“To err is human; to forgive, divine.” (Alexander Pope). An adage many are familiar with, Alexander Pope’s thoughts on forgiveness reveal that everyone makes mistakes. We all sin. And eventually, we seek redemption to find peace. Khaled Hosseini delves deeper into this aspect of human nature in his novel The Kite Runner. A story about two inseparable friends, Amir and Hassan, growing up in pre-revolutionary Kabul and experiencing a harrowing journey in the midst of Afghanistan’s undoing. In The Kite Runner, Hosseini uses the characters, internal conflict, and symbols, to reinforce its main theme: redemption is lead by repentance. To begin with, the characters in The Kite Runner demonstrate how Hosseini conveys the natural path to redemption when burdened with guilt. One way this is seen is through Amir’s father, Baba. He refuses to see Amir eye to eye, and accept his son for who he …show more content…
In fact, his disgust in his son’s failure to become what he deemed as an ideal son drives him to “stir the same passion” he had as a child, in Amir. In the process, Baba realizes that his efforts are in vain: “‘...he’s [Amir] always buried in those books or shuffling around the house like he’s lost in some dream...I wasn’t like that.’ Baba sounded frustrated, almost angry.” (Hosseini 21). Baba is constantly comparing Amir to other boys and criticises him for his shortcomings. In turn, Amir spends his entire life vying after his father’s praise, which is also the reason why he prioritizes his personal agenda above Hassan’s safety. Despite Baba committing what he believes to be the greatest sin, he redeems himself by performing good deeds: building orphanages, standing up for others, and giving Amir a new life in America — because, “for [Amir], America was a