Many schools of thought have been debating over several centuries as to what exactly it means to be a good person. Philosophers have also given many answers over the years about their general description of a good person. Many varying responses have been issued to give satisfactory definitions. While others state that it is respecting the law of the land; others argue it is dedicating their lives to helping others, while others believe being good is dictated by being religious. This paper will use the characters and events from the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni as well as other examples from experience to argue what exactly it means to be a good person. Arguably, according to the book The Kite Runner as well experience, the definition of a good person is someone who loyal to their friends and family and also dedicated to doing good deeds to other people like helping them especially if they are in a difficult position to help themselves. Therefore, according the research conducted, people who engage in selfish acts are not good people.
The thesis argues that a good person is one who is loyal to his friends and family members. According to Hosseni (10) in the book The Kite Runner, Hassan is a good person because he is loyal to Amir all through their childhood. For instance, when Amir tries to start a pomegranate fight with Hassan because of the guilt and resentment that he feels towards him, Hassan refuses to fight back and chooses to smash the pomegranate on his head instead. It shows that even though Amir did not help Hassan when Assef raped him, Hassan is still loyal to him. Ali, Hassan’s father is arguably a good man because he remains loyal to Baba and his family for many years. When gunfire interrupts Amir and Hassan’s conversation, Ali, hides the two children (Hosseni 40). Besides, when, Amir snaps at Ali for asking him if he knows what happened to Hassan, Ali does not snap back and continues to serve their family until the day Amir accuses Hassan falsely. Ali devotes his life to serving Baba and his family perhaps as a show of gratitude to Baba’s father adopting him.
A good person is also one who is dedicated to do good deeds, which are magnanimous and benefit others. Arguably, Amir’s grandfather is a good man because he adopts a boy to grow along with his son. Hosseni (360) states that the adopted son is Ali. According to Hosseni (294), Rahim khan is also a good man because he asks Amir to come back to Afghanistan so that he could look for Hassan’s son who is currently living in an orphanage after his parents, Hassan, and his wife die. He also tries to correct the mistakes made by both Amir and his father Baba by telling Amir the true story behind the relationship between Hassan and Baba. Notably, Hassan shows that he is a good person when he does not reveal that Amir is framing him about stealing his presents after his birthday party. Nelson Mandela, for example, is today viewed as a good person because he sacrificed most of his productive life so that he could help obliterate apartheid from South Africa, his country (Esolen 16). He also dedicated a larger portion of his life solving conflict in Africa as well as all over the world instead of retiring or vacationing all over the world
Nevertheless, even though the most people consider a good person as one who does good and selfless actions all through his life, a person may have been selfish and mean through most part of their lives but corrects his ways and becomes a good person. Rahim Khan, for example, says that there is a way to be good again (Hosseni 2). Amir, the main character in The Kite Runner was especially selfish, mean, and disloyal to Hassan in his childhood and lives in guilt. Despite his past, he redeems himself when he goes risks his life recurrently to save Hassan’s son from the Taliban and later adopts him. Arguably, even though Amir watches from a distance as Assef rapes Hassan and lies about his presents making Hassan and his father Ali leave, he fights and saves Sohrab when he finds him with Assef. Notably, when he takes Sohrab for the kite competition in the United States, he does not feel guilt anymore displaying that he is a changed man who is now a good person.
In conclusion, a good man is not only judged by his action but also his state of mind as he commits the selfless actions. While others engage in seemingly selfless acts, they may not always be fueled by good intentions. Therefore, not all people who do good deeds are good people. According to the book, a good individual is loyal and dedicated to doing selfless acts. However, it is important to understand that people make mistakes in their past but if they change and dedicate their lives to positive actions, they become one of the good people. Overall, Esolen (16) states that while some people in their past might be selfish, there is always room for redemption if they choose to forgive themselves and change their ways.
Work cited
Esolen, Anthony. "What Is Man?.." Touchstone: A Journal Of Mere Christianity 25.1 (2012): 15-18.
Hosseni, Khaled. The Kite Runner, 2010.
