Memories and Regrets

[Eveline M. Bailey]

We’ve discussed a little about how our own memories and regrets shape the people we become. Consider now how memories and/or regrets shape the different characters in The Kite Runner. Discuss at least 2 characters in the novel.

[ashley.s...@gmail.com]

The regrets Amir faces through the memories of the rape and his childhood with Hassan shape his adult life leading to his redemption. He has to tell his wife about his guilt before getting a child, must give up his own wellfair. Hassans memory of the rape shape the way he acts, shy, broken but loyal still to Amir, he sleeps constantly and stays distant thinking no one knows about the rape.

[Katherine Z]

Amir had felt guilt for Hassan's rape and how he had handled it afterwards because Hassan's tragedy was too much for HIM to handle. Baba felt reomorse that Amir couldn't stand up for himself and depended on Hassan to do it. This makes Amir selfish in how far he's willing to go in betraying Hassan to please Baba, even though Baba had originally felt regret raising such a poetry obsessed scared boy. This makes Baba distant to his son and an emotionally absent father until Hassan selfishly acts to please him asnd get the kite he was willing to let his own friend's life be ruined over. 

[torie parsons]

Amir spends his life after Hassan leaves, constantly pounded by the guilt and regret of that night in 1975. He is the "monster in the lake,' al of his guilt and regret causes him to do anything to achieve redemption including sacrificing his own welfare and façade of innocence. Baba regretted raising a poetry reading pansy, and regrets not telling Amir and Hassan that they were half-brothers, if he would have told either one that they were brothers the whole story would be different maybe even happier.

[jessic...@gmail.com]

In The Kite Runner the memories and regrets of Amir watching Hassan be raped by Aseef and Hassans blood stain the snow almost black the walk home shapes Amirs difficult character by showing the reasons for his insensitive reactions towards Hassan. The regrets also show Amirs need for personal redemption as an adult. Hassans memories of Aseef effected his character by making him broken and stay isolated from everyone after the incident.

[limasd...@gmail.com]

Throughout the novel Amir is seeking personal redemption. Amir witnessed Hassan being raped by Assef and did not do anything about it, which causes Amir to carry around this form of guilt all the way up to his adult life. This memory that Amir has in his mind definitely shapes his character throughout the novel. Another character who was seeking redemption is Baba. He had slept with his best friends wife and chose to still take care of the child, Hassan.

[thrash...@gmail.com]

Amir is shaped by his regret in a way that makes him willing to sacrifice his own well being. Baba's regret of being dishonest with Ali's wife makes Baba become the giving person we see. Baba always trys to help those who are needy by building an orphanage and giving lamb usually meant for friends to the poor because his friends have enough.

[carnis...@gmail.com]

Memories and regret shape Amir in to being quiet, and always keeping everything locked inside of him. He bottles his emotions up. For the majority of his life, Amir is a meek coward. He is very selfish because he is constantly trying to win his father's approval. With this selfish desire, he allows his friends innocence to be taken away as he watches from a far and doesn't try to help or stop the situation in anyway. With this regret, he becomes very angry and guilty inside. Towards the end however, Amir redeems himself and the memory of Hassan by standing up for the only piece of Hassan left, his son Sohrab. All of the pent up guilt and regret gave him the strength to no longer be afraid and sacrifice his selfish desires of running away and hiding from confrontation. 

[tony1...@gmail.com]

Amir feels regret for letting Hassan get raped. Amir starts to build guilt for this and throughout the novel he is seeking redemption for what he did. Amir gains redemption when he goes to Afghanistan when Baba dies and sees how Sohrab needs a father figure. Amir gains redemtion when he treats Sohrab like family like he should have treated Hassan.

[ginny...@gmail.com]

The opening scene of The Kite Runner, while not reveled at the time, is the same as the last scene, kite running with Sohrab. In the first scene, Amir is looking at the kites and is thrown into past memories regarding Hassan, how he used to run his kite and then Assef raping Hassan, leading then to all the times Amir treated Hassan badly and how all of it, and the phone call from Rahdid, brought Amir back to Pakistan to save Hassan's son, Sohrab. It was due to Amir's memories of his regrets that drove him to find forgiveness for himself. In the last scene, Amir is able to remember, but not with the same guilt he once felt. Baba also deals with past regrets. As he ages, Baba sees how he made Amir into the selfish person he became and looks back on the decisions he made raising Amir.

[sophia....@gmail.com]

The character most affected by memory and regret it obviously Amir. He has a constant reminder throughout the novel of his mistake of not stepping in during Hassan's rape and for mistreating Hassan afterwards in order to suppress that guilt. As he gets older and is no longer in contact with Hassan, he must face this guilt head on and he does so by seeking redemption in adopting Hassan's son and bringing him to America to introduce him to opportunities that will turn his life around.

Another character who is greatly affected by regret is Baba. His actions of betrayal towards Ali by impregnating Ali's woman and keeping Hassan as his servant creates a sense of guilt that isn't touched upon deeply because the story is through the prospective of Amir. Baba tries to redeem this betrayal by treating Hassan as equally as he can, but still keeping in mind their different social classes. His actions also play into Amir's need for Baba's approval. 

[princessp...@gmail.com]

In The Kite Runner, regrets shape the characters and how they live their lives throughout the rest of the novel. For example, Amir's memory of Hassan's rape and regret of not doing anything to help him causes Amir to behave very indifferent to Amir for he holds shame to his inaction. Amir's guilt also causes him to seek redemption throughout the novel, which when he does seek redemption by adopting Sohrab, we can see that Amir has changed from the cowardly boy he used to be, and has become a more heroic figure. When it comes to Baba, I believe his memories shape him to be the strong character he is. For instance, when he was young his father took in Ali, a Hazara, and Ali becomes like Baba's brother although they are of different classes. Because of this, Baba always respects men of different classes (if they are deserving), and has taught Amir to do the same. 

[henry.ro...@gmail.com]

Amir's  regret about the day he left Hassan to be raped and never told anyone at the time was so immense that in order for him to achieve his redemption he had to abandon his previous qualities, such as being afraid and powerless and by adopting Sohrab he has a chance at emotional clarity and a clear conscious.

Baba is also a character that had regrets from his past, and sadly one of these is Amir, all that Baba could think about was having a strong sporty son that would be able to proudly carry his name, but he got a son that was nothing like him and that murdered his beautiful wife. Baba does seek redemption by speaking with Amir in the later years and connecting with him.

[davidayer...@gmail.com]

For Amir, hit memories and regrets serve as the central drive for his path do redemption. No matter how good his life gets, the serve as his reminder that he wont be able to be truly happy until he has made peace with his past. They also serve as reasons for choices he makes being torn between who he wants Baba to seem him as and the conflict in his identity shape Amir as he grows up and as an adult these memories still effect his choices.

For Rhahim Kahn his memories shape the friendly figure he becomes to Amir. The knowledge of what Baba did contribute to the reason he becomes a father figure to Amir, and later the memories of Hassan push Rhahim Kahn to reach out to Amir to help him atone for his wrongs.

[cole.a...@gmail.com]

Regret seems to play a huge part in the desire for redemption in the novel. Amir regrets not stepping in or doing something to save Hassan so he has this longing guilt of this memory behind him in which he seeks to make up for in his journey towards redemption. Another character that is shaped through regret is Baba. Since he had an affair with Ali's wife, Baba always knows in the back of his head that Hassan is his son as well. Because of this, Baba has these memories playing throughout his head and tries to treat Hassan as one of his own as well. Baba regrets doing this to Amir and essentially tries to make this up to him by always treating him like family and wanting the best for him and Hassan.

[lane...@gmail.com]

amir spends the rest of his life looking for redemption from hassans rape, he holds it in for majority of his life, but in morder to take sohrab in he has to admit to the rape. he uses the rape and sohrab to make himself feel better about the rape actually happening and all guilt is gone. baba feels that amir is a coward and depends on hassan for protection, but amir goes beyond to betray hassan just to please baba. baba turns to amir after he thinks hassan betrayed him, and plays some role as a father figure to amir eventually.

[devynor...@gmail.com]

In  The Kite Runner, memory and regret play a large role in shaping Amir's quest for redemption. He remembers how he let Hassan be raped by Assef, how he disregarded and neglected Hassan as a friend, and how he framed Hassan for theft in order to escape his own guilt. Amir's return to Afghanistan as an adult and his eventual adoption of Sohrab shows how he desires to make up for his wrongs and inaction as a child.

Baba, in almost the same way as Amir, is affected by both memories and regret. He feels guilty about his relationship with Ali and Hassan, and is consequently very generous to them.

[diaz...@gmail.com]

Memories and regret shape Amir because he's carrying the burden of having Hassan driven out of the house. The memory of framing Hassan haunts Amir because he left him when Hassan needed him most. He regrets it because he realizes that Baba probably would've taken Hassan to America with him and Hassan would most likely still be alive. Another character who has a memory full of regret is Baba. He slept with his best friends wife (his best friend being Ali) and then Ali's wife had a baby. Making Hassan his son. Baba tries to make up for this

[Joseph Jarrell]

Amir is shaped through his regret because of the way he treated Hassan after Assef raped him. He spends the entire novel (after the rape of course) seeking forgiveness for himself and tries to seek that redemption by treating Sohrab, Hassan's son, the way he feels he should've treated Hassan.

Soreya seeks redemption for herself through not only herself but her family as well. Her previous partner whom she ran off with at the age of 18 brought shame to her from her parents. She seeks redemption for her previous affair by marrying a righteous man (Amir) who will bring honor to her family. 

[carnis...@gmail.com]

*I forgot to include a second person* Another person that was shaped by their memories and regrets is Baba. One of Baba's biggest regrets in his life was impregnating Sanuabar with Hassan. Because, 1. He betrayed his best friend Ali by getting his wife pregnant. and 2. Baba knew that he could never take care of Hassan as his son because he was Hazara and if anyone found out that he slept with a Hazara woman, this would dishonor Baba's name. So he allowed Ali to be his " Father" so that he could keep Hassan close but not too close. In the novel Baba always said that theft is the greatest sin and every sin to follow is just a different form of theft. He says this because he has guilt that he stole a wife from Ali, He stole the oppurtunity to be a father from himself, and he also stole the truth from Amir. 

[Kent Mahaffey]

Well primarily you see memories shaping and affecting Amir. Because he allowed Hassan to get raped he carries that memory with him for the rest of his life. This affects how he treats Hassan because every-time he see's him it reminds him of what he did. This in turn leads to Hassan and Ali leaving because Ali will not accept what had been done by Amir. This also effects his wife Saraya. Because she is constantly carrying around the memory of what happened with the man she ran away with. And she doesn't tell anybody because she feels like it will affect how they see her. This constantly tortures her through her life but she finds relief when she finally tells Amir.

[lance koch]

Throughout the novel, Amir faced regret in not helping Hassan when he truly needed him the most, and Amir's past memories of this event shaped who he became in the end and really allowed for himself to be able to help others and think more for others rather than just himself. Also, I would believe that Baba has regrets in his life with not being able to call Hassan his child and show that to the people. But this shaped Baba by making him more understanding of the situations at hand, and more loving than he was before when he was younger. Both Amir and Baba face regrets from their past, but they both also find ways to overcome these past events and memories to make the best out of what they can in the present and future.  

[sbaqu...@gmail.com]

Hassan and Amir are friends and they are loyal to each other, until Hassan is raped because of ethnic puposes and Amir is not so loyal and by Hassan’s side sometimes and is kinda distant towards Hassan. On the other hand, Hassan is extremely loyal towards Amir and this issue is the whole reason why Hassan Is so shy because of this.

[emma...@gmail.com]

the regret that amir has to face is the rape of hassan, and how he did not do anything to stop it. it guilt's him his whole life and he eventually comes clean to his wife before he goes and gets sohrab. baba also has regret when it comes to how he raised amir. he wanted amir to  be a more masculine man versus how he was. he is more of a book worm versus an athlete. 

[Sarah Kloesel]

Amir is shaped by his past decisions and his regrets. For example, for a majority of Amir's life he was jealous of Hassan and the attention he would receive from his father, but he also relied on Hassan to stand up for him and fight his battles for him. When Hassan got raped and Amir just stood by watching it, Amir became distant because the whole situation was too much for him to handle and process. Hassan never said a word against Amir, he fought all his battles and became one of his really goo friends, (even though Amir would never admit it). Baba would even rely on Hassan to fight the battles, and basically become the man that he wanted Hassan to become. When Amir acted against Hassan in a selfish way, Hassan would take the fall, with everything built up in his head over what he did to Hassan, it inspired Amir to go back to Afghanistan to make sure that his son is safe. With reminders of Hassan everytime Amir looks at Sorab, at first he did not want to take him home, but by thinking about how he can make it up to Hassan and all the negative actions Amir did to him, he accepted Sorab and forgave himself over everything he did. 

[Kirstyn Gomez]

Throughout the novel Amir is seeking his personal redemption. Amir witnessed Hassan's rape, however did nothing to stop it. This action allowed Amir to feel guilt and was shown in the novel by treating Hassan differently and his guilt carried along all his adult life. Another character who seek redemption was Baba. He slept with his best friend's wife getting her pregnant and he felt guilty, so his way of redemption was to help take care of the child who was Hassan.

[William Menefee]

Amir is always trying to bury the memories he has with Hassan where Hassan is treated poorly by Amir, but the regret Amir feels for this always forces the memories tot he surface. This inner battle of regretting the maltreatment of Hassan ultimately shapes the character of Amir, and paves the plot for the book. If Amir did not feel regret for what he did for Hassan, he would not have gone back to Afghanistan looking for him and his kid, nor would he have taken Sohrab home with him, but he did, because he felt he owed him at least that much after what he did to Hassan all those years ago. 

The next character under discussion is Baba's relationship with Amir. Baba has the vivid memory of his wife, who he loved dearly. Baba's wife died giving birth to Amir, so Baba almost blames Amir and treats him not so great throughout the novel because his memory of his wife sparks when around Amir. If baba's wife had not died, it is arguable that Amir would have received much better treatment by his father.

[Enjanae Taylor]

Amir is constantly haunted by his memories of Hassan in the novel. The bad memories he has of Hassan getting rapped caused him to do more bad things, like hiding the money underneath Hassan's matress. Overall, the pain of the memories caused him to push Hassan and Ali away. These same bad memories helped persuade Amir to go back to Afghanistan to get Sohrab after he talked to Rhahim Khan. It also helped him confront Assef and determine that he wanted Sohrab to live with him and Soraya, because he wanted to redeem himself from the mistakes of his childhood, Spending time Amir caused Sohrab to frequently remember his father, which caused him a lot of grieve throughout their time in Afghanistan. He wanted to have his old life back, and the memories he had with Sanaubar, Hassan, and Rhahim Khan had been the happiest he had been, After he had been sexually abused by Assef and the Taliban, he felt "dirty" and as if Hassan wouldn't be proud of him anymore. This and the fear of going back to an orphanage caused him to attempt to kill himself. He struggles to connect with everyone else he meets after this point because from then on those memories often serve as a reminder of the good he had lost, and he didn't want to lose anything good again or bring shame toward his family more than he felt he already had.

[Abby Cody]

Memories and regrets shape Amir by having him be reminded of Hassan being raped by Assef and him not helping him. To try to cope he instead kicks Hassan and Ali out but is brought back to the guilt when he gets a call from Rhahim Kahn telling him to come back because he is sick. Back in Pakistan Amir is told Hassan is dead and has left behind his Son, Sohrab. Amir tries to redeem himself through becoming a father figure towards Sohrab. Rhahim Kahn has regrets of not telling Amir or even Hassan that they are half brothers. He kept the secret but tires to confine his guilt through being Amir's friend and supporting him. He ultimately tells Amir the truth and receives the forgiveness he needs before he passed.

[Zane Gibson]

Amir's memories of his childhood and Hassan shape the way his adult life turns out. Amir's past memories of regret and guilt, they send him on his way to being redeemed, but before he can reach redemption, he must get what he feels like he deserves. Amir wishes to have some repercussions for his actions, he wishes he was held accountable when he was a child with Hassan, and eventually does get what he feels like he deserves; being beat by Asseif to the brink of death when he travels back to Afghanistan to repent for his actions. At this moment Amir feels overcome with laughter, he is finally free of the guilt and is being punished for actions of the past. Hassan also has memories that shape the way his adult life turns out. Hassan has the memories of rape from his childhood and Amir not taking actions to help him. Despite all this Hassan is devoted to Amir, his loyalty is unmoved, he would always remember that Amir never helped him in his time of need.

[Ashley Perez]

Memory and regret shape both Amir and Baba in this novel. Amir's guilt from his lack of action when he witnesses Hassan getting raped shape him later on by constantly eating away at him until he takes in Hassan's son Sohrab to where he feels he can right his wrong this way. Baba struggles with regret over his sons lack of athletic ability but as time passes he grows accepting of his son's passion for literature.

[Mayra Hernandez]

One character in the Kite Runner that shaped them differently by memories is Amir.  Amir is constantly troubled by the memory of Hassan's rape.  This memory plays a huge factor for Amir which therefore leads him to seek and find redemption for himself.

Another character that shaped them differently by memories is Sohrab, Hassan's son. He is tortured by past traumas, from the abuse of Assef's hands, and he flinches when Amir tries to physically touch him. He attempts suicide when he thinks Amir is going to leave and abandon him.

[tonymu...@gmail.com]

For Amir, his lack of action in the rape of Hassan haunts him for his entire life. He constantly seeks redemption, even in small things, and without this overwhelming feeling of guilt and regret, the story would not progress, and Amir would never return to Afghanistan. Amir's memories of how his father treated him are largely the reason for why he always seeks his father's approval. He remembers constantly the ways that Hassan would receive approval in Baba's eyes, and he craves that approval and affection. Little does he know, Baba's regrets are the reason that Hassan gets so much more affection: Hassan is Baba's illigitimate son. He regrets betraying his friend, and in a way, takes it out on Amir. This leads to Baba being a harsh, but nonetheless a good, father. 

[allison alvarez]

Two characters who's memories/regrets shape who they are, are Baba and Soraya. Baba, I wouldn't say necessarily regrets fathering Hassan biologically, but for sure regrets how he can not father him physically. This can be seen in how he always bought Hassan the same kite as Amir,and why he cried so much when Hassan and his father left, and how he wished for Hasssan to be there on the night of Amir's graduation. It created guilt within him that I feel, pushed him to be so giving to the less fortunate and nicer to Hazzaras than maybe other men in his position would have been. Soraya, regrets her past when she was young and ran away with a man who did not wife her and still had sex with him, beaming her unholy. However after realizing that what she did was wrong, she was happy her father came to save her and she was able to become the woman that Amir fell in love with, who was honest (told Amir what happened) and kind, she was very understanding and supportive, and no longer "young and dumb".

[Miraya Mathews]

In the Kite Runner, Amir is constantly reminded of Hassan and the assault he received and has to live with the fact that he just watched an didn't try to stop it in any way. Amir got a fresh wave of his guilt when he saw Sohrab and realized how much like Hassan he actually is. When Amir first had to live with the guilt, in his teens, he was a jerk who closed everyone out. As an adult, he used the guilt he had as fuel to go and get Sohrab, no matter the circumstances. 

Baba felt the guilt of Hassan being his illegitimate son every day and took it out on Amir. He wished he could have shown Hassan the affection that a father shows a son, and his frustrations were projected onto Amir and Amir felt the need to prove himself to Baba and he tried to push Hassan away. 

[Brittany McWhorter]

Amir's memory,  of Hassan getting raped, filled his life with regret due to him being too cowardice to try and stop what was happening or do anything about it. The guilt is forever on Amir's mind and from then on his main focus is on achieving redemption, he goes as far to achieve this by risking his own life to find Sohrab, Hassan's son, by getting beat up by Assef, who probably wouldn't have left him alive if it wasn't for Sohrab and his sling shot. On the other hand, Hassan's life was shaped by this traumatic memory by forever being changed by losing his childhood innocence, instead of going outside to play, he would stay inside feeling broken and defeated, his life was shaped around this causing him to be a shy adult holding back his potential.

[Brett Bihm]

Amir's memory of seeing Hassan be raped and the regret of keeping quiet about it. This throughout Amir's life shaped who he is and how he became himself. It made him lead to the path of redemption and trying to be a figure to Sohrab that he couldn't be to Hassan.  Hassan is shaped by the memory of the rape by making him timid shy and only attempting to be open with Amir, with  his loyalty to him still but distant from others.

[Kirbie Linthicum]

In the Kite Runner, the main characters Amir and Baba has evolved as memories and regrets of their pasts caused changes in their perspectives and attitudes throughout the novel. Amir's character has changed to take ownership of his past mistakes and finally reach acceptance to his fate at the end of the novel as he remembers Hassan and his devout loyalty to Amir. After witnessing the rape of Hassan, Amir's regret from his failure to help Hassan led him to mentally torture himself for his selfishness as he avoided every possible way to avoid owning up to his lack of action. In addition, Baba's character evidently evolved throughout the novel as the regrets and memories of Baba's treatment of Amir caused him to appreciate him more after moving to America. Due to his extensive background with Ali, when Baba cried when Ali and Hassan said they were going to leave the house in Kabul, the journey to America after losing his family caused him to open his perspective to be more accepting and loving of Amir in America as he was all he had left. While in America, Baba was proud of Amir for going to college and graduating high school despite his chosen career path to becoming a writer. Witnessing the death of  Kamal and Karim is shown to slightly impact Baba's perspective as he is shown to strongly value Amir in America following this event, revealing how this memory has added to his regret for the past treatment of his son to cause his character to change and become very supportive and loving towards Amir in America.

[emileean...@gmail.com]

Amir faces regret throughout The Kite Runner within the memory he has when he betrayed Hassan when he watched him get raped by Assef. His guilt from that day and everyday after that he didn't do anything about it shaped him into the person that always sought for forgiveness, which made him dedicate the rest of his life to saving Sohrab and treating him the way he felt he should've treated Hassan in the first place.

Baba faces regret throughout The Kite Runner within the memory that Hassan is his son and he never told him. He spent so much time angered by that which made him take it out on Amir while always forgiving and being there for Hassan.

[ANGELA FROM THE MOON]

Ashley, Dylan, Lillian and Angela

Do you agree with the actions of Rahim Khan in keeping Baba's secret for so long? Why or why not?

[Abbi Rollins]

Amir throughout the rest of the novel lives with the guilt of knowing he willingly sacrificed Hassan in order to keep the blue kite and getting his father's approval. Hassan, after  the rape stays quiet and distant, but remains loyal to Amir. Later, Amir still guilt stricken, has to finally own up to his guilt when confessing to his wife before he has his child; the dark secret he hid all those years.

[69prin...@gmail.com]

Regrets become a reframing shadow over Amir's shoulder who feels the regret of his life begin in his conception, in which during child birth, killed his mother to birth him. This lay waste to Amir's desperate attempts to start over, or rebirth his self forgiveness for he feels at fault for his mothers death. For never feeling the acceptance of Baba, Amir willing to sacrifice the memory of his most loyal friend/half brother. For even a small quantity of Baba's acceptance. Amir then later in the novel ironically, sacrificed the public image of Baba to save and adopt Hassan's son.

 Baba, as well takes Regret to a heavy heart. With conception of Hassan, Baba is met with the son he can claim biologically, but not socially! Culturally he regrets not being able to nurture Hassan under his arm with Amir, and can see the cultural Clash within Amir, to be seen with or as equal to Hassan, who he doesn't know is his own blood! With coming to America, Baba lay dead to the thought of leaving his blood in his mother land.

 

[lilli...@gmail.com]

One regret in the book could be Baba having relations with Ali's wife and impregnating her with a son. Because of Baba having this secret connection with Hassan that even Hassan himself didn't know about Amir is constantly feeling this sense of competition with Hassan. Amir  wants to be like Baba, strong like him, smart like him, brave,  etc.  and Hassan seemed to be all those things that Amir wasn't.  This was also the reason Baba forgave Hassan when Amir accused him of stealing his new presents, and why he tried so hard to get Ali and Hassan to stay besides the fact that he and Ali were close since childhood, which can easily relate to Amir and his betrayal towards Hassan later in the book. 

[Alize Holt]

Memories and regret shaped Baba in that it affects the way he treats people in his public relationships and personal relationships. I think that he regrets what he did to Ali by sleeping with his wife and what he did to Hassan by not being the father he should have been to his son, causing him to constantly feel the need to make up for his mistakes and give back to everyone in the community, whatever the need may be, and to give all he can to Hassan materialistically because he cannot give him the relationship and fatherly love he wishes too, in hopes of redeeming himself for his wrongdoings. That being said, Amir handles his memories and regrets much differently than his father, for Amir they seem to promote a stronger sense of self-hatred and guilt that he casts out on others almost as if he wants to push people to react so negatively that he will receive the punishment for his actions and hopefully the redemption he thinks he deserves. 

[Isaac McKnight]

Amir lives his life feeling guilty about his past with Hassan, and is unable to move on from the guilt he feels. Amir feels envious towards Hassan, because of how different Baba treats Hassan compared to him. Baba feels ashamed of how weak Amir is compared to Hassan, and is pretty distant towards Amir, until Amir grows up in the United States and asks Baba to help him ask the General's daughter's hand in marriage.

[Katherine Z]

I clicked in response to Mayra. I think to further expand on that you could elaborate on how their realization of their trauma controlling their life would lead to the realization that they shouls seek redemption. This is Amir comes to care for Sohrab and Sohrab learns to love.

[Katherine Z]

To expand on Baba's guilt, this explains why he had been so emotionally distant with his children. This also further proves why Amir feels so dismissed each time Baba says "bring Hassan too" and why Baba was so forgiving of Hassan's stealing. 

[henry.ro...@gmail.com]

I feel that Amir is shaped by more than his regrets, rather his regrets were a catalyst for him to grow as a character, and this is would be through his redemption that he changes. Baba on the other hand is also cursed by what hes done and i agree that he feels the need to repay his deeds through other indirect means.

[thrash...@gmail.com]

I feel that Amir wasn't as accepting of trying to rescue Sohrab as you say he was. This is because Amir goes with the intent of meeting Hassan then Hassans death and Sohrab were thrown on him. His initial reaction to the news was to just walk away and later he decided to try to rescue Sohrab.

[lane...@gmail.com]

i partially agree with amirs redemption, he doesnt only want to make himself better but he wants the knowledge of knowing that everyone else is content after a rough childhoods, so he does his best to make himself better by bettering others for the memory of hassan.

[henry.ro...@gmail.com]

I feel that he wasn't seeking forgiveness, rather he was seeking punishment in any way that would satisfy his crime, I do agree that Soreya's character is shaped the way that she is.

[torie parsons]

I don't know if its regret because we see Baba loving them equally throughout the book, which sparks the competition within Amir, because why should Baba love a Hazara? this is a response to Lillian.

[ashley.s...@gmail.com]

The secret of Hassan being the son of Baba is keep so long because Baba is fearful of what will change. Rahim Khan exposes this secret in order to open the eyes of Amir. Rahim keep the secret in order to keep a father figure for Amir and to protect Hassan, in turn this affects Amir and Hassan's friendship throughout their childhood due to jealousy eventually ruining their livelihood. Rahim had good intentions but didn't think of the consequences.

[thrash...@gmail.com]

Sadly the loyalty between the two has always been one sided with Hassan being the loyal one. Even after the event after time Hassan tries to repair their relationship, but amir still pushes him away because of his loyalty. 

[ginny...@gmail.com]

I agree but would like to add more. Amir felt enough regret to not only adopt Hassan's son but but himself through physical harm to save him. In Hassan's rape, Amir consoled himself by believing there's nothing he could have done and Assef would only hurt him as well. However, when Amir finds Sorhab, Amir foes everything he can to save him including letting himself come to physical harm by way of Assef. 

Baba starts to feel regret when he sees what his constant judgement of Amir has done, Amir has become a selfish man who looks out only for himself. Baba spent his life helping other people and seeing his son do the opposite was the trigger for him to try and be different. 

[torie parsons]

It's not only the memories of the rape, but the gut wrenching guilt of watching without taking action and the way he treats Hassan afterward when he should be there as his friend. This along with the war, and his need for personal redemption shape how Amir spends his life. Hassan knows that Amir did not stick up for him while the rape took place, this is one of the major reasons why he is so sad, his unwavering loyalty to Amir and Baba paves the path of his life, he even dies protecting Amir's home.

[Devyn Orozco]

I agree. If Amir did not feel even a little guilty, he woudln't have decided to return to Afghanistan in the first place. Besides what you mentioned. I also think that Baba treats Amir the way he does because he is not the son he envisions and wants, and he is discontent with the fact that he can't really embrace Hassan as a son.

[ashlee cole]

I agree with this. I think the main two people who are seeking redemption are Amir and Baba. Although you never really can tell if Ali finds out about this betrayal, the novel shows Baba always wanting the best for Hassan. This is due to him also having this similar guilt as Amir behind him of doing this to his best friend. Both characters face a guilt lying deep down and go through a journey of redemption in order to try to make it right.

[lillian Morales]

I like your connection of the beginning of the book to the end, on how the intro started with Amir at a park in his new home, watching the kites, and the guilt he felt while remembering his past. I agree because in the last scene with Sohrab,, Amir seemed to of found some sort of peace and kites no longer represented something foul, and if it wasn't for that regret he wouldn't have pushed himself to find redemption  

[David Ayers]

Amir feels that Hassan knows that Amir knows about the rape, An this is also implied when the meet eyes during the rape. I think Hassan stays distant because Amir broke his promise with Hassan

[ashlee cole]

I agree with this! Amir has to seek this redemption of treating Hassan this way unlike Hassan who is always been loyal to him.

[Dylan Limas]

This post really had me shook. I never really thought about what might have happened if Amir did not try to frame Hassan, but Hassan probably would be alive and living with Baba and Amir in America. Now that I think about it, I developed an even stronger sense of hatred directed towards Amir. Hehe.

[Gabby Williams]

I agree with this, Amir does regret not helping out Hassan when he needed him the most. But how does this memory shape who the man Amir has become ?

[Gabby Williams]

Amir regrets treating Hassan the way he did. He turned a blind eye and didn’t help him when he needed him the most while Hassan was still a good friend to Amir and was there for him. Hassan insists “for you a thousand times over” to Amir but that didn’t apply towards Hassan from Amir. This shapes Amir into becoming a more loyal person, in terms of the way he try’s to make up for his wrongs, he seems to become more loyal. This memory of rape shapes Hassan into becoming more distant and shy but this doesn’t stop him from staying loyal and being a true friend to Amir.

[Emma Batte]

I agree with this statement. The rape of Hassan did shape how Amir would carry his guilt throughout his adult life. 

[Gabby Williams]

This was really descriptive and has lots of evidence. I agree with everything especially the example of how Amir adopts Hassan’s son in order to Redeem himself. Do you think Babas biggest regret is the way he treated Amir ? Or is it the fact that he betrayed Ali and kept Hassan as his servant?

[Ashley Perez]

I agree with this ! I also feel like Amir becomes shaped by Baba too due to his constant need for approval for him because he is more intellectual rather than physically advanced.

[Emma Batte]

Regret is a big role in the novel. Without the regret of Baba and Amir, it wouldnt of shaped the novel into the way it is. 

[Sean Baquet]

This happens in the book espically when Amir the way he turns out, how he was more of a book worm than a athlete, unlike how his father wanted.

[Ashley Perez]

I agree, i also think that Baba regrets his affair with Ali's wife because of Hassan as a result.

[Sean Baquet]

Another master narrative is the journey towards the entire book, because all of the things that fall apart is a journey on how the mistakes get atoned.

[Enjanae Taylor]

I agree, Amir's guilt is what lead him to go get Sohrab. He felt as if he could redeem himself from not saving Hassan if he could save Sohrab. I think we can see of glimpse of Baba's frustration of being divided when him and Amir are in the garden and Amir suggests that they get new servants. He couldn't imagine living without Hassan and seeing his son grow up. This did effect how Amir grew up because he never was able to fully understand why he treated him and Hassan so differently, especially because Hassan was "just a Hazara".

[Enjanae Taylor]

I agree, it was hard for Hassan to understand why his father treated him the way he did. Because of this he never treated Hassan the way he should have been treated, and let him take the fall for everything, which lead to Hassan getting raped and Amir not helping him.

[Alize Holt]

I agree with you that Rahim Khan kept Baba's secret from the boys in order to keep the perfect father figure image for Amir and to protect Hassan, however I think that if they would've grown up knowing this secret it could have possibly created more jealousy in Amir because for him at the end of the day no matter what Baba did for Hassan he knew that he was still his only son and I think that if he would have known the truth it would have created more jealousy and need for competition in Amir because he would feel like he had even less of Baba's love because of Hassan.

[Miraya Mathews]

I don't completely agree with the assessment of Hassan isolating himself. After the harassment Hassan received from Assef he was quiet, but it was Amir that pushed him to be isolated. Amir carried his own guilt and the only way he knew how to deal with it was to avoid Hassan until he was forced to interact with him, and when they did interact Amir was very cold toward him. Amir was the only one that talked to Hassan, the only friend Hassan had, so Amir not interacting with Hassan forced him into isolation.

[Miraya Mathews]

I never really considered Sohrab when thinking about this question mainly because he is a child who doesn't have any regrets, none that are talked about at least, but I completely agree with you because his memories about his family before the Taliban took over is deeply rooted into his identity. Everything he is and does is a direct result of what he's been through. He is trying navigate all of these new situations with the knowledge he has of this new world without innocence, which causes him to do things like run away to the temple or commit suicide to protect himself from the dangers he faced in the past and could potentially face again in the future. 

[Alize Holt]

I agree but would also like to point out one of the things you said that shows just how different Hassan and Amir and how their loyalty to one another compared. You said that Amir consoled himself by believing there was nothing he could do to save Hassan because Assef would just end up hurting him too, and i think this a great example of the difference in their loyalty because if it had been vice versa Hassan would have still gotten involved to even attempt rescuing Amir even if he knew he would risk getting hurt himself and he has in fact stepped in multiple times to save Amir but still that loyalty was not reciprocated the one time he needed it the most.

[Kirstyn Gomez]

I think the way you worded "his guilt and regret causes him to do anything to achieve redemption including sacrificing his own welfare and façade of innocence" was absolutely perfect. Throughout the novel Amir faces many challenges and horrific experiences, however the incident that took place that night in 1975 is the only thing Amir was still trying to overcome, and his way of overcoming that guilt was by sacrificing.

[Kirstyn Gomez]

I like how you mentioned Sohrab's memory defining him. Your point about him being abused and tortured is very valid and with that had a major effect that will define the rest of Sohrab's  life When Sohrab was revealed to someone who cared and wanted to be around him such as Amir, Sohrab felt that emotional/father-like attachment and when threatened by him losing that his response was self harm. This shows the pain Sohrab has experienced.

[Brett Bihm]

Did this make Baba a bad father or was it the right thing to do? The way Amir treats Sohrab, could it be resembled as a father figure that Baba could never truly be to Hassan?

[Brett Bihm]

The example of Soreya is good I didn't even think about her in this situation when reading the question. I totally agree that the memory of her past relationship and what it brought to her family bringing her regret and her redemption with Amir bringing honor. 

[Kirbie Linthicum]

I agree, while Rahim Khan is shown to be a good person in the novel he is not completely innocent himself. While Baba and Rahim Khan both knew about the true relationship between Hassan and Amir, neither of the characters chose to tell the truth until they sought redemption for keeping the truth a secret for all of those years. However, Rahim Khan and Baba reacted to seek redemption in different ways which shows the development of their characters throughout the novel. Baba is shown to treat Amir very differently than the way he did in Afghanistan, possibly to make up for his poor treatment of him and never telling him about his relationship to Hassan. While in America, Baba becomes very proud of Amir as the societal and cultural differences allow him to prosper as a writer. Shown right before his death, Baba reads the stories Amir wrote kept in the leather book showing his full appreciation and love for his son; however, he never directly tells Amir that Hassan is his half brother. It is hinted that Hassan is of more importance than their servant when Amir attempts to get rid of him, when he asks Baba to get new servants Baba reacts very protective of Hassan and Ali and states that they are family (when in reality they really are family *Dun dun DAAAAAAAAHHHH*).

In Rahim Khan's case, he knew all along about the relation of Hassan and Amir and chose not to tell Amir despite how strong of a bond they share as he is the father figure for Amir in the novel. For his chance of redemption, he calls Amir and tells him to come visit him in Pakistan before his death. While he kind of uses Amir's own guilt to get him to travel to Pakistan, when he arrived he told him everything that had happened to make things right for both brothers. Khan tells Amir Hassan is his half brother and to make things right with Hassan, despite him being dead already, he tells Amir about Sohrab and how he needs to take him to a better orphanage. 

[Kirbie Linthicum]

I agree that Baba was fearful of what would change their family if he were to tell Amir Hassan was his half brother, he would also be admitting to a relationship with Ali's wife behind Ali's back. I believe Baba is more fearful of how Ali would react if he were to tell the secret that Amir and Hassan are half brothers because he would lose the family he had grown up with all of his life. 

[Morgan Carnish]

I like where you talk about Baba showing respect to all men of any class if they are well deserving of it. Because I agree that he taught Amir, or at least tried to teach him how to be  man and respect people and most importantly himself.

[Morgan Carnish]

I'd have to disagree just a little. Only where you say Baba was more understanding of the situations at hand. I guess I interpreted it differently than you did in the book but I feel like with Baba's regret and shame he carried for having an illegitimate child, he directed all of his regret and pain on to Amir by not being affectionate to him for the majority of his childhood. He was always harder on Amir because in the eyes of other people, that was his only son. And Baba felt that he was weak and didn't have many of his characteristics. However, Hassan on the other hand had carried a lot of Baba's qualities. Baba like this and it probably sucked because he couldn't be proud that that was his son because that would have dishonored his name. This was probably really frustrating for Baba.

[William Menefee]

I agree with the statement about how these shaped Baba, however, the case for Soraya is not as convincing. Soraya feels no regret after she comes clean to Amir, and she did this before they started a life together, so those memories don't really shape her in the part of her life we knew her in. While it is true that she does regret her past, it doesn't shape her character in the novel (during the time she started a new life through marriage with Amir) because she is not hiding anything, or making life decisions based on her regret.

[William Menefee]

 I agree, but his regrets for all the wrongdoings he did to Hassan in the past made him feel like he owed the now dead Hassan at least as much as to take care of his child. It was regret that pushed him to do the right thing and care for Sohrab, even if he didn't initially go to Afghanistan for that reason.

[emileean...@gmail.com]

I agree that Amir's memory of being a terrible friend/brother to Hassan when he was younger shaped who he became when he was older basing his life around helping something that meant the most to Hassan- Sohrab. Hassan was very timid after the rape, doing just as Amir said which was admitting to taking the the money and watch Amir got for his birthday.

[emileean...@gmail.com]

I agree with your post. Amir does spend the rest of his life seeking forgiveness and redemption to make himself feel better about not helping Hassan but saving his son, Sohrab. He desired to not feel guilty any more and put all his focus into to doing something that would have pleased Hassan. Baba doesn't treat Amir as well as he could've in the beginning, but eventually redeems himself through treating him better as they went through some big changes in their life when they got older.

[mayraherna...@gmail.com]

I agree with Ashley Perez statement, Amir's memory of witnessing Hassan's rape not only does it create guilt for him , but also haunts him. Not until he finds Sohrab to where like she said, he feels he can right from his wrong. Then also i would agree as well with Baba conflict on how he struggles with his sons "lack of athletic" , later he takes into consideration and accepts Amir's passion of creative passion.

[mayraherna...@gmail.com]

I agree with Brett Bihm statement, Amir witnessing the rape of Hassan not only does he feel regret and guilt for not saying or doing anything but creates this memory that haunts him throughout the novel. This changes and shapes Amir to become and act different around other people. The motivation of redeeming himself was to find Sorhab and d to make himself feel better from the last. I do agree with Sorhab being traumatized which makes him have a difficult time interacting with Amir, because from his memories of Assef raping him.

[ginny...@gmail.com]

I think Baba regrets more than just raising Amir as a "poetry reading pansy." Baba, at the end of his life, showed regret for raising Amir in a way that made Amir always feel like he wasent enough for Baba and so he willing to do anything to please him. Amir turned out to be a very selfish person, something Baba detested as much as pansies. Baba regretted a the way he raised Amir as a whole, not just one part. 

[Eveline M. Bailey]

I think your comment that Baba sees that he has made Amir into a selfish person is interesting. It may, in fact, be his biggest regret, reflected when Baba reprimands Amir when he tells Amir he is dying from cancer and Amir asks how he is supposed to live without his father. Baba's comment that he spent his entire life trying to make sure that Amir knew how to live without him was an important moment for both of them. For Amir, it meant his father believed he was strong enough to continue his life honorably, whereas for Baba, it was his expression of faith (albeit it through annoyance and a little anger) that Amir would be all right in the end. For both, it meant they hadn't screwed up beyond all recognition in their relationship and in the other's eyes.