Substitution In The Kite Runner

Introduction

Does someone really use psychological defense mechanisms to protect their ego, the side that is not fully conscious yet is aware of reality? Some people may use Sigmund Freud’s defense mechanisms more than others, but they may be used for many different reasons. They could be trying to fit into society or simply living their day to day life while protecting their ego at the same time. At one point in everyone’s life, they will have a feeling that is similar to one of these ways to protect themselves. This could be in an action of blaming others simply so they don’t get into trouble themselves, trying to find reasons to avoid a situation, possibly in school or simply out in public and maybe even trying to change their identity simply

Substitution, also known as compensating, is when a person is a conversationalist and more of a talker than a doer. According to the psychology dictionary, it can be both, “positive or negative” (Pam). We see this several times when he is trying to get noticed by Baba, Amir’s father. Khaled Hosseini shows this when Baba buys the same for both Amir and Hassan as stated in The Kite Runner, “Baba would buy us each three identical kites and spools of glass string. If I changed my mind and asked for a bigger and fancier kite, Baba would buy it for me-but then he’d buy it for Hassan too.” (51). When Amir would want something bigger and better he would ask for it simply hoping that he would be unique and get his own nicer kite but rather Baba would get Hassan the same nicer kite as well. This is shown when Amir states, “Sometimes I wished he wouldn’t do that. Wished he’d let me be the favorite” ( Hosseini 51). He just wanted to be different then Amir rather than always receive the same things he did. Although Amir falls into these people some people at Berkeley showed that these mechanisms are simply an explanation of our primitive behaviors as stated, “Freud taught us that humans were not rational actors, but rather are driven by unconscious, primitive, instinctual desires” (Berkeley). This could simply mean that all people are simply acting on their animal like instincts. In this case, Amir wants the

This is defined by changing minds as, “when something happens that we find difficult to accept, then we will make up a logical reason why it has happened” (Changing Minds). This is seen in a similar way in The Kite Runner after Hassan had been raped. Amir had witnessed what happened to Hassan by Assef but afterward was trying to find a logical reason for why it happened simply so he didn’t have to fully accept the trauma that Hassan faced. This is shown when Khaled Hosseini writes in The Kite Runner, “I ran because I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me. I was afraid of getting hurt. That’s what I told myself as I turned my back to the alley, to Hassan” (Hosseini 77). He simply left because he was scared and trying to find any reason to leave. After all, he was too scared what was going to happen to himself rather than what would happen if he stood up for Hassan. Previously before he chose to run he tried to avoid what was happening by thinking about past memories or dreams. This was critiqued in an article called Psychoanalytical Criticism as stated, "The dream-thoughts which we first come across as we proceed with our analysis often strike us by the unusual form in which they are expressed…” (Delahoyde). This is criticized through one of the things Freud saw his patients for but it is similarly seen in the way Hosseini writes his book The Kite Runner. We see