The world-famous novel, The Kite Runner, was written by Afghan-born American novelist, Khaled Hosseini. Hosseini was born into a Shiite Muslim family in Kabul who later decided to settle in Paris. Hosseini was unable to return to Kabul due to the Taliban takeover, prompting the Hosseini family to seek political asylum in America. The actions Hosseini witnessed in his beloved home country influenced his novel with themes of guilt and redemption. “The culprit is not the one who commits sin, but the one who causes darkness. » – Victor Hugo. In The Kite Runner, the theme of guilt and redemption is illustrated through the character development of the protagonist Amir. Hosseini used Amir's guilt over his past to make it seem like with regret comes hope for redemption. Amir is a man haunted by demons from his past. This is first shown in the opening lines of the novel: "I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frosty, cloudy day in the winter of 1975. I remember the moment precise, crouching behind a crumbling mud wall, peeking into the sky. the alley near the frozen stream. It was a long time ago, but what people say about the past, I have learned, about how to bury it is false. Because the past comes out. » (Hosseini p.#) These first lines of the novel foreshadow what is yet to come. You can see that Amir is looking to the past to try to justify why he is the man he is today. In the winter of 1975, it was the final round of the Kite Running tournament when Hassan chose to run the last kite for Amir. In doing so, Hassan is cornered by Assef and his gang who question Hassan's loyalty to Amir. They give Hassan the choice of giving them the kite in exchange for not harming him or...... middle of paper ......shod to continue growing on a guest in exchange for redemption . Amir destroyed the relationship between two half-brothers through his own ignorance. As a young boy, he made the wrong decision in life by letting Hassan get raped, which led to him feeling guilty. The guilt grew to the point where Hassan and Ali had to leave Baba's house and start a new life away from Amir. Sohrab, Hassan's son, is an important character who represents Amir's hope for redemption. Sohrab led to Amir's redemption by giving him the opportunity to do right for his past actions. Seeking redemption, Amir gets the redemption he desired through his fight with Assef. Additionally, The Kite Runner shows the theme of guilt and redemption through the character development of the protagonist Amir. Hosseini used Amir's guilt over his past to make it seem like regret hides hope for redemption.