Redemption Theme In The Kite Runner

Words: 1084
Pages: 5
Open Document
Often there is a great debate on “What is the hardest word to say in the English dictionary?”. The novel, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, explores the destruction of an uncommon bond between Amir and Hassan, torn apart by Amir’s decision to abandon his childhood friend, due to the growing ethnic conflict within Afghanistan. Likewise, the film Good Will Hunting, directed by Gus Van Sant, portrays Will Hunting’s journey of redemption while finding direction in life. Furthermore, K’Naan’s Wavin’ Flag uncovers the idea of atonement for crimes against humanity through the discovery of freedom from mental slavery. All these references share the common theme of a journey of redemption through betrayal, guilt, and love. Therefore, the struggles …show more content…
In the novel, Amir is never able to admit his mistakes during his youth, with his first betrayal being misusing Hassan’s trust and loyalty, leading to Hassan leaving their home. Moreover, “Hosseini's depiction of pre-revolutionary Afghanistan is … also tense with the friction between the nation's different ethnic groups.” (Hower), Amir takes advantage of Hassan’s status of a Hazara to further deceive him. As a result, Amir is not sincere during his childhood, revealing his character as a coward who is unable to recognize his privilege. Later, small acts of deceit lead to a massive betrayal: “When you kill a man, you steal a life… you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness” (Hosseini 19). Although Amir did not kill Hassan, he blames himself since Amir cheats Hassan due to his cowardliness. The film exemplifies betrayal as Will Hunting disregarding his talent; Will’s friend, Chuckie states “But you, you're sittin' on a winning lottery ticket and you're too much of a pussy to cash it in,” (Van Sant) proving he believes that Will’s behaviour is a betrayal to himself and the rest of his community. Additionally, K’Naan’s song verses “I heard them say, love is the way/ Love is the answer, that's what they say/ But look how they treat us, make us believers/ We fight their battles, then they deceive us.” (K’Naan 27-30), …show more content…
Amir, and Will’s transforms into a strong sympathetic through their individual paths of forgiveness. In addition, the song also illustrates its own journey where the character is hopeful to one day gain the strength to redeem his people. All in all, Different aspects of redemption are portrayed in these works. In any case, Ralph Waldo Emerson shows “What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you
Show More

Related Documents: Redemption Theme In The Kite Runner

The Theme Of Redemption In The Kite Runner

“Redemption is something you have to fight for in a very personal, down-dirty way. Some of our characters lose that, some stray from that, and some regain it” (Whedon). Screenwriter, Joss Whedon, states that redemption is not something that is given for free, it is something that one must work towards and it does not come easy. Redemption is a prominent concept and theme in the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. In the novel, the protagonist, Amir, is a significant character who works to receive…

Words 151 - Pages 1

The Kite Runner Major Character Essay

The Kite Runner: Major Character "It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime...” Hassan is one of the most significant characters in The Kite Runner. He is very dynamic, changing drastically throughout the novel. At the beginning of the book, Hassan is seen as a sweet, happy, young boy who is fiercely loyal to his best friend, Amir. When referring to the story of Hassan's birth Amir says, "...because even in birth, Hassan…

Words 1648 - Pages 7

Sacrifice In A Thousand Splendid Suns

With love comes sacrifice and with mistakes comes redemption. Sacrifice and redemption are apparent when characters undergo situations that compel them to make drastic decisions due to their former actions. Many authors contribute the themes of sacrifice and redemption because they are extremely relatable to people’s real life situations. Also, these themes emphasize the struggles of the characters and portray the different personalities that they have; some characters sacrifice for others and some…

Words 1237 - Pages 5

Symbols In The Kite Runner

KITE MOTIF Kites were first invented over two thousand years ago in China and have since spread across the world, being used for everything from surveillance to science to entertainment. In The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini uses kites and their associated activities as a recurring motif, tying the book together. Kites themselves are full of symbolism and meaning: ideas of youth and childhood, brought about by the idea of kites as a child’s toy in modern times; freedom, as kites float high above…

Words 502 - Pages 3

Theme Of Betrayal In The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner has a variety of themes throughout the novel. One of the main ones is betrayal as Amir tries to avoid the guilt he has in himself but doesn’t redeem himself this way. These two themes, redemption and betrayal, relate to each pother in the story and is a struggle for Amir that he faces. This betrayal drives the plot of the book and is a conflict to the protagonist. Abuse of power is another theme in the novel that is seen with the socioeconomic conditions in Afghanistan and how individuals…

Words 747 - Pages 3

Journal Entries on the Kite Runner Essay

QHSS Vikas Peddu Journal entry #1 In the first ten chapters of The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini focuses on the theme “Friendships take years to build, but only moments to destroy”. For example, Amir and Hassan have been friends since they were born, they built their friendship until the day of the kit fighting tournament. When Hassan ran the runner ups kite he ran into Assef, who was seeking revenge for being insulted by Hassan earlier in the year. Assef deemed that rape would…

Words 1313 - Pages 6

Essay about The kite runner

Malorie Para Period 2 Mrs. Cotrano 6 September 2014 Backstabbers Although the novel, the Kite Runner, consists of several themes, the idea of betrayal permeates through almost every chapter. This theme depicts parallels between Baba and Amir, in which both characters betrayed their loved ones. Hassan is the main victim because he is not only betrayed by his own brother, but his own father also. Every act of betrayal in the novel correlates with the loyalty provided by Hassan. H…

Words 1177 - Pages 5

kite runner Essay

2014 Hauntings of the Past and Decisions that Impact Lives Negatively: An Exploration of Theme in The Kite Runner It is ironic how children are unable to comprehend the long term consequences of their actions. Still, the past can linger and tends to haunt people despite how hard society tries to use distractions to avoid negative memories. This is displayed vividly in the bildungsroman novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. As much as Amir feels he cannot conquer the past, he displays the ability…

Words 827 - Pages 4

Kite Runner Redemption Quotes

The way to rid of a sin is through redemption, but the real question is whether redemption is done out of selfishness or out of respect for the ones offended. The protagonist in the historical fiction novel The Kite Runner, Amir, begins as a twelve year old boy from Afghanistan who makes a harrowing decision, distorting his thought process for the remainder of his life. This one split decision, this mistake, as…

Words 1807 - Pages 8

Essay on NOVEL REVIEW 3

Lili Kealoha 19 January 2015 Honors Sophomore English P6 Novel Review 3 The Kite Runner 10) a) In The Kite Runner, Amir witnesses his friend, Hassan, get raped in an alley but he's too afraid to do anything about it. Later, too guilty to even look Hassan in the eye, he makes it look like Hassan stole some money and his new watch so that Hassan will go away. Many years pass and Amir goes to Pakistan to visit his fathers old friend Rahim Kahn. He tells Amir that Hassan got married and had a son who…

Words 485 - Pages 2