A primary theme explored in various texts is the act of infidelity by characters and the ramifications of their actions. In addition to the internal turmoil these characters face others are impacted by their decisions. For example, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake portrays this fallout from their acts of infidelity. The Kite Runner is a novel describing the story of a young boy from Wazir Akbar Khan in the district of Kabul named Amir. The Namesake is a novel illustrating the story of Gogol Ganguli, a young Indian-American man struggling with his identity and accepting his Bengali culture. The Kite Runner and The Namesake illustrate how these characters' acts of infidelity lead to betrayal, distrust, and working …show more content…
Hosseini explains how Baba’s relationship with Hassan led Amir to have negative feelings towards his father. Amir grew jealous of Hassan’s physical connection with his father and this led to feelings of jealousy. Amir loved his father and at the same time, hated him for his actions. Amir spent his childhood trying to prove himself to his father. After betraying Hassan, Amir tried to justify his actions remarking, “Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba” (Hosseini 65). Therefore, this pressure caused Amir to push people away from him. Due to his father's distance, Amir had a closer connection with his friend. Once Amir discovers the truth, he begins to distrust his father's …show more content…
Baba was seen as a hero of Kamal and helped build the community. Many people looked up to Baba and listened to his lessons. After Baba betrayed Amir, he tried to have a relationship with Hassan. Yet, he felt guilty for his wealth and not being able to have Hassan experience their relationship. This feeling can be seen when Baba pays to have Hassan's cleft lip fixed. Furthermore, Baba forgives Hassan after he is caught stealing. Amir struggles to believe that his father can forgive Hassan for the ultimate sin when he claims, “And if Baba could forgive that, then why couldn’t he forgive me for not being the son he’d always wanted” (Hosseini 89). Baba forgives Hassan even though theft is his greatest sin because he didn’t want them to