Essay Topic

Throughout my journey learning about Amir and his life choices I have narrowed down a few topics that have interested me that I could write my essay about. I believe personally that this story is mainly focused around Amir's search for redemption for what he had done to Hassan. I believe that this search for being redeemed has negatively affected Amir in many different ways. He has become worn out emotionally, he has been beaten physically and his philosophies have completely changed morally.

Amir has become more emotionally aware throughout his journey. After returning to Kabul he finally understands what he has done to the Hazara. The Hazara have basically been enslaved by the the Pashtun because of the their race. Amir notices around him that the city he used to live in was completely torn down and ruined. The biggest hit that Amir took was the old street that he used to run down and play into had turned into as he said  "Jadeh Maywand had turned into a giant sand castle. The buildings that hadn't entirely collapsed barely stood, with caved in roofs and walls pierced with rockets shells. Entire blocks had been obliterated to rubble. I saw a bullet-pocked sign half buried at an angle in a heap of debris. It read DRINK COCA CO––. I saw children playing in the ruins of a windowless building amid jagged stumps of brick and stone. Bicycle riders and mule-drawn carts swerved around kids, stray dogs, and piles of debris. A haze of dust hovered over the city and, across the river, a single plume of smoke rose to the sky. (258)" I believe that this quotation represents how Amir's emotions have truly been developing. Amir has relived his past and unforgettably this has completely ruined his view on Kabul. This scene relates to nostalgia in real life, for example I used to go this public school, and now every time that I visit I feel like it is getting worse and worse. It may not be, but I believe this is what Amir is facing. I believe that this symbolizes that Amir's life in Kabul may not have been as good as he believed it was. The emotional state of Amir may be a good topic for my essay because it relates to a lot of back and fourth between his past and present.

Amir has also become more physically beaten due to his search for redemption. After trying to save Soh'rab from Assef (the former bully) Amir becomes extremely weak and beaten up. But this does not slow down Amir on his journey for redemption. Amir ended up saving Soh'rabs' life from the prison Asseff put him in. Despite being beaten up Amir feels pride in what he did for the first time in his life. He said "My body was broken just how badly I wouldn't find out until later but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed."(268). This quotation showed how Amir really had changed, It didn't matter if he was beaten up or not. He had fixed his emotional state through physical pain. I can relate to this because I have been beaten up for standing up for a friend, despite the physical pain I felt good inside for standing up for what I believed in.  I believe the author placed this quotation in the story in order for the reader to understand how badly Amir wanted this. Nothing was about to get in his way. This would be a good point for a thesis because it shows the passion that Amir had for redeeming himself.

Finally, Amir's moralities had completely changed from the beginning of the story to the end. At the start of the book Amir was caught saying things such as "I actually aspired to cowardice, because the alternative, the real reason I was running, was that Assef was right: Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba"(78). This quotation showed how much Amir had cared about Hassan. He believed that it was okay to leave Hassan there to be raped just for his own benefit. Fortunately  the search for redemption changed this about Amir as he was later told that "There's a way to be good again"(238). This quotation completely sparked Amir enthusiasm  He was prepared to make up for the way he had treated Hassan before. In stead of allowing Hassan to take the blame and pain for something that he wanted, he was going to put himself through pain and suffering for something Hassan wanted. This would be an excellent point in an essay because it really contrasts view points of Hassan throughout his journey. It puts real emphasis on what he has accomplished by the end of the story.

In conclusion, I believe that a great topic for my thesis would be the search for redemption, and the three main points may consist of Amir's Emotional, Physical and Moral struggles in order for him to redeem himself for what he did to Hassan.