The Kite Runner - Redemption Flashcards
Two quotes from the opening of ‘The Kite Runner’ which display the pivotal theme of the novel - Amir’s search for redemption amid the turmoil of an Afghanistan in conflict. Amir’s fractured relationship with Hassan represents a microcosm of the macrocosm of Afghanistan’s conflict, and Amir’s search for redemption is symbolic of a need to reconcile a fractured nation. Amir’s guilt is the driving force of the novel and that behind his return to Afghanistan. Here, the past is described as having entirely shaped Amir, an animalistic force “clawing” at him. His “peeking” into the alley demonstrates his reluctance to confront his past, and yet a requirement to do so for his redemption.
“I became what I am today at the age of twelve… peeking into the alley near the frozen creek”
“It’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out… I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years”
Chapter One, p. 1
A quote from Chapter One immediately establishing Hassan’s devotion to Amir and their past friendship from Amir’s retrospective position. The differing kite colours potentially reflect the pair’s own differences, the Pashtun-Hazara and class divide, as well as Amir’s loss of his friendship due to the betrayal. The verbs “soaring” and “danced” are childlike, reminiscent of the childhood Amir idealises in his relationship with Hassan. The return of Hassan’s voice to Amir following the call with Rahim Kahn demonstrates Amir’s guilt over the betrayal of Hassan and his desperation to put this right
“Then I glanced up and saw a pair of kites, red with long blue tails, soaring in the sky. They danced high above the trees… And suddenly Hassan’s voice whispered in my head: For you, a thousand times over.”
Chapter One, p. 1
A quote from Chapter Eleven describing Amir and Baba’s differing perspectives on their new life in America. “Bury” suggests the presence of Amir’s guilt and his inability to come to terms with it - Amir uses America to flee from his guilt, while Baba, whose life was formed in Afghanistan, mourns the loss of this previous existence, America symbolising the death of his culture. The line break reflects the separation between Amir and Baba
“For me, America was a place to bury my memories.
For Baba, a place to mourn his.”
Chapter Eleven, p. 112
A quote from Chapter Eleven describing Amir’s running from his Afghan past in America. The quote reflects the horrific extent of destruction due to Russian invasion in Afghanistan, and how this is reflected in Amir’s inner turmoil from his guilt over the betrayal
“Long before the Roussi army marched into Afghanistan, long before […] long before mines were planted like seeds of death and children buried in rock-piled graves, Kabul had become a city of ghosts for me. A city of hairlipped ghosts.”
Chapter Eleven, p. 119
A quote from Chapter Eleven reflecting Amir’s use of America as a means by which to escape the trauma of Afghanistan, which has become a place of trauma and regret for him. In America, this can be ‘purified’.
“America was different. America was a river, roaring along, unmindful of the past. I could wade into this river, let my sins drown to the bottom, let the waters carry me someplace far. Someplace with no ghosts, no memories, and no sins.”
Chapter Eleven, p. 119
A quote from Chapter Twelve after Amir meets Soraya, suggesting the beginning of a new life for Amir, a life in which he can find the strength to seek redemption. The story of “yelda” was told to Amir and Hassan together by Ali, who described it as a night of supernatural disorder, so yelda for Amir is perhaps reflective of his insomnia due to his guilt regarding Hassan. This can perhaps be cured by the hope provided by Soraya.
“Soraya. Swap Meet Princess. The morning sun to my yelda.”
Chapter Twelve, p. 126
A quote from Chapter Twelve when Amir asks Soraya what she is reading at the flea market, imagining the judgement of the Afghans around him. The quote reflects the gender-based double standards within Afghan society which are not in line with the progressive ones of the US - “poison” suggests the socially-deadly nature of gossip, and the damaging nature of such gossip for Soraya. “Lochack” is a Farsi word meaning bad-hearted scoundrel, demonstrating the pervasive nature of this gender separation within Afghan society
“Poison tongues would flap. And she would bear the brunt of that poison, not me… Not did you see him chatting with her but… Did you see how she wouldn’t let him go? What a lochack!”
Chapter Twelve, p. 128
A quote from Chapter Twelve demonstrating the fact that Amir is not able to escape the guilt from his betrayal of Hassan in America as he had hoped. Soraya’s pride at teaching the servant to read significantly contrasts Amir’s earlier cruelty toward Hassan, evoking guilt in Amir once more. Soraya may therefore be the instigator of Amir’s redemption
“‘I was so proud of her and I felt I’d done something really worthwhile, you know?’… I thought of how I had used my literacy to ridicule Hassan. How I had teased him…”
Chapter Twelve, p. 132
A quote from Chapter Sixteen as Rahim Khan tells Amir about finding Hassan. The quote demonstrates that, despite Amir’s terrible betrayal and the time that has passed between their childhood and the present, Hassan remains absolutely devoted to Amir. Hassan still holds on the their childhood memories when the two played as equals, ‘sultans of Kabul’, in significant contrast to the segregated and oppressed Afghanistan under the Taliban. This devotion plays into Amir’s dedication to redemption
“Hassan had so many questions about you. Had you married? Did you have children? Did you still fly kites and go to the cinema? Were you happy?”
Chapter Sixteen, p. 181
A quote from Chapter Seventeen as Rahim Khan informs Amir that his father was also father to Hassan. Amir is confronted with the fact that his father was not the supremely moral being that he believed - though suggesting that to ‘steal’ was the only and greatest sin a person could commit, Amir comes to realise that Baba himself is guilty of ‘stealing’ Ali’s right to fatherhood. Amir’s world view is thus shaken and corrupted, and he must both psychologically and physically face a return to Afghanistan in order to redeem both himself and his father
“I felt like a man sliding down a steep cliff, clutching at shrubs and tangles of brambles and coming up empty-handed.”
Chapter Seventeen, p. 194
A quote from Chapter Eighteen in which Amir considers his need to return to Afghanistan following his conversation with Rahim Khan. Amir considers the fact that Hassan may have been able to lead a new and fulfilling life away from racial segregation had Amir not force him from the house. Amir finally comes to fully address his guilt, the repetition of ‘maybe’ suggesting the possibility to protest injustice which should always be taken when available
“Maybe Hassan would have had a home of his own now, a job, a family, a life in a country where no one cared that he was a Hazara, where most people didn’t even know what a Hazara was. Maybe not. But maybe so.”
Chapter Eighteen, p. 198
A quote from Chapter Twenty-One when Amir returns to the pomegranate tree. Hassan’s death means that the betrayed friendship can no longer be rekindled, but the faded yet remaining symbol suggests that it exists still in memory and can be redeemed through Sohrab. This can be linked to the macrocosm of conflict in Afghanistan, suggesting the ability to achieve social unity is not entirely lost
“The carving had dulled, almost faded altogether, but it was still there: ‘Amir and Hassan. The Sultans of Kabul.’ I traced the curve of each letter with my fingers.”
Chapter Twenty-One, p. 231
A quote from Chapter Twenty-Two as Amir is attacked by Assef. He comes to feel redeemed, feeling physically broken but emancipated from guilt in the knowledge that he has suffered at the hands of Assef in the same way that Assef subjected Hassan to suffering
“For the first time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace… My body was broken […] but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed.”
Chapter Twenty-Two, p. 253
A quote from Chapter Twenty-Two reflecting that the suffering against Hassan has been righted by his son. The blood dripping from Assef is reminiscent of that dripping from Hassan after the rape
“The slingshot made a thwiiiiit sound when Sohrab released the cup. Then Assef was screaming. He put his hand where his left eye had been just a moment ago. Blood oozed between his fingers.”
Chapter Twenty-Two, p. 254
A quote from Chapter Twenty-Three when Amir dreams in the hospital following the fight with Assef. The quote demonstrates that he now views himself as a moral figure - where once he did not “stand up for anything”, disappointing his ultimately-moral father, his standing up against oppression has led to his aligning with him
“Baba is wrestling the black bear. He is the Baba of my childhood, Toophan agha [Mr. Hurricane], the towering specimen of Pashtun might… He looks up at me and I see. He’s me. I’m wrestling the bear.”
Chapter Twenty-Three, p. 258
