Sin And Atonement In Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner

Sakshi Verman

Ms Kanika Dang

English Thesis Paper

27th November, 2015

Khaled Hosseini explores the theme of sin and atonement in "The Kite Runner"

It is human nature to sin but it is also the responsibility of humans to redeem those sins. According to Li Cunxin, redemption means "The salvation or deliverance from sin or evil of human being" (Li Cunxin, Levy93's Blog). For redemption, it is necessary for an individual to confront their sin. Confrontation, however hard it may be, is the best way to escape the guilt of the sins committed in the past, and once the sins are atoned, the burden of the guilt is lifted off of the shoulders of the sinner. In the novel, 'The Kite Runner', Amir must also tread the path of confrontation in order to achieve

Schoolwork Helper believes that, "His guilt became so great that he feels he was actually responsible for Hassan's death" (Remorse Leads to Redemption, Schoolwork Helper). Hosseini, in The Kite Runner, states how Amir has learned that burying the past is not possible as it always finds a way to rise up again (page 1, chapter 1). Amir's guilt of his sin, in a same fashion, rose up again, whenever he did anything which provided him with a sense of fulfilment. According to Niraja Saraswat, "Amir's “unatoned sins”, as they are described in the novel's opening chapter, have plagued his conscience and cast an oppressive shadow over his joys and triumphs" (Niraja Saraswat, IJIMS). Li Cunxin, in his blog, writes that at the end of the story, it is learned by the readers that Baba turned out to be a thief who stole the truth from Amir and Hassan. However, he also turned out to be someone who tried his best to confront his sins and redeem them by building orphanages, fixing Hassan's harelip, and helping others in general (Li Cunxin, Levy98's Blog). Unlike Baba, Amir was afraid of confronting his sins. In the novel, Baba, with reference to Amir, says, "A boy won't stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up to anything" (page 22, chapter3) which foreshadows how Amir was unable to face his sin, unlike