But we can assume that since he was the actual victim of the incident, he might have had to suffer too. Not only was he a victim at the hand of a bunch of rowdy street kids, he was also abandoned by his father and his best friend. That was something very cruel for a young boy to handle. That must have taken its toll on him and he finally gave up on life. When Rahim Khan tells Amir, "There is a way to be good again" (p. 1) we realize that redemption is the most important theme of this book. Childhood and what happened during that period have had a powerful impact on Amir's adult life; he is unable to forget anything about that incident and where that happened: "I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years." The sense of having betrayed a good friend, the shame and guilt that it had produced, continued to grow stronger over the years instead of gradually diminishing. This is what prompts Amir to go back to Afghanistan and save Sohrab (Hasan's son) simply to redeem himself and to wash off his guilt for once and all.
This quote has a very important place in the novel. Since Amir had been unable to save his friend and continued to suffer under a heavy burden of guilt and betrayal, the only way he thinks he can deal with it is by accusing Hasan of being a coward. He does that once but when it fails to put his soul at peace; he looks...
Amir cannot bear to look into Hasan's eyes because his face constantly reminds of the mistake he had made when he allowed his friend to be sexual abused. This is when he places a watch under Hasan's pillow and tells his father that Hasan had stolen the watch. When Baba discovers the watch in Hasan's room, he asks Hasan if he had stolen the watch and he says yes because he is completely devoted to Amir. For the readers, it might be difficult to understand why he admitted to a crime he had never committed but his devotion and love for Amir far surpasses any concern for his own well being. He knows that watch was found in his room and instead of denying any charge; he quietly accepts it and allows himself to be thrown out of the house. Hasan's removal was an important point in the book because it finally divides Amir's life into before-Hasan and after-Hasan episodes. Baba cannot however accept this change because he is very fond of Hasan and knowing that he was his responsibility, he feels even worse when Hasan had to be removed from the house. But he is a man of principles in some matters and this was one of them. Hasan's removal also brings an end to Hasan's story in the book and from there on, we just read about Amir and his journey into adulthood only to be re-connected with Hasan near the end when his son steps in.
