The phrase “there is a way to be good again” signifies that there is a search for redemption in this book. The quote gains its significance when we finish reading chapter seven, and find out that Amir watched Hassan get raped, and did nothing to help. This unforgivable act is what drives Amir to resolve his guilt and find redemption.
Soraya seems to have come to terms and released her guilt from her secret. She is living a life free from the chains of guilt. Amir wishes that he could be living that way. His guilt still weighs him down. He never told anyone about what he did, and keeping this secret locked inside himself makes him unable to find peace. This difference between Amir and Soraya shows that Soraya pushes Amir to be a better person. He wants to be able to release his secret and find redemption like Soraya has.
I have made many mistakes in the past that haunt me. When you make mistakes, you don’t want to broadcast them to the world, because you don’t want people to look at you and see your faults. I have told my best friend about some of my past mistakes, and she has always helped me to forgive myself. Telling her helped me to realise that everyone makes mistakes and it’s okay. Telling someone what happened really helped to release the guilt.
To see my brainstorm click here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rwJdyDQGPYqbupk9wcGToyVDsDvAC2UkziNXCQv8j6I/edit
Personal reflection:
When I was writing this piece, I was trying to think deeper about the significance of the phrase “there is a way to be good again.” I struggled with this phrase because it implies that we can be can redeem ourselves. I think that this is really significant for this book though because the guilt that Amir lives with is what drives him to save Sohrab and turn his life around.
