guides will also help with their character, theme, and plot analyses.

For example, in the beginning of the novel, Amir witnesses bullies abuse his childhood friend, Hassan. Instead of trying to help, he runs away. Later, he finds out that Hassan was his half-brother and decides to get Hassan's own son out of Afghanistan. A simple thesis statement could read: "Amir's redemption comes when he saves Hassan's son." A more elaborate one could read: "Hassan represents Amir's failure as a boy, while Hassan's son represents Amir's redemption as an adult."

Amir's father, Baba, also acts as a figure of redemption; while he treats Amir with some distance as a child, he later shows great courage in defending a woman from rape. This thesis could read: "Baba, who is found to have committed adultery, redeems himself by saving another woman from rape."

Finally, Rahim Khan is the catalyst for Amir's redemption; he tells Amir about Baba and Hassan, and Hassan's son. This thesis could read: "Without Rahim Khan's involvement, Amir could never have redeemed himself." Another thesis could read: "Rahim Khan receives his own redemption through Amir, since neither could achieve it on their own."

Good luck!

If you are writing a thematic paper on The Kite Runner's portrayal of truth, you might consider using Baba statement about theft and the truth. In Chapter 3, while explaining sin to Amir, Baba says,

"When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth" (18).

If you use this idea in your thesis statement, you can discuss the various times in the novel that truth was "stolen" from characters (from Amir, from Hassan, from Sohrab), or you can write about hypocrisy which is also a form of hiding truth from others. For example, along with the statement above regarding truth, Baba also tells Amir that it is "better to get hurt by the truth than comforted by a lie." This is another premise that you could present in your thesis. Just remember to limit your thesis to one sentence and to make it meaningful statement, not a question.

Khaled Hosseini's celebrated novel The Kite Runner is considered a heart-wrenching redemption story that chronicles Amir's journey to seek redemption and atone for his past sins. As a child, Amir witnesses his best friend, Hassan, being raped by a bully named Assef, and Amir refuses to intervene. Following the traumatic incident, Amir becomes overwhelmed with guilt and his relationship with Hassan is permanently ruined.

Amir's guilt follows him into adulthood, and he spends the majority of his life suppressing his past transgressions. One day, Amir receives a phone call from Rahim Khan, who tells him that there is a way to be good again. Amir ends up traveling to Pakistan, where Rahim informs him that Hassan was his illegitimate half-brother. Rahim also explains that Hassan's son, Sohrab, is currently living in Kabul, which is currently occupied by Taliban forces.

Amir decides to seek redemption and atone for his past sins by rescuing Sohrab from a life of abuse and suffering. Amir travels to Kabul, where he locates Sohrab and is forced to fight Assef in hand-to-hand combat to rescue Hassan's son. Fortunately, Sohrab helps Amir defeat Assef, and they narrowly escape Kabul.

While Amir is in the hospital, he reads Rahim's letter, which says that true redemption is when "guilt leads to good." Rahim's comment accurately defines the concept of redemption, which is essentially clearing one's debt and making up for past transgressions. By engaging in a positive act, one is able to erase their prior transgression and atone for their sins, which is exactly what Amir does.

Given the extent of Amir's past transgression, he must sacrifice his life and well-being to atone for his sins. For Amir to fully experience redemption, he must engage in a selfless act and risk everything to save Sohrab. Amir's conscience and Rahim Khan's encouragement motivates him to rescue and adopt Sohrab. Once Amir successfully adopts Sohrab, the weight of his sins is lifted, and he begins the emotional healing process.