A greater understanding of the lamb can be achieved by learning the background of how the symbol came to be, and what it means in the Afghan religion. Every year on October 15, Afghans participate in the first of two major holidays called the Eid al Adha, or the feast of the sacrifice. (Roehrs). Afghans, as well as other Muslims, celebrate this holiday every year as a way to honor the triumphs of their prophet, Abraham. In a dream one night, Abraham was called upon by the Islamic god, Allah, to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, on the top of mount Moriah. When Ishmael was told that he needed to be sacrificed, he said that he was ready to give himself up for god. Abraham respected Allah, and after some reluctancy, agreed that he would sacrifice his son. Right before he was supposed to be sacrificed, Allah made a lamb appear. Instead of sacrificing his own son, he sacrificed the lamb, full of purity and having no sin. Afghans slit the throats of small animals such as goats, cows, or sheep as a way to honor the sacrifice that Abraham made. Baba, Amir, Hassan, and Ali take part in this tradition in the novel. However, instead of a lamb, the mullah chooses to sacrifice a sheep with mascara which turns out to be foreshadowing for when Sohrab shows up in the book.
The first thing the lamb represents is the sacrifice Hassan made. Hassan is, to
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As he is witnessing Sohrab being groped and kissed by Assef, he looks into the eyes of Sohrab, which were referred to as slaughter sheep eyes, “Sohrab’s eyes flicked to me. They were slaughtered sheep’s eyes” (285). This look reminds him of Hassan and the sacrifice that Hassan made for Amir and Amir realizes that it is his turn to step up and redeem himself for not acting to save Hassan from Assef. This is his time to take make the sacrifice and take Sohrab from Assef and it reminds Amir of the sacrifice of the