Father Son Relationship In 'The Kite Runner'

Most people would say that their parents are good parents, even if this is not entirely true. They have never known anything else, so how can they make this statement? Of course, many of these statements are true, and people appreciate their parents. However, even those who appreciate their parents can be blind to that fact that their parental figure shaped their lives in a negative way. In The Kite Runner, Baba was an overall bad parental figure for Amir, despite having his good moments. His actions and words shaped Amir in a negative way, causing Amir to have a distorted image of a father-son relationship. First, “good parent” must be defined, with the purpose of putting parameters on this statement. A good parent is one who supports their child physically and emotionally in everything they do. A good parent respects their child and helps them make good decisions. A good parent does what is right for their child, not just in their own eyes, but in the eyes of everyone

Baba is "disgusted" when Amir becomes sickened by a death at a Buzkashi tournament. Baba believes that "there is something missing in that boy" when he reveals to Rahim Khan about witnessing examples of Amir 's cowardice and being defended by Hassan. Baba refuses to even glance at the short story of which Amir is so proud to have written, one which is applauded by both Hassan and Rahim Khan. Real men didn 't read poetry--and God forbid they should ever write it” (citation). Baba continually tries to mold Amir into the son that he has always wanted. He neglects Amir’s interest in literature and writing, and only gives Amir the light of day when Amir does something that makes Baba proud, such as winning kite fighting. Rahim Kahn tells Baba, “Children aren’t coloring books. You don’t get to fill them with your favorite colors.”