The Kite Runner: For Redemption and Honor

In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, the central ideas of honor and redemption are prevalent. These themes come to light especially in Amir's encounter with Assef in Wazir Akbar Khan. Assef, to no surprise, has become a high ranking member of the Taliban. He has Sohrab under his control, and Amir seeks to free Sohrab of Assef's control. Amir confronts Assef, paralleling their encounter at the beginning of the novel. Amir and Assef finally have the fights that was supposed to happen when they were children. The fight ends in the same way that Hassan ended the scuffle all those years ago: with a readied slingshot. In the end, Amir was glad that he fought Assef: "For the first time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace" (Hosseini, 289). Amir's past tormented him until this day. He choose the path to redemption and honor. Rather than running away during the first fight, this fight was ended with a brass ball in Assef''s eye.