Hosseini creates irony and a paradox within the concept of reward and

punishment through Hassan’s mistreatment for his good behaviour, and Amir’s
honouring of his bad behaviour; therefore addressing the unjust moral system
that is ever present in the novel and ultimately, in society. Through Amir’s fall into
and out of his dissociations in Chapter 7, his stream of consciousness reveals the
presentation of the concept through religious imagery. Hassan is the ‘sacrificial
lamb’ who ‘sees that its imminent demise is for a higher purpose’ that serves amir
in his struggle ‘to win baba’. Hosseini’s use of a religious allusion paints the
repercussions Hassan faces in a positive and righteous light, creating an ominous
atmosphere in order to suggest the twisted irony found in his sacrifice. The
zoomorphic illustration of Hassan echoes his disadvantaged status in Afghan
society as a Hazara, and further establishes the prejudiced moral conduct
imprinted in the story. The integral theme of sacrifice, which is manifested
through the symbolism behind the lamb, is common in other literary works, such
as Yann Martel’s Life of Pi. Similarly, Richard Parker’s companionship and
devotion to Pi, led him to ‘survive (...) his ordeal’, just as Hassan’s loyalty aided
Amir in becoming redeemed in the eyes of Baba. Hosseini’s critique of the
concept of reward and punishment is successfully displayed in the unprincipled
outcome of Chapter 7, as the injustices did not receive the retribution they
morally deserved.

In contrast to Hosseini’s corrupt moral presentations in the novel, he displays a

somewhat fair system through the theme of guilt, as it becomes a form of
punishment for Amir’s betrayal of Hassan. In chapter 7, Amir’s troubled mind
causes him to perceive himself as “a liar, and a cheat, and a thief” and reveals his
search for internal relief in order ‘to be able to breathe again.’ The syndetic listing
evokes a sense of order among the chaos of his mindset; emphasising the depth
of his guilt and the way in which it has caused Amir to fully internalise these
negative self-perceptions. These cemented notions, followed by the alienating
and suffocating imagery linked to not breathing, further emphasise and translate
the severity of his guilt as the mental torture is presented as a physical
manifestation. Hosseini’s use of the adjective ‘able’ exhibits Amir’s lack of self-
control, juxtaposing the previously ordered structure; hence demonstrating his
conflicted and somewhat hostile mental state. Although his suffering is not
externally inflicted but rather self-induced, Amir’s use of the word ‘thief’ mirrors
Baba’s ideologies surrounding ‘bad behaviour’, disclosing that this internal
conflict is somewhat influenced by environmental factors. The societal aspects
that affect ideas of guilt are also explored in Albert Camus’ The Outsider, where,
unlike Amir, Meursault is not impacted by common expectations surrounding
guilt and grief; resulting in his ostracization and capital punishment. The two
novels ultimately challenge the foundations of the moral codes of society and
question the notions that sway the theme of guilt. Although the reasoning on
whether Amir’s guilty conscience is fueled by internal or external factors could be
argued, his disloyalty towards Hassan consequently plagues him.

Finally, Hosseini confronts the concept of reward and punishment through the
lens of Soraya’s character, providing insight into how conviction is executed
unfairly in the context of gender. Soraya’s culturally deemed promiscuous choices
resulted in her rejection from her family and Afghan community. In Chapter 13,
she highlights an existing prejudice surrounding the nature of these punishments
as her male counterparts’ similar behaviour is somewhat rewarded and excused
with “Oh, they’re just men having fun!”, whilst her actions provoke conversations
surrounding ‘nang and namoos’. This presentation highlights the double
standards and moral obligations enforced on Soraya and her female counterparts.
The juxtaposition between the two reactions is established as the former reaction
paints men’s bad behaviour in an uplifting light, whilst the latter undermines
women’s behavior. Hosseini’s use of punctuation evokes a conversational style in
Soraya’s paraphrases, the exclamation mark revealing an underlying bitter tone to
emphasise the societal and cultural scale in which these biases are engrained and
normalised within these moral systems. The exclamation used with the adjective
‘just’ further releases the men from judgement, but could also contain a slight
undertone of hesitation through the comma that follows ‘oh’; possibly implying a
societal awareness of these pretences among Afghans. The alliterative
colloquialism of pride and honour alludes to an image of entrapment and assigns
an assertive tone to further encapsulate the degree of Soraya's punishment. The
concept of female emancipation is similarly explored within Margret Atwood’s
The Handmaid’s Tale, as the handmaids are entrapped within the role of
producing children for the ‘commanders,’ just as Soraya becomes confined within
the societal obligations enforced upon her and Afghani women in the name of
morals.

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