redemption. In fact, when the book opens and Rahim Khan calls him to ask him to come to Afghanistan, Rahmin Khan tells him that there is a way to be good again. That is what motivates Amir to make the hero’s journey, not courage and a desire to behave heroically.

In the typical hero’s journey, the hero has a quest, and he sets out on a journey to achieve the quest and to save others along the way. This is what Amir does in the novel. However, there are big differences between Amir and the typical hero.

One of the most important differences is that the event that impacts Amir’s life most and makes him into the adult that he becomes is, in fact, an act of cowardice. He lets Assef and the others rape Hassan in the alley without interfering. He hides because he fears the boys will hurt him too. In the typical hero’s story, although the hero might eventually grow into the role, he generally does not behave in such a cowardly way, even early on.

In chapters 19 through 25, Amir travels to Kabul with the help of Farid, locates Sohrab, and engages in a bloody hand-to-hand battle with Assef in order to save Hassan's son. After Amir saves Sohrab's life by risking his own, he decides to adopt Sohrab and gives him a second chance at life in America. One could consider Amir heroic because he selflessly risks his life in order to save Sohrab from a difficult life of abuse by members of the Taliban. Prior to Amir's arrival, Sohrab was being sexually molested by Assef. Before Amir finds Sohrab, he also leaves a wad of cash for Wahid's family, which is also a generous, charitable act. Amir demonstrates his courage, bravery, and strength by fighting and surviving the bloody battle with Assef. He also makes the selfless decision to fly Sohrab to the United States and adopt him. Overall, Amir could be considered a hero for his selfless, charitable actions, as well as his courage and bravery in the face of danger while fighting Assef.

Among the most important actions that Amir takes in The Kite Runner are betraying Hassan, returning to Afghanistan, forgiving his father, and adopting Sohrab. Because Amir is the protagonist and the novel covers a large part of his life, there are many other actions that could be considered important, such as his marrying Soraya. The initial, two-part betrayal is critical to the development of the entire novel because Amir suffers tremendous guilt over his cowardly and petty behavior. He not only failed to intervene when Hassan was raped, but he actually framed Hassan for theft.

Amir's decision to return to his homeland is equally crucial because it brings him closer to Rashid Khan, who reveals the secret that Baba kept for so long—that Baba was actually Hassan’s father. Amir’s ability to forgive Baba is an important component of being able to forgive himself. Furthermore, once he knows that Hassan was his half-brother, he gains a sense of familial duty to rescue his nephew.

I'm not sure that Baba ever thought of his son as a person capable of heroism, but Amir does display traits of bravery following his father's death. Even before Baba had died, Amir summoned the courage to seek Soraya's hand in marriage. He nobly overlooked her own past indiscretions:

     I envied her. Her secret was out... I suspected that there were many ways in which Soraya Taheri was a better person than me. Courage was just one of them.

But Amir soon displayed a courage that even he could not have suspected. When he was summoned by Rahim Khan to return to Pakistan to see him--that "There is a way to be good again"--Amir began a series of heroic adventures that would have made Baba proud. Travelling back into Afghanistan was in itself a dangerous journey. Forced to travel incognito, Amir found himself in danger at every turn. With the threat of being discovered by the Taliban ever-present, Amir discovered the possible whereabouts of Sohrab at the orphanage. He attended the soccer match and its gruesome halftime display of executions. He arranged to meet with a Taliban official, and then he boldly walked into his old home to bargain for the life of Sohrab. Discovering that Assef was the Taliban chieftain holding his nephew, Amir agreed to fight Assef for the right to take Sohrab to safety--never having used his fists before, and knowing that Assef's brass knuckles might mean his own death. He laughed at his old enemy during the beating, finally realizing that

I felt at peace... My body was broken... but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed.

After securing Sohrab, Amir endured recuperation in a hospital, knowing that the Taliban were still searching for him. He bravely battled the bureaucratic red tape necessary to take Sohrab back to America, and then stood by his nephew after Sohrab attempts suicide. Once back in California, Amir stands up to the general, warning him never to insult Sohrab again.

     "And one more thing, General Sahib," I said. "You will never again refer to him as 'Hazara boy' in my presence. He has a name and it's Sohrab."