Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner is a affecting narrative of an Afghani boy’s upbringing. Despite holding a supporter brought up in a civilization unfamiliar to most North Americans. the book has found widespread readership. One of the many grounds for the book’s popularity is the development and credibility of the father-son relationships that we are introduced to compensate at the story’s beginning.
The features in the relationships we witness are many ; they include the sad love-hate tensenesss between Baba and Amir. the relationship between Ali and Hassan. which seem to be more friendly than familial ( explained tardily in the book ) . and the wistful. cautious fondness that Baba has for Hassan.
The most of import father-son relationship in The Kite Runner is that between the supporter Amir and his male parent Baba. a extremely successful Kabul man of affairs. From Amir’s descriptions of his male parent at the beginning of the book. it is clear that he respects him greatly: “He motioned for me to keep his chapeau for him and I was glad to. because everyone would see that he was my father” ( 16 ) . However. merely a few paragraphs subsequently. when Amir is depicting the manner that Baba sees the universe ( “black and white” ) . says that “you can’t love a individual who lives that manner without fearing him excessively. Possibly even detesting him a little” ( 16 ) . Amir is proposing that his feelings towards his male parent are more of a fearful fear than pure esteem ; from Amir’s point of position. it is a love-hate relationship.
Baba besides expresses his uncertainties about Amir. Baba is. merely put. powerful – physically. financially. and most significantly. in footings of his personality. Baba is dominant. He expects his boy to be the same. but he is clearly non. Amir prefers composing poesy and reading literature to disbursement clip on the association football field – or even watching athleticss on Television. Baba is disappointed in his son’s of course submissive demeanour. Amir knows about this from listening to his father’s conversations with Rahim Khan. Baba’s longtime friend. Amir is despairing to delight his male parent. but when he hears Baba say to Rahim Khan “If I hadn’t seen the physician pull him out of my married woman with his ain eyes. I’d ne’er believe he’s my son” ; it angers him ( 25 ) . But Amir. ever desiring to fulfill his male parent. continues his attempts to do Baba proud.
After Amir and Hassan emerge winning from the one-year kite-fighting competition. Baba is intelligibly really proud of Amir: “We won! We won… so I saw Baba on our roof. He was standing on the border. pumping both of his fists. Hollering and clapping. And that right there was the individual greatest minute of my twelve old ages of life. seeing Baba on that roof. proud of me at last” ( 71 ) . Soon after this. Baba throws Amir an tremendous birthday party. Amir recognizes. nevertheless. that his male parent unneeded splurging on the party is merely because of the triumph in the kite contending competition. Baba wants to experience proud of his boy. so any of Amir’s Baba-approved accomplishments must be made known to everyone. Amir sees through this. and does non appreciate his father’s dishonesty.
Baba gives Amir two extremely desirable nowadayss for this birthday. but Amir calls all the gifts he receives “blood money” because he knows he ne’er would hold received them were it non for his kite combat triumph ( 107 ) . Baba before told Amir that there is merely one wickedness: larceny. He says that all other wickednesss are merely different signifiers of stealing. Now. nevertheless. Amir is being robbed of a echt relationship with his male parent. and it is Baba himself who is the stealer. Amir. despite his high sentiment of Baba. acknowledges that Baba can non be perfect. The ruin of Baba in Amir’s eyes has begun.
After traveling to the US. Baba begins to acquire old and weak. while Amir grows older. gets married. and starts a composing calling. Baba is the 1 who is quiet in his infirmary room. and people are coming to see him in the infirmary as he repeatedly thanks them – merely as Amir was thanking invitees at his birthday party ( 183-184. 101 ) . Their functions have about become reversed ; Amir’s regard for Baba is rapidly altering to commiseration. while Baba is proud to be the male parent of a immature adult male about to acquire married.
Much later in the book. Amir goes back to Afghanistan and is told by Rahim Khan that Hassan was really Baba’s kid. This. Amir thinks. is the ultimate signifier of larceny: forestalling person from cognizing about their household member. Baba kept the truth from Amir for his full life. while at the same clip stating Amir non to be a stealer. It was inexcusable lip service. Amir can esteem Baba no longer. This is the terminal of their relationship.
The relationship between Ali and Hassan is non discussed much in the book. perchance to foreground the fact that they are non really father and boy. In the few paragraphs from the book where Amir does speak about Ali and Hassan. it about seems like Ali is merely a sure older friend. instead than a male parent. This is non noticed until the prevarications from Baba’s yesteryear are revealed. and the consequence on the reader is hence much greater.
After completing the book. we can understand why Baba. and non Ali. seemed to be more fatherlike towards Hassan. Hassan was Baba’s illicit kid. but Baba had asked Ali to present as Hassan’s male parent to avoid personal embarrassment. As a consequence. throughout the book. we see illustrations where Baba treats Amir and Hassan every bit. as they are both his boies. When they go to purchase kites for the kite contending tourney. “if I [ Amir ] asked for a bigger and fancier kite. Baba would purchase it for me – but so he’d purchase it for Hassan too” ( 54 ) . Amir’s desire to stand out in his father’s eyes is once more shown here. There is a intimation of despair on Amir’s portion. as if he is willing to make anything to affect and delight Baba. However. nil will put him above Hassan. at least in Baba’s book. They are both his boies. and they will be treated the same – with the exclusion of their places as maestro and retainer.
Baba’s relation to Hassan is besides why he is inexorable that Ali and Hassan stay. even after Hassan says that he stole Amir’s ticker. Baba grew up with Ali as a playfellow. and Ali agreed to conceal Baba’s darkest secret for him. taking on a kid that was non his ain and handling him like the kid was his ain boy. Baba has watched his bastard boy turn up as his retainer ; he tried to be every bit fatherly as possible without really looking to be a parent. Having Ali and Hassan leave would intend losing his womb-to-tomb friend and a boy at the same clip. However. Baba acknowledges that Ali has done excessively much for him already. It is his bend to make something for Ali. even if it means losing his boy.
It is because of his clueless province sing the relation between Hassan and Baba that Amir can non assist but inquire why Baba doesn’t favour him over Hassan ; it is merely after Amir is informed of his father’s lies that he discovers the truth – certainly an unwantedly dry manner to larn.
In this manner. analyzing the differences in the relationships between male parents and their boies is a good manner to intensify the apprehension of the book’s chief characters. particularly in a book that is so driven by the relationships of its major character. Hosseini makes effectual usage of these relationships to stress the subjects of this narrative.
