In 'the Kite Runner' Father-Son Relationships Are Never Joyful. How Far Do You Agree?

383 Words2 Pages
‘In The Kite Runner relationships between fathers and sons are never joyful’ Whether or not a child has experienced genuine bonding with his father is integral to what characteristics and values that child will grow up to have. Hosseini portrays many father-son relationships, including that of Amir and Baba, Hassan and Sohrab and Amir and Sohrab. Despite some of the obvious tension between these relationships – such as Amir’s hopeless pursuit of approval from Baba – it may not be so clear to argue that the relationships throughout the novel are never joyful. On the one hand it could be argued that the relationships are never joyful when considering the recurring lies and hypocrisy that many of the characters have to deal with. Amir and Hassan where both concealed of the fact that Hassan was Baba’s true son despite Baba’s himself stating that ‘lying is stealing someone’s right to the truth’. The fact that Amir was finally told this information by Rahim Khan only highlights the idea that he was the only supportive male figure he had in his life, and the lack of communication between Amir and Baba makes Amir question the true identity of his father. In the same way, Amir fails to admit to his father as to what really happened in the winter of 1975, and now feels even more burdened with his ‘past of unatoned sins’ that have haunted him ‘for the last 26 years’. Secondly, many may see that joy was never present in some relationships because of the impact of their fathers on their lives. In Amir’s case, Baba was disappointed not to be graced with the archetypal Afghan son of the 1970’s that was tall, strong, sportive, willing to carry on the family name, but perhaps more importantly being able to stand up in himself. Unfortunately, Baba did not look towards the merits in Amir’s creative talent, labelling him as a boy who he’d ‘never believe he’s my son’. An interesting

More about In 'the Kite Runner' Father-Son Relationships Are Never Joyful. How Far Do You Agree?

Open Document