“I envied her. Her secret was out. Spoken. Dealt with. I opened my mouth and almost told her how I’d betrayed Hassan, lied, driven him out, and destroyed a forty-year relationship between Baba and Ali. But I didn’t. I suspected there were many ways in which Soraya Taheri was a better person than me. Courage was just one of them.”(Hosseini, 174)
This quotation shows that Amir envies Soraya for being able to tell him her secret despite it being something disgraceful for an Afghan woman and her family. Amir thinks back to when he did not defend Hassan from being raped by Assef when he was younger. He thinks back to how he caused Hassan and Ali to move away because he was ashamed that he did not protect Hassan. He realizes that he does not have the courage to do what is right, but instead he keeps everything inside him and this causes him pain and struggle. This problem was faced by many characters in the book. Baba never told Amir that Hassan was in fact his half-brother because he had Hassan illegitimately. This caused Baba pain and sorrow as he could not show the same affection to Hassan as he did to Amir. This situation is also relatable to the real world. For example children tend to hide bad things from their parents because e they do not want to get in trouble, but this only causes them more trouble in the end. This quotation is able to show an internal struggle that many characters in the novel faced, and that many people have faced or will face in their life time.
“‘It isn’t about money, Amir!’ Rahim Khan roared. ‘I’m a dying man and I will not be insulted! It has never been about money with me, you know that. And why you? I think we both know why it has to be you, don’t’ we?’” (Hosseini, 233)
This quotation is a discussion between Amir and Rahim Khan a few days before Rahim Khan passes away. He has called Amir back from the United States to right his one biggest mistake. At first Amir is in shock when he learns that Hassan has been killed by the Taliban. Rahim Khan then tells Amir that he should go and save Hassan’s son from being an orphan in Afghanistan. Amir’s courage and drive to what is right is tested. At first Amir is hesitant about saving Sohrab, but Rahim Khan says what Amir was thinking: he has to be the one who save Sohrab. It is the only way that Amir can redeem himself for what he let happen so many years before. He realizes that although he was a coward when he was younger he does not have that option now. The situation where a character has to show courage even though there is an obstacle ahead is shown by Hassan when Amir and Hassan were younger, and Assef came to attack Amir, but Hassan, despite being very scared stood up for Amir and protected him. When it was Amir’s turn to repay the favour he ran away, leaving Hassan alone. This is why Amir must save Sohrab. This situation can also be related to real life when someone has done something wrong. The person has to eventually redeem themselves, or else they will have a sour feeling every time they think about the situation where they let someone down. Many people in the world can relate to this feeling which makes the novel relatable to a large audience.
“I [Amir] hadn’t been happy and I hadn’t felt better, not at all. But I did now. My body was broken –just how badly I wouldn’t find out until later –but I felt healed. Healed at last.” (Hosseini, 303)
Amir goes to Assef who is now a Taliban general to take Sohrab and bring him to the United States. Assef refuses to let Amir take Sohrab and insists on fighting Amir. Amir realizes that Assef has held this grudge since Hassan had stood up for Amir. Amir realized he had no chance but to fight Assef. Assef had brass knuckles which he used to break 2 of Amir’s ribs, Amir’s spleen, and a bone below his eye. The quotation shows that, although Amir was thoroughly beaten, he felt healed emotionally. He was finally able to let go of the fact that he caused Hassan so much trouble, because he finally did what he should have done. He felt as though he finally righted the wrong by going to save Sohrab, and being beaten by Assef. An example in the novel of another character righting a wrong is Rahim Khan when he tells Amir that Hassan is his half-brother. He has kept the secret away from Amir for his whole life, but he had to tell him to right that wrong. Afterwards he was relieved and died peacefully. This feeling of redemption can be related to by many people. There have been many cases where people will do something very difficult for the sole reason of redeeming themselves.
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