His wishing to amend his past of silence and guilt slowly degrades his state of mind over the course of the novel, and this ravaging cycle torments him to such a degree as to cause his angst to outlast Hassan's life. Amir's quality of life is marred by a close familial death, but this seems to numb his emotions rather than stir them--his biggest fear becomes Baba not "show[ing] me [him] the way anymore" (Hosseini 174). Amir's steady descent into a numbed emotional state suggests that Hosseini does not portray guilt as a detrimental emotion but as a numbing agent that requires a severe shock to overcome. This shock arrives at long last when he hears Hassan's name: "Those thorny old barbs of guilt bore into me once more, as if speaking his name had broken a spell, set them free to torment me anew" (Hosseini 202). Amir's now-monotonous life has subtly revolved around the thought of Hassan for the entirety of the novel, but the sheer impact of hearing Hassan's name inspires him to seek redemption over his former ways. However, the adoption of Sohrab results in failure for both parties; Amir in gaining a renewed sense of true redemption, and Sohrab in seeking a lifestyle similar to the one he left behind. Sohrab occupies merely a fraction of the vast space in the void left by the death of Amir's former best friend, and the relationship between the two proves to be strained and distant. Hosseini uses Sohrab as living proof of Amir's failure; he symbolizes the broken, almost suicidal tendencies of Amir prior to his setting the ultimate goal of redeeming himself, which was ideated too late for both of them.
Jules Winnfield of Pulp Fiction similarly ensnares himself in the complicated trap of amending one's entire set of morals for the better. However, a restaurant excursion soon requires him to call upon his old mindset. His devotion to finding new inspiration is shunted aside as he expels "Pumpkin" and his lover from the diner.
