Return to Humanity – Sense of Redemption In the Kite Runner

Abstract

Khaled Hosseini, an Afghan-American novelist is best known for his debut novel The Kite Runner. Hassan's loyalty stirred the readers they got stunned and enraged by Amir's betrayal. It is believed from various studies that the protagonist Amir’s behavior like shame, betrayal, and redemption is strongly intertwined with his psychological transformations. Diversified psychological states lead to different emotional strains and deeds, ranging from mistrust to uncertainty, culpability to inferiority, self-accusation to confusion, and inclination of love to devotion. The two concepts of redemption and reparation are vital in developing the thread to connect the characters. Amir admits that the entire psychological progression is a learning experience for him.

This novel is not only about salvation but also about the return to humanity. This paper pursues to reveal Amir's inner world by examining his psychological shift at different phases to have a better understanding of the reasons behind Amir's wickedness and cowardice.