theme of redemption in the kite runner essay

Theme of Redemption in the Kite Runner

This essay will analyze the theme of redemption in Khaled Hosseini’s novel “The Kite Runner.” It will explore the protagonist’s journey of atonement for past mistakes and the novel’s portrayal of guilt, forgiveness, and personal growth. The piece will examine how the theme of redemption is intertwined with the motifs of friendship, betrayal, and cultural and political changes in Afghanistan. PapersOwl offers a variety of free essay examples on the topic of Book.

How it works

It is only normal for humans to make mistakes, but it is how the mistakes are resolved that will dictate ones’ fate. In The Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseini, he describes the life of a young boy named Amir whose mistake haunts him for years, and his journey to find a way to relieve the guilt he had to live with. The author demonstrates how guilt can physically and psychologically push a person to search for ways to redeem them self.

Redemption is a way to rid people of the guilt from the mistakes they have made. Without redemption, it could really affect the way someone lives their daily life because that thought, or act can stay with the person their whole life. Most people earn and deserve a shot at redemption; yet some people don’t change, and commit acts so vile that they cannot be redeemed.

The main character of The Kite Runner, Amir, knows a thing or two about making mistakes. Throughout all stages of Amir’s life, he is striving for redemption. Whether it was him saying the wrong things or hiding from the truth, Amir was always finding out new things he would have to redeem himself for. It started from when Amir was a child, when he felt that his father blamed him for his mother’s death and how his father Baba couldn’t love him the same. Amir sees Baba as an elevated person that he could never amount too and that is why Amir is always trying to find ways to make things right with him. For example, Amir enters the popular kite flying competition they traditionally do in Afghanistan and wants to win in order to gain love and acceptance from his father. Although Amir wins the competition, something went wrong which would stay with him forever. Amir’s closet friend Hassan, who was also his servant and neighbor since he was born, was the reason Amir won the competition. Hassan ran after Amir’s winning kite and found it in an alley where three other older boys were also, and who wanted the kite. Hassan refused to give it to them and stayed loyal to Amir as he was since the first day they met. The older kids led by a cruel nasty boy Assef, refused to back down and ended up raping Hassan as a result of disobeying him and not handing over the kite. The worst part about this is how Amir watched the whole thing happen, paralyzed at the scene. Amir stabbed Hassan in the back by not jumping in and not putting one bit of effort to try to rescue Hassan. This results in Amir not living a peaceful life due to his nagging guilt because deep down in his heart he feels he should have done something and feels horrible that he had chosen not to. Amir’s feeling of guilt and his vital need for redemption are always a part of his life as he grows up. Amir chooses to be a coward when Hassan is raped. A few days later, Amir already feels guilt and resentment inside him and you can hear the emotion from his narration:

I watched Hassan get raped, I said to no one. Baba stirred in his sleep. Kaka Homayoun grunted. A part of me was hoping someone would wake up and hear, so I wouldn’t have to live with this lie anymore. But no one woke up and in the silence that followed, I understood the nature of my new curse: I was going to get away with it. (Hosseini 86)

As Amir is lying in the dark, nothing but his own thoughts and guilt are taking over his life. He understands how he is going to get away with betrayal and how the only way to live with his remorse is to ignore Hassan, so he doesn’t have to think about his sin. In a result, Amir ends up setting up Hassan, and states, “I took a couple of the envelopes of cash from the pile of gifts and my watch and tiptoed out…I lifted Hassan’s mattress and planted my new watch and a handful of Afghan bills under it.” (Hosseini 104). Amir needed to get Hassan out of sight and the only way was to make it look like Hassan has committed a sin that Amir’s dad hated the most, stealing. This led to Hassan and his father getting kicked out of the house; however, Amir still can’t get over his guilt and the fact how Hassan has moved out of the house doesn’t change anything. His sin will still haunt Amir in his adult years and makes him feel worst when he feels responsible for Hassan’s tragic death.

After reading the novel and studying Amir’s guilt, due to the betrayal of Hassan, the reader sees how guilt can worsen over time and can have a major impact in the decisions one makes. Guilt is an emotion that has the power to destroy one’s life without redemption. Redemption is for the people who deserve it and understand to learn from their mistakes and become a better person from it. Redemption is not for everyone, some mistakes are more costly than others and some people just don’t have the heart to change no matter how much advice or help they get. However, that is not always the case, in fact it is always inspiring to see someone pick themselves up and keep trying even though they keep making the same mistake and go through many disappointments. “Mistakes are synonymous with being human. We all have a dark side, a destructive side. How much we allow it to take over depends on our level of awareness and what stage of growth we’re at.” (Manal Ghosain). Most people in this world have it in their hearts to change and to grow from failure, some people just can’t make up for their vile acts and those are the people who are ones facing life in prison and the people who just mentally can’t move on from their past. In an interview with famous American executive, Oprah Winfrey, she stated, “We’re all on the same journey. People are taking different paths to get there. And I think no matter how many times you fail, you fall down in your life, you certainly have the opportunity until you take your last breath to be redeemed.” (Manal Ghosain). In other words, as long as someone is alive with the right heart and mindset, every minute can be the beginning of a new chance. It takes guts to own one’s mistake and go for a second chance. It is an act of courage to admit to our shortcomings and takes strength and trust to believe in ourselves and the possibility of changing. “We can’t escape the effects of our past causes, of course, but we can aim to be transformed by them in a way that strengthens the good in us.” (Alex Lickerman). People who live in the past and don’t learn from their past mistakes are the people who just don’t have what it takes to be redeemed. Unlike Amir, it is not until several years later that Amir finally finds a way to redeem himself of his sins when he says, “There is a way to be good again, he’d said. A way to end the cycle. With a little boy. An orphan. Hassan’s son. Somewhere in Kabul.” (Hosseini 226-227). Amir is now aware that he must save Hassan’s son, Sohrab, to atone for his sins. He understands how he needs to risk his life to save Sohrab and since Amir is older and more mature in this point of the novel, he finally makes the right decision to go that would eventually change his character and future life.

Exploring Amir’s need for atonement shows the reader how important finding redemption is and how being forgiven can allow one to finally have freedom from one’s sins and feel good about themselves. Guilt is dangerous and can take over someone’s life if they don’t redeem themselves. Redemption can only be earned and deserved and key to living a healthy lifestyle. The Kite Runner teaches how personal sacrifice, no matter at what cost, has a lasting reward. Amir helps the reader learn how that feeling of redemption allows one to move on from the past and to instead look towards a brighter future.   

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The Kite Runner

Khaled hosseini, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

The quest for redemption makes up much of the novel’s plot, and expands as a theme to include both the personal and the political. Throughout his childhood, Amir ’s greatest struggle was to redeem himself to Baba for “killing” his mother during childbirth, and for growing up a disappointing son who was unlike Baba himself. After Hassan ’s rape, Amir spends the rest of his life trying to redeem himself for his betrayal of his loyal friend. This ultimately culminates in Amir’s return to Afghanistan and his attempts to save and adopt Hassan’s son Sohrab .

After Amir learns of Baba’s betrayal of Ali , Amir realizes that Baba was probably trying to redeem his adultery through his many charitable activities and strong principles in later life. Amir is also able to find a kind of redemption in his bloody fight with Assef (Hassan’s rapist), and his adoption of Sohrab. Hosseini subtly connects these personal quests for redemption to Afghanistan itself. Despite its violent and corrupted past, Hosseini hopes for a redemption for his country someday.

Redemption ThemeTracker

Redemption Quotes in The Kite Runner

Because the truth of it was, I always felt like Baba hated me a little. And why not? After all, I had killed his beloved wife, his beautiful princess, hadn’t I? The least I could have done was to have had the decency to have turned out a little more like him. But I hadn’t turned out like him.

I was going to win, and I was going to run that last kite. Then I’d bring it home and show it to Baba. Show him once and for all that his son was worthy.

I envied her. Her secret was out. Spoken. Dealt with. I opened my mouth and almost told her how I’d betrayed Hassan, lied, driven him out, and destroyed a forty-year relationship between Baba and Ali. But I didn’t.

Listening to them, I realized how much of who I was, what I was, had been defined by Baba and the marks he had left on people’s lives… Now he was gone. Baba couldn’t show me the way anymore; I’d have to find it on my own.

My suspicions had been right all those years. He knew about Assef, the kite, the money, the watch with the lightning bolt hands. He had always known.

Come. There is a way to be good again , Rahim Khan had said on the phone just before hanging up.

“You know, Rahim Khan said, “one time, when you weren’t around, your father and I were talking… I remember he said to me, ‘Rahim, a boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything.’ I wonder, is that what you’ve become?”

As it turned out, Baba and I were more alike than I’d ever known. We had both betrayed the people who would have given their lives for us. And with that came this realization: that Rahim Khan had summoned me here to atone not just for my sins but for Baba’s too.

Another rib snapped, this time lower. 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 the 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 .

I loved him because he was my friend, but also because he was a good man, maybe even a great man. And this is what I want you to understand, that good, real good, was born out of your father’s remorse. Sometimes, I think everything he did, feeding the poor on the streets, building the orphanage, giving money to friends in need, it was all his way of redeeming himself. And that, I believe, is what true redemption is, Amir jan, when guilt leads to good.

Your father, like you, was a tortured soul , Rahim Khan had written. Maybe so. We had both sinned and betrayed. But Baba had found a way to create good out of his remorse. What had I done, other than take my guilt out on the very same people I had betrayed, and then try to forget it all?

“Sohrab, I can’t give you your old life back, I wish to God I could. But I can take you with me. That was what I was coming in the bathroom to tell you. You have a visa to go to America, to live with me and my wife. It’s true. I promise.”

If someone were to ask me today whether the story of Hassan, Sohrab, and me ends with happiness, I wouldn’t know what to say.

Does anybody’s?

I looked at Hassan, showing those two missing teeth, sunlight slanting on his face. Baba’s other half. The unentitled, unprivileged half. The half who had inherited what had been pure and noble in Baba. The half that, maybe, in the most secret recesses of his heart, Baba had thought of as his true son… Then I realized something: That last thought had brought no sting with it… 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.

“Do you want me to run that kite for you?” His Adam’s apple rose and fell as he swallowed… I thought I saw him nod. “For you, a thousand times over,” I heard myself say. Then I turned and ran. It was only a smile, nothing more… A tiny thing… 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.

Redemption in Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner” Essay

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Introduction

Amir’s redemptive model, baba’s redemptive model, sanaubar’s redemptive model, works cited.

‘The Kite Runner’ is a unique work, which has been translated into all European languages. The story begins in the pre-war Afghan city of Kabul in the ’70s, where there were children who did not know what shelling and explosions were. At the same time, a favorite pastime and a grave matter for all residents are kite competitions—happiness to defeat rivals and be left alone to soar in the bottomless blue sky. ‘A kite symbolizes the soul, flying high in the sky or lying broken on the ground’ (O’Brien 4). The contest becomes not only the point of no return, after which everything changes in the lives of Amir and Hasan. Flying is also a metaphor for the fates of these boys, carried away by the winds to different sides of the world.

Among the many lines, the central theme is betrayal and redemption. Through the prism of their life’s tribulations, the characters understand their actions, accept the guilt, and try to atone for it. Each personality has experienced tragedy and has walked a unique path of redemption. An analysis of the book will help identify those features of redemption models that are difficult to determine at first glance. By reasoning and examining the details of the lives, it will be possible to draw a clear parallel between the actions and consequences and conclude the main lesson the author was trying to convey.

The analysis will focus on the three main characters: Amir, Baba, and Sanaubar. This will be done using a redemption model that is specific to each character. At the same time, it has elements common to all, among which are: chastity flaws, transgression, trigger event(s), conscious resolution, acts of atonement, and changed life. The author reveals the peculiarities of the soul of a sinful man who admits his mistakes to demonstrate that redemption is the only way to restore the connection with God and find happiness.

Amir is the main character whose cowardice and jealousy prevented his personal development. The redemption process became the only opportunity for him to find full-fledged happiness, which constantly eluded him due to his unwillingness to acknowledge problems. The first meaningful moment in his journey was undoubtedly Amir Hassan’s significant betrayal, the master’s display of cowardice to his servant and friend. From this moment, Amir’s internal vices begin, which leave in his soul heavy scars of remorse and anguish of conscience, which impose an imprint on all areas of life. Thus, in general, not an evil man, Amir becomes a hostage to the vices of his ego, unable to get out on his own.

The second significant moment is a call from Pakistan from a friend of his father. Rahim Khan encourages Amir to come up with a mysterious but understandable phrase: ‘You have a chance to get on the righteous path (Hosseini 262). Amir clings to that possibility, though his former self tries to refuse. Not only does he endanger his life and health in the hope of redeeming his former guilt, but he also undergoes a tremendous inner transformation on the road to Islam and harmony. He makes an important decision, saves the child, and thus finds himself on the proper path. It demonstrates how a man who himself had not given much thought to the need to move toward the mercy of the Creator, through his sins and their atonement, finds his way to the worship of Allah.

This suggests that the whole life is in a state of disharmony and moral turmoil until sin is atoned for. Redemption, in turn, is the connecting category between man and God that can restore the broken unity between them and strengthen the bond. Amir’s way demonstrates how sins are equivalent to bondage that can destroy lives and how overcoming them and repentance can release the burdens.

Baba’s original sin is that he had an affair with the wife of Ali’s servant. At the same time, Baba knew that the child to be born was his own. Despite this, he allows everyone to think that Hasan is Alli’s son. Moreover, Baba saw that Hasan and Amir were friends, and Amir mistreated Hasan, but the father never defended Hasan. That is, his original sin is that he abandoned his child and condemned him to the bad fate of a servant. However, it is necessary to mention that Baba’s sins do not end with this. When his wife died in childbirth, he blamed his son, even though Amir was not responsible for his mother’s death.

It is important to emphasize that Baba tried to redeem himself and build an orphanage, so he did not hesitate to give money to charity. That is, Baba tried to distract and convince himself that the terrible things he had done did not define him as a bad person (Hosseini 300). At the same time, he accepted his guilt and tried to atone for his sin by doing good to others. It is significant to mention that Baba tried to improve his relationship with Amir because he saw himself reflected in him. In conclusion, although Baba did not tell anyone about his sin and did not incur the wrath of his loved ones, he successfully found redemption. By helping others and building a relationship with Amir, Baba forgave himself. Thus, he found temptation and died peacefully, knowing that all would be well with Amir.

Sanaubar had a nice appearance and enjoyed it; she cheated on a man, which was considered a disgrace for a Muslim woman. At the same time, after the birth of her son Hasan, she left him with his unrelated father and began to travel with a group of singers (Hosseini 162). Thus, the woman’s initial sin is her debauchery and fleeing from her problems. The militant attack was a hidden reason to find her son because she feared for his life. The woman returned and found her son when she was older; she also tried to redeem her sin when she established a relationship with Hassan. It should also be mentioned that Sanaubar helps Farzana give birth to her son Sohrab, but she could not raise the child because she died. The woman successfully achieved her goals and atoned for her sin.

Hence, this work argues that redemption is the only way to reconnect with God and find happiness. One can also find parallels between the redemptive models in the novel and the relationships between people in the real world. Therefore, they can be applied to understand how to atone for sins. The value of the novel is that it substantiates that everyone deserves to find redemption from their sins. Thus, the story tells different experiences of characters who have done unworthy things, but at the same time, one can trace how they have tried to correct them and find peace. Alex Lickerman can be remembered at this point, as he wrote that if a person admits mistakes and sincerely wants to improve them, then sin can be atoned for (Hagan). This is because people are not good or evil by nature; it depends on their striving. Hence, the novel gives each reader faith that there are ways to rectify unworthy actions to find peace.

Hagan, Ekua. ‘What Does It Mean to be Redeemed?’ Psychology Today, 2011, Web.

Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner . Penguin, 2003.

O’Brien, Sarah. ‘Translating Trauma in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner.’ Transnational Literature , vol.10, no. 2, 2018, pp. 1-12.

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The Kite Runner

A journey for redemption in the kite runner justin caleb walters college.

In Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, several major themes arise. One of the most dominant themes is the idea of redemption for past wrongdoings. The protagonist, an Afghani-American named Amir, relays the story of his childhood; through this, one realizes the issues he went through and the events that will come to shape the plot of the novel. Amir seeks redemption for his betrayal of his childhood best friend, Hassan. Because of his cowardice during Hassan’s rape, his betrayal of Hassan after the incident, and his committing of the vilest sin in Afghani culture, Amir must depart on a long and debilitating journey for the ultimate goal of total redemption that will take him back to his violent and war-torn homeland and beyond.

As children, Amir and Hassan were inseparable. The two of them “used to climb the poplar trees in the driveway of [Amir’s] father’s house and annoy our neighbors by reflecting sunlight into their homes with a shard of mirror” (Hosseini 3). The two young boys, though they were of different social classes and ethnicities, were able to remain steadfast friends no matter the circumstances presented to them. Amir, a Pashtun, was of a higher class and a different religious sect than Hassan, a Hazara. This did...

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Theme Of Redemption In The Kite Runner

Show More Redemption is definable as the act of regaining virtue and morality from previous mistakes. In Khaled Hosseini’s first novel, The Kite Runner, the overarching theme is redemption. Because of lingering guilt from past actions, the protagonist, Amir, goes on a long, painful journey to find atonement for his childhood sins. While taking the road of redemption by storm in order to be good again, Amir encounters the ghost of Hassan through the shadows of Sohrab. The guilt that plagues Amir eventually makes him decide to try to save Sohrab from the Taliban-ridden Afghanistan, because saving Sohrab is the equivalent of making things right with Hassan in Amir’s eyes. On his road to saving Sohrab, Amir encounters opportunities, ones similar to his childhood’s, …show more content… First, Hassan yells it to Amir after Amir wins the kite fighting competition, showing that Hassan is demonstrating his loyalty, yet again, for Amir. Amir feels guilty for not returning the immense loyalty and faith that Hassan displays in every action. So much guilt in fact, that the next time Amir needs help, decades later in Afghanistan, the loyal Farid, who follows and guides Amir to Sohrab, says “For you a thousand times over” when Amir asks for a favor. In response to this Amir breaks down crying: “I buried my face in one hand and held up the other. I knew the whole room was watching me. After I felt tired, hollow. ‘I’m sorry,’ I said”(305). This quote shows that even after all these years, Amir never forgave himself. When Amir says that he is sorry, he is apologizing to Hassan for allowing him to be raped and the continued iniquities committed against him. Finally the last use of the phrase is after nearly a year of silence from Sohrab; Amir gets Sohrab to crack a small, lopsided smile after they defeated a kite together. Like Hassan did to Amir many years ago, Amir does to Sohrab; he runs the kite for him, repeating the words “for you a thousand times over”. By repeating it to Sohrab, Amir shows repentance for his actions against Hassan. Sohrab is not only Hassan’s son, but the last person that can represent Hassan in Amir’s eyes. Therefore, by repeating the words, Amir is returning the same faithfulness and loyalty that Hassan gave him to Sohrab, allowing Amir to forgive himself as well as apologizing to

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Most people, at some point in their life, will go through a specific journey in order to seek redemption for a wrong decision or mistake they made at some point in their lives. This journey can only be completed by an individual who is willing to do whatever it takes in order to find the redemption they seek. In Khaled Hosseini 's novel The Kite Runner, Amir, the main character, has to risk his life to find redemption for a decision he made during his childhood in Afganistan. Amir witnesses Hassan, his best friend, being raped by Assef. Instead of helping Hassan, Amir, thinking only about his own safety, runs away.…

Heroism In The Kite Runner

Amir goes back to Kabul and finds out Hassan and his wife have been killed and feels as if he has to save Sohrab to become a better person. An example from the text is, “You know… one time, when you weren’t around, your father and I were talking… I remember he said to me, ‘Rahim, a boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything.’ I wonder, is that what you’ve become?” (Hosseini, 221).…

Redemption In The Kite Runner

As the possibility of winning grew, Amir “had a mission now. And [he] wasn’t going to fail Baba. Not this time.” (57). His entire childhood, Amir dedicated to showing his father that he was worthy of his…

Flashbacks In The Kite Runner

Living with Fear, Acting with Hope Agony, a term that represents the pain and fear felt by a specimen, can plague the essence of life and push people to think and act differently. In Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner, Amir, the main character is faced with conflict and reflects on the related events through a series of flashbacks. Throughout the story, Amir faces his past and attempts to reverse the negative consequences of his cruel actions in a redemption based journey. He tries to atone for his mistakes by saving his best friend’s only child and forgiving himself for the event that took place in the winter of 1975.…

Essay on Guilt and Redemption in Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner

Guilt and Redemption What is Guilt? Guilt is the overwhelming feeling of remorse that one experiences after committing a sin. What is Redemption?…

The Theme Of Betrayal In The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini

Not only does author Hosseini’s story explore the theme of guilt, but it also tells a life long story about how betrayal can come back to haunt you. In the novel The Kite Runner, author Hosseini tells the story of Amir. He explains that when man betrays a friend, he is compelled to feel guilt and after looking…

Psychological Analysis Of The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini

Sofia Ortiz Mr. Franklin AP Psychology March 26th, 2015 Psychological Analysis of The Kite Runner The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a remarkable story about a boy’s journey through life that is burdened with guilt. This guilt follows him even through adulthood until he gains a chance at redemption. Both the guilt and the chance for redemption shape the boy’s life giving him the motivation to fix his mistakes.…

Sin And Redemption In The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseini, tells the story of a character named Amir. The story follows Amir from the age of twelve where he commits his ‘sin’ which is standing by while his friend/servant Hassan is sexually assaulted by the book’s antagonist, Assef. Amir’s sin of not saving Hassan gravely affects him from that point on where he searches for a way to be good again.…

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The Kite Runner Redemption Essay

The Kite Runner is a novel written by Khaled Hosseini that revolves around the friendship of Amir, the son of a rich Pashtun, and Hassan, the son of a poor Hazara. The story also focuses on Amir’s guilt after witnessing an act of violence against Hassan that he does nothing about and his path to redemption following this event. Though the novel covers many themes, the most prevalent one is that searching for redemption plays a major role in the rest of one’s life. This is shown multiple times throughout the story, both in the narrative and in literary devices such as irony and metaphors. Firstly, the theme of redemption majorly affecting one’s life is expressed through irony during Hassan’s rape. Amir feels as if he has failed his father because …show more content…

The largest of these is the metaphor of the lamb. After he runs from Hassan’s rape scene, Amir reflects “...Assef was right: Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba. Was it a fair price? The answer floated to my conscious mind before I could thwart it…”(Hosseini 68) Amir recognizes the sacrifice that Hassan has made for him and immediately regrets his decision to leave Hassan. This metaphor appears again in chapter 22 when Hassan’s son, Sohrab, risks his life to protect Amir’s. He unknowingly has continued the loyalty his father showed Amir and has become the lamb and, if Amir hadn’t been searching for redemption, he would have never returned to Afghanistan in the first place. Another metaphor lies in Hassan’s cleft lip. This deformity symbolises the separation between Amir and Hassan. This resolves itself in chapter 23 when Amir suffers a split lip which reflects his satisfaction in redemption though he still is going to take care of Sohrab which is the opposite of what he did when Hassan and him were still children and Amir made fun of Hassan’s inability to read. In Amir’s mind his taking in of Sohrab is his redeeming himself to

Examples Of Sacrifice In The Kite Runner

In his mind, it is his turn to pursue his quest to atone for precedent sins he has carried throughout his life by sacrificing himself and saving his half nephew from a war-ravaged home. The confrontation represents the stand that Amir finally can risks his life to fight for others. Eventually, the fight leaves a permanent scar on his lip. This symbolizes that Amir has become willing to self-sacrifice for those he cares about, as Hassan once did for him, and so Amir can find some redemption in the injury. For Amir, rescuing Sohrab is only the beginning, not the end, of what he must do.

Kite Runner Theme Essay

Amir fails to protect Hassan. Amir put his needs before Hassan’s needs. As a consequence of Amir’s failure, Hassan is raped by Assef. Amir feels his betrayal as guilt for what he allows to happen.

Moral Ambiguity In The Kite Runner

The author provides the reader with mixed feeling about Amir. In his childhood in Kabul Amir comes off as heartless person. He is this because he has done evil stuff in his life. In the beginning of the story something bad happens to Hassan, Amir says,¨In the end, I ran.

Guilt Quotes In The Kite Runner

The final guilt Amir struggles with is his guilt of apathy where he physically commits the action and instead of standing as a bystander becomes the person who committed the act, which gives him a different form of guilt. Amir feels apathy guilt through betraying his friend and kicking Hassan out of the house because he is a witness to the crime Amir has committed. Amir has guilt because he chases Hassan out, “I flinched, like I’d been slapped… Then I understood: This was Hassan’s final sacrifice for me… And that led to another understanding: Hassan knew.

The Kite Runner Sacrifice Essay

Amir risked his life for Sohrab, Hassan’s son, to repay the wrong he commits toward Hassan. The recurring theme of sacrifice for the ones you love is presented all throughout the novel through Hassan, Baba, and Amir. Hassan and Amir are divided by economic differences throughout their childhood.

Thesis For The Kite Runner

Sanganeria 1 Innayat Nain Sanganeria Kanika Dang Eng, Thesis paper 8th November 2015 THESIS PAPER, THE KITE RUNNER Khaled Hosseini in his novel The Kite Runner illustrates how one seeks for redemption for the sins committed in the past. The Kite Runner is a heartbreaking story of two young boys and how the choices made in the past, changed their lives forever. Love, loss and betrayal are some of the themes in the novel which have been portrayed with a lot of sensitivity.

Examples Of Redemption In The Kite Runner

It might be thought that Amir did not revert his wrong to Hassan and did not redeem himself. Amir was able to do this in various ways throughout the book, especially towards the end. The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini shows that Amir is able to redeem himself from the wrong he did to Hassan by putting himself in danger to rescue Sohrab, by receiving a scar from the fight with Assef signifying his redemption, and finally by bringing Sohrab back to United States with him. Amir is able to redeem himself by putting his life in danger to rescue Sohrab.

Essay On Sacrifice In The Kite Runner

Sacrifice, one the most prominent themes in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, clearly determines a person’s unconditional love and complete fidelity for another individual. Hosseini’s best-selling novel recounts the events of Amir’s life from childhood to adulthood. Deprived of his father’s approval and unsure of his relationship with Hassan, Amir commits treacherous acts which he later regrets and attempts to search for redemption. These distressing occurrences throughout his youth serve as an aid during his transition from a selfish child to an altruistic adult.

Examples Of Conflicts In The Kite Runner

In the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, there are many different important conflicts throughout the story. These conflicts are brought upon by the recurring motifs, such as redemption and loyalty. The different dissensions support the ideas of characterization by how they react to the sudden adversity in their lives. Amir attempts to redeem himself through Hassan’s son, Sohrab, by saving him and giving him a better life. Further developing the meaning of the story, connoting the mental struggle and the way priorities change over time, keeping readers mindful of the motifs and how they impact each character.

The Kite Runner Betrayal Essay

Betrayal is an issue many can relate to, whether it is done by a family member or a friend. In the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, we witness betrayal play a vital role in the downfall of the main character’s Amir and Hassan’s friendship, and how betrayal was the reason for why Amir sought redemption in hopes to move on. The novel begins with Amir as an adult, recalling an event that took place in 1975 in his hometown Kabul, Afghanistan and how this event was what changed the rest of his life and made him who he now is. Despite this heartbreaking occurrence of Amir’s reluctance to help Hassan while he was being raped, it was the reason for why Amir later decided to be brave and stand up for what he believes in.

The Kite Runner Amir Selfish Analysis

The author had us view Amir as selfish, guilty, and then working towards forgiveness. These characteristics help us to better understand the overall theme of the novel. They showtime stages that one goes through when they are on a path toward forgiveness. The themes of betrayal, guilt, and forgiveness all appear in this novel and are able to be seen clearly through the feelings and actions of

Internal Conflict In The Kite Runner

Novels can augment our perspective on the nature of mankind. One such book is Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner. The book follows a character named Amir as he goes through life as a child as well as his deep friendship with a boy named Hassan. A series of unfortunate events escalate a conflict prompting Amir with the need to resolve them. The book begins in medias res, until a phone call prompts the book to start back in the years of his youth.

Epiphany In The Kite Runner

Amir first realizes the depth of his cowardice as he watches Assef rape Hassan in the alley and thinks, “I could step in into that alley, stand up for Hassan—the way he stood up for me all those times in the past—and accept whatever happened to me. Or I could run” (Hosseini 77). He has an epiphany that he could choose to be brave and selfless like Hassan and step up to Assef regardless of any physical consequences. However, despite his understanding that the noble choice would be to interfere and stop Assef, Amir is unable to act on it because his fear of Assef overwhelms him. The guilt that consumes Amir in the weeks following Hassan’s rape indicates that he understands the extent of his selfish behavior and needs to resolve it before he can forgive himself.

Sympathy In The Kite Runner

It is delineated by natural inclination that people sympathize with others who undergo an unfortunate circumstance or event. However, this type of behavior is dependent on how one uses prior knowledge to judge whether someone is worthy of sympathy. The idea that people tend to draw conclusions based on other people’s decisions and character remains as one of the many underlying themes in literature. In Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner, Amir’s character is considered worthy of sympathy by his redeeming actions towards the end of the novel, his good intentions toward Baba, and his ability to empathize with others.

Human Nature In Lord Of The Flies And Kite Runner

As the death of Simon symbolizes the sacrifice of Jesus, Hassan’s rape symbolizes the sacrifice of an innocent lamb. Just like how Simon’s death was for a greater purpose, Amir views sacrificing Hassan’s innocence as a sacrifice for the greater good. He sees the look in Hassan’s eyes, who is like the lamb getting sacrificed on Dhul-Hijjah, who “sees that its imminent demise is for a higher purpose”(Hosseini 64). To Amir, sacrificing Hassan is a fair price for kite, and Baba’s love. But the kite that Hassan brought back becomes a symbol of this sacrifice of innocence, and it haunts Amir for the rest of

More about The Kite Runner Redemption Essay

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kite runner redemption essay

Redemption in The Kite Runner

“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. As a foreword, the story of The Kite Runner focuses on a man named Amir. In his childhood, he enjoyed a high-class life in Kabul, Afghanistan, living with his father Baba. They have two servants, Ali and his son Hassan

Redemption In The Kite Runner

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary the word redemption can be defined as “the action of saving or being saved from, sin error or evil”. The novel The Kite Runner is a fictional novel written by Khaled Hosseini. The story is written in the point of view of the main character – Amir, a privileged child in Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood of Kabul. The story revolves around Amir, and is divided into three parts; Amir’s childhood, his journey to the United States and his journey back to Afghanistan

A main theme in the novel, The Kite Runner, written by by Khaled Hosseini, is that of redemption. As the novel is read and the plot is unfolded, the main character in the novel Amir starts to look for redemption of his sins from his dark past. Khaled Hosseini analyzes The Kite Runner by using different ways to show how Amir seeks redemption for his past and the sins he has made, and how Smir seeks for that redemption as the plot goes on. Hosseini shows this throughout the novel by making references

Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner (2003), is a poignant novel narrated against the deteriorating backdrop of Kabul, Afghanistan over a period of thirty years and largely centres on the defiant kinship shared between a wealthy Pashtun, Amir and his Hazara servant, Hassan. Hosseini skilfully employs literacy devices such as characterisation, irony, symbolism and foreshadowing to explore the universal themes of brotherhood, social prejudice, betrayal, redemption and spirituality. Ultimately,

As one ages, the importance of forgiveness and redemption of past actions becomes stronger. This is effectively shown in Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner, through the use of symbols, Khaled Hosseini shows the importance of redemption and how it affects the main character, Amir, in his quest for making up for the terrible actions that occurred in his childhood. Amir grows up in Afghanistan near war times, causing Amir’s ideals and morals to be challenged. The first symbol is shown through

“True redemption is when guilt leads to good,” Rahim Khan asserts. Khaled Hosseini compels the readers to think in the novel, The Kite Runner, by analyzing Amir’s quests. Additionally, readers must understand Amir’s journey to maturity throughout The Kite Runner, as a Bildungsroman novel. Amir’s journey to redemption ultimately accentuates his quest for adulthood. Readers must examine Amir’s redemption to Baba. Amir feels guilty of his mother’s death, his first sin to Baba. Longing for Baba’s love

“People find meaning and redemption in the most unusual human connections.” (Khaled Hosseini) The wise man that spoke these words also wrote the book The Kite Runner. Hosseini wrote this eye opening book to create awareness to what life is like in the middle East. Since September 11th there has been a lot of prejudices against Muslims and people of Middle Eastern descent. This book does not only open your eye to life in the Middle East but, has a lot of major conflicts. The one that we are never

Finding redemption is often the only way many people can escape the demons of their past. Actions have consequences and those consequences haunt people for the duration of their lives. Khaled Hosseini, the author of The Kite Runner, presents seeking redemption throughout his novel by sharing the breathtaking story of Amir, a Sunni boy who struggles to forget his guilt­ridden past. Despite his greatest efforts, Amir finds it impossible to bury his past, so he returns to his home Kabul, Afghanistan

The development of characters and theme Redemption is the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment or clearing a debt. Redemption was a major theme in the novel, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Redemption was a main theme in the book; this theme is exemplified by Amir, Baba, and Soraya and who they turn out to be by the end of the novel. The development of Baba’s character was greatly affected by his own redemption, which helps develop the theme in the novel

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, has many themes throughout its intricate storyline. One of the most perceptive themes of the novel can be perceived as Amir’s, the main character, journey for redemption after his long ago betrayal of his best friend, Hassan. In the same way an undercurrent of the redemption theme can also be seen in the movie Slumdog Millionaire, as Salim, the main character’s brother, searches to right his wrong doings towards Jamal. Both characters dangerously risk their life

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The Kite Runner

by Khaled Hosseini

What is the main theme of The Kite Runner and what message is the author trying to convey?

themes: Redemption

themes: Atonement

Expert Answers

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To me, the most important theme of the novel is that of redemption and atonement --particularly as it applies to Amir. Nearly every chapter refers to the guilt that Amir feels for his past sins against Hassan, and the latter one-third of the novel concentrates on his "way to be good again" by returning to Afghanistan to find his nephew, Sohrab. In the end, the beating that Amir takes from Assef helps to "heal" him, but Amir finds that even when he returns to California, "It didn't make everything all right." But Sohrab's slight smile and Amir's willingness to run the kite for him as Hassan once did is a major step toward cleansing Amir's conscience.

There are other themes found in the story (see the link to eNotes' themes):

• "Identity and Self-Discovery"--such as Amir's change when he relocates in America, and finding that he still has a love for his homeland.
• "Abuse of Power"--found in the terror brought by the Taliban and the prejudice against the Hazara people.
• "Assimilation and Acculturation"--primarily in Amir's and Baba's new life in California.
• "Journey and Quest"--which applies to many of the characters, including Hassan and Soraya.
• "Heritage and Ancestry"--from the pride that Baba and General Taheri display to the lowly Hazara roots that Hassan lives with.
• Role of Family and Fatherhood--explored in the differences between the many fathers--Baba, Amir, Ali, Hassan and General Taheri among them.

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Cite this page as follows:

Kelly, John. "What is the main theme of The Kite Runner and what message is the author trying to convey?" edited by eNotes Editorial, 14 May 2012, https://www.enotes.com/topics/kite-runner/questions/what-main-theme-kite-runner-338093.

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Home / Essay Samples / Literature / The Reluctant Fundamentalist / The Theme Of Redemption In The Reluctant Fundamentalist And The Kite Runner

The Theme Of Redemption In The Reluctant Fundamentalist And The Kite Runner

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