The Differences Between Amir and Baba in The Kite Runner
By Nathan Strub
Usually children take after their fathers, however, In The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini it is the opposite. Since Baba and Amir have many differences including their hobbies, their personality, and their expectations of each other. Because of this, they are unable to understand each other. Therefore Amir feels as though he is the son Baba never wanted.
Firstly, Amir is different from Baba due to his personality. Amir is almost the complete opposite of Baba. Amir is a fan of reading and literature, and is generally considered “nerdy” in Afghanistan. Because of them being polar opposites, we see that Baba doesn't agree with Amir’s lifestyle with this quote: “I cried all the way back home. I remember how Baba's hands clenched around the steering wheel. Clenched and unclenched. Mostly, I will never forget Baba's valiant efforts to conceal the disgusted look on his face as he drove in silence” (Hosseini, 21). With this quote, we can see that due to Amir’s personality, Baba thinks less of him. Baba respects Amir’s servant Hassan more due to the similarities in their personalities
On the other hand, Baba is extremely manly, and is the exact opposite of what Amir acts like. Instead of being a nerd, Baba is the strongest alpha male in his village.This leads to a lack of understanding towards Amir since he cannot relate to him. We can see that because of how disappointed Baba is, Amir can see that he’s not the son that Baba wanted: “ but fathering a son who preferred burying his face in poetry books to hunting...well, that wasn't how Baba had envisioned it” (Hosseini, 19-20). With only a quick glance at the novel, one would see that Baba is very disappointed in how Amir turned out, due to his wimpy personality. And there is even more evidence that Amir believes this since he spends most of the novel trying to live up to Baba, and gain redemption.
Furthermore, Amir and Baba are different because of their hobbies. Amir enjoys literature and other “nerdy” activities. Since this is the opposite of what Baba likes to do, Baba feels like his son isn't achieving as much as he should. Instead he thinks that Amir is wasting his time. Because of this, Baba spends most of the book being disappointed in his own son, and feels a strong disconnect. An example would be this quote: “He signed me up for soccer teams to stir the same passion in me. But I was pathetic, a blundering liability to my own team, always in the way of an opportune pass or unwittingly blocking an open lane. I shambled about the field on scraggly legs, squalled for passes that never came my way. And the harde...
