Kite Runner And Muccino's Seven Pounds Achieve Redemption?

One of the most tragic things about the human existence is the fact that it comes to an end. There is an unfortunate cliché that seems to circulate before someone passes away, both in real life and in popular media. It can be summarized into one simple statement: “I wish I had the chance to . . .” Essentially, the feeling that is expressed is the feeling of regret, which can only be resolved by the process of redemption. The characters of Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner and Gabriele Muccino’s film “Seven Pounds” both strive to undo acts committed in their past lives. In the case of Ben, the film’s protagonist, he seeks to honour the lives he ended while being involved in a head-on collision, in which he was a driver. Amir, the central character of The Kite Runner, wants to relieve the feeling of guilt he maintains from causing the death of his mother and the lack of inaction he displayed as a young boy, allowing the sexual assault of his best friend to occur. As different as the journeys of these characters may seem, the stories of Ben and Amir share multiple common elements. Though each character has separate motives in which to achieve redemption, both men …show more content…
Though each character has separate motives in which to achieve redemption, both men encounter other characters that help them along the way, and each story reaches its own eventual conclusion, whether or not the principal characters have reached their goals. Self-motivation and encouragement from others places Ben and Amir on their respective journeys, but with help from Dan, Rahim Khan and Farid, respectively, both of them partially fulfill the ultimate goal of redemption. However, in the words of George R.R. Martin, “a good act does not wash out the bad, nor a bad act the good. Each should have its own reward” (Martin 192). In essence, only one’s true self can judge the validity of their own