The final method of redemption, and perhaps, the hardest to achieve, is redemption in one’s own eyes. In the novel, The Kite Runner, Amir’s life changes forever after he witnesses the brutal rape of Hassan and fails to stop it. After the rape, Amir and Hassan’s friendship deteriorates as Amir suffering from the guilt, pushes Hassan and his father Ali away. Amir reflects on this: “But I had driven Hassan and Ali out of the house. Was it too far-fetched to imagine that things might have turned out differently if I hadn’t? Maybe Baba would have brought them along to America.”10 Amir feels guilty about not preventing the rape but more so experiences “survivor’s guilt”, which is defined as feeling guilty for surviving or fleeing a dangerous situation.11 Amir feels this way because he was able to have a new life in America while Hassan was killed by the Taliban, a terrorist group that took control of Afghanistan after the war. …show more content…
As Sohrab warms up to Amir, it begins to help Amir’s personal redemption unfold: “It didn't make anything all right. Only a smile… But I'll take it… Because when spring comes, it melts the snow one flake at a time, and maybe I just witnessed the first flake melting.”12 He realizes he cannot excuse what he did in the past, but is taking steps towards making it right and thus, redeems himself in his own eyes. Comparably, in Atonement, Briony’s life changes forever after she’s faced with the guilt of misidentifying Robbie as a rapist. Briony grows up to be a successful author and writes an autobiography in which she confesses her