In Rescuing Sohrab, Amir Could Find Redmeption for Both Baba and Himself. Do You Agree?
Through the course of the novel, the quest for redemption remains a key motive for both Amir and Baba. In rescuing Sohrab, this quest is near completion, but in fact will never be entire in the case of Baba, having taken the truth about his betrayal with him to his grave. With the rescue of Sohrab from the clutches of the tyrannical Assef, Amir does find close to redemption, but not for his father, only himself. True redemption is when one atones for his own sins; Baba will remain restless in his grave.
Sohrab, the son of Hassan, serves as a means of salvation for the ‘tortured soul’ that is Amir. 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
Sohrab, the son of Hassan, serves as a means of salvation for the ‘tortured soul’ that is Amir. 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