Résumé:
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.
