Atonement Merriam Webster Dictionary defines honor as an esteem due or paid to worth, and the manifestation of respect or reverence. In Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner, protagonist Amir makes a loathsome mistake that haunts him for the rest of his days, and leaves him searching for his honor. The novel utilizes honor and redemption to demonstrate how Amir can be “good again” and how he learns the value of honesty, and standing up to oppressors. Amir’s want for his fathers affection leaves him feeling unwanted and helpless. This causes him to not stand up for himself. Amir’s problems stem from him not being capable of facing his oppressions. Amir becomes self-aware of this problem when he expresses “I realize I have been peeking
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In twenty-six years he had not confronted the truth of what had transpired in that alley, nor had he been honest with himself that the actions that had occurred there actually happened. That is, the rape of a young Hazara boy named Hassan. Amir was so engulfed in trying to win his fathers approval that he sacrificed Hassan in that alley. “Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba” (Hosseini 77). In that moment Amir had a choice: stand up for Hassan and get beat up in the process, or win his fathers affection for the first time. Amir chose his fathers affection, the outcome was short lived, and his decision haunted him for the rest of his life. Amir’s choice in that alley cost him his honor not only then, but later when he could not face Hassan, and when he lied to Baba in attempt to get rid of Hassan because Amir could not live with the guilt for what he had let happen. However, Amir has a chance to …show more content…
Amir learns how dishonesty can affect someone later on in life, even though the lies happened so many years before. Hassan plays a very important part in Amir’s life. Amir is told “ they took him to the street… and order him to kneel… and shot him in the back of the head” (Hosseini 219). Amir is devastated by the loss of his old friend, but is upset more about his death for selfish reasons. Now that Hassan has passed away Amir feels as if his guilt will stay forever, and he will not be able to redeem himself, and will have to live with what he let happen forever. Amir didn’t stand up for Hassan in the alley because he wanted attention from his father Baba, and to make him proud for once. Amir was always jealous of the attention and affection that Baba gave Hassan. He recalls “Baba hiring Dr. Kumor to fix Hassan’s harelip. Baba never missing Hassan’s birthday” he even recalls on the eve of his graduation Baba uttering that he “wish Hassan had been with us today” (Hosseini 224-225). These details finally make sense when family friend Rahim Khan expressed to Amir that Hassan’s father was sterile and Baba was actually Hassan’s father. Amir does not take this news very well, but now his guilt has deepened because he hadn’t just betrayed a friend in that alley, he has betrayed his own brother. However, Rahim Khan knows what happened in that alley, and knows the guilt
In twenty-six years he had not confronted the truth of what had transpired in that alley, nor had he been honest with himself that the actions that had occurred there actually happened. That is, the rape of a young Hazara boy named Hassan. Amir was so engulfed in trying to win his fathers approval that he sacrificed Hassan in that alley. “Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba” (Hosseini 77). In that moment Amir had a choice: stand up for Hassan and get beat up in the process, or win his fathers affection for the first time. Amir chose his fathers affection, the outcome was short lived, and his decision haunted him for the rest of his life. Amir’s choice in that alley cost him his honor not only then, but later when he could not face Hassan, and when he lied to Baba in attempt to get rid of Hassan because Amir could not live with the guilt for what he had let happen. However, Amir has a chance to …show more content…
Amir learns how dishonesty can affect someone later on in life, even though the lies happened so many years before. Hassan plays a very important part in Amir’s life. Amir is told “ they took him to the street… and order him to kneel… and shot him in the back of the head” (Hosseini 219). Amir is devastated by the loss of his old friend, but is upset more about his death for selfish reasons. Now that Hassan has passed away Amir feels as if his guilt will stay forever, and he will not be able to redeem himself, and will have to live with what he let happen forever. Amir didn’t stand up for Hassan in the alley because he wanted attention from his father Baba, and to make him proud for once. Amir was always jealous of the attention and affection that Baba gave Hassan. He recalls “Baba hiring Dr. Kumor to fix Hassan’s harelip. Baba never missing Hassan’s birthday” he even recalls on the eve of his graduation Baba uttering that he “wish Hassan had been with us today” (Hosseini 224-225). These details finally make sense when family friend Rahim Khan expressed to Amir that Hassan’s father was sterile and Baba was actually Hassan’s father. Amir does not take this news very well, but now his guilt has deepened because he hadn’t just betrayed a friend in that alley, he has betrayed his own brother. However, Rahim Khan knows what happened in that alley, and knows the guilt