Sohrab does he grasp the true meaning of resurrection: if a person who wants rebirth, he will make sacrifice first. Amir knows that if he wants to get rid of his devil inside completely, he should do something for Hassan or Hassan’s shadow Sohrab.
Christian beliefs make Amir know if people want rebirth, people should sacrifice first and then they will be forgiven. When they are forgiven, they will forgiven themselves. Amir forgives his father, who reluctant to show any tenderness to him as a father should be. He forgives his wife and her past. He loves her with his family in the United States without guilt any more. He feels free after he sees Sohrab’s smile.
The most important is that he forgives Hassan, who robbed his father’s love and indirectly brought so much pain to him all theses years since he was betrayed by Amir himself. It’s the course that Amir forgives himself.
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Conclusion
The initiation story stems from German, and then develops into Britain, America and becomes popular in the literary critics. The Kite Runner belongs to the literary genre Initiation Story, and corresponds to several specific characteristics. As an initiation story usually does, Khaled Hosseini tells a young man — Amir's spiritual journey from a boy to a man, from innocence to maturity. The process of Amir’s growth is the main plot of this novel, which describes how he struggles to grow up, and a lonely image that is selfish and cowfish and finally overcomes himself and gradually becomes merciful.
In the Bildungsroman, the experience of the protagonist is an essential factor. Also, The initiation guides and companions are important. From the perspective of the theory of initiation stories under sociology, each individual can be influenced by others more or less. By observing the social role of others, those confused adolescents could gradually find themselves and their social position. Rahim Khan, Baba, driver Farid, Assef, Haddan and Soraya are all initiation guides and companions who accompany Amir’s growth in this novel.
This thesis intends to interpret the novel The Kite Runner from the perspective of the personal growth. The Kite Runner, obviously a successful and excellent initiation story is well accepted by the readers. It affords the readers knowledge and ability to adapt the society and to help them grow in the right direction. the essential message Hosseini tries to delivered in this work that everyone may become someone better than who he thought he was inspired so many people. Though with limitations, I hope this thesis will enrich the study to the novel and its writer, as well as enlarge the study range of the initiation story.
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Notes
1
芮玉萍,《美国成长小说研究》,北京:中国社会科学出版社,2004
年,第84页。
2
Ibid., 126.
卡勒德?胡赛尼,李宏继译 《追风筝的人》,上海人民出版社,2007
3
年,第4页。
4567
Ibid., 18. Ibid., 9. Ibid., 61. Ibid., 48.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betrayal 卡勒德?胡赛尼,10. Ibid., 115.
寇耀清,《当代阿富汗民族关系探析》, 陕西师范大学,2008年,
8 9
10
11
第2页。
1213
卡勒德?胡赛尼,303.
Speight, R. Marston. God is one: The Way of Islam ( New York: Friends
Press,1989), 47.
22
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Bloom, Irene. Religious Diversity and Human Rights. Columbia: Columbia
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Hardin, James. Reflection and Action: Essays on the Bildungsroman. Clumbia:
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betrayal
Meachan, Jon.. “Is God Real.” Newsweek (10 June 2007) , 12-14.
Speight, R. Marston. God is one: The Way of Islam. New York: Friends Press,
1989.
卡勒德?胡赛尼,李宏继译 《追风筝的人》,上海人民出版社,2007。
寇耀清 《当代阿富汗民族关系探析》, 陕西师范大学,2008。
芮玉萍 《美国成长小说研究》, 北京:中国社会科学出版社,2004。
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