Father Son Bonds In Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner

No man becomes great on his own and no woman becomes great on her own. Relationships, whether imperfect or perfect, directly affect one’s identity. Likewise, the bonds Amir creates in Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner, influence his judgement and the choices he makes. Without his family and friends, Amir would not be the same man he is at the novel’s ending. “Fathers willing to be actively involved can play an important role in the lives of their sons” (Barr). They are significant role models and should help prepare a boy to understand right from wrong. Unfortunately, Amir and his father, Baba, do not have a typical father-son relationship. From the beginning of his childhood, Amir has always tried to prove his worth to his dad. Baba is puzzled as to why his son’s interests aren’t similar to his own

On his high school graduation day, “‘I am moftakhir, Amir,’ he said. Proud. His eyes gleamed when he said that and I liked being on the receiving end of that look” (131). After escaping the horrors of war, they are closer than ever and finally have the precious father-son bond that Amir yearned for. A few years later Baba dies of old age, but is successfully able to lead his son into a new life full of opportunities. However, Amir’s past constantly haunts him and shows him that his childhood choices affect his adult life. Amir is a Pashtun, the dominant upper class of Afghanistan, while Hassan is a Hazara, the niche of the lower class. Despite this, the two boys could not be any closer; they fed from the same breast, took their first steps, and said their first words together. However, Amir always felt envious towards Hassan because too often Hassan received more affection from Baba. His jealousy tore apart their friendship and deprived Amir of his innocence. Once a carefree and optimistic young boy, he is now filled with temper and envy and his emotions get the best of