Kite Runner Quest to Become Good Again

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"There is a fashion to be good over again" (Hosseini 2). Rahim Khan's first words to Amir in Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner set up in motion Amir's attempt to mend his scarred past. A mentally tormented homo until Khan's call, he has repressed memories from his childhood for decades. His journeying to Afghanistan to seek redemption forms a way for him to realize what is truly important in life. Although Amir's unintentional barbarity to Hassan is terrible, he is able to overcome his past sins and reach personal salvation by confronting his actions and doing good.

Amir is an ordinary boy and though his behavior harms Hassan, he is not cruel or sadistic. Rather, his evil deeds accept a more benign grade, disguised as a need to delight his father. For example, when he prepares to take role in the annual Kabul kite flying contest, he declares to himself that he will "run that final kite… and show it to Baba. Evidence him once and for all that his son was worthy" (Hosseini 56). Amir's motivation for entering the contest is not to gain recognition or fame among his peers. Instead, his goal is to win over his begetter, who has constantly reminded Amir that he is non worthy of affection. Just a demonstration of physical skill, he reasons, will always brand Baba similar him. As well, when he observes Assef brutally raping Hassan, Amir declines to intervene, instead rationalizing to himself that Hassan was merely "the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba" (Hosseini 77). Amir refuses to cease Assef'southward violation of Hassan because he realizes that Hassan's fate is irrelevant to whether or non Baba will bestow praise upon his son. Baba volition not find out most Amir's cowardly behavior, and he will all the same gain praise and recognition from Baba. In fact, Amir "resents sharing his male parent'south amore with the loyal and talented Hassan," and really views Hassan'southward rape every bit an opportunity to become closer to his begetter ("Khaled"). If Hassan, humiliated and shamed by the barbarous act, cannot bear to face or speak with other people, Amir volition eliminate a former competitor for his begetter'southward angel. Defenseless up in an emotionally charged moment, Amir's simply thought is to gain praise from his dear Baba. In the procedure, he commits the largest criminal offense of his immature life.

Still, Amir is not intentionally malicious toward Hassan, so he later feels guilty. Afterwards finally celebrating his kite contest victory in Jalalabad with his beloved Baba, Amir realizes that he is a "monster" (Hosseini 86). Amir fully grasps the enormity of what he has washed: he has committed almost unforgivable sin against Hassan stemming from a childish, selfish desire to gain Baba'southward graces. Yet, instead of cowering in shame and blaming others or cursing fate, he accepts sole responsibility for his deportment. Amir reveals that he is an otherwise good person, as he possesses a conscience and a sense of guilt. In fact, as Amir notices, the real danger that has arisen from his deportment is "the nature of my new curse: I was going to get abroad with it" (Hosseini 86). What pains him most is the realization that there is no going back. No one would find out what he did. Secretly, Amir wishes that someone would find out and rat him out for his truthful nature. He cannot bear to live with the secret of his shameful deed, yet cannot bring himself to face it. Although he knows that no one will expose him, he attempts to correct the wrong that he has washed.

Despite his practiced intentions, Amir'southward attempt to conceal his evil causes him to perpetrate fifty-fifty more offenses. When first talking to Hassan after the rape, Amir throws a pomegranate at him and wishes that Hassan would strike back in return and "give me the penalisation I craved, so possibly I'd finally sleep at night" (Hosseini 92). Amir knows the magnitude of the offense he has committed, and foolishly thinks that if Hassan retaliates, the retaliation will somehow mitigate the severity of his action. Amir begins to impairment others while trying to make upwardly for what he has done. His twisted logic is taken to the extreme when he decides that the merely way that he tin fully solve the trouble he has created is to remove Hassan from the household: "The better to hibernate his own hush-hush sin, Amir betrays Hassan a second time, resulting in Hassan leaving the relative paradise and safe of Baba's domicile" (Morace).

Ironically, the very thing that Amir wanted so badly (winning the kite contest), the very matter that finally brought him the praise of his dear Baba, is now the thing that figuratively tears him apart. Hassan's mere presence is a abiding reminder of Amir'southward shame and guilt, a dark shadow that lingers to haunt him. Hassan's unwavering loyalty despite Amir'due south terrible treachery is even worse. Hassan'south naivety and devotedness emphasize his purity and natural goodness, a sharp contrast to the emotionally tortured Amir. Consequently, when committing his 2d expose, Amir is just able to recall of himself. Never does he consider the event of his actions on Hassan or Ali. Regrettably, in parallel to the thickening web of lies and deception, Amir'south behavior grows worse. For instance, later on Baba confronts Hassan virtually "stealing" Amir'due south watch, Amir almost blurts out the truth, "except that a office of me was glad. Glad that this would all be over with soon" (Hosseini 105). Amir's selfishness and shortsightedness have at present go his chief traits, causing more havoc than he could have imagined. He is actually is able to paint his dreadful treachery of Hassan as a hardship on himself, a burden that he would be relieved to get rid of. Amir begins to stop feeling emotions about others, replacing feelings for them with his own distorted view of reality. He has changed from an ordinary boy to ane that uses a misshapen view of others to inflict suffering upon them. When he finally fully recognizes the extent of his treachery and sins, Amir is shocked at the pain that he has caused others.

Accordingly, Amir relentlessly tries to escape his betrayal of his former friend, but cannot do so. Nonetheless, in his desperate quest escape, he learns of the healing ability of confronting the past. Soon, the Soviets invade Transitional islamic state of afghanistan and force Amir and his begetter to flee to America, a place Amir "embraced" because information technology contained "no ghosts, no memories, and no sins" (Hosseini 136). Amir supposes that by physically moving abroad from his past he can finally be at peace with it. He welcomes America because it is a place where he volition not accept to muster courage to confront what he did to Hassan. He is, as Stella Algoo-Baksh notes, "convinced that his soul tin exist at peace now that he has left his past behind. Yet . . . Amir presently discovers that such a release is non easily achieved" (143). Although he does non think most it, his past nevertheless lurks in the deep recesses of his listen, haunting him, mocking him for his cowardliness. Ironically though, information technology is America where Amir learns his first lesson about remembering the past. His wife, Soraya, had a shameful history of her own, but she came out immediately and told him about it, and for that, he "envied her. Her secret was out. Spoken. Dealt with" (Hosseini 165). Amir admires how Soraya sets herself gratuitous past revealing her by. She relishes knowing that people accepts her as she is, even with her flaws and mistakes of long agone. Yet, Amir refuses to acknowledge his past and constantly lives in fear that those he loves would refuse him upon learning of what he has done. Despite his important realization, Amir is reluctant to confront his past as he is still agape that others will criticize him for information technology.

Only when prodded by a close friend, Rahim Khan, does Amir finally find the strength to confront his past. At first, when Khan calls to inquire Amir to return Transitional islamic state of afghanistan, Amir wishes that "Rahim Khan hadn't called me. I wished he had let me live on in my oblivion" (Hosseini 226). This statement is the last remaining bit of Amir's crumbling resistance to facing his by. Although Amir verbally expresses dismay at Khan's phone call, he has secretly hoped that this moment would come. He realizes that it is incommunicable to forget about one'southward by, and actually wanted someone to spur him to action and requite him the courage to face his past misdeeds. The deciding factor is secrecy. Now that somebody already knows what he has done, Amir can tackle his history without fearing that his by actions will then be discovered. In essence, he is freed from the threat of new shame because his clandestine is already known. Later on on, when he does fly back to Islamic republic of pakistan to meet Khan, Amir learns that Baba was the father of Hassan and is he shocked at his father's behavior. However, as Khan notes, the practiced that Baba did in his life "was all his fashion of redeeming himself. And that, I believe, is what true redemption is, Amir jan, when guilt leads to good" (Hosseini 302). Amir recognizes that Baba did non hide in disgrace from his by; on the contrary, he tried to make amends by edifice orphanages and helping society. Amir observes that he himself has done simply the opposite: he has simply taken his shame out upon the same people he had already injure. Only past righting his past tin he atone for his sins; oblivion will reach nothing. And and then Amir sets off to Transitional islamic state of afghanistan, a journey that Geraldine Pearson describes as "a fashion for Amir to deal with his ain guilt about Hassan and ultimately forms a story of redemption and resolution" (66). He returns not only to terminate his own denial and guilt and absolve for his sins, but likewise for the sins of his father. His begetter committed the offense that brought Hassan into the globe. Rescuing Hassan's son, Sohrab, volition bring a resolution to this trouble that his father started and that Amir has exacerbated. Amir is determined to at terminal deal with his past and sets off for Afghanistan, resolving to brand good out of bad.

Subsequently, his new cognition and determination to correct his wrongs give him newfound strength, both physically and mentally. After, equally Amir's teeth break, ribs snap, and skin tears from Assef's vicious thrashing, Amir oddly feels serenely at-home: "I felt at peace. . . . My body was broken . . . but I felt healed. Healed at last" (Hosseini 289). Amir does not mind Assef'due south blows because to him they are weak compared to the personal fulfillment he institute when redeeming himself past saving Sohrab. He knows that now he, just similar his father, has done an act of service to help right his past wrongs. The blows of Assef pale in comparison to the weight of decades of shame, guilt, and lies lifted from Amir's shoulders. Likewise, afterwards Amir brings Sohrab to America, and Sohrab gives a pocket-sized, barely perceptible smile, Amir runs "with the wind blowing in my confront, and a smile as wide equally the Valley of Panjsher on my lips" (Hosseini 371). Although seemingly insignificant, Sohrab's smile to Amir represents a new beginning. For the first time in a long time, Sohrab smiles—something that he would never have washed voluntarily in Assef'due south sexual slavery in Afghanistan. His offset smile too symbolizes Amir's spiritual renewal through ridding his soul of his long-past sins. For the showtime time since Hassan'southward rape on that cold winter day in 1975, Amir'southward censor is make clean and he is truly happy.

However, Amir's newfound happiness comes but after much determination and bravery. Only subsequently mustering courage to deal with his childhood past and committing himself toward redressing his wrongs is he able to achieve it. Nevertheless, his successful transformation in character also brings Hosseini's work into a larger context and forces a look at social club itself. The novel calls upon the reader to honestly face his ain past and overcome whatever of his own wrongs by striving towards goodness and grace. As Amir'southward story demonstrates, these personal challenges tin be conquered through conscious thought and decision. And though he is just one person in the novel who establish a fashion to fulfillment and salvation, Amir can count himself among those who successfully gratis themselves from shame and finally observe a path to true happiness.

Works Cited

1. Algoo-Baksh, Stella. "Ghosts of the Past." Canadian Literature 184 (Leap 2005): 143. Academic Search Complete. Ebsco. Kingwood HS Lib., Kingwood. 9 April 2008 <http://web.ebscohost.com>.
2. Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead Books, 2003.
3. "Khaled Hosseini." Gimmicky Authors Online. Thomson Gale. Kingwood HS Lib., Kingwood. 9 April 2008 <http://galenet.galegroup.com>.
4. Morace, Robert. "The Kite Runner." Magill's Literary Annual 2004. Salem Press, 2004. Literary Reference Middle. Ebsco. Kingwood HS Lib., Kingwood. nine April 2008 <http://web.ebscohost.com>.
5. Pearson, Geraldine. "Book Review." Journal of Child & Boyish Psychiatric Nursing twenty.1 (Feb 2007): 66. Academic Search Complete. Ebsco. Kingwood HS Lib., Kingwood. ix April 2008 <http://web.ebscohost.com>.

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