Hammond, 1 Maeve Hammond AP Literature & Composition Rutan 10 December 2013 Betrayal and Atonement

Betrayal between two people is an irrevocable force that unforgivingly severs the trust and sanctity of a relationship. This deplorable sin casts impending sentiments of guilt, remorse, and resentment in the people affected by betrayal. This leads to future repercussions for both the perpetrator and the victim. It seems the only way to make amends is through atonement: penance should be made through acts of redemption that the wrongdoer feels is worthy of the sin she or he committed. In the movie Atonement and the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, betrayal creates a domino effect of actions and plot twists that forever changes the lives of certain characters. The main characters of Atonement and The Kite Runner exhibit similar personalities and characteristics. Both betrayersBriony from Atonement and Amir from The Kite Runnerare selfish and disloyal against the people they had known all their lives, Robbie and Hassan. Briony was prompted by her jealousy of the love Robbie and her sister Cecilia shared; although Briony writes short stories of love, she had never before experienced it. In effect, she accuses Robbie of a crime he didnt commit, subsequently tearing Robbie away from Cecilia and ruining their relationship. In The Kite Runner, Amirs fear for his own fate came between him and Hassan, which let way for Amirs betrayal. Amir witnesses Hassan being physically tormented and violated by neighborhood bully and bigot, Assef; however, Amir does not stand up for Hassan because he was afraid of Assef and what he would do to [him] (Hosseini, 105). Although Briony and Amir were children when they committed their crimes, they still held guilt over their heads for the remainder of their lives. It is only until atonement is sought and fulfilled when they can begin to forgive themselves for the grief they caused. Just as Briony and Amir are alike, so is each storys victim of betrayal: Robbie and Hassan. Both characters had been unconditionally loyal and caring towards the characters who played opposite of them before betrayal occurred. Robbie grew up alongside Briony and cared for her as a little sister; he even

Hammond, 2 saved Brionys life by rescuing her from drowning in a river. Hassan also thoroughly undertakes a brotherly role with AmirAmir even recounts growing up with Hassan, as they fed from the same breaststook [their] first steps on the same lawn in the same yard. And, under the same roof [they] spoke [their] first words (Hosseini, 28). Like Robbie, Hassan saved the life of his betrayer: as Amir was threatened by Assefand by a punch of his brass-knucklesHassan defended Amir, knowing that he easily could have put himself in danger for his friend. Hassan held the slingshot pointed directly at Assefs face (Hosseini, 64), and unrelentingly resumed the older brother character, like Robbie did with Briony. Both characters were selfless and compassionate towards their betrayers in dire situations. In Atonement and The Kite Runner, class and status dictate the relationships between the main and supporting characters. The unwritten rules of society hinder certain characters from publically displaying their affection or friendship; however, class and status also allows for wealthier or more highly regarded characters to take advantage of others. In Atonement, Robbie is a servant to Cecelia and Brionys wealthy family. This class distinction created contention between Robbie and Cecilia: they were never fully able to express their love for one another. A status occurrence is also depicted between two supporting characters, rich businessman Paul Marshall and Cecelias poor cousin Lola Quincey. Marshalls older age and prestige is alluring LolaMarshall becomes fully aware of this and later takes advantage of Lola mentally and physically. These examples demonstrate the royalist mindset of the early 1900s, in which wealth and high society conquered the middle-to-low class. Following along the lines of class and status struggle, in The Kite Runner society disapproves of Amir and Hassans friendship because Hassan is a Hazara, which is an Islamic sect that higher-society Muslimscalled Pashtunsdespise. Amir explains that children in the neighborhood called Hazaras [like Hassan] mice-eating, flat-nosed, load-carrying donkeys (Hosseini, 28), and Amir was looked down upon because of their friendshipAmir was even called a disgrace to Afghanistan (Hosseini, 64) because of his relationship with Hassan. Status struggle applies to Amirs wife, Soraya, who ran away with a man before she met Amir. Soraya was practically persecuted by the Afghan community: she was considered unworthy because of her decisions, while the man she was with faced no repercussions. It can

Hammond, 3 be inferred that the man she was with knew the outcome of their relationship; in effect, he took advantage of her youth and naivety. During the time period of The Kite Runner, Afghan culture considered men to be greater, more appreciated citizens than women were. The all-too-real societal rankings between Pashtuns and Hazaras and men and women are impactful in demonstrating inter-character relationships and real-world cultural conflicts. In order for the wrongdoer in each story to release the guilt of their sins, they must make atonement. Although both Briony and Amir seek and fulfill penance, they do so in an indirect way: the wrongdoing characters never ask for forgiveness directly to the people they hurt, but they instead perform actions that they deem worthy of making up for their sins. Briony becomes a nurse instead of attending Cambridge University, believing that scrubbing hospital beds and tending to wounded soldiers would scour away her immortalities. Then, she later reveals the culprit of the crime she framed Robbie for fiftysome years after the incident. Briony makes a last effort of atonement by writing a skewed memoir, in which she gives Robbie and Cecilia a happy ending to their love storyone they likely would have had, had it not been for their early deaths. Amir expiates his wrongs by saving Hassans son, Sohrab, from the Taliban. To rescue Sohrab, Amir endures a beating that nearly kills him; however, Amir feels his beating justifies the treachery he committed against Hassan. Simply put, Amir is baptized in blood and allows himself to be ushered into a peaceful world he had so longed to be apart of: a place with no ghosts, no memories, and no sins (Hosseini, 171). Betrayals lasting implications can be devastating to relationships and friendships. The perpetrator will always carry the burden of his or her debauched deeds. Although betrayal can never be forgotten, it can be amended as long as the wrongdoer seeks atonement. As the characters of Atonement and The Kite Runner well know, penance can be made if and when the betrayers are ready. Briony and Amir grievously accept their missteps in order to relieve their guilt and mend their immorality.