The second section of this novel shows the extreme change in our protagonist, Amir. He has undergone an extremely life changing event: his decision to not help Hassan in that alley. Because of this decision, his life is turned upside down.
This is obviously something that bothers Hassan as well. Ali tells young Amir, “’Lately, it seems all he [Hassan] wants to do is sleep’” (Hosseini 81). This, to me, shows a young man who is understandably affected, adversely at that, by what has happened to him.
The guilt of knowing what he did affects Amir as well. Amir and Hassan go up to their pomegranate tree and Amir laments, “the words I’d carved on the tree trunk with Ali’s kitchen knife, Amir and Hassan: The Sultans of Kabul…I couldn’t stand looking at them now” (Hosseini 87).
I really cannot imagine trying to live with having made the decision that Amir made. He knows that he has lost all shred of integrity that he may have once had. His life from that moment on was shaped by that decision. More than that, he knows that something that he had done, or not done, had changed the life of Hassan forever. He knew that he saw so much of Assef in himself.
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3 comments:
Good comments - I loved the book, although it was very depressing in many places. Couldn't imagine actually experiencing something like that.
I felt that Amir was more guity then the boys who punished Hassan for being himself. Hassan boldy stepped up for Amir but Amir did not return the favor. This is not my favorite part of the book Hassan is treated so badly througout he did not deserve it. I agree this event changed them forever damaging poor little hassan and tainting the character of Amir.
I'm not sure if I would agree with you about Amir seeing so much of Assef in himself. Yes, Amir may have been very cruel when it came to betraying Hassan and severing the ties between Ali and Baba, but I don't think Amir would ever be a sociopath like Assef is, not anywhere near. And not only that, Amir DID feel remorse and guilt for what he did and since we have read to the end of the book I'm sure we all know Assef never felt an ounce of guilt or remorse.
Everyone makes mistakes throughout their lives but it doesn't mean we have to constantly see oursleves in the eyes of murderers, rapists, theives, or the future Hitler/Saddam/Bin Laden of the world.
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