When Guilt Leads to Good
What is redemption? It is the atonement for guilt. It is a deliverance from sin. It is salvation. Is Amir rescued from his sin? Can he be forgiven for betraying Hassan? Amir watches as Hassan is raped, and at what cost? Hassan ran the last kite of the tournament for Amir. It is Amir’s trophy. It is the key to a moment of his father’s pride and acceptance. Hassan protects all of this and sacrifices himself instead, and Amir watches. He crouches in an alley and watches the abuse. Amir pretends to be unaware, but Hassan knows, and later so does Rahim Khan. Amir is ashamed and only twelve.
What is a friend but someone that feels a fond, mutual connection with another, along with respect, loyalty, understanding? A friend will provide the truth, advice, empathy and sympathy. A friend will lend you their time. A friend has similarities and differences. There are more qualities in a friendship than sides in a dazzling prism in the sunlight.
Now what is a brother? A brother shares the same origin. There’s something in the genetics that intertwines family relationships tighter than the DNA itself. A brother can be the greatest friend anyone could ever have.
Hassan is the perfect friend and yet unwittingly, is also Amir’s half brother. Amir reflects, “Hassan and I fed from the same breasts. We took our first steps on the same lawn in the same yard. And, under the same roof, we spoke our first words. Mine was Baba. His was Amir. My name. Looking back on it now, I think the foundation for what happened in the winter of 1975 and all that followed was already laid in those first words”. Hassan is also Amir’s servant. He is obedient, and yet loves Amir unconditionally. Hassan does all of Amir’s chores, he stands up for Amir when bullies threaten them, he even tells Amir that he would eat dirt for him if he asked him to. Hassan has an ability to know what Amir is thinking. He seems to always find the perfect words to settle unspoken thoughts or...