Guilt In 'The Kite Runner'

Many people have guilt. Some people live with guilt their whole lives; but some seek redemption. In the novel, “The Kite Runner”, Amir is a character with guilt. Amir is a young boy that lives in Afghanistan. His father, Baba, is rich so they live in a big house. His father has a servant and his name is Ali. Ali also has a son named Hassan. Amir and Hassan are best friends and they do everything together. One day, the neighborhood bully, Assef, attacks Hassan but Amir did nothing about it. Since then, Baba and Amir left Afghanistan and fled to the United States because the Russians took over. In America, Amir and Baba are very poor and live in a small apartment. Since the day Amir didn’t protect Hassan, he has been living with guilt. The three …show more content…
When Amir was first told by Rahim Kahn that he needs to go to Kabul to get Sohrab, Amir said he would not go. Amir said, “ I have a wife in America, a home, a career, and a family. Kabul is a dangerous place, you know that, and you’d have me risk everything…” (221). Amir was being a coward and he was too scared to go. When Rahim Khan told Amir that he and Hassan are brothers and Sohrab is his nephew, he decided to get Sohrab. Amir worked very hard to get Sohrab back. He went through a beating from Assef and he traveled all over the dangerous country to get Sohrab. When they went to the American embassy, the detective said, “Your petition to adopt this young fellow. Give it up. That’s my advice to you” (330). Amir did not give up. The detective gave Amir a business card of an immigration attorney. The attorney told Amir the only way to get Sohrab into the United States is put him back into an orphanage for two years. Amir talks to Amir’s wife, Soraya, that night and she says she has a way to keep Sohrab in the United States after he arrives. When Amir goes to Sohrab with the good news, he finds him lying unconscious and bleeding in the bathtub. After a stay in the hospital, Sohrab and Amir arrive in San Francisco in 2001. Amir feels that he should bring Sohrab back because he owes it to Sohrab. After not protecting Hassan from Assef, Amir feels that he needs to protect Sohrab from all the …show more content…
When Amir and Hassan were younger and lived in Kabul, Hassan would run all of Amir’s kites. Amir said, “How jealous he made the neighborhood kids. He’d run kites and never look up at the sky, and people used to say he was chasing the kite’s shadow” (368). Amir is now telling Sohrab about the good memories he had with his father. He is now trying to make Sohrab happy because he has not smiled since he came into the country. When Amir took Soraya, Khala Jamila, and Sohrab to a gathering of Afghans, people began flying kites. Amir then bought one for Sohrab. At the time, Sohrab would not speak and would stand alone. Amir tried to get him to fly the kite, but he would not. Amir took off running to fly the kite and Sohrab followed him. Amir offered Sohrab the string and he took it. “My heart quickened as I spun the spool to gather the loose string” (369). Amir is now happy that Sohrab took the string. He is also very surprised that he took the string and he is excited about it. Another person quickly guided his kite towards them and Amir decided they were going to use one of Hassan’s old tricks. When the other kite went after Amir’s kite, Amir cut its string. When Amir looked down, Sohrab was smiling. Then Amir asked Sohrab, “Do you want me to run that kite for you?” (371). After all of the kites Hassan ran for Amir in the past, Amir can finally repay him. Amir is now happy and smiling, while Sohrab is now