Amir's feelings of guilt spring from incidents of betrayal throughout his childhood. Since 1975 when Amir watched as Hassan was raped in an alleyway by Assef, "I ran because I was coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me"
Amir feels guilty for his cowardice s but it was not fear that drove him away the real reason Amir ran was Baba. Amir was so envious of Baba and Hassan's friendship that he thought Assef was right. "Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay the lamb I had to slay to win Baba....he was just a Hazara wasn't he?"
This event not only affected Hassan and Amirs friend ship but still made Amir highly jealous of Babas concern for Hassan, " 'I haven't seen much of Hassan in the last few days' Baba said...I couldn't help hating the way his brow furrowed with worry"
Amir's selfish personality handy caps his chance to be good again and redeem himself for the past. Amir places Hassan in the position to be framed and sets him up for theft of Amirs birthday presents, this incident clearly shows that Amir approaches atonement the wrong way. "I lifted Hassan's mattress and planted my new watch and a handful of afghani bills under it...then I knocked on babas door and told what I hoped would be the last in a long line of shameful lies."
Hassan's loyalty leads to