The novel, The Kite Runner, is about a young boy named Amir who forever lives a life full of shame, quilt and regret. These feelings are brought out by things that Amir has done in his past such as refusing to stick up for Hassan and lying to his father. By the end of the novel, Amir fully atones for his sins by returning to Kabul, adopting Sohrab and being beaten by Assef.
During the annual kite tournament, Amir witnessed his brother, Hassan being brutally beaten and raped by Assef: he did not say a word. Instead of standing up for his brother, Amir kept quiet while he stood and watched in horror. “I opened my mouth, almost said something. Almost. The rest of my life might have turned out differently if I had. But I didn’t.
I just watched. Paralyzed.” Amir then claimed the winning kite as his own in order to win his father’s affection. He knows that he has betrayed the one person whom he is closest to. This marks the beginning of Amir’s sins. Amir’s poor decisions lead to a life full of shame, guilt and regret. “I stopped watching. Turned away from the alley. I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan - the way he’d stood up for me - and expect whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. .In the end, I ran.” Amir proved that he is disloyal to Hassan. He had to opportunity to help Hassan, however his selfishness got the best of him. After years of not speaking, while Amir is living in America, it is revealed that Hassan has been killed, and his son, Sohrab, has been left abandoned in Afghanistan without a family or a home. Because Sohrab is Amir’s nephew, Amir knows that this is an opportunity to atone for his sins by showing his true loyalty to Hassan.
“For you, a thousand times over” Sohrab says to Amir at the end of the book. The book ended with Amir finally seeking redemption when taking Sohrab to America with him for a better life. This quote shows the importance that no matter what sin you’ve committed there will always be an opportunity to make amends, but you have to seek redemption yourself. Amir completed his quest in seeking redemption for his sins and can finally move on with his life.