Guilt is described to be the feeling of being ashamed and sorry for something oneyou may have done wrong. It is an emotion that everyone is familiar with. In the novel The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini explores the idea that the past, if not confronted, will manifest itself in every aspect of life; he demonstrates this by using the path that Amir and Hassan’s relationship takes through the symbols of the pomegranate tree, books, and kites. The pomegranate tree is a recurring occurring symbol of friendship and change in The Kite Runner as the state of the tree throughout the novel represents the development of Amir and Hassan’s relationship. This is shown before the incident in the alley, following the incident, and twenty-six years after the
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As children, the pomegranate tree on the hill is the place where Amir and Hassan grow close to each other. Using a kitchen knife, Amir carves their names on the tree: “’Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul” (Hosseini 30). This carving is significant as it represents that the tree belongs to Amir and Hassan and that they are becoming better friends; although at times, Amir is oblivious to this. Before the incident in the alley, Amir and Hassan have many memories by the pomegranate tree but everything changesis changing after the incident, including their friendship and their memories of the pomegranate tree. After the incident with Hassan and Assef in the alley, this becomes the main reason why the pomegranate tree is changing in meaning and significance. After Amir regrets his mistake of not helping Hassan in the alley, he tries to redeem himself by bringing Hassan back to the place where their friendship once flourished. He tortures Hassan by pelting him with pomegranates, expecting him to fight back. The reason for Amir’s behavior is because it will “… give [him] the punishment [he craves], so maybe [he will] finally sleep at night. Maybe then things c[an]ould return to how they …show more content…
Since the beginning of The Kite Runner, it is evident that Amir looks up to Baba his entire life and this continues all throughout the novel. Amir is constantly trying to gain Baba’s approval in everything he does and when Amir finds that the one thing they have in common is their interest in kite flying, he is determined to win the tournament to make Baba proud. Amir and Hassan work together to win the tournament and when they achieve this, “[Amir throws his] free arm around Hassan and [they are] hopping up and down, both of [them] laughing, both of [them] weeping” (70). Amir and Hassan winning this kite flying tournament is important because not only is it the event leading into the incident, but because it also demonstrates Amir and Hassan bonding together and their friendship growing stronger. Although=-, Amir’s intention is making Baba proud, he does not realize that he is also making Hassan proud as Hassan looks up to him like an older brother. From this, it explains Amir’s selfishness towards Hassan because he is not aware of Hassan’s feelings; he only thinks of Hassan him as an obstacle in the way of gaining Baba’s full attention. At this point in the novel, the kites represent childhood happiness and his accomplishment. This does not last for a long time as the kites soon lose their significance. After
As children, the pomegranate tree on the hill is the place where Amir and Hassan grow close to each other. Using a kitchen knife, Amir carves their names on the tree: “’Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul” (Hosseini 30). This carving is significant as it represents that the tree belongs to Amir and Hassan and that they are becoming better friends; although at times, Amir is oblivious to this. Before the incident in the alley, Amir and Hassan have many memories by the pomegranate tree but everything changesis changing after the incident, including their friendship and their memories of the pomegranate tree. After the incident with Hassan and Assef in the alley, this becomes the main reason why the pomegranate tree is changing in meaning and significance. After Amir regrets his mistake of not helping Hassan in the alley, he tries to redeem himself by bringing Hassan back to the place where their friendship once flourished. He tortures Hassan by pelting him with pomegranates, expecting him to fight back. The reason for Amir’s behavior is because it will “… give [him] the punishment [he craves], so maybe [he will] finally sleep at night. Maybe then things c[an]ould return to how they …show more content…
Since the beginning of The Kite Runner, it is evident that Amir looks up to Baba his entire life and this continues all throughout the novel. Amir is constantly trying to gain Baba’s approval in everything he does and when Amir finds that the one thing they have in common is their interest in kite flying, he is determined to win the tournament to make Baba proud. Amir and Hassan work together to win the tournament and when they achieve this, “[Amir throws his] free arm around Hassan and [they are] hopping up and down, both of [them] laughing, both of [them] weeping” (70). Amir and Hassan winning this kite flying tournament is important because not only is it the event leading into the incident, but because it also demonstrates Amir and Hassan bonding together and their friendship growing stronger. Although=-, Amir’s intention is making Baba proud, he does not realize that he is also making Hassan proud as Hassan looks up to him like an older brother. From this, it explains Amir’s selfishness towards Hassan because he is not aware of Hassan’s feelings; he only thinks of Hassan him as an obstacle in the way of gaining Baba’s full attention. At this point in the novel, the kites represent childhood happiness and his accomplishment. This does not last for a long time as the kites soon lose their significance. After