Redemption in Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner”

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Amir’s Redemptive Model
Baba’s Redemptive Model
Sanaubar’s Redemptive Model
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

‘The Kite Runner’ is a unique work, which has been translated into all European languages. The story begins in the pre-war Afghan city of Kabul in the ’70s, where there were children who did not know what shelling and explosions were. At the same time, a favorite pastime and a grave matter for all residents are kite competitions—happiness to defeat rivals and be left alone to soar in the bottomless blue sky. ‘A kite symbolizes the soul, flying high in the sky or lying broken on the ground’ (O’Brien 4). The contest becomes not only the point of no return, after which everything changes in the lives of Amir and Hasan. Flying is also a metaphor for the fates of these boys, carried away by the winds to different sides of the world.

Among the many lines, the central theme is betrayal and redemption. Through the prism of their life’s tribulations, the characters understand their actions, accept the guilt, and try to atone for it. Each personality has experienced tragedy and has walked a unique path of redemption. An analysis of the book will help identify those features of redemption models that are difficult to determine at first glance. By reasoning and examining the details of the lives, it will be possible to draw a clear parallel between the actions and consequences and conclude the main lesson the author was trying to convey.

The analysis will focus on the three main characters: Amir, Baba, and Sanaubar. This will be done using a redemption model that is specific to each character. At the same time, it has elements common to all, among which are: chastity flaws, transgression, trigger event(s), conscious resolution, acts of atonement, and changed life. The author reveals the peculiarities of the soul of a sinful man who admits his mistakes to demonstrate that redemption is the only way to restore the connection with God and find happiness.

Amir’s Redemptive Model

Amir is the main character whose cowardice and jealousy prevented his personal development. The redemption process became the only opportunity for him to find full-fledged happiness, which constantly eluded him due to his unwillingness to acknowledge problems. The first meaningful moment in his journey was undoubtedly Amir Hassan’s significant betrayal, the master’s display of cowardice to his servant and friend. From this moment, Amir’s internal vices begin, which leave in his soul heavy scars of remorse and anguish of conscience, which impose an imprint on all areas of life. Thus, in general, not an evil man, Amir becomes a hostage to the vices of his ego, unable to get out on his own.

The second significant moment is a call from Pakistan from a friend of his father. Rahim Khan encourages Amir to come up with a mysterious but understandable phrase: ‘You have a chance to get on the righteous path (Hosseini 262). Amir clings to that possibility, though his former self tries to refuse. Not only does he endanger his life and health in the hope of redeeming his former guilt, but he also undergoes a tremendous inner transformation on the road to Islam and harmony. He makes an important decision, saves the child, and thus finds himself on the proper path. It demonstrates how a man who himself had not given much thought to the need to move toward the mercy of the Creator, through his sins and their atonement, finds his way to the worship of Allah.

This suggests that the whole life is in a state of disharmony and moral turmoil until sin is atoned for. Redemption, in turn, is the connecting category between man and God that can restore the broken unity between them and strengthen the bond. Amir’s way demonstrates how sins are equivalent to bondage that can destroy lives and how overcoming them and repentance can release the burdens.

Baba’s Redemptive Model

Baba’s original sin is that he had an affair with the wife of Ali’s servant. At the same time, Baba knew that the child to be born was his own. Despite this, he allows everyone to think that Hasan is Alli’s son. Moreover, Baba saw that Hasan and Amir were friends, and Amir mistreated Hasan, but the father never defended Hasan. That is, his original sin is that he abandoned his child and condemned him to the bad fate of a servant. However, it is necessary to mention that Baba’s sins do not end with this. When his wife died in childbirth, he blamed his son, even though Amir was not responsible for his mother’s death.

It is important to emphasize that Baba tried to redeem himself and build an orphanage, so he did not hesitate to give money to charity. That is, Baba tried to distract and convince himself that the terrible things he had done did not define him as a bad person (Hosseini 300). At the same time, he accepted his guilt and tried to atone for his sin by doing good to others. It is significant to mention that Baba tried to improve his relationship with Amir because he saw himself reflected in him. In conclusion, although Baba did not tell anyone about his sin and did not incur the wrath of his loved ones, he successfully found redemption. By helping others and building a relationship with Amir, Baba forgave himself. Thus, he found temptation and died peacefully, knowing that all would be well with Amir.

Sanaubar’s Redemptive Model

Sanaubar had a nice appearance and enjoyed it; she cheated on a man, which was considered a disgrace for a Muslim woman. At the same time, after the birth of her son Hasan, she left him with his unrelated father and began to travel with a group of singers (Hosseini 162). Thus, the woman’s initial sin is her debauchery and fleeing from her problems. The militant attack was a hidden reason to find her son because she feared for his life. The woman returned and found her son when she was older; she also tried to redeem her sin when she established a relationship with Hassan. It should also be mentioned that Sanaubar helps Farzana give birth to her son Sohrab, but she could not raise the child because she died. The woman successfully achieved her goals and atoned for her sin.

Conclusion

Hence, this work argues that redemption is the only way to reconnect with God and find happiness. One can also find parallels between the redemptive models in the novel and the relationships between people in the real world. Therefore, they can be applied to understand how to atone for sins. The value of the novel is that it substantiates that everyone deserves to find redemption from their sins. Thus, the story tells different experiences of characters who have done unworthy things, but at the same time, one can trace how they have tried to correct them and find peace. Alex Lickerman can be remembered at this point, as he wrote that if a person admits mistakes and sincerely wants to improve them, then sin can be atoned for (Hagan). This is because people are not good or evil by nature; it depends on their striving. Hence, the novel gives each reader faith that there are ways to rectify unworthy actions to find peace.

Works Cited

Hagan, Ekua. ‘What Does It Mean to be Redeemed?’ Psychology Today, 2011, Web.

Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. Penguin, 2003.

O’Brien, Sarah. ‘Translating Trauma in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner.’ Transnational Literature, vol.10, no. 2, 2018, pp. 1-12.

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Redemption in Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner”

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