In The Kite Runner, what is the significance of Amir's scar from the confrontation?

The physical scar that Amir gets in his fight with Assef is significant for a couple of reasons.  The first is that it shows sacrifice.  Amir is finally sacrificing for his friendship, the way he should have when he saw Ali being violated in the alley after the kite festival.  The sacrifice he has to make now is the result of years of repression and denial.  His scar is also significant because it moves him closer to Ali, as his hare lip before the surgery defined him and Amir's scar now will help to define him.  Amir's physicality cannot be removed, as it has become a part of him, representation of the commitment both he denied and eventually embraced.  In the notion of "becoming good again," the scar goes a long way to that point.  I would also say that the scar is representative of the physical notion of taking action.  Part of Amir's guilt and shame resides the fact that he did nothing when he saw Ali being violated.  The physicality of action is something that is represented by the scar.  This is beyond words, beyond thought, but rather pure action, representing a commitment towards that which is good.

In The Kite Runner, what is the significance of Amir's scar from the confrontation?

Hassan's scar from having his cleft lip surgically corrected is significant for a couple of reasons.

1. A "cleft" is a division, and Hassan's cleft lip is no different in that it represents the divisions that existed in Afghanistan while he was growing up and that still exist today. Because of his Hazara ethnicity, Hassan will never be equal to or truly unifiied with other Afghans (mainly the Pashtuns like Amir). When Baba pays to have Hassan's cleft lip corrected, Hassan still has a slight scar which illustrates that even if Afghanistan seems to have "corrected" itself on the surface, there will always be scars or reminders of its divisions.

2. Near the novel's end after his encounter with Assef, Amir recovers in the hospital with many injuries, but one that is significant is the scar that he now has on his upper lip from Assef hitting him.  The scar represents not only the literal brotherhood between Amir and Hassan, but it like Hassan's scar will always be a reminder to Amir of what his redemption cost him and what that redemption was for--his betrayal of the physically and emotionally scarred Hassan.

In The Kite Runner, what is the significance of Amir, Assef, and Sohrab's confrontation at Wazir Akar Khan and the resulting scar on Amir?

The scar that Amir had after his confrontation with Assef is a defining movement in the novel for two reason. First, he is now like his father, Baba. Early on in the novel, there was a story of Baba wrestling a bear. And in this struggle, Baba is said to have received three scars on his back. Now that Amir has a scar, he is more like his father, one who struggled and came out victorious.

And if they did, well, Baba did have those three parallel scars coursing a jagged path down his back. I have imagined Baba’s wrestling match countless times, even dreamed about it. And in those dreams, I can never tell Baba from the bear.

Secondly, the scar on Amir’s face, which would be permanent, completed his redemption because he gained this scar in his confrontation with Assef, the same Assef that raped Hassan years ago. Back then Amir did nothing in fear. Now Amir faced him and conquered and saved Hassan’s son. This is precisely why 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.”

Closely tied to this point is the location of his scar, which was on his lip. This placement of the scar also brought him closer to Hassan because early in the book Hassan also had a scar on his lip.

Why is Amir's fight with Assef significant in The Kite Runner?

Amir's confrontation with Assef as an adult is significant because it is the moment when he finally atones for his past sins and transgressions. As a child, Amir refused to intervene when he witnessed Assef raping his friend, Hassan. After witnessing Assef rape Hassan, Amir is plagued with guilt and his friendship with Hassan is destroyed. As an adult, Amir gets a call from Rahim Khan, who tells him that there is a way to be good again. After meeting with Rahim Khan and learning about Hassan's son, Amir ends up traveling to Afghanistan to save Sohrab. Incredibly, Amir discovers that Assef has been sexually abusing Sohrab and agrees to physically fight him in order to rescue Sohrab. During the fight, Assef mercilessly beats Amir and he suffers numerous injuries. Despite the physical pain Amir experiences during the fight, he begins to laugh while getting beat up. Amir laughs because he experiences redemption for the first time and is happy to finally have his emotional wounds healed. Amir explains why he is laughing in the middle of the fight by saying,

"My body was broken—just how badly I wouldn't find out until later—but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed" (Hosseini 248).

Why is Amir's fight with Assef significant in The Kite Runner?

Of course this is also Amir's opportunity to find redemption after not standing up for Hassan so many years before.  The significance is that it shows that everything has come full circle and that Amir now has his chance to absolve himself of the guilt he has carried throughout his life.  It is also significant because, unlike Baba, he has now had this opportunity to find a release, perhaps this is another reason he laughs and Assef finds it so infuriating.

This incredible release strikes Amir as funny because one might expect it from winning a fight or overcoming something.  He has overcome his guilt but is getting kicked around at the same time and for some reason it strikes him as hilarious and coupled with that great release of guilt, he can't help but laugh.

What role does Assef play in Amir's life in The Kite Runner?

The evil Assef is the son of parents who are friends of Baba. While Assef's father is a Pashtun, like Baba, his mother is a native German and follower of Adolf Hitler. The blonde-haired Assef worships Hitler, and he patterns his own life after the German dictator. Assef first appears as the local bully who threatens Amir and Hassan; it is Hassan who stands up to the much older and larger boy, threatening to shoot out his eye with his slingshot--an event that foreshadows Sohrab's own final confrontation with Assef. Assef sodomizes Hassan in retaliation, and Assef later shows up at Amir's birthday party, where Hassan is forced to serve the boy who raped him. Assef becomes a daily reminder to Amir about his betrayal of Hassan: Amir can never escape the guilt he feels for failing to come to Hassan's aid when he is attacked by Assef. Assef makes a surprising return into Amir's life when he turns out to be the Taliban leader--now residing in Baba's old home--who has imprisoned Sohrab as a sexual play toy. Amir, who has never thrown a punch in anger, is forced to fight Assef for the possession of Sohrab. Assef beats Amir to within an inch of his life, but Sohrab comes to his rescue--just as his father, Hassan, had done in the past--saving Amir with a single draw from his ever-present slingshot. Amir's battle with Assef proves to be the single most important part of his own self-redemption, and his bloodied body serves as atonement for his past sins.

My body was broken--just how badly I wouldn't find out until later--but I felt healed. Healed at last.  (Chapter 22)

Why is Amir's final conflict with Assef in The Kite Runner significant?

As Amir approaches the house, he is unaware that Assef is the Taliban official holding Sohrab. Learning that the boy's captor is Assef presents a devastating and ironic twist, and their final conflict contains an element of intergenerational trauma. Amir had failed to save Hassan from being raped by Assef when they are children. From the way Assef touches Sohrab, Amir is certain that Hassan's son has experienced the same sexual abuse as his father. This enhances Amir's sense of responsibility over Sohrab and makes it even more important to save him. For Amir, saving Sohrab is more than redemption over what happened to Hassan; it is a means of confronting his failure to act courageously in his childhood altercation with Assef. When Rahim Khan first told Amir about the plan to rescue Sohrab, it had merely been a plan to get the boy safe before placing him with adoptive parents. The conflict with Assef moves Amir to consider adoption, as he begins to understand the true extent of Sohrab's suffering. Again, we see a pattern going back generations: just as Baba's father took in Ali, and Baba had taken care of Hassan, Amir eventually takes in Sohrab.

Why is Amir's final conflict with Assef in The Kite Runner significant?

In a way, the final confrontation between Assef and Amir is the battle between good and evil.  Interestingly enough, I find that the most significant element of this confrontation is that this dynamic of condemnation and redemption takes place within Amir.  Assef is the physical manifestation of Amir's dark side, the element of his nature that caused him to be silent while watching Hassan being sodomized and for persecuting Hassan in Amir's own way.  The desire to "become good again" is something that has driven Amir back to Afghanistan.  It makes sense that in order to fully redeem himself, Amir has to confront Assef.  One way or another, the narrative is going to find resolution.  The conflict between both forces help to supply the redemption that Amir seeks.  The results of the conflict feed this end in that Amir suffers a facial disfiguring like Hassan and that he is brutalized in much the same way Amir was in terms of being forlorn during his degradation without much in way of support.  Sohrab's use of the slingshot to finish off Assef is Amir's sign that he has been redeemed, as Hassan's weapon is used to save him.  In this confrontation, the final step of Amir's redemption is recognized, making it extremely significant to the progression of the story.

In The Kite Runner, what physical scars does Amir bear from his fight with Assef and why is one particularly significant?

Amir is lucky to be alive after his encounter with Assef, and he has sustained some serious physical damage.  His ruptured spleen had to be removed, he has several broken ribs, and his lung has been punctured.  One of his eye socket bones has been fractured, and he has many cuts.  He has also lost a tooth.  The surgery to remove his spleen and to treat the punctured lung will leave scars, certainly.  But the major laceration was to his upper lip, in its middle, which had to be sewn back together. This is the scar that is of great significance in the story.

Early in the story, we learn that Hassan was born with what is called a "harelip."  This is a split lip, a birth defect.  He is made fun of by others because of this, and Baba finally pays for this to be fixed surgically, and Hassan is left with "just a pink jagged line running up from his lip" (47).  This "gift" to Hassan leaves Amir envious, thinking, "I wished I too had some kind of scar that would beget Baba's sympathy" (46).  He has always felt a sense of competition with Hassan for Baba's affection, without any realization of the undercurrents around him, since he does not know that Hassan is Baba's son, too, something he learns much later in the story, before he has his encounter with Assef. 

Now, Amir has a scar like Hassan's, and he realizes that he has gotten what he wished for those many years ago, thinking to himself, "Clean down the middle. Like a harelip" (297).  Now, although Baba and Hassan are gone, Amir has the same scar, providing Amir with a physical manifestation of his brotherhood with Hassan. So, not only is this scar a badge of honor, representing his fight to save Sohrab, Hassan's son, but also it is a badge of his brotherhood with Hassan. 

How does Amir's relationship with Assef evolve in The Kite Runner?

As an adolescent, Amir goes out of his way to avoid Assef and absolutely despises him. Assef is the neighborhood bully who strikes fear into Amir and the other local boys in Kabul. Amir describes Assef as a sociopath and passively watches as Assef rapes his best friend, Hassan, after the kite-fighting tournament. Amir refuses to intervene and help his friend because he fears that Assef will also harm him. Amir's fear and jealousy stand in the way of helping Hassan, who is defenseless against Assef and his two friends.

As an adult, Amir attempts to find redemption and atone for his past sins by traveling back to Afghanistan and saving Sohrab from a difficult life of abuse and poverty. When he discovers that he is speaking to Assef, who is now a leading Taliban official, Amir is both shocked and afraid. Amir initially offers to pay Assef in order to leave with Sohrab, but Assef challenges Amir to a duel. He tells Amir that if he defeats him in a hand-to-hand fight, he will allow Amir to walk out the door with Sohrab. Instead of running away and avoiding Assef like he did as an adolescent, Amir faces his fears and accepts Assef's challenge. Amir suffers a brutal beating but manages to survive and leave with Sohrab after Sohrab knocks Assef's eye out using his slingshot. Overall, Amir treats Assef differently as an adult by standing up to his enemy and engaging in a violent fight to save Sohrab.