Having attempted to neglect his past, he has learnt “the past claws its way out”, leaving him an ‘insomniac’ whilst residing in America. The road to redemption is strenuous and long, but Amir having matured comes to this realization. Once learning of Soraya’s unfortunate past, he immediately forgives her, as his internal monologue reads, “How could I, of all people, chastise someone for their past? ” Indeed, this passage is the first in the novel where Amir begins to atone for his sins. By becoming aware of Soraya’s past, Amir is forced to learn that he is not the only person with regrets.
In other words, Amir gains some humanity and perspective in this passage, contributing to his eventual redemption. Amir does recover Sohrab, but Amir has yet to be truly redeemed. To do that, he must raise Sohrab in order to honor Hassan, his friend and brother. And, on page 343, when he walks into a bathroom only to find that Sohrab has cut his wrists in a suicide attempt, Amir is truly horrified (“They said I was still screaming when the ambulance arrived. “) It follows that the key to Amir’s redemption lies with Sohrab’s survival.
It is fitting, then, that Sohrab survives, but only after Amir does something he has not done for fifteen years: pray (345).
The prayer itself, besides being an obvious literary symbol for redemption, is another acknowledgement of Amir’s past and Afghani heritage. It is, indeed, the final step in his redemption. The betrayal of Ali; possibly the single major flaw in Baba’s character. The callous act of betraying his devoted friend, having slept with his wife, and in turn creating the illegitimate Hassan. But it is through this we see the powerful character that is Baba. …good, real good, was born out of your father’s remorse” Rahim Khan describes; we see the power of redemption when remorse is genuine and sincere. His impact visible at his funeral where streams of people Amir ‘’barely knew’’ tell him how Baba found them a job, helped built them a house or that he was ‘like a brother to them’. Baba uses his wealth, skills and influences to make a difference in the lives of many. He works for three years through the obstacles of corruption, building approvals, tradesmen and escalating costs to build the much needed orphanage.
The Homework on ROAD TO AMIR’S REDEMPTION
... destroy the lives of others. Before Amir can go on the road to redemption, Amir must realize that he can’t ... be saved in the first place but by saving Sohrab, the last piece of Hassan’s life, does make ... his decisions after the incident in the alley. Baba lost a chance to watch his son, Hassan, ... Soraya lost her right to the truth when Amir kept his past a secret even though she opened up ...
He completes all this of his own will, truly wishing to redeem himself. Despite having betrayed Ali, he ensures both Ali and Hassan’s lives are as full and secure as possible. Treating Amir and Hassan almost equal and even crying at Ali’s departure, displaying his true affection for the one he regrettably betrayed. The Kite runner shows that redemption is only possible when one takes responsibility for ones action through positive, altruistic and courageous deeds.
Baba committed many acts of philanthropy, but fails to inform the people around him and those affected of his sins, which leads us to deem that he did not achieve true redemption. True redemption is when a person atones for his “own” sins, and honestly makes a transition in his or her own nature into a new individual. Redemption cannot be achieved on the behalf of others, and for that reason Amir does not achieve redemption for Baba. Amir certainly achieves true redemption in his quest for atonement and redemption. Amir’s actions and acknowledgement of his sins lead us to believe that Amir has and still is paying for “un-atoned sins”.
