Theme Of Guilt In The Kite Runner

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Ghosts of the Past Kyle Murray The dictionary defines guilt as, a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime, or wrong. In Khaled Hosseini’s historical fiction The Kite Runner, many characters are plagued by guilt, and make almost all of their decisions based on this guilt. With Amir, his entire life, and all of his decisions are influenced by his guilt, and memory of the past. Amir’s father, Baba is also impacted by guilt. Guilt of his affair with Sanaubar. Guilt also follows and guides the life of Soraya, and Sohrab. Soraya by the guilt of her illicit marriage, and Sohrab by his troubled past. The author, Khaled Hosseini. Illustrates that guilt and the memory of the past, shapes and designs Amir’s entire life. Baba’s entire adult life is affected by guilt.…show more content…
In a way Amir is born with guilt, his mother dies during childbirth and Amir is stricken with the guilt of his birth. “I always felt like Baba hated me a little. And why not? After all, I had killed his beloved wife, his beautiful princess, hadn’t I?” This example shows that even as a young child Amir felt guilt and allowed the past to significantly affect his life. Amir felt the reason Baba was always distant and seemed cut off, was because he was torn inside after the death of his beloved wife, which Amir had killed at delivery. “It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime...” This evidence shows how the one event at twelve years old has molded his entire life. “I became what I am today at the age of twelve.” At twelve years old Amir witnessed the rape of his childhood friend and brother Hassan. This example shows that Amir felt his entire life was shaped by the memory of the rape that happened at twelve years old. Amir lived the rest of his life trying to deal with the guilt and hide from the memory of that horrific

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