Analyse how specific events reinforced your understanding of one or more ideas. “Ideas” may refer to character, theme, or setting.

It is said to be that “true redemption.. is when guilt leads to good” but how far does one go to gain redemption from the ones around them but most importantly redemption from themselves? Set in the Kabul Afghanistan, The kite runner was written by Khaled Hosseini it tells the story of a friendship between a wealthy boy Amir and the son of his father’s servant Hassan, whose connection is as strong as a brotherhood. Hassan would do anything for Amir and Amir thought the same until the afternoon of the kite flying competition, where Amir made a decision that he is yet to know he will be continuously running from for the rest of his life. Hosseini illustrates the theme of guilt and redemption through the events of Amirs inexplicable actions, he explores the idea of how you can never run away from your mistakes, but when you finally come to face them how much will you risk in order to feel redeemed.

On the day of the kite flying competition during the winter of 1975, Amir witnessed the rape of his closest childhood friend Hassan, this was the day Amir’s life changed forever. In that very moment, Amir had a choice,  “I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan – the way he’d stood up for me all those times in the past – and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end, I ran.” The underlying truth that drove Amir to turn the other way was to finally get redeemed by Baba. The one thing both Baba and Amir do have in common is Kite flying, Amir thinks that the only way he can win Baba over is if he wins the contest and shows Baba that he is worth something, that he can really be the brave strong son his dad always wanted. “I was going to win, and I was going to run that last kite. Then I’d bring it home and show it to Baba. Show him once and for all that his son was worthy. Then maybe my life as a ghost in this house would finally be over.” Amir knew that going into that alleyway and helping Hassan would cost him the kite and therefore a possible future relationship with Baba, what Amir didn’t know, was that the kite wasn’t really going to win Baba’s love and affection because, in reality, this kite is only a possession which may change their relationship for a short time but what he doesn’t realise is once this “kite” wears off what will he sacrifice next to win Baba over.

Hassan in the alleyway

The watch under the bed

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