MHSHS Reading Group discussion
Redemption and Catharsis within The Kite Runner
In order for Sanaubar to be redeemed she had to give her son, Hassan, an opportunity to meet and get to know his own mother. She atones for her sins by becoming part of Hassan and his family’s life. She spent the rest of her life with Hassan. Rahim Khan used to look outside his window and see Hassan and Sanaubar “picking tomatoes or trimming a rosebush, talking”. Sanaubar delivered Hassan’s first son, Sohrab. Then sooner or later I realized that her main goal was to treat Sohrab how she knew Hassan should have been treated; she wanted the opportunity to give motherhood another try. She sewed clothes for Sohrab, built toys for him out of scratch, stayed up all night and fasted for three days when Sohrab was sick, and so much more. She stayed with Hassan and his family for about four years (until she died).
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I think that Sanaubar atones for her sins when she becomes part of Hassan’s life. Meanwhile in order for her to redeem her self she has to give Hassan an opportunity to get to know his mother otherwise there will be no point to her even trying. Sanaubar spent a lot of time getting to know Hassan she even delivered his first son. I think at this point she was redeemed because she came back into Hassan’s life and acted like a real mother. She treated Sohrab the way she would have treated Hassan if he was still little to prove that she wasn’t a bad mother she just made some mistakes in life and she wanted a clean start with Sohrab. In the few years before her death I think that Sohrab redeemed herself to Hassan and his family.
I think that Baba began to atone for his sins when he made the mistake of betraying his best friend Ali. As a result of his actions he became overfilled with guilt and thought that doing good deeds for others would atone for his sins. He gives money to people to start their businesses, to help with their family, he even gives money to the homeless people, and he builds a great orphanage for the children of Kabul, Afghanistan. Baba gives so much attention to Hassan then Amir, since Hassan is actually his son not Ali's. During the book we see instances of Baba's guilt. His guilt when he could not love Hassan as openly as a father and with Amir who Rahim Khan calls "..the socially legitamite half, the half that represented the riches he inherited and the sin-with-impunity priveliges that came with them"(pg. 301). As we see throughout the book Baba continues to help others for example he risked his own life to save a woman he did not know at all when he and Amir were escaping Afghanistan. In the end when Baba was dying of cancer he did not want any medication thinking dying a painful death would compensate all the things he did: stealing Amir's right to know he had a brother, Hassan's true identity, and Ali's honor. I think that Baba was in way redeemed. As a result from his guilt he did good deeds that helped others. Yet, I don't think he'll ever be fully redeemed since Hassan never found out his true identity.
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I believe that Baba began to atone his sins after he let go of Hassan. He most likely felt very guilty for leaving him when he was very young and he did many things to redeem himself. He made an orphanage, helped anyone that was in need, started businesses for many and many others. Baba was a very proud man and was very well known for all the things that he had done and maybe he wanted to feel proud of himself for helping so many people and not guilty for what he had done in the past. Amir was also effected by what Baba had done and so it had changed most of the story around the time Amir found out that he was actually Hassan's brother. If someone would think then they can see many instances of Baba feeling a lot of guilt. One may be when Baba and Amir were escaping Kabul and Baba stood up for the lady. He could have gotten shot and this could be a way to redeem himself because he probably did not want anyone else to get hurt. Another moment where you could see that Baba felt guilty would be when Ali chose to leave with Hassan. He was maybe crying because he let his friend down after all that he had done for him. Ali was the so called father of Hassan, a Hazara. Ali was also the husband of Sanaubar who was the mother of Hassan and Ali was not the real father. Baba felt the guilt and he felt sad when Ali left. At the end Baba did redeem himself. He let Amir have a great life and he let him marry a girl he really loved, Soraya. At the end Baba died happy because he had a good family to leave behind but, some family just not cared for anymore. That is why Baba was redeemed.
Question 4) Amir always knew he was a coward. He always knew his dad was disappointed by the fact that he never fought back whenever someone hit him and all he liked to do was read and write. However, it wasn't until pg 221(in my opinion)where he realized that he really was a coward. "One time... he said to me 'A boy who wont stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up to anything', I wonder is that what you've become?" said Rahim Khan. Amir replied "Maybe Baba was right." As situations around him became more urgent, Amir realized that he was a coward. There were many things he needed to do yet he had so much fear and questioned everything! Instead of jumping into action and worrying about the consequences later he was hesitant about everything(including going to get Sohrab).The conversation between Rahim Khan and Amir made Amir realize that he was a coward.Amir always thought of Hassan as a slave and never really considered him a "friend". That never stopped him from playing with Hassan. Yet he did at times treat him badly. Amir did those things sometimes to make himself feel better or sometimes because he thought it was funny. It wasn't until after Hassan got raped that Amir realized what a bad "friend" he was. He was so guilty about what he did that he didn't spend time with Hassan like he used to. Everything changed from there. Amir finally realized that he was a horrible friend.
I believe that Amir does receive atonement. He got Hassan's son from Assef. He did exactly what Hassan would've wanted him to do. Basically Amir atoned himself through Sohrab. He repaired his wrongs.
I believe Amir accepted his cowardice when Rahim Khan told him to go and try to look for Hassan’s son Sohrab. When this happen Amir told Rahim Khan that he had a family in the United States and that he was a successful man there. But after Rahim Khan told him that Hassan was his half brother Amir went through a stage of catharsis. A revelation= when Rahim revealed the secret, intense emotions= when Amir started to deny the truth, understanding= when Amir finally understood why his Baba adored Hassan and never forgot one of his birthdays, acceptance= when in his way to Kabul he tells Farid’s family why he is going to Kabul and that Hassan was his half brother.I think Amir accepted how horribly he treated Hassan when Assef was beating him up and he started laughing he said he had never felt in peace like now since the winter of 1975. Amir knew this was coming up and he knew how he treated Hassan in a very horribly way he finally accepted his mistakes. I believe Amir truly achieve atonement because Hassan wrote him a letter explaining his happiness and how he felt toward him. If Hassan had never forgive him for what he did then he would have never write him a letter and tell him about his family, also Hassan hoped for Amir to one day to come back to Kabul and them to be together again I think that’s atonement.
When did Amir's cathartic journey begin? Explain with specifics why you believe this is the moment.I believe that during Amir’s journey to Pakistan to visit Rahim Khan Amir experienced a cathartic journey. I believe the real cathartic journey began when Rahim Khan shows Amir the letters, that Hassan wrote for him years ago, and when Rahim Khan told him the truth about his half-brother (Page 222). That was Amir’s “Revelation” about the real relationship between Hassan and Baba. After Rahim Khan told Amir the truth and how Hassan was killed, Amir was in “Denial” and was in “Rage”. Amir was telling Rahim Khan that Baba was not Hassan’s father and he was also in “Denial” because his father had committed the greatest sin of all “stealing”. Amir later showed signs of “Anger” when he was cursing at Rahim Khan (page 223). Amir left Rahim Khan in his house and took a walk around the town. Signs of “Understanding” were shown as Amir sat in a, “samovar house and ordered a cup of tea,” and, “How could I have been so blind? The signs had been there for me to see all along,” (page 224). Amir then showed signs of “Acceptance” when he took a, “rickshaw ride back to Rahim Khan’s apartment” (Page 227). Amir’s cathartic journey reached its climax when he met Assef in Afghanistan to come and take Sohrab to redeem himself. In conclusion I think that Amir’s cathartic journey began when he met Rahim Khan in his apartment.
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Sayda, WOW!! Also your very best writing to date! You have broken down every single stage of Amir’s cathartic journey very clearly. The act of forgiving those who have disrespected or offended is well done, too. I’ve never seen that POV of Hassan’s letter as more overtures of “letting bygones be bygones”. Well DONE!!! Clean this up, print it and put a copy in your Writing Folder.
Angel, I love how you connect “the greatest sin of all” with Amir’s acceptance along his journey through catharsis toward atonement.
Sayda, Angel and Georgia, truly phenomenal efforts with original and insightful deconstructions of the various phases of catharsis and internal struggles. Keep it up!!!
4. When did Amir accept his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan? Does he ever truly achieve atonement? Explain. I think that Amir always knew that he was a coward. He never stud up for himself let alone for his one and only true friend Hassan. Amir was always a coward especially towards Hassan, Amir never admitted his feelings about how much he was grateful for Hassan always being beside him. Amir had so many chances to redeem himself to Hassan, but his fear stopped him. When Hassan was being raped, Amir just watched like if nothing was going on. After that Hassan had no hard feelings about that, he tried to talk to Amir but Amir would want him away because of the fear he would mess up again. He saw inside that he was a coward especially because he knew that he loved Hassan as a brother but he never was “enough” to tell him. When Hassan is in trouble Amir always question why should I, instead of taking action and helping him. I think Amir really saw how bad he had treated Hassan was around page 221 when Rahim Khan told him about what Baba said, 'A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up to anything', I wonder is that what you've become?". Amir answers yes I have become that. Almost at the end of the book Amir finds out that Hassan is his half brother and finds Hassan’s son Sohrab and he thinks he gets forgiven through Sohrab. The thing is, I think Hassan always forgave Amir but Amir was too lost in his gilt to notice that.
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Juan T., Excellent analysis of how Amir was essential in attaining partial redemption for himself and Baba. I especially love your exceptional deconstructions of the paradoxical light vs. dark in your “the pure light [son:]…[vs. :]the sinful shadow [one:]”, and how that is mirrored again at the end with Hassan and Amir’s reverse rescue. They seem to share the light and the darkness at times right up till the end. Except, who rescued whom? If Sohrab hadn’t stood up in the Taliban compound, Amir would have been killed. A bit like the Prince going to save the Princess only to NEED the Princess to save him? Still, once they leave, those roles change again. It’s ONLY after Amir is nearly healed, while Sohrab was the light looking after him, before he’s filled with consuming darkness and Amir again becomes the “savior”. This juxtaposition of light and dark, mirrored “saviors”, occurs until the very end with, “Only a smile”, “For you a thousand times over,” and as others have written, “I ran.”
Guys, excellent work!!!
I believe when Baba got Hassan’s mother pregnant (Sanaubar) he began to realizewhat a sin he committed. Sanaubar was Ali’s wife which makes it that Ali will keep the child as his own. That means keeping Hassan is a reminder to Baba that he is the cause of Hassan and he caused a sin of “robbing a man from the truth”. Since Hassan, Ali and Amir did not know the truth he stole their right to the truth, which I believe he never atoned because he never told them and asked for forgiveness.
3. What had to happen in order for Sanaubur to be redeemed? How does she atone for her sins?I think that for Sanaubur to be redeemed she had to find her son, Hassan, and live her last moments with him. Sanaubur had left Hassan when he was very young but then after Hassan was older and had a family of his own she showed up on the front steps of Amir's house, the house Hassan was living in (page 209 ).Sanaubur was awfully old and sick too. To atone for her sins she came back to Hassan and helped him in her last years of life. After Hassan's wife got pregnant for the second time, Sanaubur helped Farzana deliver her baby in 1990 (page 211). Sanaubur cared for him and helped him grow until he was four and then she died. For Sanaubur to redeem herself she had make a last entrance into Hassan's life. Hassan did forgive her because he, his family, and Rahim Khan buried her under the pomegranate tree. The pomegranate tree was especially significant to Hassan because that was were he and Amir would play when they were little. Even though Hassan, Farzana, and Shorab had only known Sanaubur for a few years they grew to love her.
2. When do you believe Baba accepted his failures and began to atone for his sins? Do you feel he could ever truly be redeemed? Why? Why not?I Believe that Baba accepted his failures and began to atone for is sins right when he abandoned Hassan,and not so much as forgot about him but hid it from Amir. The guilt over time had slowly been eating away Baba that he had done things to make up for it. Baba had never forgotten Hassan's birthday and he treated him no different than he did Amir even if Hassan was his servant. I also believe that his generosity was a form a redemption, him helping people made him feel good about himself when he really wasn't helping himself at all, over the years the guilt gathered and this brings me to the part when Baba had found out he had cancer. The sickness is deadly and he refused to go into Chemotherapy, he had probably felt this was a way of getting back at him self or to reach atonement. Baba can not truly be redeemed because its too late Baba had passed away before he could even tell Amir and with Amir hearing this from Rahim Khan it made him upset with Baba. I also feel that its too late to ask forgiveness from Hassan because he had passed away as well. So Baba will enter his afterlife stained with sin.
4.When did Amir accept his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan? Does he ever truly achieve atonement? ExplainI believe that Amir accepted his cowardice when both Baba and Amir moved to the United States for their own good. Through his process of letting in the discouraging words of his father Baba, Amir starts to realize that he really is a coward. One example of this is when Hassan gets raped by the bully Assef. As a coward,he stood there watching Hassan getting raped, knowing that if it was him getting raped Hassan would of done something. Another example of this is when Amir sees Soraya in the market and was too devastated to say anything to her. I really don't think that Amir ever got his atonement. To me it just seems all he has been doing was trying to run away from all of the misfortunes that has happened to Hassan. As a result to this he tries to bury his past in his “new life.”
When do you believe Baba accepted his failures and began to atone for his sins? Do you feel he could ever truly be redeemed? Why? Why not?Baba accepted his failures I believe when he was getting sick. He knew there was a lot in his past that he had hid from his son. Baba builds an orphanage to make up for what he feels that he has not accomplish as a dad. When Baba was weakening and dying he did things he usually wouldn’t do as another way of trying to redeem himself. I feel he can be redeemed by his son. But truly inside he cannot. I say that because there will always be a part of Baba questioning what if he did things differently?
When did Amir accept his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan? Does he ever truly achieve atonement? Explain. During Amir's childhood he never really treated Hassan as his best friend. I think he accepted his cowardice after he finds out about all the lies. He now knows that Hassan was his half brother and a half nephew. He realized that he could have helped Hassan the way he helped his nephew. I think the guilt really broke them apart even though Hassan really did forgive him. All of Amir's guilt in the way never let him see that he was forgiven a long time ago.
When do you believe Baba accepted his failures and began to atone for his sins? Do you feel he could ever truly be redeemed? Why? Why not?I think Baba began to accept his faulted when Hassan was born. Shortly after that he started building orphanages and started donating allots of money to the poor. But still in the end you will never be atoned for his sins because he never told Hassan that he was his real father.
2. When do you believe Baba accepted his failures and began to atone for his sins? Do you feel he could ever truly be redeemed? Why? Why not?I think that Baba began to accept his failures when he saw that Amir was doing great on his own without Baba's help. I personally don't think that Baba could be redeemed because of all the sacred stuff that he stole. Another reason why i think that Baba cannot be redeemed is because he lied to Amir his whole life.
I think that Baba began to atone for his sins after letting Hassan go. Hassan is his son, not Ali’s, for he slept with Ali’s at-the-time wife Sanaubar to give him a child. By doing so, he performed a sin that Baba couldn’t accept: robbing a man of the truth. By not telling Hassan and Amir that they were half-brothers, he was hiding the truth from them and felt guilty. He made strong attempts to be redeemed afterwards. He built an orphanage and gave money to homeless people. Other instances where he had more openly shown the desire to redeem himself), is how he treated Hassan and Amir differently. Amir, who struggled to be the man Baba wanted him to be, noticed this. Amir told of how Baba never forgot Hassan’s birthday and paid for surgery to fix Hassan’s cleft lip.After Ali and Hassan left the safety of Baba’s house from “not feeling safe”, his road to redemption seemed to pick up speed. When crossing borders out of Kabul to America, Baba stands up for a woman who is commanded out of the truck by Russian soldiers. Then and there, staring down a soldier’s gun, he felt he was ready to be redeemed. In America, the powerful man got a job at a 24-hour gas station and missed not one day until his smoking days(back in Kabul, “fattening his pipe”) catch up with him and he gets cancer.
Although he spent a good part of his life, if not all of it, trying to redeem himself, I don’t think he fully accomplished his goal. He, unfortunately, died before telling Hassan that he was his biological father. In my opinion, to be redeemed, you must receive forgiveness. Or at least make it known to the person, the sin they’ve committed to them.
4. When did Amir accept his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan? Does he ever truly achieve atonement? Explain I believe that Amir finally accepted (and overcame) his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan when he left America to rescue Sohrab. If he hadn’t accepted what had happened he would not have felt enough guilt and would not have been driven to want to redeem himself. I would say that Amir succeeds in redeeming himself while Assef is beating him, because, in page 289, paragraph 4 of the book, Hassan declares that in his mind, he had received compensation for not being brave enough for Hassan as a child.
4) When did Amir accept his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan? Does he truly achieve atonement? Explain.One of the main moments when Amir accepted his cowardice was in the alley on pages 72-79 when he had to witness a harsh moment that follows him like a shadow throughout his life and shapes up who he really thought he was. He stated on page 77 “ I ran because I was a coward,” This was a very emotional and big realization for him because he’s noticing that he had to give up Hassan to get Baba’s love, something he never received. Later on the book, with his age, he realizes how he hid behind Hassan whenever he was confronted by Assef and friends and how on his birthday he witnessed Assef torturing Hassan mentally and he didn’t even try to repent on his earlier mistake in the alley by confronting Assef at that moment. He realizes it was wrong and he commits the same mistake because of his pessimistic characteristic of going against the things that shouldn’t be happening. He knows he’s a coward and predicts that this very characteristic is the reason his father less closer to him. Amir accepts his cowardice through many aspects of his life but the moment he realized it all had to be the winter of 1975 in the alley where he states his life changed forever.
Amir realizes what he did was wrong to Hassan the minute it happened. For example on page 54 he asks Hassan if he would eat dirt for him. He knew he was being cruel. Another example was after he met up with Hassan in the alley he felt bad because he knew what he was sacrificing and he knew that it wasn’t a wise decision but his selfishness and cowardice over powered him. One last example was on page 226-227 when Rahim Khan reveals to him that there was a way to good again. He hesitated a little bit but he knew what he had to do it because he accepted that he was the wrong one and he had to make things right because the guilt was eating him alive.
Therefore, the road to redemption begins. Does he achieve full atonement? I believe he receives maybe half achievement because he did accomplished what Rahim Khan wanted but he wasn’t able to redeem himself fully because of some incidents that got in the way. When he was able to touch a kite again, I think that was the moment he felt like he redeemed himself and was able to atone for the sins he committed was when he made a mute kid smile because of his friendship with the kite. The very friendship that ruined his life… built it up again.
4. When did Amir accept his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan? Does he ever truly achieve atonement? Explain.Amir really started to accept his cowardice when he gets a phone call from an old friend, Rahim Khan. Rahim Khan reminds Amir his childhood and tells Amir specifically, “There is a way to be good again” which makes Amir feel guilty for what he has done in the past. When looking back at the memories with Hassan, Amir realizes how horribly he acted to him. After Rahim Khan reveals the secret, that Hassan is Amir’s half brother, Amir realizes why Baba loved Hassan so much and forbid Ali and Hassan when leaving their house and going to Hazarat. After knowing the real relationship between Hassan, Amir was forced to go to Kabul and find him and his son, Sohrab. Amir also realizes and admits to himself that he deserved it when Assef beat him up.
I believe Amir achieved his atonement through the letter that Hassan wrote to him. Even though Amir doesn’t deserve to achieve atonement, a good friend like Hassan tells him how grateful he was to have a friend like Amir. Hassan also talks about his family in the letter. The fact that Hassan still appreciated their friendship was atonement for Amir.
4. When did Amir accept his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan? Does he ever truly achieve atonement? Explain. I believe that Amir was always a coward unlike his father, Baba. In fact, Baba had a conversation with Rahim Khan about how Amir was so different from Baba, and they also felt that Amir needed to learn how to defend himself. “A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything (page 22).” However, it did not take Amir too long to realize his cowardice. Amir and Baba were both on their way to Afghanistan traveling with other individuals in a tarpaulin-covered Russian truck driven by Karim, but a Russian soldier stopped the truck because he wanted to rape a woman. Baba stood up to the soldier and told him about how it was wrong for him to do that, and the Russian almost shot him. Amir was extremely scared when it happened, but he could not help but be afraid. He would have never stopped the soldier like his father did, but he accepted and realized his cowardice. Amir found out that he was different from Baba.
Amir noticed that he treated Hassan horribly when Rahim Khan told him that Hassan was actually his half-brother. That was also when realized that he treated Hassan like a servant and always ordered him around. Amir even threw pomegranates at him to provoke him, but it did not work. All of Amir’s cowardice influenced the way he treated Hassan. It was terrible when he did not help Hassan while he was being raped by Assef and his friends in an alley. Amir could have stepped in to defend Hassan, but he did not. He did not really help Hassan live a better life, especially when Hassan was illiterate. Amir did not try to teach him how to read and write, but he did learn later on throughout his life. He also discovered how horribly he treated Hassan when he was separated from Hassan in adulthood. So, it really is true that when you don’t have something, you begin to see how important it is. Amir had figured out that lesson the hard way when he no longer had Hassan in his life because he thought of all the memories that they had shared.
I feel that Amir never truly achieves atonement. According to Baba, the only true sin was theft. In my opinion, Amir robbed Hassan of a greater and stronger brotherhood due to the poor treatment. When he accepted his cowardice, the first thing that came to his mind was ways to achieve atonement. He does guilty for mistreating Hassan, but there was not much left that he could do and he could not apologize because Hassan had been killed by the Taliban while he was in Afghanistan. He does not achieve atonement because he never apologizes to Hassan, and he does not get the chance since Hassan gets killed. However, Hassan attempts to achieve atonement by going to Afghanistan to find Sohrab. Sohrab was Hassan’s son, and he was at an orphanage. Amir was going to take him back to his home where he lived with his wife, Soraya. It still does not show that he achieves atonement since Hassan is not alive to witness what was actually going on.
4. When did Amir accept his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan? Does he ever truly achieve atonement? Explain. I think Amir always knew he was a coward. Whenever Amir was in trouble he always needed Hassan to protect him. Hassan would protect Amir, but Amir never did the same for Hassan. Amir never had to redeem himself because Hassan never blamed Amir for doing nothing. Hassan was not the kind of person to hold Grudges. Amir really needed to relieve himself of the guilt he had for so long. He does this by saving Sohrab from the Taliban. Amir could never not feel guilty for doing nothing when Hassan was being raped. He could only not make it worse, by saving Sohrab from the Taliban
Question 4. When did Amir accept his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan? Does he ever truly achieve atonement? Explain.I also believe that Amir always knew he was a coward because whenever the other boys would pick on him he would always back down and Hassan was always their to defend him. He also realized this when he over herd his father talking to Mr. Khan telling him how the boys always picks on him and he lets them and then Hassan has to defend him. I think this hurt Amir a lot because he has always been trying to make his father proud of him and instead his father seems to be more proud of Hassan. This might have led to Amir asking his dad if they can get new servants. Amir really went threw anger and emotion when he hit Hassan with the pomegranates and Hassan did the exact opposite instead of hitting Amir back he smashed it against his face which did not give Amir the satisfaction he wanted in order to feel better and get redemption. As a result he didn’t get his redemption at the point of the book. He got his redemption when he saved Hassan’s son Sohrab. I think Amir felt that was the only way he can give something back so Hassan for all he has done for him in the past. Since Hassan was dead it was the only thing he could have done to redeem himself.
4. When did Amir accept his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan? Does he ever truly achieve atonement? Explain.Throughout the book the Kite Runner there was always “the brave one” who helped the weaker link. In life there are always situations like that and there are always cowards. I believe that Amir was the true coward in the Kite Runner throughout the whole book. Amir always accepted his cowardice from the beginning of the book. When Assef, and his two friends were bullying on them and picking on Hassan for being a Hazara, Amir did not stand up to them instead Hassan was the one with the slingshot who drove them away. Hassan was always there for Amir but one moment that I believe shows when Amir accepts his cowardice is at the pomegranate tree. When Amir throws the pomegranates at Hassan and Hassan does not fight back. One who heard this moment like this would not think that Amir is not a coward but he is. They would think that Amir is just a boy acting with pride, but Amir is bullying Hassan to hide his own cowardice. Amir is picking on Hassan who is one year younger than him, smaller in size, and a boy who grew up to know that Amir was his “ master” (although Hassan thought they were friends Hassan also knew he had to serve Amir). Hassan would never fight back to Amir and he knew that so that was why he picked on Hassan.
Another time that leads to Amir accepting his cowardice is in page 22 “A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything”. Amir knew that he was weaker than Baba (his father) but hearing Baba says this made him realize what he was to his father. A boy can be told anything from anyone else but it never hurts more than coming from your own father, the one who helped you be born. When Hassan was raped he also did not do anything, he just hid behind and hoped to not be discovered, a fight of 2-3 would have been greater than the one that happened 3-1 but of course Hassan was a “scardy-cat” that did not help. That was why I thought this was when Amir accepted his cowardice. Amir realizes how badly he treated Hassan when he reads the letter from Hassan when he returns from America. At that time Hassan is dead and the only thing that Amir can do is feel bad. Of course Amir felt bad when he threw pomegranates at Hassan, when he would tell Hassan the wrong meanings of word, for example imbecile. Or maybe even when Hassan was raped he realized how badly he was hurting Hassan without knowing so. So the moment that I think that Amir realizes how badly h treated Hassan is when he reads the letter because if he would have noticed his actions he would have probably been better. Even when he was in America he tried to hide his past but it came back at the end so he was trying to hide the true facts so therefore, he was not accepting his bad actions.
I believe that Hassan does not receive atonement at all. Of course at the end everyone thinks that he is a hero for coming to America with a poor Afghani boy that is his nephew and that he saved his life. To me that is all garbage. When Amir tries to achieve atonement for all his guilt by going to find Sohrab I think he only does it to try to cover his guilt. Though he does go to the orphanages and to the Taliban while he is there he is scared. He even thinks about leaving while he still has time so that he can save his life. When he enter the room and speaks with Assef (the Taliban with shades), Assef gives Amir the choice to leave with the boy if he is out alive. Amir is being severely hurt when Sohrab says he will fire a slingshot and when he does it pierces Assef’s eye and he lets go of Amir. Sohrab saved Amir and his own life not the other way around. If it were up to me he never would have reached atonement any how because Hassan was not there to see all this that was happening.
Amir accepted his cowardice when he saw Hassan getting raped in the alley. He wanted to stand up for Hassan like he did for him but he couldn’t because he was a coward and didn’t have guts to. It was shown on page 77 saying “ I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan-the way he’d stood up for me all those times in the past-and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end, I ran. I ran because I was a coward.” This shows that Amir wanted to help Hassan because he was remembering everything that Hassan did for him. However he was scared and terrified on what Assef would do to him. This was also shown on page 77 saying “I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me. I was afraid of getting hurt. That’s what I told myself as I turned my back to the alley, to Hassan.” This proves that he was scared of Assef letting Assef have the upper hand showing that Assef had more power than Amir and he couldn’t do anything about it. Amir realized how horribly he treated Hassan when Rahim Khan said that you and Hassan were brothers but Amir rejected that because he couldn’t believe that the person that protecting him was his own brother. The brother that he amiss in spite of everything he did for him. Then he kind of remember the bad stuff he did to him, he remember when he made a trap to Hassan by putting his watch in Hassan room blaming everything on him. He basically treated him like garbage like he was just a toy to play with and then throw him to the garbage. Amir didn’t achieve atonement because he couldn’t apologize to Hassan since he was dead and the only good thing that he could do is save Hassan son Sohrab. Additionally he did save his son but he couldn’t be forgiven by saving his son, since how can you say sorry to a person that is already dead?
Question 4- Hassan and Amir would always play with each other but to Amir, Hassan wasn’t considered a “friend”. Amir would only play with Hassan because he thought of himself better than him because he could read and write. But in someway Amir was always jealous of Hassan because his father would hold him, Baba liked him better, and he wasn’t afraid to stand up for himself. After Hassan was raped, Amir realized how bad of a friend he really was. Ever since that day nothing was the same. Since that day he knew he was a coward and to try to forget about it he the pomegranates at him thinking he would fight back. Just because Hassan and Ali went away didn’t mean everything he did went away too. His memory of what happened to Hassan always haunted him somehow. He thought that him not being able to have kids was some kind of punishment of that day. In my opinion he accepted his cowardice after he spoke to Rahim Khan. The revelation was him finding out that Hassan was his half-brother. He tried to deny it but he knew it was true because it made sense that Baba treated Hassan like a son. Even though Amir couldn’t apologize to Hassan in person and receive atonement, Hassan wrote him a letter telling how he felt toward him. I think he does truly receive atonement because of all he did to get Hassan’s son, Sohrab. Amir decided to be a man and take that beating from Assef. Amir got Sohrab, took him home to raise as his own, not caring about what people thought of him, but knowing it was the right thing to do. In my opinion if doing all that doesn’t receive atonement then I don’t know what would.
When did Amir accept his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan? Does he ever truly achieve atonement? ExplainDeep down inside from when he was young Amir always new that him and his actions were cowardly. Nonetheless, until the rape scene and how he just abandoned his most genuine friend, Hassan he finally realized what he had done and the person he was. The quote "Treat others the way you want to be treated" isn't apart of Amir's friendship with Hassan. Hassan loved Amir and would do anything for him. Amir just used Hassan and thought of him as his slave. From (pages 31-34) it shows how much their friendship was a Love/Hate relationship. In the end I don't believe Amir truly achieved atonement, even though he saved Sohrab and did good deeds, he needed to receive Hassan's verifiable "I forgive you." In spite of the fact that Hassan had so much fondness for Amir, he didn't take the time to notice that Hassan had forgiven him from the very beginning.
What had to happen in order for Sanaubar to be redeemed? How does she atone for her sins?Redemption is a strong word. One searches for it to cleanse his or her soul of wrongdoings. In other words, to be redeemed means to be forgiven. Forgiveness for Sanaubar happened at the gates of Amir's old house. She arrived there battered up looking for Hassan. Hassan took her in and after resting, she explained to him that she was his long lost mother, Sanaubar. Everything was unfolding in front of Hassan just like that. He ran up to the pomegranate tree, where he and Amir used to climb up when they were kids, and stayed there until the next day. Sanaubar had to do this to start her redemption because she had to patch up the wound in Hassan's heart after all these years and open up the path of truth for him. Hassan eventually accepted the truth and his birth mother. Sanaubar atoned her sins by "catching up on all those lost years" with Hassan as said on page 211. She took care of her grandchild and Hassan's son, Sohrab. She clutched onto Sohrab like he was the most important thing in the world because ,how I thought of it, she did not want Sohrab to feel the neglect Hassan felt. She did everything possible a good grandmother should do: Built toys for him, sewed clothes for him, and cared for him all night when he was sick (p. 211). When Sohrab was four years old, it was Sanaubar's time to depart and died one morning. Although not staying with Hassan for even a decade, in my opinion, I believe that Sanaubar was redeemed and atoned for her sins. When she died, the internal wound inside of Hassan had already healed.
I believe Baba began to atone for his sins when he left Hassan and he did not tell Hassan his true identity. All those years Hassan had to work as a servant and Amir was treated like royalty when they were both Babas’ son. It is true that he loved Hassan and he showed it as well but he can never show it front of everyone. What are the others going to say? They will make gossip about Baba loving a Hazara than his own son. Baba can not fully redeem himself because he never got to tell Hassan that he was his son. When Amir went to save Sohrab I believe it did redeem Baba’s sins at least a little because his grandson is being saved and if he died and Baba was alive he would have never forgave himself. I believe Baba was a good man at heart and he tried to redeem himself by almost dyeing for a woman that he barely knew.
When did Amir accept his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan? Does he ever truly achieve atonement? Explain.Amir always knew he was a coward, even though it could have been his subconsciousness. He liked to think of himself as a person who could dominate; him as the master, Hassan the servant. The fact that he favored reading books instead of spending his time doing masculine activities could have possibly shown that he was too fearful to try doing things that his father did. Apparently, representing his father didn’t appear in Amir’s list to dos. However, the idea of him sitting outside Baba’s door listening to his friend’s gossip often contradicts his wanting to be like him. The time of Amir’s acceptance of his own cowardice is unknown, but I think that it was when Baba death came. The feeling of responsibility and being separated overwhelmed him, along came his achievement of atonement. The letter and confrontation from Rahim Khan snapped him back into his own reality, of how horribly he treated his own brother. From the incident of throwing pomegranates at him to letting Assef and his followers rape him, he grasps the fact that he should have treated him the way brothers should treat each other: protecting, and especially loving them. I believe Amir does achieve atonement. Half of Hassan’s blood and flesh stays with Amir. Although Hassan’s, “For you a thousand times over” and loyalty couldn’t shake up Amir at the time, the trip he takes to Afghanistan for the search of Sohrab made him say the same quote to his brother’s son at the last page, “For you, a thousand times over” (pg 371).
When did Amir accept his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan? Does he ever truly achieve atonement? I believe that there wasn't just one moment where Amir realized he treated Hassan badly but many different times when he thinks back at how he treats Hassan and how Hassan treats him. Even though there was more than one time where Amir realizes he's a coward and how he treated Hassan, the raping of Hassan by Assef was where, I thought, Amir had been thinking the most of how he was a coward and not going out to help Hassan. As Amir was just standing in a distance looking at how Hassan is being mistreated by Assef, he debates with himself whether or not to go and help. Amir's final decision was to not go out and help because he thought that after all, Hassan was just a servant. Before the final decision when Amir was still debating he thought that not going out to help was being a coward which he didn't want to be but the thought of going out scared him. As his decision came to be, he left thinking himself as a coward and how Hassan was such a good friend but that now he himself isn't even brave enough to go stand up for Hassan.
Amir has achieve atonement when later in the years where he gets the letter that Hassan wrote to him describing his happiness. Amir reads the letters understanding that Hassan is now living a happy normal life with a family of his own. Hassan is such an easy going person so this letter probably had meant forgiveness because the tone he wrote in, in the letters was a happy tone. Hassan also forgave Amir probably because he has a nice family now and he still thinks of Amir as a good friend.
Question 4. When Amir was a kid, he already knew that he was an unworthy son to his father. But he wanted to please his father and make him to be proud of his son. He started to write great short stories and showed them to his father. But his father did not appreciate his writing talent, conversely, he thought that his son was nothing like him, and that he would grow up become a coward. His father never accepted who his son really was. And neither did Amir. Also because his father liked Hassan better than him, it made it more difficult for him to come out of the closet and accept who he really was. This was the reason why Amir joined the kite fighting tournament, he wanted to prove to his father that he was not unworthy and cowardice but just as brave as him. At the end, he won the tournament, it did change his father’s opinion toward him, but it did not change who he really was, which was a coward. He did not admit that he was a coward until he saw Hassan got beat up by Assef. He was there when it happened, but he did not stand up and fight for Hassan but just run away and betrayed his little brother like a coward would do because he was afraid of what Assef would do to him and getting hurt..Amir treated Hassan so badly that a dog would be treated better than him, not to mention that they were brothers. At first, he teased Hassan because he was uneducated. Then despite how Hassan sacrificed himself for him, Amir still betrayed him like a coward. Finally, he could not stand to live with Hassan anymore, he just accused him for stealing, and threw him out of his house like a garbage.
I think that Amir did achieve his atonement because at the end of the book, Amir had gone through what Hassan went though, he got beat up by Assef to save Hassan’s son, ended up in the hosipital and had a scar on his upper lip like a harelip. At the end, he did save his son from Assef and brought him to America to have a better life.
When did Amir accept his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan? Does he ever truly achieve atonement? Explain.Amir thought of himself as a coward when Hassan was getting raped in the alley by Assef. Amir just stood there and did nothing because fear engulfed him. Another incident that shows Amir's cowardice is when he, Baba, and other refugees were leaving Afghanistan to Pakistan. On the way to Pakistan, a Russian soldier stopped the van which held them and demanded to have sex with a lady. Baba was mad and stood up to the soldier; Amir seeing this tried to stop Baba because he knew Baba could be killed. Amir was unlike his brave father because he was scared of being involved in a situation like this and being injured. These examples show how Amir thought of himself as a coward. I believe Amir accepted the time he mistreated Hassan, his best friend and half brother, was when he was throwing pomegranates at Hassan to see if he would retaliate. Hassan did not retaliate; in fact, Hassan crushed a pomegranate on his own head to see if Amir was satisfied. Amir felt quite guilty. The argument about Amir achieving atonement can be arguable. In my opinion, Amir did achieve atonement, but not fully. Hassan forgave Amir a long time ago, but Amir did not know about it. By the time Amir found out Hassan was his half brother; it was too late because Hassan was already dead. He tried to redeem himself by helping out Sohrab but, all in all, Amir did not receive the direct “I forgive you” from Hassan. To me, atonement should be in person to make it more sincere and I think Amir partially received it.
3. What had to happen in order for Sanaubar to be redeemed? How does she atone for her sins?In order for Sanaubar to achieve redemption, she had to seek out Hassan and ask for forgiveness (pgs. 209-210). After this was done, she also established her presence in Hassan's life for the remainder of her own. Although she had missed out on the important special moments with Hassan(first steps, first words, potty training), she atoned for these as well by proceeding to experience these with her both Hassan and her grandchild, Sohrab. She helped deliver him, took care of him, built him toys, made him clothes, and watched him grow up. When Sanuabar reaches her last moments, she looked "calm, at peace..." (pg. 211). She knew she was redeemed, and it was this that filled her with her inner peace, one of the tell-tale signs of redemption in a character.
When did Amir's cathartic journey begin? Explain with specifics why you believe this is the moment.I believe Amir’s cathartic journey beings even before the rape seen. I think it begins when Amir does not accept Hassan as a friend but only as a servant. I believe this because if Amir really looked at Hassan as a best friend or his brother he wouldn’t have done many of the things he did. For example if he valued the friendship of Hassan he would have came in and tried to help Hassan before he got raped. Since he viewed him as just a servant at heart, why would he risk his safety to serve him. Everything went down the drain for Amir after he framed Hassan for stealing the money anfd watch. At this point he could not stand to be in Hassan or Ali’s presences because of the shame he felt. There for he framed them and in a sense forced them to leave the house. His own father didn’t want to talk to him for a while after that.
4.) Amir was a coward from the beginning he was just scared to let it be known. His father looked at him as a death token because he killed his wife. He sat there and watch Hassan get raped. Instead of telling Hassans father that this happen he just turn his back on Hassan. He treated Hassan as a little lackey. I think that if you were going to make up for something so selfish it would have to be something trumendous that everyone would be able to see how sorry you are. On page 109 Amir said, " I'd chase the car, screaming for it to stop. I'd pull Hass out of the backseat and tell him I was sorry, so sorry, my tears mixing with rainwater." Even though this was a thought he was feeling guilty and the word sorry would come out any minute now. I don't think that Amir reached atonement for Hassan, but he did for his father. On page 66 Amir said, "...seeing Baba on that roof, proud of me at last" Baba is proud of because they won the kite contest. Amir and Baba were talkin more than usually. I think that Hassan doesn't for give Amir because Amir could have help, but he didn't and he look as that as the biggest betrayal.
When did Amir accept his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan? Does he ever truly achieve atonement? Explain.
One can see that Amir thought of himself as a coward when Assef was raping Hassan in the alley. Amir deliberately stayed neutral and did not par-take in the assistance of his “Friend’s” escape. Hassan had no power to fight for him-self nor did he have the power to ask for the aid of Amir because Amir would not have helped anyways. The way he acted affected both their lives which led them to separate paths in life. At times in the story one could detect Amir doubting the existence of his friendship between Hassan and himself. He felt this way because under his knowledge he recognized that neither history nor religion would change who they as individuals were. Amir would always be a Pashtun and Hassan would always be a Hazara and nothing would change that. However they were still kids fed from the same breast, and children who learned how to crawl together. Nothing would change this either. In the scene where Hassan was being violated, Amir gawked and spoke these words, “the rest of my life might have turned out differently if I had. But I did not. I just watched paralyzed’ (pg. 73 lines 7-9). He begins to feel the guilt and see the consequences of his cowardly persona. Amir is caught up in the climax of coming up with a decision. Will he be a brave man and defend his colleague or will he be an elephant to a mouse? Decisively he is the Elephant that runs away. Generally, Amir never genuinely finds atonement for his ways for he was not literally present the moment that Hassan forgives him. Amir finds notice of the forgiveness in a letter brought to him by Rahim Khan a long period of time later. Although Amir attempts to redeem himself by taking in Hassan’s orphan child, the attempt never releases pure reconciliation.
One can see that Amir thought of himself as a coward when Assef was raping Hassan in the alley. Amir deliberately stayed neutral and did not par-take in the assistance of his “Friend’s” escape. Hassan had no power to fight for him-self nor did he have the power to ask for the aid of Amir because Amir would not have helped anyways. The way he acted affected both their lives which led them to separate paths in life. At times in the story one could detect Amir doubting the existence of his friendship between Hassan and himself. He felt this way because under his knowledge he recognized that neither history nor religion would change who they as individuals were. Amir would always be a Pashtun and Hassan would always be a Hazara and nothing would change that. However they were still kids fed from the same breast, and children who learned how to crawl together. Nothing would change this either. In the scene where Hassan was being violated, Amir gawked and spoke these words, “the rest of my life might have turned out differently if I had. But I did not. I just watched paralyzed’ (pg. 73 lines 7-9). He begins to feel the guilt and see the consequences of his cowardly persona. Amir is caught up in the climax of coming up with a decision. Will he be a brave man and defend his colleague or will he be an elephant to a mouse? Decisively he is the Elephant that runs away. Generally, Amir never genuinely finds atonement for his ways for he was not literally present the moment that Hassan forgives him. Amir finds notice of the forgiveness in a letter brought to him by Rahim Khan a long period of time later. Although Amir attempts to redeem himself by taking in Hassan’s orphan child, the attempt never releases pure reconciliation.
4. When did Amir accept his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan? Does he ever truly achieve atonement? Explain. I think that Amir accepted his cowardice when Soraya told him her secret past. When he wasn't able to come clean to her about how badly he treated Hassan in his past, he came to think that what he did was horrible. An example of this is when Hassan was getting raped he wasn't brave enough to stop Assef. He just watched. I don't think Amir achieved his atonement because, he wasn't able to tell Hassan his feelings on how he treated him and how he was sorry for what took place.
3. What had to happen in order for Sanaubar to be redeemed? How does she atone for her sins?All throughout the novel The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini there was an overall theme. This theme was redemption, almost every character in the book had a quest for redemption, from others or themselves. Whether the character was minor or major they all had a terrible sin that dragged them down and until redemption was found they were not at peace. One minor character that in the end was seeking forgiveness was Sanaubar, Hassan’s mother. At a young age she had given birth to Hassan but left him and her husband Ali. I suppose this terrible malice weighed her heart down all throughout her life and redemption was what she needed to die peacefully. This is why towards the end of the book when Hassan is a man, has a pregnant wife, and was living in Baba’s home due to the war, she returns. Sanaubar gives her son love and helps Hassan’s wife give birth to Sohrab. She tended the home with Hassan and was more of a mother to him, than she was all throughout her life. Due to her old age she died four years later, but instead of dying with burden in her heart, she died peacefully and with self satisfaction. I belief in doing this redemption was found because forgiveness from both sides was accomplished. -Monica Hernandez P6 :)
I believe that Baba accepted his failures and began to atone for his sins was when he had lung canser and did not want to see the doctor becasue he thought this could make up for his sins. Which was that he betrayed Ali by sleeping with his wife. I don't think Baba could be ever truly redeemed because he never told his son Amir that his friend Hassan was his brother. He couldn't even tell his own son who he loved for years that he had a brother maybe he didn't tell him because he didnt want him to know that he cheated on his mother. But thats no excuese for that and I think Baba build the orphange becasue he thought he could fix his atone but later found out it could only be atoned by death.
4. I think that Amir accepted his cowardice when he was unable to help Hassan when he was being raped by Assef. Amir could have easily done something to help but he didn't. His relationship changed with Hassan after that, Hassan wanted to be friendly with Amir but Amir only pushed him away. He never told anyone about what he saw. He was never in the mood to be near Hassan. Later on in the book, Amir gets married and not knowing whether to tell his wife about what he went through with Hassan and the things he felt guilty about. His wife had come clean about her past, but he did not. Amir kept it inside and never letting it go to anyone. He always felt guilt, never knowing if Hassan would ever forgive him. Hassan never said "I forgive you" to Amir, so because of this, I don't think Amir achieves atonement.
4. When did Amir accept his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan? Does he ever truly achieve atonement? Explain.Amir accepted his spinelessness and how awful he treated Hassan when Hassan got raped by Assef and his friends. Amir stood there and did nothing. From that moment on Amir knew he was a coward. Hassan was always there for him but it was never the other way around. Amir never truly achieved atonement because Hassan died. Since Hassan died, Amir never got to say sorry and Amir was never nice to him. Hassan was such a good friend to Amir that he never really accused Amir of doing anything bad to him, so it was that much harder for Amir to reach atonement.
4. When did Amir accept his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan? Does he ever truly achieve atonement? Explain. The first time that Amir accepts his cowardice and how horribly he treats Hassan was when Hassan gets raped by Assef with his two friends. All Amir did was stay behind the garbage can and just looked. He didn't even attempt to help Hassan. When Amir says that he never really looked at Hassan as a friend, it made me wonder because Hassan gives his life to Amir. However, Amir just looks at Hassan as a mere servant or worker. Someone that is like a stranger. Hassan would protect Amir when ever he needed help, such as when Hassan used the slingshot as a way of defense towards Assef. I do not believe that Amir achieves atonement because when Hassan dies, Amir can never really apologize for what he let happen to him.
4. When did Amir accept his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan? Does he ever truly achieve atonement? Explain.Amir stars to accept his cowrdneic and how bad he treated Hassan is when he let Assef and his friends rape Hassan right in front of him. One reason is he was just too scared what Assef might do to him. Another reason he accepted it was the fact that he always thought in his child hood he would have Hassan get beat up instead of him
When Amir gets a phone call from Rahman Khan he begins his journey trying to achieve atoment for what he did to Hassan and what he let others do to him. Even after he adapts Shorab he is still an able to achieve atoement because Hassan is dead and also the past will always crawl out.
1. When did Amir's cathartic journey begin? Explain with specifics why you believe this is the moment.I believe that Amir expedition had began with a simple phone call from Rahim Khan when he was in America with his wife. Rahim Khan had told him that Hassan had passed away and that Hassan was his true, blood brother. Just when he had heard that, all thoughts must have crossed his mind. Amir had accepted Hassan as a brother, not a best friend or a servant. He had intense emotions when he observed him getting raped by Assef when they were young. Therefore, this lead Amir to understanding that he had been treating Hassan in a wrong, low way even though he had truly loved him in his heart.
So to make improvements that also violence was also part of, Amir went to Pakistan to see Rahim Khan, he read the letter that Hassan wrote to him, and went to find Hassan's son, Sohrab. He did anything to get Sohrab away from Assef's hands. It definitely wasn't easy to release him, but I imagine this was the only way Amir can feel redeemed by Hassan since he treated him bad some times when they were together back in the days.
Like Catharsis, Redemption or the act of being redeemed or atoned happens in STAGES.
1. Doing something wrong, hurting another, Othering, or denying something even happened.
2. Admitting you have wronged, neglected or otherwise hurt another.
3. Trying to make things right (this isn’t always successful)
4. Once you have shown remorse for past actions AND
5. Those you’ve wronged have FORGIVEN you,***
6. Can you feel better about this “cleansed” NEW YOU.
7. Often the offender will do acts of "good will" to try to reverse the bad things they've done.
8.*** In class discussions, many believe it is still possible to attain redemption, even if the person/people are not longer alive to grant offender forgiveness.
EXAMPLES of characters who have or achieved/trying to achieve ATONEMENT are:
a. The TV show “My Name is Earl”
b. The novella “A Christmas Carol”, by Charles Dickens
c. The movie “Scrooged” with Bill Murray
d. Jesus Christ is said to have died to atone for Adam and Eve’s Original Sin of Disobedience
With the exception of Jesus, these are all about BAD people who have come to realize their ‘evil” ways and find forgiveness from others and themselves on their way to making amends.
As one reads “Kite” and other powerful novels- "Push"/"Precious", "The Color Purple", "The Bumblebee Flies Anyway", "Different Seasons", movies "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Tsoti"-we, the reader, go through CATHARTIC stages along with one or more of the characters:
5 stages of Grief:
1. Denial
2. Anger or “Why ME!?”
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance
OR
Catharsis
1. A Revelation
2. Intense Emotions (Denial, Anger, fear, grief)
3. Understanding
4. Acceptance
5. Making Amends—violent reaction = flagellation
When one reaches that “Ah-Hah!” moment of accepting what has happened, what they have done and made amends, then one is FREE of guilt and FREE to move on with one’s life.
Think about these other characters above, including Rahim Khan, when discussing the many ways that they have redeemed OR tried to redeem themselves. Additionally, remember Stephen King's "Rita Hayward and the Shawshank Redemption", "The Body", "Apt Pupil"; Alice Walker's "The Color Purple", "The Skin I'm In". "A Thousand Splendid Suns", "Push"/"Precious", "My Sister's Keeper", "A Lesson Before Dying", "Body of Lies". and other movies "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Tsotsi" to discuss similarities between those characters' cathartic sojourns through atonement and how they may correlate to Amir's, Baba's or Sanaubar's.
Each scholar must answer one of these questions for an additional 30-50 points due Mon. Feb. 1, before NOON. Be sure to read responses out loud, proof reading from the MS Word document before C&Ping them to POST FIELD below to assure full credit.
1. When did Amir's cathartic journey begin? Explain with specifics why you believe this is the moment.
2. When do you believe Baba accepted his failures and began to atone for his sins? Do you feel he could ever truly be redeemed? Why? Why not?
3. What had to happen in order for Sanaubar to be redeemed? How does she atone for her sins?
4. When did Amir accept his cowardice and how horribly he treated Hassan? Does he ever truly achieve atonement? Explain.