Guilt and Atonement in Khalid Housseini’s The Kite Runner

Abstract

Guilt is a conscious emotion which results from the inner criticism directed towards the self when it has violated a moral behavior. After committing a transgression, the superego creates feelings of guilt to punish the ego in order to guarantee moral superiority. As a result, individuals succumb to sadism and moral masochism. However, acknowledging one’s guilt and engaging in reparative behavior is what researchers refer to, as, atonement. The dichotomy of guilt and atonement has been cleverly used in Khalid Housseini’s, debut novel, The Kite Runner, produced in 2003. Hence, building on the existing psychoanalytic works, this study aims to analyze the novel. On the one hand, it interprets Amir’s guilt by applying Freud’s notion of guilt and its negative effects on the psyche of the protagonist. On the other hand, it exhibits the protagonist’s moral engagement and approach towards atonement. The results of the analysis indicate that the novel implies the protagonist’s psychological change, and how guilt promotes adaptive behaviors in order to achieve atonement and self forgiveness.