In the novel the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini he illustrates the sacrifice one gives for love. Over the course of the novel, Amir, Hassan, and Baba all face dramatic events that shape them to the person they are. Each one of them sacrifice a piece of their own happiness for the one they love. Hassan is loyal to Amir even though in their childhood Amir was not a good friend. Baba sacrifices his life in Afghanistan for Amir to have an education in America. Amir risked his life for Sohrab, Hassan’s son, to repay the wrong he commits toward Hassan.
The recurring theme of sacrifice for the ones you love is presented all throughout the novel through Hassan, Baba, and Amir. Hassan and Amir are divided by economic differences throughout their childhood. Hassan lives in a servant house on Amir and Baba’s property, separated because of their financial status and their ethnicity, hazaran. Amir and Hassan are friends considering their differences except Amir understands that they are not equal which leads to disparity in loyalty. As a young child Hassan’s moral compass has always been pointing in the right direction. He always had Amir’s back in battles with the bullies and when kite flying.
Hassan’s loyalty reflected through his actions towards Amir. During the kite battle Hassan would run the fallen kite for Amir saying “‘for you a thousand times over! ’”( Hosseini 67). This saying not only illustrates the loyalty to Amir during kite flying, but also in their friendship. Hassan would do anything for Amir, if he asked. Hassan is forced into a situation where he must choose his loyalty to Amir or risk an abusive attack. With Hassan’s moral compass, he chooses Amir and ends up being raped. Even though Hassan knows that he is in a dangerous situation his loyalty is strong and decides to keep the kite.
Amir believes that Hassan doesn’t know that Amir did not help him in that ally until one day he realizes Hassan knew this whole time. “He knew I’d seen everything in that alley, that I’d stood there and done nothing. He knew I had betrayed him and yet he was rescuing me once again, maybe for the last time” (Hosseini 105). Hassan loves Amir therefore he chooses to be loyal this angers Amir; in a series of events Hassan leaves resulting in a happier Amir but, he understands that Hassan loves him and will subconsciously understand how horrible he was to him.
Baba never understood the concept of theft, it’s the biggest sin one can commit. Amir grows up with his background knowledge shaping him in his adult life. After the Taliban takes over Baba and Amir flee to America. Here Baba takes up a job to support Amir and his dreams. Baba’s life in Afghanistan would not support his life in America because he was very wealthy and powerful. Baba gives up his life for Amir to pursue his dream of becoming a writer. “I loved him because he was my friend, but also because he was a good man, maybe even a great man.
And this is what I want you to understand, that good, real good, was born out of your father’s remorse. 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”(Hosseini 301). Baba sacrifices a lot to for redemption of the theft, he commits Hassan and Amir in their childhood. Baba being both Hassan and Amir’s father, but cannot openly announce Hassan as he weighs him down. Baba sacrifices his happiness to allow Amir and Hassan to both have a happy ending.
Baba pays for Amir’s wedding, Hassan’s lip surgery, and Amir’s schooling. Baba loves the two boys and by showing it spoils them to make up for the past. Lastly, Amir sacrifices his life to accommodate for Sohrab, Hassan’s son, after being taken by the Taliban. Amir resembles Baba because he too takes up redemption for the awful things he did. He understands the great danger Sohrab is in. He risks his life to help Sohrab; this shows loyalty to Hassan. Even though Sohrab is not Hassan sa his son shows that Amir is loyal to him.
He would do anything for Hassan to make up for his childhood. After finding Sohrab, Amir comes face to face with Assef, Hassan’s rapist. “Another rib snapped, this time lower. What was so funny was that, for the first time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace. I laughed because I saw that, in some hidden nook in the corner of my mind, I’d even been looking forward to this… My body was broken – just how badly I wouldn’t find out until later – but I felt healed” (Hosseini 289) This scene depicts the acceptance that Amir finally faces.
He starts coming to terms with his past because he feels at peace over the fact that he is finally getting justice for Hassan. That he is brave enough not to run away just as Hassan would stay to fight. Amir sacrifices everything for Sohrab just as Hassan did for him once. Amir finally shows the love for Hassan that was given to him. The novel illustrates a theme of sacrifice for the ones they love. Hassan sacrificed his pride to maintain loyalty to Amir. Baba sacrificed his joy to keep Amir and Hassan “happy”. Amir sacrificed his past and fearfulness to save Sohrab and redeem himself for all the wrong he does to Hassan.