Amir's confrontation with Assef in Wazir Akar Khan marks an important turning point in the novel. Why does the author have Amir, Assef, and Sohrab all come together in this way? What is this the significance of the scar that Amir develops as a result of the confrontation? Why is it important in Amir's journey toward forgiveness and acceptance?
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The author makes the characters meet this way, to somewhat reinact the day in the alley. The author wanted Amir to be able to make up for not confronting Assef in the beginning. The scar, i think, is a reminder to Amir the pain he caused Hassan, and is a reminder that courage is a good thing. It is an important event in Amir's journey toward forgiveness and acceptance because it shows Amir that he can make up for the wrongs he did earlier in his life. He might not be able to apologize to Hassan, but he can make Hassan proud of him in heaven by saving his son from the same cruelty. This also will help Amir forgive himself, and accept that he cannot forget the pass and he needs to accept that he has to move on and make do with the life he has.
The author has all of them come together because it ties loose ends that were not tied. It finally gives Amir the peace and rest in his heart that he has not had since that day in the alley. With this confrontation the author is able to end all of the turmoil inside of Amir and finally allow him to have peace while at the same time give Assef what he deserved and finally giving Hassan his vengeance peace. The scar symbolizes the hurt that was caused and how Hassan will always be a part of Amir. Amir finally got what he deserved and with the scar he finally felt better about it. He is finally able to forgive himself and accept what he had done so many years ago.
Kara I love how you talked about how Amir could find forgiveness and acceptance and make up for his wrongs. And also I think with that the idea that Amir will have the scar to always remind him and with that reminder a certain peace within himself.
Chelsea, I like that you bring up that the confrontation between Assef, Amir, and Hassan's son finally gives Hassan the vengeance he always wanted, but could not get. I also like that you said that the scar symbolizes how Hassan will always be a part of Amir. It will always remind him of their past troubles and how far he has come to overcome the guilt.
Amir’s second encounter with Assef marks the chance for Amir to finally stand up for what is right. The author brings them together this way as a final test of Amir’s bravery. The memories of the alley haunted Amir almost everyday and his whole life would be a waste if he did not learn from his mistake from when he was twelve. I don’t know, I think that this situation is a little too serendipitous because out of all of the children at the orphanage, the one Taliban that scarred Amir’s childhood picks Sohrab as his “toy”. And it was a little cheesy too that in the beginning of the novel Hassan threatened Assef with his slingshot and said that he would loose an eye and it turns out that Assef gets his eye shot out by Hassan’s son. Anyway, getting back to the question, Amir “earns” his scar by finally becoming righteous and virtuous like Hassan had been. This helps Amir to forgive himself and come to realize that he can “be good again.”
Kara, that is an interesting point that Amir's actions are a way of gaining acceptance from Hassan. It's almost like Amir is not only apologizing for not helping Hassan in the alley, but for all of his wrongdoings towards Hassan. Also Amir could gain Hassan's love by bringing Sohrab with him in America.
Speaking of Sohrab, I know that he was traumatized and robbed of a childhood, but I wish that the author would have followed Sohrab's life in America to a point where the reader would know that Sohrab was finally happy.
The final confrontation between Assef, Amir, and Sohrab proves to be Amir's second chance to prove his loyalty and bravery, and this time, he does not let anyone down. What happened in this scene illustrates what should have happened in the alleyway with Hassan those many years ago. The scar that Amir develops as a result of the confrontation became a symbol of loyalty and courage, characteristics Hassan had and Amir had lacked. When Amir got the scar, it became a symbol of his transformation into a man similar to Hassan, characterized by loyalty and courage. Amir's focus on helping Sohrab became an important step in Amir's forgiveness of himself, for he had never been able to truly forgive himself for what had happened, so stepping up for Sohrab became an opportunity for redemption in Amir's eyes.
Amir, Assef, and Sohrab were all together in that scene to show the reader some of Sohrab's character, considering he doesn't talk very much, so he's described through his actions. The scar Amir receives is another way of showing how he's redeeming himself, getting a scar like Hassan had, and saving and taking care of Hassan's son. The fact that Amir took the punches and didn't really fight back, it shows that he really wanted to help Sohrab, and he put his life out there, but Sohrab saved him. When Amir doesn't fight, he just accepts his destiny, getting beat up in Hassan's memory. While Amir is getting pummeled he seems to get closer to forgiving himself for what he did.
I agree with what Kara said about the scar. It also would be a reminder of what he did to and for Hassan every time he looked into the mirror. The scar was a great idea for Amir to receive as redemption for what he should have done, fighting for Hassan in the alley.
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