Matt Schenk

ENG 112

Kite Runner

Amir Vs. Amir

        I would like to talk about a theme from The Kite Runner is that of Amir and his guilt, and the affects that this has on his growth throughout the book. Through the entire novel Amir not only struggles within his relationships with others but within his own self. His relationships with his family, servants and others all help to shape who he becomes and who he is at any given moment. Most prevalent of these relationships and situations is that of his fathers actions and feelings toward him, and vice versa, and also the guilt he feels for his actions toward Hassan.

        The Kite Runner is a story about a privileged class boy living with his father in pre-war Afghanistan. The story starts with Amir trying to gain acceptance from his father. The relationship is based on a sort of awkward avoidance and Amir constantly trying to please and be accepted by his father. His father, Baba, is a very masculine character. He is an athletic and aggressive man with strong opinions and ideas about things. Amir on the other is almost nothing like this, he is but a small, creative and weak character. Baba is often heard putting Amir down and generally being hard and cold toward him, more so than with other children even. Amir gets into scuffles with bullies and is too afraid to face them and runs away. This is entirely against Baba’s feelings on how a young man should defend himself, and he lets Amir know this. Baba wants Amir to play sports, like soccer Baba’s favorite sport; but Amir is a writer, a creative soul and wants to do that and is very good at it. This kind of relationship to a boy with no mother has tremendous affects on Amir’s self-image and emotions.

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        Baba further feels disappointment towards his son for the way he acts with his servant, Hassan. Amir gets into a fight with some bullies and once again runs, leaving his servant to fight for him. Baba is generally nicer to the servant, Hassan, than he is his own son. Amir sees this and I think feels a sort of animosity toward Hassan when they are together, even though Hassan is a devoted friend to him.

        One thing that does bring all the people in Amir’s life sort of together in a positive and constructive way is with the sport of ...

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