Human nature is often paradoxical. People tend to believe that in order to obtain true happiness, there needs to be a price–a sacrifice. The price of happiness is inescapable, as it seems anything in life that involves happiness comes with a catch. The paradox is that once one makes a sacrifice to obtain the happiness they so desired, the guilt that comes from the sacrifice can destroy their happiness. Khaled Hosseini, famous novelist and founder of The Khaled Hosseini Foundation, captures the theme of sacrifice in his novel, The Kite Runner.
Similarly, Ursula Guin, a distinguished American novelist and writer of short stories, conveys the need for sacrifice in order to have a utopian society in her short story, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.” Both literary works, The Kite Runner and “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,” depict the paradox in human nature when it comes to sacrifice and happiness; however, the Kiterunner conveys this more effectively and convincingly due to its use of redemption.Summary: In “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”, Omelas there is a city of guaranteed happiness, with people whoPoint 1:Happiness for the people of Omelas comes from the sacrifice of a child, while happiness for Amir comes from winning the affection of Baba with a blue kite at the expense of sacrificing Hassan’s innocence. Omelas is described as a perfect city and the people who live there are described as “happy”, “mature, intelligent, passionate adults whose lives were not wretched (1549).” The narrator provides details in depth to convince the reader that Omelas truly is a perfect “city in a fairytale,” however, the narrator says, “But I wish I could describe it better. I wish I could convince you (1549).
” The narrator is una. .the short story. This is why The Kite Runner holds more significance when it comes to sacrifice because the characters experience the full circle of sacrifice and redemption, rather than just half.Reflecting on human nature appears to show a vicious cycle in the pursuit of happiness and the sacrifices necessary to receive happiness. In both “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” and The Kite Runner, there are sacrifices made to guarantee the contentment of the characters and this is what makes both fictional works more credible to readers.
A paradox is revealed with the sacrifices as they lead to guilt for Amir and some, but not all, of the people of Omelas. Both characters in the two literary works are motivated by sacrificial guilt to leave but The Kite Runner shows the full cycle of redemption when Amir makes amends and returns to Afghanistan to save Hassan.
