Assingment : Amir and Baba

In “The Kite Runner”, the relationship between Baba and his son Amir is without a doubt seems unhealthy. One reason for this is that Baba and Amir don’t share the same passions. For instance, Baba is literally in love with soccer, and if it was a woman, he wouldn't hesitate to marry it. While Amir is “crazy” about literature and he clearly has a talent for it. This can be seen when he takes on his whole class in a game of memorization of poems which he ends up winning or when he writes his first story which turns out to be really good. Another reason as to why this two do not lead a healthy relationship is because Baba, even though he loves Amir with all his heart, he sometimes tends to act cold towards him. A good example for this can be seen when Amir writes a short-story, but when he goes to show it to his father, Baba just nods and gives him a thin smile that shows little or no interest.
However I think the relationship between this two is just a little bit misunderstood. This is because in chapter three, we see that all Baba wishes for is to make Amir a strong man who can stand up for himself, not get bullied by the neighborhood kids and maybe someday he’ll take over his business. A good proof of this is when he says, “A boy who won’t stand up for himself, becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything” (page 22). To me, it seems Baba’s ultimate weapon of choice was to show Amir some tough love, and this is why he seems like a mean father who doesn’t care for his son, but he actually does…only that he shows it in a different way.

Since Amir is just a little boy, he doesn't understand this. Also Baba doesn't understand that he cannot change a person's nature even if its for a good cause. This is why I don't think that their relationship is healthy or unhealthy, but just a huge misunderstanding between a father and his son.