The Kite Runner Guilt Quotes

Guilt-inducing behaviours are followed by acts of redemption. In the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Housseini, the characters Amir, Baba, and Sanaubaur attempt to make up for their past by compensating for the harm they caused earlier. For example, Amir pardons himself by undoing his negative actions. Next, Baba’s acts of redemption include severe kindness and thoughtfulness towards children and women, whose feelings may be overlooked. Finally, Sanaubar returns to her family to make up for lost time. Ultimately, in order to absolve themselves from inner turmoil, Amir, Baba, and Sanaubar attempt to purge their guilt through different forms of goodwill.
The first character in the novel who eases their inner turmoil is Baba. He slept with his

He carried the guilt of teasing his best friend, lying to him constantly, getting jealous over him, and trying to get rid of him from their household. Amir carried this guilt for 27 years after the incidents, at which time he came back to make amends to redeem himself. He started by accepting the truth and realising that he needed to indemnify the person he had always wronged as a child. Amir was called by Rahim Khan, who insisted Amir go back to Afghanistan to make up for his actions, and thinking he had no choice but to respect a dying man’s wish, he did. After the phone call with Rahim, Amir thought: "[I have] a way to be good again" (202). The realisation that Amir gained was the boost of energy he needed to face the consequences of his past by going back to Afghanistan. This was the first step towards redemption: acceptance. Before this, he never thought of the need to justify his past actions, and so, Amir attempts to purge his guilt by commencing a journey back to Afghanistan, in which he would entirely redeem himself later on. In addition, Amir pardons himself by fighting a person he should have fought many years ago—a boy named Assef. Assef is a malicious, tight-fisted character who assaulted Amir’s friend, Hassan, in an alleyway 27 years ago. In search of Hassan’s son, Amir faced Assef, and physically fought him. During the brawl, Amir got fiercely beaten up, but he described himself by saying: "My body was broken… but I felt healed" (303). Despite being hurt, Amir felt at rest because he had eased his consciousness by doing what he should have done years earlier. He experienced an emotion of comfort at being out from under the burden of guilt. He was unable to protect Hassan in the alleyway before, but was able to take the hits for his son as a way of undoing his cowardice actions from before. Therefore, he relieves himself of his guilt by reversing his