Hassan’s Symbolism as a Sacrificial Lamb in The Kite Runner Anonymous College

The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, centers around the interplay between guilt, redemption, and sacrifice. Hosseini refers to the concept of religious sacrifice through which individuals cleanse themselves of sin and free their consciences. Betrayal leads to guilt, which requires healing. The healing, in The Kite Runner’s case of generations of guilt and betrayal, is done through emblematic sacrifice. The character Hassan often serves as a bridge between two characters, allowing for reconciliation with one another. In the novel, Hosseini employs Hassan as a symbolic, sacrificial lamb, who acts as a means of redemption for those who have sinned.

From the start of the novel, Hassan was used by others as a means of redemption and reconciliation with other characters. Beginning at his birth, Hassan lived with and was taken care of by Baba so that Baba could redeem himself for sleeping with Ali’s (Hassan’s father’s) wife. Although he was not necessarily sacrificed, considering his living conditions were far better than those of the other Hazzaras in Kabul, this situation foreshadowed Hassan's future as a vector for redemption. Hassan's first major manipulation as a sacrifice occurred when he was twelve years old, where he mediated...