An Analysis of Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner
The Search for Redemption in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner
As human beings, making mistakes is inventible. The only way people can learn and grow from their mistakes is to search for redemption. Many people search for redemption their whole lives but very few are able to find it. The journey to redemption is evident in the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini through the choices of Amir and Baba. Amir makes several mistakes so does Baba, which grows to haunt them in the future. They attempt to forget their past, instead of facing it, but quickly realize “... the past claws its way out” (Hosseini 1). Both Amir and Baba learn that obtaining a guilt free mind can only be done by facing their mistakes: the story of loss and regaining identity. Amir and Baba’s mistakes result in their loss of identity and throughout the novel, they attempt to regain it by correcting these mistakes. Amir and Baba both suffer throughout the novel due to the sins they have committed in the past. They both then search and obtain redemption through correcting their mistakes and learning from them.
Amir’s biggest mistake was desperately looking for Baba’s approval. Which also leads to trigger many other mistakes that Amir commits, Baba’s approval weighs heavily on Amir’s mind. This mentality leads to Amir blaming many things that are not his fault, on himself. Amir states, “I always felt like Baba hated me a little. And why not? After all, I had killed his beloved wife, his beautiful princess, hadn’t I?” (Hosseini 20). Amir feels that he has to redeem himself in Baba’s eyes since his mother died giving birth to Amir. He feels responsible for his mother’s death and feels he needs to repay his father. Amir attempts to redeem himself the only way he knows how; to win the kite flying tournament in order to win Baba’s approval. Amir says to himself, “I was going to win, and I was going to run that last kite. Then I’d bring it home and show Baba. Show him once and for all his son was
As human beings, making mistakes is inventible. The only way people can learn and grow from their mistakes is to search for redemption. Many people search for redemption their whole lives but very few are able to find it. The journey to redemption is evident in the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini through the choices of Amir and Baba. Amir makes several mistakes so does Baba, which grows to haunt them in the future. They attempt to forget their past, instead of facing it, but quickly realize “... the past claws its way out” (Hosseini 1). Both Amir and Baba learn that obtaining a guilt free mind can only be done by facing their mistakes: the story of loss and regaining identity. Amir and Baba’s mistakes result in their loss of identity and throughout the novel, they attempt to regain it by correcting these mistakes. Amir and Baba both suffer throughout the novel due to the sins they have committed in the past. They both then search and obtain redemption through correcting their mistakes and learning from them.
Amir’s biggest mistake was desperately looking for Baba’s approval. Which also leads to trigger many other mistakes that Amir commits, Baba’s approval weighs heavily on Amir’s mind. This mentality leads to Amir blaming many things that are not his fault, on himself. Amir states, “I always felt like Baba hated me a little. And why not? After all, I had killed his beloved wife, his beautiful princess, hadn’t I?” (Hosseini 20). Amir feels that he has to redeem himself in Baba’s eyes since his mother died giving birth to Amir. He feels responsible for his mother’s death and feels he needs to repay his father. Amir attempts to redeem himself the only way he knows how; to win the kite flying tournament in order to win Baba’s approval. Amir says to himself, “I was going to win, and I was going to run that last kite. Then I’d bring it home and show Baba. Show him once and for all his son was
Cited: Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead Books, 2003. Print.