The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, focuses on the interplay between guilt, redemption, and sacrifice. Hosseini refers to the concept of religious sacrifice by which individuals purify themselves from sin and free their conscience. Betrayal leads to guilt, which requires healing. Healing, in the case of The Kite Runner's generations of guilt and betrayal, comes through iconic sacrifices. The character of Hassan often serves as a bridge between two characters, allowing them to reconcile. In the novel, Hosseini uses Hassan as a symbolic sacrificial lamb, who acts as a means of redemption for those who have sinned. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay From the beginning of the novel, Hassan has been used by others as a means of redemption and reconciliation with other characters. From birth, Hassan lived with Baba and was taken care of by him so that Baba could atone for sleeping with Ali's (Hassan's father) wife. Even if he was not necessarily sacrificed, his living conditions being much better than those of the other Hazzaras of Kabul, this situation foreshadowed Hassan's future as a vector of redemption. Hassan's first major manipulation as a sacrifice occurred when he was twelve years old, when he mediated the reconciliation between Amir and Baba. Throughout his life, Amir felt unworthy and unloved by his father. He believed he had killed his mother in childbirth and that his father was angry with him. He was nothing like Baba and considered himself a constant disappointment to him. At twelve years old, Amir discovered that he could win his father's approval by winning a kite tournament. He believed that if he won the tournament, it would "show him [Baba] once and for all that his son was worth it." Then maybe my life as a ghost in this house would finally be over…And maybe, just maybe, I would finally be forgiven for killing my mother” (Hosseini 56). As Amir's "kite runner", Hassan raced to catch the second place kite so Amir could present it to Baba as a prize and a final plank on the bridge between the two's relationship . While retrieving the kite, Hassan was raped by the psychopath. Assef because he refused to give up the kite and let down Amir, his best friend. It is in this scene that Hosseini makes a major reference to the sacrifice of a lamb. He said: “…I had seen it before. It was the look of the lamb” (76). Here, Hassan's rape forced Amir to flashback to a moment when he witnessed the sacrifice of a lamb. He said "I look because of that look of acceptance in the animal's eyes...I imagine the animal sees that its impending demise is for a higher purpose. It's the look..." (76 .77). When Amir spoke of "that/the look," he was referring to the expression on Hassan's face as Amir observed the selfless sacrifice in the same way he had observed the slaughter of the lamb. Instead of stopping him, Amir stood watching the entire time. He consciously allowed his best friend's sacrifice to happen before his eyes because “…Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to kill. to win Baba” (77). The sacrifice succeeded in improving the relationship between Baba and Amir (but only temporarily because the real problem was Baba's deep-rooted guilt), but destroyed the relationship between Amir and Hassan. Hassan's selfless sacrifice for Amir became the subject of Amir's unshakable guilt, leading to Hassan's second sacrifice for Amir La..