In the novel, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, the author leads the reader to believe that Amir, in the beginning, is selfish. At the start of the book, he shows Amir making fun of Hassan's illiteracy, along with making many snide remarks. By doing this, Amir is subtly reminding Hassan of his superiority. Amir also gives us another glimpse of his selfishness when he watches Hassan get raped. Amir decides to be a bystander instead of standing up for his good and faithful friend because he is afraid of getting hurt. His decision to not intervene, is a selfish move that affects many. Another example of Amir's selfishness appears when Amir asks Hassan if he would eat dirt for him (Hosseini 54). Hassan being the good and loyal friend responds by saying yes, but questions why Amir would want to make him do such a cruel thing. I believe that Amir asked Hassan that to remind him of his position as a servant. Amir knew that Hassan would do anything for him. So again, this is just …show more content…
After rescuing Sohrab from Assef, Amir feels like he is making up for not being there for Hassan. Amir did something that was truly brave and noble. By saving Sohrab and giving him a better life in America, Amir was able to find a way to be good again. Just like Rahim Khan said he would over the phone. Amir will never be able to fully forgive himself for what happened in the winter of 1975, however, by working to become a better person, he can slowly redeem himself and move forward with his life. The author had us view Amir as selfish, guilty, and then working towards forgiveness. These characteristics help us to better understand the overall theme of the novel. They showtime stages that one goes through when they are on a path toward forgiveness. The themes of betrayal, guilt, and forgiveness all appear in this novel and are able to be seen clearly through the feelings and actions of