Atonement In The Kite Runner

Clarissa Velthuizen
ENG4U
Mrs. Wick
January 5, 2015 From Remorse to Restitution

Amir has been struggling with his betrayal of Hassan since he was twelve years old. In the winter of 1975, Amir turned and ran whilst Hassan was raped in an alleyway. Amir knew what he should have done, but instead chose to act on his fear. Amir does not attempt to redeem himself for many years, however he does eventually atone for his actions that winter. In the subsequent 26 years, Amir displays guilt, repentance, and finally, atonement. He does this by experiencing feelings of guilt, first as a child and again later in life, for what he has done to
Hassan. He then further progresses the process of atonement by showing repentance while living in Kabul, and by wishing for forgiveness in both America and Kabul. Finally, he fully
Amir’s first step towards atonement is his guilt, which is immediate and relentless. He resents himself for his decision to abandon Hassan. Only a few days after Hassan’s assault,
Amir feels remorse and shame inside himself. “There was a monster in the lake. It had grabbed Hassan by the ankles, dragged him to the murky bottom. I was that monster. That

was the night I became an insomniac” (Hosseini 75). While Amir is lying awake, alone with his thoughts, he begins to feel that guilt is taking over his life. He realizes he is going to get away with his sin, yet feels no relief. He desperately needs to be punished, so he and Hassan can remain friends. But Hassan will not give him this punishment, so Amir decides that he must forget his sins. He believes that he can only do this by avoiding Hassan. “I made sure our paths crossed as little as possible, planned my day that way. Because when he was around, the oxygen seeped out of the room” (Hosseini 77). In his desperation to forget, to be rid of the guilt that he felt around Hassan, he commits another sin. He frames Hassan for stealing. “…I took a couple of the envelopes of cash from the pile of gifts and my watch, and tiptoed
At this moment Amir knows that he has finally repaid Hassan, and he is overjoyed. “I ran with the wind blowing in my face, and a smile as wide as the Valley of Panjsher on my lips. I ran.” (Hosseini 391). Despite his initial choice of running from his guilt, Amir has finally made things right. In rescuing Sohrab he repays his debt to Hassan, and becomes the friend Hassan would have deserved, and the man his father always wanted him to be. 26 years later, Amir’s atonement is proven by his actions and the relief he feels.

After a life of lies and sins, Amir eventually fully atones for his actions. He feels guilt, shows repentance, and completes the act of atonement. More precisely, Amir begins his atonement by feeling guilty throughout his childhood and his adult life. He then furthers his atonement by showing repentance. Finally, he completes the process of atonement by getting what he deserves when he is beaten by Assef, and by making up for his actions by giving
Hassan’s son a good life. Although it takes Amir 26 years, he does fully atone for his actions.

WORKS CITED
Hosseini, Khaled.
The Kite Runner
. London: Bloomsbury, 2011.