Road to Redemption
Road to Redemption
“There is a way to be good again” (2) is not only a relapsed statement in Khaled Hosseini’s first novel, The Kite Runner, but also a reoccurring theme in his second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns. Through the comparison of his two novels, the characters ultimately struggle to find their personal road to redemption. The protagonist of The Kite Runner, Amir returns to Afghanistan to redeem himself of a memory that has been haunting him for the past twenty-six years by saving his half-nephew, Sohrab. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, Mariam's endeavors to be redeemed are achieved through self-sacrifice - and having a reason to die for. Throughout the course of each of the characters’ lives, their ultimate goal is deliverance from past encounters. However, this does not come easily. They must endure hardships and somehow be hopeful that they will be redeemed.
Redemption does not come to an individual; one must act upon this urge. Rahim Khan knows of Amir’s guilt, and assures him that there is a way to attain redemption, and that is through Sohrab. Rahim goes on to say “I believe…true redemption is when guilt leads to good” (The Kite Runner 326) Amir had been feeling guilty for the past twenty-six years, and it was time for him to act upon his guilt. When Amir first arrives in Rahim Khan’s home in Afghanistan, he attempts to redeem himself by providing money for Sohrab’s salvation. However, Amir knows full well that he cannot merely buyout his salvation because it is not about the money – it is about the achievement of his redemption and freedom from the guilt that was taunting him.
Although Mariam had a hard life, she never initiated a plan for salvation, which is why it was not until she took initiative and killed Rasheed that she finally felt like she had a purpose. Essentially, she remained at home, did what she was told and blamed her surroundings for her fate. While most of the situations in her life she was faced with were not her fault,
“There is a way to be good again” (2) is not only a relapsed statement in Khaled Hosseini’s first novel, The Kite Runner, but also a reoccurring theme in his second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns. Through the comparison of his two novels, the characters ultimately struggle to find their personal road to redemption. The protagonist of The Kite Runner, Amir returns to Afghanistan to redeem himself of a memory that has been haunting him for the past twenty-six years by saving his half-nephew, Sohrab. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, Mariam's endeavors to be redeemed are achieved through self-sacrifice - and having a reason to die for. Throughout the course of each of the characters’ lives, their ultimate goal is deliverance from past encounters. However, this does not come easily. They must endure hardships and somehow be hopeful that they will be redeemed.
Redemption does not come to an individual; one must act upon this urge. Rahim Khan knows of Amir’s guilt, and assures him that there is a way to attain redemption, and that is through Sohrab. Rahim goes on to say “I believe…true redemption is when guilt leads to good” (The Kite Runner 326) Amir had been feeling guilty for the past twenty-six years, and it was time for him to act upon his guilt. When Amir first arrives in Rahim Khan’s home in Afghanistan, he attempts to redeem himself by providing money for Sohrab’s salvation. However, Amir knows full well that he cannot merely buyout his salvation because it is not about the money – it is about the achievement of his redemption and freedom from the guilt that was taunting him.
Although Mariam had a hard life, she never initiated a plan for salvation, which is why it was not until she took initiative and killed Rasheed that she finally felt like she had a purpose. Essentially, she remained at home, did what she was told and blamed her surroundings for her fate. While most of the situations in her life she was faced with were not her fault,