Kite Runner Betrayal

Nobody would ever guess that a mere kite flying competition would lead into an epic tale of betrayal and redemption. The Kite Runner, a historical fiction novel written by Khaled Hosseini, is a story that follows Amir, a Pashtun, who struggles to find his place in society due to a series of traumatic childhood events. The conflict of the story starts during the winter of 1975, after a Kite flying competition. Amir betrayed his servant, Hassan, whom Amir later learns is his half-brother. Hassan, being an excellent kite runner, won the trophy with ease, which makes Amir jealous. Sadly, Hassan did not have much time to celebrate because he soon found his life in danger after being a loyal friend to Amir. The neighborhood bully, Assef, wanted revenge on Hassan; o he was held down and raped by him. Amir saw what was happening, but jealousy caused him to run away and leave his best and most loyal friend to be raped. Amir would look back on his choice as the unforgivable sin that narrowed his path and changed his life forever. It was not until about 20 years later when Amir seized a chance to redeem himself for his actions. Throughout the story, the reader watches as Amir searches for redemption in every way he can to prove to himself that "there is a way to be good again". The scene where Hassan is left in the alleyway, along with the passage in which Amir plants a bag of cash and his watch under Hassan's mattress, count as Amir's two unforgivable sins. …show more content…
Amir starts searching for redemption as he has a difficult time living with his guilt and constant memory of the decision he made as a boy: “In the end, I ran.” (139). The guilt along with the passion in which Hosseini installs in the story makes Amir’s search for redemption incredibly powerful. Amir has no other option but to face his past and refuses to run away like he did 20 years earlier. Amir’s bravery and determination to redeem himself teaches the reader about one of The Kite Runner’s major themes, guilt. We learn from Amir’s past that guilt leaves scars, and although scars can be covered, only redemption can erase them. Amir’s decisions about facing his past shows that he is on the right path and is working towards recovery. Amir has consistently conflicted with guilt from the choices he has made when he was a young boy. Amir eventually repents and earns forgiveness from his sin, but this was not done alone. Amir’s journey to redemption starts with the help of Rahim Khan, a Friend of Baba and Amir. Rahim Khan knows all of Amir’s secrets and gives him the attention he needs to fill the holes left by his traumatic childhood. Rahim helps Amir by giving him the motivation to change and to be forgiven: “There is a way to be good again” (192). Amir’s guilt drives the climactic events of the story by allowing him to journey to Kabul to find Sohrab, Hassan’s son. This along with Amir’s confrontation with Assef earns him redemption because it shows that Amir has the courage to stand up for what is right. Amir learns many new things about Hassan throughout the progression of The Kite Runner. As an adult, he begins to realize