The
novel The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, should be a must-read book. This is
so because it allows the reader to understand social discrimination, forces the
reader to re-evaluate his/her past, and prepares the reader to learn the road
of forgiveness.
Amir
is on the road to forgiveness as Rahim explains to him of what it means to be
forgiven when Amir journeys back to Afghanistan from the U.S, as he is already
an adult. As Rahim revealed to Amir that he knew so long ago of Amir’s sin of
letting Hassan get raped by Assef, Rahim explains there is a way to be
forgiven, convincing him to save Sohrab from Afghanistan, Hassan’s son. Rahim
said, “And this is what I want you to understand,
that good, real good…is what true redemption is, Amir jan, when guilt leads to
good” (Hosseini 243). Rahim reveals to Amir
that “real good” made from “guilt” is what “true redemption is”. Rahim stresses
that the absolution of Amir’s life is that there is still time for redemption from
the sin and “guilt” he let happened when Assef raped Hassan. Rahim openly sets
the tone for Amir to take the initiative to save Sohrab from Afghanistan
as “redemption” for himself not being
able to have saved Hassan that could’ve been the “real good” in his past. By
his sin, Amir learns to be man when he uses his “guilt” to do “real good” by
saving Sohrab from the captivity of the Taliban. And by doing this good, he may
be capable of “redemption” and freed from his “guilt”. Amir’s knowledge of what
“redemption” meant to him as reconciliation from his “guilt” led him to journey
back to his old home of Afghanistan as his symbolic road to forgiveness. Like
Amir, readers at this point understand the purpose of the book, that from bad
actions that cause “guilt” there is always the chance of “redemption” to do
“real good”. As readers and individuals, all can connect to what it means to be
human, imperfect, flawed, but yet forgiving because it’s a common trait. The
story of Amir’s guilt proves to show that individuals are not only responsible
for their mistakes but also responsible to fix their mistakes and to forgive
themselves for it.
I completeIy agree that this should be a must read book. I really like the final sentence of your paragraph. It shows an important message, that we are responsible for our actions and their consequences. I also like what you said about human's being forgiving because it is a common trait. It shows that forgiveness is universal, and humans truly do want to be forgiving. Forgiveness is the first step to freeing ourselves from the negativity that has been inflicted on us or from us. I think this book shows really important messages that everyone should know.
ReplyDeleteI like this book you chose, it seems like an awesome novel. You did a great job of describing what occurred dealing with guilt and true goodness that makes up an individual. It is a bit difficult to understand and comprehend the message you are trying to prove, but only because all of the Arabic names! When we talked about your book in class, I was intrigued. After reading your editorial and the deeper message within it, I can take away a message on three things that can make me a better person: sin, forgiveness, and Middle- Eastern Names.
ReplyDeleteCool Story Ram!
This seems like it is a really good book and i will probably read it. i completely agree with must-read. from what i got from your editorial is that this book has a message of redemption because the two guys feel guilty for what they let happen. i believe this book has a really strong message behind it. i also think that it should be a must read because it can give you a new point of view into the life of someone living in the middle east and it helps you understand what happens in that part of the world.
ReplyDeleteRam, I agree that this book should be a must-read book. This book seems like it would help people understand the situation of social discrimination in other countries better, because some people might not see what is happening and how it effects people. I believe that the book can teach you about forgiveness and how it is very important and how it can lead to that "freedom" from "guilt. This sounds like a great book that i might want to read in the near future, because of all its good messages.
ReplyDelete