Journey to Redemption
Throughout life, people will find themselves facing guilt or shame, some more significant than others. An individual experiences guilt knowing that they have committed some form of wrongdoing. To relieve themselves from this offense, they will try to be redeemed, or relieved from their sin. In Khaled Hosseini novel, The Kite Runner, Hosseini described Amir’s journey to redemption after he betrayed Hassan during their childhood years. The five steps for redemption are categorized as Conviction, Confession, Repentance, Restitution, and Reconciliation. Although, Amir shows many acts of kindness and selflessness, in the end, he was not able to truly redeem himself.
To begin, Amir started his journey to redemption with conviction and confession although he was not very successful. The guilt bothered Amir very often even in his adulthood when he believed he had been denied “fatherhood for the thing [he] had done.” (188) Almost immediately after Amir watched Hassan get raped he believed he had done something wrong. He believed he could not have children with Soraya because he did not help Hassan, but he does not confess until more than fifteen years later. Immediately after Amir “watched Hassan get raped”, he told “no one.” (86) Amir
…show more content…
The guilt started the second Amir was able to recognize that what he did was wrong. It took him some time to realize that he had to start repaying for the wrong, which was traveling to Afghanistan to save Sohrab. Amir was not exactly successful, in order words, he did fulfill Rahim Khan’s wish, which was selfless of Amir, but it created other problems that would leave both Amir and Sohrab damaged. Overall, Amir’s situation proves that the ability to be redeemed may not be as simple as one might think. Amir will never be able to forgive himself. He will always live with the guilt of not helping Hassan, or even