The difference between Baba’s and Amir’s views of staying in America are made because of Baba’s inability to forget his homeland and to adjust his downfall of social status, and because of Amir’s need to forget the unpleasant memory of Hassan and need for chance to improve his relationship with Baba. According to previous chapters, Amir suffers from the guilt of keeping the secret of Hassan’s rape, which is caused by his cowardice—his so called "sacrifice" for Baba. Yet, his guilt keeps the memory deeply, like “a pair of steel hands closed around [his] windpipe” (Hosseini 134). However, after he comes to the U.S, the environment and people surrounded has changed, and he lives happily without the reminder of Hassan from those places and people related to Kabul. In addition, the …show more content…
As time goes by, the relationship between Baba and Amir eventually improves, fulfilling the wish that Amir has long been seeking. Thus, Amir sees America as a healing place for him, where he can burry those memories of Hassan and where he can fully enjoy the love from Baba. On the other hand, Baba is a person who holds strong patriotic feelings and senses of justice, who would sacrifice his life to protect what he believes. He always thinks of his mother land--Afghanistan--that gives him pride and love. Therefore, Amir uses the metaphor that “Baba was like the widower who remains but cannot let go of his dead wife" (Hosseini 129) to describe his dad’s depressed feelings when he is in America. It compares Baba to the widower and his homeland to his wife, emphasizing his negative feelings of leaving Afghanistan. Baba is also happier in Peshawar than in America; he has so many friends. He is rich and well-known there. However, Baba is now only a day manager at gas station, knowing a few people, suffering both poverty and loneliness. When Amir mentions to go back, Baba replies Amir that "Peshawar is good for