Richard von Weizsaecker once said “Seeking to forget makes exile all the longer; the secret of redemption lies in remembrance”. Those words apply to exile, but also apply to fear, grief, pain, and most importantly, guilt. Guilt can be like a pond during winter. If you fall in and become trapped, escaping isn't hard. Yet the longer you wait, the colder it gets, then eventually will freeze over. When someone tries to run away and forget about their mistakes, it only makes them feel worse, and finding redemption becomes even more onerous. This can evidently be seen in Khaled Hosseinis novel, The Kite Runner. The story is about a young boy named who Amir betrays his best friend, and spends a great portion of his life feeling extremely guilty about
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Hassan and Amir are best friends, and Hassan is the most loyal person to Amir that he could be. Hassans first word was even “Amir”. However Amir's first word was not Hassan's first word the name of his father, “Baba”(Hosseini 11). These first words spoken by the two boys shows Amir's future devotion to Baba, and Hassan allegiance to Amir. Amir clearly feels the need to be loved by his father, however as Amir gets older their relationship begins to strain because of a lack in similar interests between the two. Soon enough Amir figures out that winning the kite tournament and receiving the last kite could win over Baba’s affection. However when Amir does win the tournament and Hassan goes to receive the kite, he is met by of group of bullies that wish to either take the kite, or brutally beat Haasan up. Amir had a chance to stop it all from happening, but he left Hassan to be barbarically beaten and raped, in hopes they wouldn't break the kite. Instead of feeling guilty, Amir first tries to convince himself that what he did was okay. He thinks to himself that “Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba”. Amir even denigrates Hassan by saying “He was just a Hazara, wasn’t he?”(77). Amir compares Hassan to slaying a lamb, and also as the price he has to pay. In his culture slaying a lamb is a normal ritual used for
Hassan and Amir are best friends, and Hassan is the most loyal person to Amir that he could be. Hassans first word was even “Amir”. However Amir's first word was not Hassan's first word the name of his father, “Baba”(Hosseini 11). These first words spoken by the two boys shows Amir's future devotion to Baba, and Hassan allegiance to Amir. Amir clearly feels the need to be loved by his father, however as Amir gets older their relationship begins to strain because of a lack in similar interests between the two. Soon enough Amir figures out that winning the kite tournament and receiving the last kite could win over Baba’s affection. However when Amir does win the tournament and Hassan goes to receive the kite, he is met by of group of bullies that wish to either take the kite, or brutally beat Haasan up. Amir had a chance to stop it all from happening, but he left Hassan to be barbarically beaten and raped, in hopes they wouldn't break the kite. Instead of feeling guilty, Amir first tries to convince himself that what he did was okay. He thinks to himself that “Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba”. Amir even denigrates Hassan by saying “He was just a Hazara, wasn’t he?”(77). Amir compares Hassan to slaying a lamb, and also as the price he has to pay. In his culture slaying a lamb is a normal ritual used for