Amir is selfish and cowardly, but he is not to blame for his flaws. Discuss. For the question whether Amir is to blame for his flaws, it is fundamental to understand when someone is truly selfish and cowardly. Being selfish is best defined as being concerned with one´s own profit only, without considering the possible effects this has on others. Being or acting cowardly can be defined as lacking the ability to act in the right way at the right time, especially on moments when you are most vulnerable. Amir lives in troubled times in Afghanistan, where a war is going on between his homeland and the Soviet Union. Afghanistan is a non-western country, which has norms and values that differ significantly from western countries .To illustrate, in non-western countries the freedom of religion is broadly rejected. Western norms and values are far more equal than non-western. The class-society Amir lives in clearly represents these differences in equality. He grows up in a time and a place where he, privileged by being born as the son of a Pashtun, has more rights than his best and only friend Hassan, a Hazara. Hazaras are an ethnic minority in Afghanistan and are seen as inferior to Pashtuns. Besides the country Amir lives in and his ethnicity, there are some other factors which have influenced his youth and adolescence, which have contributed to the man Amir grows up to be. Amir was raised in a wealthy neighbourhood. His mother died giving birth to him so he grew up with his