Guilt In The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini

Forgiving oneself is often the most difficult obstacle a person will face. In the novel, The Kite Runner, author Khaled Hosseini examines the internal battle caused by guilt when a person believes they have committed a wrongdoing that can never be atoned. Amir is a Pashtun growing up in Afghanistan, where needs are met and cared for by Hazara servants. Although he grows up with the son of one of the servants and the boys are closely bonded, the differences in ethnicities prevents him from ever openly considering Hassan a friend. Amir silently witnesses the rape of Hassan, and unable to cope with his own guilt, he tries to remove Hassan from his life. His wrongdoing follows him through life leading him to believe that not only should he never be forgiven but …show more content…
Hosseini uses Amir’s guilt to convey the message that wrongdoings can never be atoned if the individual does not forgive themselves.
Hosseini uses Amir’s perception of his level of responsibility in the attack on Hassan to illustrate the intensity of his inner battle with trying to cope with his guilt. When Amir finds Hassan trapped in an alley with Pashtuns, he knows that Hassan is in great danger yet he stands by silently watching his loyal servant be raped and his inactions causes Amir to be filled with regret. “I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who i was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan-the way he’d stood up for me all those times in the past-and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end, I ran” (Hosseini, 66). Hassan was loyal to Amir not only because he was his servant, but because they have developed a bond. When the biggest opportunity for Amir to acknowledge the loyalty, he didn't take advantage of it and instead decided to watch and then run out of fear. Although Amir may not have prevented Assef and his friends from beating Hassan and himself, his interference could have