key to Baba’s heart” (Hosseini 71). Amir is so focused on the relationship between him and his father that he forgets how the event could impact others. Out of fear and his own selfish desire, he allows Assef to rape his best friend, and he finally has the bond he yearned for for so long. Although Amir finally had his way. he realized he still wasn’t content, noting, “I finally had what I wanted all those years. Except now that I had it, I felt as empty as this unkempt pool I was dangling my legs into” (Hosseini 85). Amir noticed he wasn’t enjoying the things he had craved and worked for for many years, which caused him to feel guilty for the things he did. This also made him recognize that his friend’s sacrifice was not worth it in the end, which produced his guilt and shame. Amir’s jealousy of Hassan and his father caused him internal conflicts, and this later led to another kind of internal conflict: guilt.

Another source of internal conflict for Amir is his overwhelming guilt. According to “The Difference Between Guilt and Shame”, written by Joseph Burgo, shame is defined about how a person feels about their own actions while guilt relates to others. Amir’s guilt tortures him because of what his envy cost his best friend. One night, he dreams of a man in a vest shooting a harelipped man who is kneeling on the floor, and he says, “I am the man in the herringbone vest” (Hosseini 240). His nightmare of him shooting a harelipped man represented how he is haunted by the fact that he cost Hassan his purity and innocence, and his guilt followed him all his life and made Amir afraid to face his past. Many years later, Rahim Kahn offered him a chance to redeem himself and try to right the past wrongs: “There’s a way to be good again” (Hosseini 2). Amir is handed the opportunity to save Hassan’s son, but he stopped by his inner turmoil. He spent many years trying to run away from his past and is given the opportunity to face it and fix it; however, his fear stops him from doing what he needs to do. His apprehension stems from the guilt that started all those years ago and causes him inner conflict when faced with the option of making things right. Guilt disables people from moving forward and trying to fix what they’ve done.

In conclusion, by demonstrating Amir’s struggles with jealousy and guilt, Hosseini ultimately illustrates that people need to face their past head on instead of avoiding the consequence of their actions. When Amir didn’t try to change to make up for the past and attempted to push it off, he was unable to move on for many years. The same thing can be said for those who choose to wallow in their regrets instead of fixing what could be fixed. This shows why internal conflicts are one of the biggest barriers that prevent people from moving forward.

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Home Essay Examples Literature The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner: The Theme Of Guilt

Category Literature
Subcategory Book
Topic The Kite Runner

Have you been guilty for someone which you did a bad thing, but afraid to tell him/her? I believe everyone does. The main character from the book The Kite Runner Amir is truly indeed able to “be good again” and achieve redemption and atonement in the novel after he knows the truth about his half-brother Hassan.

From another perspective, Amir has not achieved self-salvation and made life better. Amir took Hassan’s son back to his home in the United States and only explained to the general that Hassan was his brother and he did all this only for his father. Also, have an extra child is adds to the burden on the family’s economy, which does not make them have a better quality of life. Instead, watching Hasan’s son slowly grew more and more like Hassan is long-term torture. It’s reminding Amir’s cowardice and ruthlessness from time to time like a stomachache. Sin began with a kite race. Although Hassan helped Amir win the championship and helped Amir go to pick the winning kite. Hassan was bullied by Assef on the way to pick the kite. However, Amir chose to turn a blind eye because of his timidity and contempt that Hassan was just a servant. The seed of guilt was deeply buried in Amir’s heart. After that, Amir did not speak to Hassan for a long time because he didn’t know how to face him. Later, Amir even deliberately threw Hassan with pomegranate because he wanted Hassan to learn to resist and learn to have his dignity. But Hassan knew that the social class was insurmountable and he could only be a faithful slave. As the seeds of guilt slowly germinated, Amir couldn’t stand it anymore and he decided that the bad guys would do it to the end and kick Hassan out of the house because he couldn’t do anything for Hassan. As a reader, in my opinion, Assef’s bullying of Hassan is a shadow that cannot be erased for a lifetime. The same goes for Amir as a bystander. However, after Amir and Baba were fleeing to the United States, Amir assimilates far more easily, describing America as “ America was a river roaring along, unmindful of the past. (Chapter 11)” Admire views this American life as an opportunity to start over and free himself from his sins against Hassan in Afghanistan. As soon as Amir has a peaceful life, he does not even think about atonement. We can prove that in (Charpeter18), “I can’t go to Kabul, I had said to Rahim Khan. I have a wife in America, a home, a career, and a family. But how could I pack up and go back home when my actions may cost Hassan a chance at those very same things? I wished Rahim Khan hadn’t called me. I wished he had let me live on in my oblivion. ” These are all Amir’s excuses, the “oblivion” for Amir is never happens, he has been lived in the pain for Hassan all the time or he would not thinking too much about Khan’s call. Because he knew that once things happened, they couldn’t be changed and time cannot go backward. He now has a life that looks perfect. He thought that maybe Hassan also has a happy family. He should not be in Hassan’s life again to remind him of those unfortunate things that happened before. Another evidence from (Chapter 18) that Khan said, “There is a way to be good again.” The word ‘again’ indicates that Amir was indeed good at one time and to be restored to that state of grace, the implication is that Amir must do something to atone for his sins. And rescuing Sohrab is only the beginning, not the end, of what he must do. From the perspective of Baba’s son, Amir later decided to save Hassan’s son out of filial piety because Amir thought his father was upright all his life, this was the last thing he could do for his father. After all, it was because Baba publicly did not recognize Hassan that he had a later story.

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However, Amir was going to achieve redemption for himself. When Amir saw Hassan’s son Sohrab and decided to negotiate with Assef to take him away. Assef certainly disagreed and hit Amir. This time Amir did not escape, he bravely stayed to face the common enemy and determined to take Sohrab away. The evidence from the book is “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…my body was broken–just how badly I wouldn’t find out until later–but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed. (Chapter 22)” Amir used “healed” mean mentally because he fights back with his brave, fearless and he can be a man like Baba. Also, it an act of late revenge for Hassan as a friend as family. Amir got a very severe physical injury at this time. As humans must be irritated with tears by body pain. But Amir can still laugh. It can be seen that the big rock in his heart was put down. He successfully let go of his anger at Arthur and let go of his inner torture for years.

Amir successfully brought Sohrab home for atonement to Hassan about what he did before and he decided to take on the responsibility of a family to give the child care and love until he grew up. Amir was willing to come to his son to atone for sin as Hasan did to himself. When Amir and Sohrab were flying a kite together, Amir took the initiative to pick up the dropped kite for Sohrab and said, “For you, a thousand times over, I heard myself say.” Atonement cannot be accomplished overnight, and it will take a lifetime. However, I believe that Amir and his wife can slowly heal the scars on this child’s heart with love and get real salvation because of the soft word from Amir, “It was only a smile, nothing more. It didn’t make everything all right. It didn’t make ANYTHING all right. Only a smile. A tiny thing. A leaf in the woods, shaking in the wake of a startled bird’s flight. But I’ll take it. With open arms. Because when spring comes, it melts the snow one flake at a time, and maybe I just witnessed the first flake melting.” This passage used metaphor, the unusually quiet Sohrab’s heart was as cold as winter because he never felt love. The author here uses snow rather than ice to be more appropriate for the simplicity and weakness that a child would have. Amir compares himself to spring because spring has strong energy for lives to grow and he believes that he can take up the responsibility of taking care of a child. Despite it may be the thousand years of snow, it will turn into a clear and lively stream after spring again and again.

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Redemption Through a Kite's Flight: The Kite Runner

Home / Blog / The Kite Runner

Introduction

Brief overview of the novel and its setting in afghanistan.

The novel named “The Kite Runner” is an unforgettable, emotional, sensational, and heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a rich boy and the son of his father's servant. It was published by Khaled Hosseini in 2003 and flashes back to Amir's childhood in Afghanistan. He is a Sunni Muslim, who struggles to find his place in the world. The novel is a powerful and unusual graphic one. It has become a kind of beloved classic for all generations. Additionally, the novel is an artistically crafted one and set in a war-torn country, Afghanistan. It is centralized on two major relationships, one is the protagonist and his father and the other is the protagonist and his best friend.

Besides, the novel is set primarily in Afghanistan and the United States between the year 1960s and early 2000s. Notably, the setting of Afghanistan is specifically important here to the arc of the novel, as the betrayal and violence inflicted upon the country are reflections of the events that happen to the main characters. The novel also tries to describe multiple distinct of Afghanistan including the Soviet military forces invasion, Taliban rule, and others.

1. Explanation of the Central Themes of Redemption, Guilt, and Friendship

The quest for redemption covers much of the novel's plot and expands as a theme including both personal and political. It is stated that throughout Childhood, Amir struggled to redeem himself to Baba as a perfect son. Besides, Amir spent the rest of his life trying to redeem himself for the betrayal of his loyal friend after Hassan's rape. Such guilt ultimately culminates in Amir's attempts to save Hassan's son Sohrab by returning to Afghanistan. Besides, Amir also realized after learning the ultimate truth that Baba was trying to redeem his adultery through several charitable activities and showcasing strong principles in later life. On the other hand, every relationship in the novel is strained at one point thus providing multiple examples of love and true friendship. Hassan’s friendship with Amir is selfless, while Amir does not consider him a friend.

Childhood in Kabul

A. introduction of the main characters:, 1. amir, the narrator.

Amir is the central character of the novel, “The Kite Runner” as well as its narrator. A conflicting character that struggles between the emotional and logical sides of belonging. Amir is an intelligent and sensitive son of a well-do-businessman in Kabul. Amir grew up accustomed to having what he wanted as a privileged upbringing. The only thing that Amir feels deprived of is a deep sentiment or emotional connection with Baba. Amir is one of the characters with whom readers feel compassion. Amir also has a nature of jealousy toward anyone receiving Baba’s affection. It can add that, Amir’s great desire to please Baba is the primary motivation for his different aspects of behavior early in the novel as it is the main reason, he allows Hassan to be Raped. As a narrator, he opens both his obsession and guilty conscience along with his later perspective while looking back on childhood events.

2. Hassan, Amir's Loyal Friend and Servant

Hassan is Amir’s best friend, playmate as well as a servant of Baba. The character of Hassan epitomizes the perfect servant who is loyal to his master even after the master betrays him. It can be added that Hassan has proven himself a loyal friend to Amir repeatedly. He not only defended Amir but also was ready to listen to whatever the situation could be. His defining traits indicate selflessness, bravery, intelligence being uneducated. He was Baba’s illegitimate child, though he is not aware of this truth and grows up as a servant. There is no cloud of doubt that he plays a major role in loyalty throughout the essay whether being a servant or a friend. After knowing the truth that Amir did not consider him his friend, he still plays the character of “too good to be true”. His character also presents as the victim of racism in a significant portion of the novel.

B. Description of their Childhood in Kabul and their Shared Love for Kite Running

Amir’s childhood was filled with experiences of cowardice, guilt, and forgiveness. Amir wanted Baba's attention and always trying to get attention and love from Baba. Besides, Hassan always tried to stay loyal to his responsibilities and showcase selfless love for Amir throughout his life, beginning from childhood. In Kabul, winter is the best time of the year to hold kite tournaments. It can add that, Baba took Hassan and Amir to buy kites from an old blind man who is the best at making kites in the city. Hassan is one of the best kite runners and seems to know exactly in which place a kite will land before it comes down. Kite runners are those who can better chase the fall of the losing kite flies. While conducting the tournament in 1975, in Amir's neighborhood, Baba said that Amir would win. On the last date of the tournament, when, Amir won defeating the other blue kite, both Amir and Hassan share a bond of cheer and hug for kite love.

C. Exploration of their Contrasting Social Positions and the Class Divisions in Afghan Society

Afghanistan is a country full of social boundaries and expectations influenced by both ethnicity and class. In the concerned novel, Amir and Hassan come from social backgrounds that are the opposite. Amir is a wealthy member of the dominant Pashtuns and a Sunni Muslim. Whereas, Hassan is a child servant to Amir as well as a member of the minority Hazaras. Due to contrasting social conditions, the way they treat each other and their values and beliefs also shape them in different ways. As per the Marxist view, class conflict mainly affects the choices and decisions of Amir and Hassan. It can be added that the relationship between both deep downs should be a loveable one. Due to the presence of pre-existing economic situations, it looks impossible to overlay.

Betrayal and Guilt

A. the incident at the kite tournament and amir's betrayal of hassan.

In the novel, "The Kite Runner", Amir strives for the attention of his father, Baba and to get his attention he can do anything. It can be added that though Hassan was his best friend, Amir showed a shady attitude towards Hassan during the kite tournament. The incident of betrayal happens right after Amir wins a kite-flighting tournament. To ensure Amir's win, Hassan runs after the kite that is cut by Amir as the last one in the match.

Meanwhile, Amir also went after him and found that other boys captured Hassan. Seeing Hassan's Rape, Amir did not take a stand for his loyal friend but rather stop conversation with him after the match. The incident reflects Amir's betrayal as a form of Hassan's physical damage. Besides, another influential fact that somewhere contributed to the betrayal incident is Amir's frustration with his father's lack of attention.

B. Amir's Guilt and His Strained Relationship with Hassan

A change is seen in Amir's character as the novel centers on his growth from a selfish child to a selfless adult after the rape incident. It can add that Amir is not any happier after allowing Hassan to be raped. Amir's guilt was relentless and he later recognized that. His selfishness cost him much rather than increasing happiness. Due to the presence of guilt, Amir started to spend less time around Hassan. He also does not want Hassan around anymore. A strained relationship was seen due to the inner struggles of Amir with his love for Hassan versus his desire to leave Hassan at home so that he can have Baba to himself. It is his guilt that Amir starts avoiding Hassan and represents a strained relationship with him. In the context of overcoming the guilt, Amir convinced his mind by telling him maybe Hassan is the price that he had to pay to win Baba's affection.

C. Hassan's Unwavering Loyalty and the Consequences of their Actions

Hassan sacrificed multiple times to serve and protect his close friend, Amir. Such an act ultimately proves himself a loyal companion. As a consequence of the actions, it has been seen that Hassan paid off physical and mental assault and no one is there to help him. At the end of the novel, Hassan comes across as the personification of innocence that gives others no justifiable reason to betray him. Besides, Hassan must deal with judgment and teasing from an early age due to his appearance and social status. Despite such a scenario, Hassan remains optimistic, kind, loyal, and a great friend to Amir, who does not consider him a friend. Apart from that, Hassan always tried to protect Amir and loyally perform his responsibility. Lastly, he was forever loyal and never allowed himself to be corrupted for any relevant purpose throughout his life.

Escape and Exile

A. the soviet invasion and its impact on kabul.

The novel, “The Kite Runner” contextualizes the Soviet-afghan war that began in 1979 and its impact on the Afghanistan citizens. It can be added that it is a war that internally hit Afghanistan but also the Soviets, to protect the monarchy. Due to such a substantial climate, there were a lot of insurgent groups those are revel groups backed by the US. Another notable thing is that in the late '90s, Mujahideen turned and became Al Qaeda backed by Saudia Arabia, the USA, and Pakistan. Whereas, the communist party was backed up by the Soviet Union. Further, the Soviet invasion in somewhere solidify the concept of global violent jihad, the rise of the Taliban regime, and the formation of al-Qaeda. An attempt has been also seen during wartime including depopulating rural areas and eliminating Mujahideen. Due to the Soviet invasion, instability has been seen that forced many Afghans to leave Kabul.

B. Amir and his Father's Escape to America

In March 1981, Amir and his father came with other Afghans on the way to Pakistan in the back of a truck. After the Russians invaded Afghanistan Kabul was occupied by Russian Troops and is no longer safe. Due to the unstable scenario after the Soviet-afghan war, Baba took this decision and left home in the middle of the night. For a week, Baba and Amir stay with other refugees and then arrive in California, where they have lived for nearly two years. The journey was a horrific one for Baba and Amir along with was full of experiences. Another reason behind staying in America was Amir’s education, finishing high school and going to college. In addition, Amir is happy about such a decision of Baba as he gets a chance to lay off his past that disturbed him.

C. Adjustment to a New Life and the Challenges of Assimilation

In California, the relationship between Amir and Baba has changed gradually. Baba worked at a gas station and faced a difficult time also to life in this country. In this journey, Amir attended high school and then attended college classes in San Jose. Their stay in California was in a run-down apartment and they did have not a lot of extra money to live life as in Kabul. Baba and Amir were among other many Afghans who struggled to adjust to a new life in California. Perhaps, the adjustments to a completely new country are not just about learning a new language, but rather maintaining tradition as well as the balance of self-culture. In addition, Baba still had his old-world prejudice still lost his status. Whereas, Amir was impacted in a more positive way far away from his past and much happier with Baba. Moreover, moving away from home as well as leaving everything behind has resulted in a dramatic change for both characters and imposed a challenge of assimilation as well.

Return to Afghanistan

A. amir's adulthood and his estranged relationship with his father.

Amir's adulthood was spent in California as well as after returning to Kabul. Several distinct incidences including, completion of education, starting of married life, death of Baba, and others are evident in California. Amir remains in the US until he receives a call 15 years later from his father's best friend, Rahim, who asks him to visit Pakistan. During the time spent in the US, an estranged relationship is also seen between Amir and his Baba. it has been seen that Baba was disappointed with Amir's decision to pursue a creative career in writing . A young Amir also felt that he was indeed sacrificing the older Amir and is now able to take responsibility for both his indications and actions. After Baba becomes sick, it is seen that Amir takes a stand as Baba refuses to be checked by a doctor with Russian ancestry.

B. The News of Hassan's Tragic Fate and His Son Sohrab's Captivity

There is no cloud of doubt that traumatic tragedies and events can heavily affect people and substantially change the course of their lives. The same is seen in the case of Amir when he is aware of the news of Hassan’s tragic fate. The consequence of Hasan’s tragic fate was the consequences of religious and ethnic contradictions intensification. In simple words. Hussan’s death is presented as political strife ravaging Kabul as well as the prejudice against Hazaras that is highlighted in the novel. In the end, the Taliban moved into Baba's house and Sohrab was sent to the orphanage. As no one was there for Sohrab, hence he was sent to captivity in Peshawar. However, the tragic fate of Hassan Portray a senseless violence captures the atrocity of citizen’s life under Taliban Rule.

C. Amir's Decision to Return to Afghanistan and Redeem Himself

It is stated that Hassan's death marks a turning point in Amir's quest for redemption. After knowing the trust in his and Hassan's relationship as well as the death news of Hassan, Amir decided to return to Afghanistan and redeem himself from his childhood guilt. To redeem Amir, Rahim Khan also plays an influential role as at first, Amir was not ready to go to the orphanage. Besides. Hassan's letter also to some extent impacted Amir's to decision return to Afghanistan. It has been seen that Amir’s selfish nature drives him to refuse but after his realization that this would be the last chance to redeem himself to decides between saving Sohrab. Additionally, despite different suffering and consequences throughout the book, all characters find their way toward redemption.

Redemption and Forgiveness

A. amir's search for sohrab and his encounters with the taliban-controlled kabul.

Amir’s decision to find out Sohrab is the first active action he takes towards atoning for his past. Besides, going to Kabul itself is a test of Amir’s loyalty, honor, and manhood. The search for Sohrab was one of the redeeming of Amire towards Hassan, who is his brother by blood as well as fulfilling Baba’s desire. According to Rahim Khan’s guidance, Amir is dressed in an Afghan hat called Pakol and wears a fake beard to appear Taliban-friendly. In addition to this, when Amir enters the Taliban-controlled Kabul he further experiences the car sickness that he experienced before. The whole incident of encountering is also hidden from Soraya as Amir believes she will take the next plane to Pakistan. After reaching Kabul, Amir also can not recognize it due to the signs of war.

B. The Dangerous Journey to Find and Rescue Sohrab

Sohrab's rescue is a defining moment in the novel "The Kite Runner". It can be added that the return of Amir to Afghanistan is a journey of redemption and self-discovery over the find and rescue of Sohrab. In the prospect of finding Sohrab, Amir reached the orphanage with the suggested person of Rahim Khan, named Farid but did not find him there. As per the orphanage director's statement, Taliban officials took away Sohrab by giving them money. Amir returned to Aseef in search of Sohrab and here he found him in the same condition that Hassan faced. But this time Amir took the stand and did what Baba always wanted to see within Amir. Besides, Amir also navigates the changing political scenario of Kabul and successfully confronts the Taliban leader, Aseef, who holds Sohrab captive. Apart from that the rescue of Sohrab serves as a meaningful example of the transformative power of redemption and love.

C. Amir's Confrontation with Assef and His Ultimate Act of Redemption

In the novel “The Kite Runner”, the confrontation between Aseef and Amir is a significant moment that occurs while rescuing Sohrab from a Taliban-run orphanage. It can be added that the confrontation is nothing but a manifestation of the long-standing enmity as Aseef previously attacked Hassan, a friend of Amir. It was an emotional and physically charged scene that represents the culmination of the theme of redemption, guilt, and the consequences of past actions that are mainly woven throughout the novel. The scenario serves to bring closure to the event of Amir's childhood as well as serves as a turning point in Amir's journey of redemption.

Healing and Closure

A. sohrab's rescue and their return to america.

After rescuing Sohrab, Amir asks him whether he wants to go to America with him or not. Sohrab was a little scared about the uncertainty of his future and wondered if Amir’s wife would not accept him. After Amir’s confrontation, Sohrab was ready to return to America. While going to the American embassy, Amir became aware that the adoption was almost impossible. A man suggested to Amir the only way to adapt to Sohrab is to admit him to the orphanage. As Amir has no such legal documents thereby needs to claim for adaptation after the completion of two years Meanwhile, Sohrab fell unconscious in the bathroom and lost a significant amount of blood as he was not well for a long time. In 2001, Amir and Sohrab arrived in San Fransico after the completion of his treatment.

B. Sohrab's Trauma and the Process of Healing

The novel highlights that sexual abuse makes Sohrab different and he starts to feel sinful and dirty. Sohrab multiple times told Amir that he did not want to return to the orphanage and was also tired of his life. In between, Sohrab felt ill and had to be admitted to the hospital where he lost a great deal of blood. After his complete recovery, when he arrives in the USA and starts a new life, a change in the process of healing is noticed in that period. It has been seen that, on rainy days, Amir takes Sohrab to the park where he enjoys the kites flying in the sky. It has been seen that Amir encourages Sohrab to do what his father Hassan did in the past to make him a kite runner. Due to the physical and sexual abuse, Sohrab at first manifests in almost everything he does but later after spending days in America, a healing process has resulted in his character.

C. Amir's Reconciliation with his Past and his Newfound Sense of Redemption

Aftermath of the suicide attempt on Sohrab, Amir's feelings of guilt take him again to the reconciliation state. It has been noticed that Amir prays for Sohrab's recovery in the hospital waiting room. Even before he never prayed for anyone but it was his guilt that put him in such a situation. Amir did his best to recover Sohrab and after his recovery, he took away to America. While living in America, Amir always tries to perform all the responsibilities that he cannot do for Sohrab’s father. Such an act by Amir is found as a new sense of redemption in the novel "The Kite Runner". Amir tries to spend maximum time with Sohrab to bring him back to normal life as well and he reflects Hassan, who was his loyal friend in Sohrab's character. The quote of Amir, "For you, a thousand times over” is nothing but a direct indication of Amir’s reconciliation and a sense of redemption.

A. Recap of the Central Themes of Guilt, Redemption, and the Power of Friendship

B. reflection on the impact of personal choices and their long-lasting effects.

Different personal choices of the novel's characters were impacted and resulted in several long-lasting effects. It can be added that the personal choice of Baba, in terms of hiding the truth about Hassan and his past life changed Amir's life. Besides, Baba's behaviour towards Amir somehow influenced him to think that Baba responsible Amir for his mother's death. Another personal choice of Hassan is to serve from his last breath for his friend Amir, who never respects his friendship also results in long-lasting effects in the novel. It can also be added that not treating the doctor was another personal choice of Baba that also negatively impacted Amir's life. The personal choice of leaving Kabul benefits Amir in terms of his education but impacts Baba negatively.

C. The Universal Appeal and Resonance of "The Kite Runner" in Exploring Human Emotions and the Complexities of Relationships

The novel “The Kite Runner” delivers a universal appeal of selfless friendship and a glimpse of political events in Afghanistan. It can add that the characters of the novel really cannot escape from their past and looking for redemption throughout the story. Here, Kites becomes a symbol of betrayal of friendship as well as a symbol of the father-son relationship in the novel. Besides, complexities of relationships are also seen throughout the novel due to personal choices. The major events of the novel are mainly framed in the context of Amir’s life, followed by Afghanistan’s transition as well. Racism and Religion also influenced hugely in the development of complexities in the character's relationships. On the other hand, human emotions in different forms in Hassan, Sohrab, and Amir’s characters are evident within the novel. Moreover, the novel covers multiple betrayals and offers the possibility of redemption as a part of human emotions.

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"The Kite Runner": the Story of Betrayal, Guilt and Redemption

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Symbolism — The Kite Runner Symbolism Analysis

The Kite Runner Symbolism Analysis

Categories: Symbolism

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Published: Mar 13, 2024

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Symbolism of the kite, symbolism of the pomegranate tree, symbolism of the cleft lip.

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Motivations and Betrayal in Hosseini’s The Kite Runner Essay

Introduction.

Characters in a story have motivations that lead them to act in a certain way. The Kite Runner is a novel by Khaled Hosseini and follows the experiences of a man named Amir. The setting of the book is in both Afghanistan and America. Initially, Amir feels the need to prove himself to his father. However, a conflict with Hassan results in him losing a friend but gaining his father’s approval. The failure to offer help to Hassan and say the truth creates feelings of guilt, which further alienates Amir from Hassan.

The major character in Hosseini’s novel is Amir whose experiences form a significant part of the plot. In the initial moments, Amir is presented as a disappointing son to his father, Baba. Amir preferred to engage in kite-fighting competitions and read stories with his friend Hassan. However, his father did not approve of this because according to him the ideal son was strong and imposing. This is because Baba had always wanted Amir to become an athlete. In chapter three Baba indicates that “If I had not seen the doctor pull him out of my wife with my own eyes, I would never believe he is my son” (Hosseini, 2003, p. 18). This quote illustrates the perception that Baba had of Amir, one which was based on the belief that Amir was missing something.

As a result of the evident disapproval from Baba, Amir wanted to become successful to prove his capabilities. The kite flying tournaments are presented as important for the Afghanistan boys during this period. Amir often gets into trouble and is saved by Hassan, which illustrates their deep friendship. Another goal for Amir was to be viewed positively by his father whom he feared. In some instances, Hassan was forced to take the blame for the mistakes made by Amir. Therefore, in the initial moments, Amir’s goals are to gain approval and to be viewed positively by his father.

Amir faced an obstacle, which emanated from his betrayal of Hassan. This occurred when Amir failed to protect Hassan when he was assaulted and raped by a group of individuals led by Assef (Hosseini 2003). This marked a turning point in the relationship between Amir and Hassan. The desire to seek approval from his father and to be viewed positively motivated Amir to lie when asked what had happened. The event had occurred after the end of the Kite flying tournament where Amir won. This resulted in Amir receiving praise from his father, which was the goal. As seen in earlier chapters, the author indicates that Hassan intervened when Amir was attacked by other individuals. On the occasion when Hassan required help, Amir was reluctant to offer support. The writer may have wanted to show that Amir valued approval from his father more than his friendship with Hassan. Hosseini depicts the servant as valuing loyalty because Hassan lies to protect Amir even after what has transpired.

As a result of the betrayal, Amir suffers because of feelings of shame and guilt for over 20 years. This is because Amir did not tell anyone the truth, which was a result of his inability to reconcile with the treachery. To further make matters worse, Amir implicates Hassan as a thief by planting money on his bed (Hosseini 2003). These actions were intended to ensure that the servants were changed. The motivating factor for Amir was to guarantee that Hassan was gone because the feelings of disgrace and culpability were significant. The author notes that from the moment of the betrayal, Amir was unable to face Hassan. Amir fails to identify the need to apologize and tell the truth partly due to fear. Baba would have admonished Amir if he had known that his son did not help Hassan. The author depicts Amir as an individual who is selfish and unable to make tough decisions. Therefore, the conflict that results from the betrayal of Hassan changes Amir because of his feelings of guilt and shame.

The betrayal and the events that occurred afterward caused a significant change in Amir. One of the changes is that Amir was overcome by feelings of guilt, which lasted over 20 years. The author notes that Amir could not face Hassan because of the shame of failing to help (Hosseini 2003). The writer contrasts the loyalty of the servant with that of the master when Hassan lies on behalf of Amir. Baba did not learn the truth because Amir refused to tell the truth. The need to tell lies also illustrates the deep-rooted issues in the family. This is because for Amir to be viewed as an important part of the family, a heroic act was needed. The result is that the character of Amir drastically changes in the resulting moments.

Amir’s character changes towards a vengeful, selfish, and hateful individual. In the moments that follow the assault event, Amir proceeds to indicate that Hassan is a thief. Baba pardons Hassan and Ali but they are embarrassed and decide to leave. Amir was motivated by the desire to ensure Hassan was not in the vicinity. This is because it was difficult for Amir to face Hassan because of the betrayal that had occurred. The actions that follow also depict how class differences can affect perception. Hassan is a servant and is viewed as the probable thief mainly because of classism.

In the ending moments of the story, Amir realizes the need, to tell the truth. The journey toward reconciliation is filled with challenges. The writer indicates that Amir has not yet fully reconciled with the need to tell the truth. This underlines the significance of the feelings of shame and guilt. It also shows the effect that the event had on Amir because even after a change in environment, the issue refuses to fade away. In the end, Amir is forced to return to Afghanistan to “be good again” (Hosseini, 2003, p. 183). Therefore, Amir first responds by becoming selfish and vengeful but later realizes the importance of reconciliation.

In summary, Amir had the desire to receive approval from Baba and to be viewed positively. Their friendship with Hassan was based on master-servant ideals. Amir failed to help Hassan fight off the boys who were assaulting him. The act of betrayal was the changing point in the relationship between Hassan and Amir. The consequence was that Amir created a plan to ensure Hassan left their home. This was because feelings of shame and guilt resulted in Amir not talking with Hassan. The disloyalty changed Amir significantly and haunted him for over 20 years.

Hosseini, K. (2003). The kite runner . Penguin.

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IvyPanda. (2024, May 6). Motivations and Betrayal in Hosseini's The Kite Runner. https://ivypanda.com/essays/motivations-and-betrayal-in-hosseinis-the-kite-runner/

"Motivations and Betrayal in Hosseini's The Kite Runner." IvyPanda , 6 May 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/motivations-and-betrayal-in-hosseinis-the-kite-runner/.

IvyPanda . (2024) 'Motivations and Betrayal in Hosseini's The Kite Runner'. 6 May.

IvyPanda . 2024. "Motivations and Betrayal in Hosseini's The Kite Runner." May 6, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/motivations-and-betrayal-in-hosseinis-the-kite-runner/.

1. IvyPanda . "Motivations and Betrayal in Hosseini's The Kite Runner." May 6, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/motivations-and-betrayal-in-hosseinis-the-kite-runner/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Motivations and Betrayal in Hosseini's The Kite Runner." May 6, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/motivations-and-betrayal-in-hosseinis-the-kite-runner/.

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Home | Literature | Literary Genre | Novel | The Kite Runner

An Analysis of Guilt in The Kite Runner, a Novel by Khaled Hosseini

Updated December 10, 2022
Pages 4 (872 words)
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The Kite Runner
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Guilt is anger directed at ourselves, at what we did and at what we did not do – Peter McWilliams. In the story the Kite Runner, there’s lots of guilt that gets greatly shown throughout the entire novel. (fix previous sentence) Khalid Hosseni incorporates the use of guilt in many different ways, one of them being the use of the characters and how their life’s get changed. That is used to carry on the plot of the story. Guilt has a lot of various impacts (mostly negative) on the characters in the kite runner that have produced changes to their life. The main points apparent in the kite runner shows the following: Guilt haunting Amir’s life, Guilt affecting Sanaubar’s life and Guilt of Baba.

Those are the main points of guilt, but the guilt of the characters gets shown differently throughout the book. Guilt haunts Amir and has negative impacts on his life. After the kite tournament, that was when his guilt first started. He could barely look at Hassan anymore and even when he got older, the memory and that guilt still haunt him. One example that shows this is when Amir was saying: “Hit me back!! I wished he would so he’d give me the punishment I craved, so maybe I’d sleep at night” (pg.98). The reason he was saying that was because he wanted Hassan to get back at him. Amir wanted the guilt to go away so he was trying to provoke Hassan to hit him.

He thought that if Hassan were to hit him back, then some of the guilt that Amir has, will go away since he is getting “punished” from Hassan. The other example is: “I didn’t care about Soraya’s past because I had one of my own” (pg.190). That shows Amir guilt is still evident when he is older because he didn’t want to judge Soraya (his wife) since his past was just as bad or worse. Also, his guilt haunts him so bad to the point where Amir couldn’t tell his future wife about it. And if his guilt still continues to build up, then that could affect more future endeavors that he will most likely pursue. Amir’s guilt is something that does haunt most of his life, but Sanaubar’s guilt has positive aspects despite the guilt haunting her life.

Sanaubuar’s guilt haunted her life but that guilt produced positive impacts in her life. Because of that guilt, she returned to Hassan (whom she left). Now, she has her son’s love and even got the privilege to be a grandmother which makes her happy. An example is when she says to Hassan: “I have walked long and far to see if you are as beautiful in the flesh as you are in my dreams” (pg.221). That shows her guilt because she regrets not seeing Hassan and she dreams about him. Furthermore she traveled long and far to find him so that shows how long the guilt has affected her and how badly she wanted to find him so she could get rid of the guilt. Another example is: “He became the center of her existence” (pg.223).

What that shows is that Sanaubar really loved Sohrab since he is Hassan’s son. Also because she feels that if she couldn’t give her love to Hassan, then she can give it to Sohrab. The effect of that made her really happy and that guilt is gone, and replaced with love for Sohrab. Sanaubar’s guilt had positive impacts in her life, but Baba’s guilt unlike Sanaubar’s. doesn’t have any good results. Baba’s Guilt has negative impacts on his life that has changed him. Because he slept with Ali’s wife, he disrespected his brother and “broke” his in. As a result, that changed how he looked at life and how he treats Amir. One proof from the text is: “Sometimes, everything he did, feeding the poor.

Building the orphanage, was all his what of redeeming himself” (pg.316). because, he how looks at life as his “redemption” path. Since he commited sin, all the things he has been doing, is his way to make things right. And that, has changed his life drastically as opposed to if he didn’t commit that sin. Here is another example that shows how the guilt has affected Amir: “I know how hard your father was on you when you were growing up” (pg.316). That shows how he treated Amir because he was hard only on him when he was a kid opposed to Hassan. Normally, he would have treated them both equally. But since Baba committed his “sin”, he is a lot harder on Amir due to his sin. And that also has a great impact(view) on his life. Guilt is something that always strikes everyone at some point and for these characters, that guilt comes with consequences and/or good things. Guilt is something that has both positive and negative impacts in the character’s life. But each character had different guilt that affected their life differently and how they viewed life from that guilt. How does guilt affect you? Can you relate to some of these characters and what things have you done that has made a big impact of guilt?

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An Analysis of Guilt in The Kite Runner, a Novel by Khaled Hosseini. (2022, Dec 10). Retrieved from https://samploon.com/an-analysis-of-guilt-in-the-kite-runner-a-novel-by-khaled-hosseini/

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Home / Essay Samples / Literature / The Kite Runner / Depiction of Trauma and Tragedy in the Novel “The Kite Runner”

Depiction of Trauma and Tragedy in the Novel "The Kite Runner"

Category: Literature , Health
Topic: The Kite Runner , Tragedy , Trauma

Pages: 5 (2099 words)

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Guilt in the Kite Runner

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The Kite Runner: The Theme Of Guilt

Related Topics

Redemption Through a Kite's Flight: The Kite Runner

Introduction

1. Explanation of the Central Themes of Redemption, Guilt, and Friendship

Childhood in Kabul

2. Hassan, Amir's Loyal Friend and Servant

B. Description of their Childhood in Kabul and their Shared Love for Kite Running

C. Exploration of their Contrasting Social Positions and the Class Divisions in Afghan Society

Betrayal and Guilt

B. Amir's Guilt and His Strained Relationship with Hassan

C. Hassan's Unwavering Loyalty and the Consequences of their Actions

Escape and Exile

B. Amir and his Father's Escape to America

C. Adjustment to a New Life and the Challenges of Assimilation

Return to Afghanistan

B. The News of Hassan's Tragic Fate and His Son Sohrab's Captivity

C. Amir's Decision to Return to Afghanistan and Redeem Himself

Redemption and Forgiveness

B. The Dangerous Journey to Find and Rescue Sohrab

C. Amir's Confrontation with Assef and His Ultimate Act of Redemption

Healing and Closure

B. Sohrab's Trauma and the Process of Healing

C. Amir's Reconciliation with his Past and his Newfound Sense of Redemption

A. Recap of the Central Themes of Guilt, Redemption, and the Power of Friendship

C. The Universal Appeal and Resonance of "The Kite Runner" in Exploring Human Emotions and the Complexities of Relationships

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"The Kite Runner": the Story of Betrayal, Guilt and Redemption

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