Finding Peace (The Kite Runner)

Finding Peace (The Kite Runner)

1. The entire novel revolves around finding peace

   • When Amir is young he tries to find peace through his father.
     • He feels that he needs to make his father proud.
     • He feels that, in order to be happy his father needs to appreciate him.
     • He would watch his best friend get raped to gain his fathers affection.
   • When Amir is older, he tries to find peace by making up for his past.
     • Amir will do anything to save Hassan's son.
       • "I would not leave Afghanistan without finding Sohrab" - Amir
       • He nearly loses his life fighting Assef trying to achieve this.
     • He also

2. Amir spends his life riddled with guilt and does whatever he can to stop that

   • "Those thorny old barbs of guilt bore into me once more, [...]" - Amir
   • He takes on a fight that he is nearly sure to lose just to save Hassan's son.
     • He is happy because he finally feels at peace.
       • "What was so funny was that, for the first time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace." - Amir
       • This is probably because he feels that he is paying for his past.
   • His guilt also makes him a better person because he understands that everyone makes mistakes.
     • He accepts Soraya's past.

3. Not only does Amir seek peace but everyone else does too.

   • Baba
     • Baba's way of finding peace is by trying to force other people to avoid making his mistakes.
       • "Sometimes, I think everything he did, feeding the poor on the streets, building the orphanage, giving money to friends in need, it was all his way of redeeming himself." - Rahim Khan
       • He tells Amir that the worst thing one can do is to steal and he did just that. He stole Ali's rightful son through his wife.
       • He gives to the poor and does a lot of good deeds because he fills that this will make up for his past.
         • Baba becomes a better man through his mistakes.
   • Rahim Khan
     • Rahim Khan tries to find peace as well.
       • When Amir is younger
         • Rahim Khan acts very fatherly towards Amir because he knows what kind of problems Amir and Baba have.
         • Rahim Khan knows most of the things that happen in Amir's life and understands that Amir is having a rough time and knows that someone needs to be there for him.
           • "Except now I knew he knew. [...] He had always known." - Amir
       • When Amir has grown up
         • Rahim Khan feels that in order to find peace within himself he must inform Amir about his past and about his father.
           • He tells Amir that he knew about everything (including the rape)
           • He tells Amir about his father having an affair with Ali's wife and how Hassan is actually his half-brother.
           • He tells Amir about Hassan since their separation and about Sohrab.
   • Hassan
     • When Hassan was younger, the way he found peace was to always make sure that Amir was happy.
       • "For you a thousand times over!" - Hassan
       • He fought Amir's fights
       • He made him breakfast
       • He lied for Amir
       • He even got raped for Amir