How Does Baba Influence Amir
In the novel “The Kite Runner,” by Khaled Hosseini, one of the main themes is the influence and importance of the father-son relationship, specifically the influence and importance that Amir’s father has on him from his early childhood all throughout his life and into his own experiences as a father. Throughout the novel, Baba, Amir’s father, guides Amir through certain events which are crucial to his coming-of-age, and does it in a way in which it is not always clear what his intentions are. Baba takes Amir out of Afghanistan before the Soviet invasion, and while not specific events, he leads Amir by example, and helps him to get out of his shell and experience America at last.
Throughout the novel, Amir makes it very clear that he aspires …show more content…
In other words, Baba is very important to Amir’s upbringing through his practice of leading by example. One of the key situations is when Baba forgives Hassan for “stealing” Amir’s watch and money. Throughout his childhood, Baba had reminded Amir that “there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft.” (17) However, in this instance, he let’s Hassan pass without punishment, even though he had broken the one sin Baba believed in. While not an immediate influence, later in life, this gave Amir the courage to see past other people’s weaknesses and faults, and forget his own prejudices when dealing with people, especially his now deceased best friend Hassan, who was of Hazara descent. Similarly, Baba had shown Amir early in life how to treat others correctly, even if they were not of the same ethnicity as you, or perhaps the same social class. Baba was always best friends with Ali, who is a Hazara and Baba’s housekeeper, since the day Baba’s father took Ali in off the streets, and “Ali and Baba grew up together as childhood playmates...just like Hassan and I grew up a generation later.” (25) Baba’s childhood actions had greatly impacted his own future, and therefore influence the childhood and future of his son, showing him to be accepting of people and not to believe the prejudices that other people talked about. In Amir’s life, Baba’s “silent” influence was likely the one of the greatest
Throughout the novel, Amir makes it very clear that he aspires …show more content…
In other words, Baba is very important to Amir’s upbringing through his practice of leading by example. One of the key situations is when Baba forgives Hassan for “stealing” Amir’s watch and money. Throughout his childhood, Baba had reminded Amir that “there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft.” (17) However, in this instance, he let’s Hassan pass without punishment, even though he had broken the one sin Baba believed in. While not an immediate influence, later in life, this gave Amir the courage to see past other people’s weaknesses and faults, and forget his own prejudices when dealing with people, especially his now deceased best friend Hassan, who was of Hazara descent. Similarly, Baba had shown Amir early in life how to treat others correctly, even if they were not of the same ethnicity as you, or perhaps the same social class. Baba was always best friends with Ali, who is a Hazara and Baba’s housekeeper, since the day Baba’s father took Ali in off the streets, and “Ali and Baba grew up together as childhood playmates...just like Hassan and I grew up a generation later.” (25) Baba’s childhood actions had greatly impacted his own future, and therefore influence the childhood and future of his son, showing him to be accepting of people and not to believe the prejudices that other people talked about. In Amir’s life, Baba’s “silent” influence was likely the one of the greatest