Book Response: The Kite Runner

"Every son quotes his father, in words and in deeds" 

-Terri Guillemets

            The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a book about a boy named Amir who lives in Afghanistan in the late 1900s. Amir is the son of a rich, respected and well known man. His father, Baba, cares for Amir but doesn’t always show it. Amir and Baba’s relationship is extremely important to the story. Even though they won’t always admit it, Baba and Amir love and care about each other and depend on one another.

            Amir feels all kinds of emotions for Baba, at points he adores him and at points he loathes him. “‘Yes, Baba jan,’ I muttered, marveling, not for the first time, at how badly Baba could sting me with so few words. We’d had a fleeting good moment-it wasn’t often Baba talked to me, let alone on his lap-and I’d been a fool to waste it” page 17. Amir doesn’t seem to get a lot of one on one time with Baba and he is forced to cherish is time with his father even at a younger age. I feel that kids shouldn’t be thinking this way, they should be enjoying their childhood not trying to make their fathers happy so that they can spend time with them. “I probably stood there for under a minute, but, to this day, it was one of the longest minutes in my life” page 31. When Baba does spend time with Amir he often makes him feel bad about himself. During this part of the story Amir had just written his first short story and I think that Baba not wanting to read his story really got to Amir. “Most days I worshiped Baba with an intensity approaching the religious. But right then, I wished I could open my veins and drain his cursed blood from my body” page 32. At points in the story I’m not really sure what to think of Baba. At one point he seems loving and caring and then at the next he seems to be a horrible person/father. It’s really hard to tell whether Baba is good or bad, and I feel that Baba isn’t that black and white.

            In life there will always be people who you love and care about who doesn’t appreciate what an amazing person you are. I feel that this is how Amir and Baba’s relationship works. Amir does all that he can to make Baba notice him or give him the love that he deserves. The most important thing though is to not let that person who you care about get to you. You must move on and not let them bother you even though it is hard. Amir doesn’t do this, instead he lets making Baba feel proud about him ruin everything.