Theme question #2- Emilee, Brett

[emileean...@gmail.com]

How does the redemption that Amir desires and gains throughout the novel effect his determination to save Sohrab?

[ginny...@gmail.com]

Amir starts out saying to himself that it was okay to walk away from Hassan's rape because he was just a Hazara. Later, when he sent Hasan away by framing him for theft, he attempted to send his guilt with him however it was only multiplied.  When he gets the phone call from Rahim Khan, Khan says "you still have the chance to be good" and by going back to Afghanistan, Amir takes blame for doing something wrong, he's started the path towards redemption. Skip to where Amir decided to help Sohrab after learning that Hassan was murdered by the Taliban. There's so many parrels here to Hassan. Sohrab is in the hands of Assef, Assef has been raping him, and Amir is faced with the same dilemmas as last time: with Hassan if he fought back he would have lost the kite and his father's approval and Hassan was just a Hazara. With Sohrab Amir knew he wasn't Hazara, they shared the same father but not everyone knew that and if he fought Assef, Amir would have lost his innocence. However, Amir is determined to find redemption and so he fights Assef and saves Sohrab. Later, much like in the phone call that started his journey of redemption, Amir ends it by finally telling someone what happened all those years ago in the ally, his wife. 

[Kirstyn Gomez]

I completely agree with ginny's comment about how Amir has the decision to save Sohrab from Assef who is raping him, puttining him in the same position when he abandoned Hassan during his incident with Assef. Amir's desire of redemption throughout the novel gave him the opportunity to redeem himself in the end when deciding to save Sohrab, allowing Amir to find his redemption and peace within.

[Sarah Kloesel]

Ginny has a really good point in her description. As a child Amir would only justify himself in a way for him to convince himself that it is not his fault all these terrible things are happening to Hassan. It was only later when he started growing up that his guilt had consumed him and turned him. When he finally got the phone call from Rahim Khan he took the opportunity to go back and see if he could do anything to make up for his past decisions. Throughout the novel he is guided by his guilt and search for redemption, and he will not allow anything to prevent him from filling in the void that he created for himself.