In Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner, the main character Amir has many concerns about his world. This may have something to do with the fact that even though Amir is a teenager, he still demonstrates many childlike characteristics. Amir’s father, Baba, does not give Amir the time of day which in turn, causes Amir to strive for Baba’s attention and acceptance. Amir is concerned that Baba does not love him or even think of him as a suitable son for their family. Amir loves to write poetry and stories, he tries to show Baba one of his stories but Baba tells him to let Rahim Khan read it instead. Rahim Khan reads the story and praises Amir about how great it is but “when [he] left, [Amir] sat on [his] bed and [wished] that Rahim Khan had been [his] father” …show more content…
An example of Amir’s childlike behavior is demonstrated when Amir and Hassan, Amir's best friend and servant, encounter the town’s bully, Assef. Assef is known for beating kids with his brass knuckles and he tries to use them on Amir. Amir tries to stand up for he and Hassan, “Just let us go Assef”, as he says this his voice is trembling and he is scared. Even though Amir is like a leader to Hassan, Hassan is the one who protects them in this standoff. Hassan pulls out his slingshot on Assef and threatens to shoot him in the eye with it which then causes Assef to back off. Another example of Amir’s childlike behavior is when he and Hassan talk about having tv’s one day. Hassan tells Amir that he will put his tv on his table next to his drawings and this upsets Amir because he was “[s]ad for who Hassan was, where he lived [and] for how he’d accepted the fact that he’d grow old in [the] mud shack in the yard, the way his father had” (Pg. 58). This shows that Amir does not understand that even though Hassan is poor and uneducated maybe he likes his life and he’s ok with the path his father has set for