Gender Criticism In The Kite Runner

1189 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: the kite runner final essay

As children grow up they are always expected to be a certain way. Some children are expected to better than their parents or some to be just as “perfect” as they were. While reading the novel The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini uses the theme of always being expected who to be played a lot in the book. Amir, the main character grew up in a wealthy home in Afghanistan with his father Baba. Gender Criticism was played out a lot throughout the book because Amir next to his father is too completely different people personality wise. Amir always wanted to do the right thing to have his father be happy led him to eventually betray someone who truly cared for him. Baba saw that something was not right in Amir but never quite was able to tie his head around it. “ Sometimes I look out this window and I see him playing on the street with the neighborhood boys. I see how they push him around, take his toys from him, give him a shove 2here, a whack there. And you know, he never fights back. Never. He just . . . drops his head and . . . “ (22). As Baba see’s this in his own son in a way he has a bit of disappointment. Baba wanted Amir to be as tough as he was he wanted his son to fight back when he was supposed to fight back. To let be known that he was not …show more content…

‘ If I hadn’t seen the doctor pull him out of my wife with my own eyes, I’d never believe he’s my son.’ “ (23). Baba expectations of Amir have gotten to be so high that he’s even second guessed about Amir being his own son. He saw how he always got made of but he never stood up for them. Amir was always told the story of Baba fighting a “bear” realistically he didn’t but they way this was used it showed that Baba was strong enough to beat a bear. Baba always wanted Amir to be as strong as him physically or mentally. Baba his mind set on power and business, the more you worked the more you were recognized the more high achievements you had the more you were

Show More
Related

  • Baba's Guilty In 'The Kite Runner'

    190 Words  | 1 Pages

    This quote, an excerpt from the letter Rahim Khan wrote to Amir, reveals the inner torment Baba faced regarding his two sons, whom he didn’t know how to love fairly, and the guilt he carried for fathering an illegitimate son, guilt that is reminiscent of Amir’s guilt for betraying Hassan. All his life, Baba had been hard on Amir, withholding the fatherly affection Amir longed for, but, as Rahim reveals, this was also hard on Baba. Baba wanted to be able to show affection to both of his sons, but didn’t know how when one of his sons was illegitimate and the other represented everything that made him feel guilty. In this quote, it is also apparent that Baba is much more like Amir than either of them thought. Baba harbored guilt for betraying Ali, just as Amir suffered guilt for betraying Hassan.

    Read More

  • The Power of the Written Word in The Kite Runner by Hosseini

    1209 Words  | 3 Pages

    flaw marred the features of this child, consequently making it one of the factors influencing how he is treated by not only his father, but by Baba and Amir as well. Finally,

    Read More

  • Dialectical Journal For The Kite Runner

    1457 Words  | 3 Pages

    We see a innocent boy who is struggling to be himself. His father that goes by the name of Baba continuously makes Amir feel unworthy and shameful. In a scene Amir eavesdrop and Baba unapologetically proclaims, “If I hadn’t seen the doctor pull him out of my wife with my own eyes, I’d never believe he’s my son” (Hosseini 23). Baba bluntly insinuates that he doesn’t understand Amir. He doesn’t understand why he spends so much time reading books and why every time there’s an opportunity to fight with the local boys he doesn’t. From the genesis, the audience can tell that the protagonist will have an issue with his identity. By not being accepted by Baba, Amir selfishly watches his dear friend Hassan get raped because he knew if he stood up for him that there will be a chance that the kite would be tarnished and as a result he wouldn’t receive the affection that he always craved from Baba. As soon as this occurred, Hassan and Amir’s relationship drastically alters. Hassan later tells Rahim Khan what happened. His unforgettable scar haunts him and this scar is later passed on to his offspring. Amir’s identity issue is what forced Hassan and Ali to depart. This could’ve been changed if Amir didn’t doubt himself from doing what is moral because at the end he ends up doing just that. If he knew that his identity truly lied in the decision that he makes the regret he suffered wouldn’t have exist.

    Read More

  • Essay Comparing The Kite Runner 'And A Separate Peace'

    1340 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although Hassan is his best friend, there are many instances where Amir reveals his jealousy, most notable when Baba sees Hassan as the stronger boy, "self-defense has nothing to do with meanness. You know what always happens when the neighbourhood boys tease him? Hassan steps in and fends them off. I 've seen it with my own eyes…” (Hosseini 24). Clearly, Amir hears how his father compares the two, and unlike Hassan who manages to meet Baba’s expectations, Amir grows bitter towards Hassan. He is unable to fight off his envy which later causes him to sacrifice his best friend’s innocence: “Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba” (82), and this is all because he realizes “his shame is complicated by his own realization that in part he doesn’t help his friend precisely because he is jealous of him” (Corbett, 2006). From here, Amir develops strong feelings of guilt that induces him to perform even more destructive acts, such as having Hassan and his father evicted from the house. Amir not only loses a close friend, but now he has to continue to live with remorse as he dwells on these memories. The only way for Amir to redeem himself of his repercussions is through a challenging process of sacrifice and self-discovery. Although one is unsure at this point whether Amir succeeds at his endeavors, it is clear that this story

    Read More

  • The Kite Runner Amir's Relationship Analysis

    958 Words  | 2 Pages

    Escaping his father’s aloofness in his mother’s books was the only thing keeping some connection with his father. His father was distant towards Amir. Amir thought that his father hated him because his mother died while giving birth to him. Amir feels responsible for his mother’s death. “Without me as the glaring exception, my father molded the world around him to his liking. The problem, of course, was that Baba saw the world in black and white. And he got to decide what was black and what was white. You can’t love a person who lives that way without fearing him too. Maybe even hating him a little” (Hosseini 15). This tells the reader that they did not have a close relationship, but there was a lot of respect. Baba was a powerful man and got whatever he wanted. Amir was intimidated by this. It shows that Amir and his father weren’t close in Amir’s early childhood.

    Read More

  • Gender Stereotyping In 'The Kite Runner'

    851 Words  | 2 Pages

    Good Morning class, Today I will be discussing one of the many flaws in society, Gender stereotyping. Present in our, Movies, Adverts and literature my 4 books are no different. Despite this ongoing gender stereotyping I still think it is essential to have these novels even if there are clear stereotypes in them. If we aren’t able to read identify and acknowledge such stereotypes, how will we ever know how to differentiate between novels that stereotype and those that don’t.

    Read More

  • The Kite Runner Shame Analysis

    1541 Words  | 4 Pages

    First, Baba’s looming shame of his affair prohibits him from being a proper father to Amir and Hassan. Baba fails to inform Amir that his best friend, Hassan, is actually his half-brother because of this affair. Years after Baba’s death, Rahim Khan tells Amir of Baba’s act of adultery. With this betrayal, Amir begins to question everything he values in his father, stating that “Baba had been a thief. And a thief of the worst kind, because the things he’d stolen had been sacred: from me the right to know I had a brother, from Hassan his identity, and from Ali [Hassan’s “father”] his honor. His nang. His namoos” (Hosseini 225). Despite his guilt, Baba makes a vow with Rahim Khan and Ali to keep the affair a secret from his own sons, causing a distortion

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Amir And Baba In The Kite Runner

    832 Words  | 2 Pages

    Amir's actions showed how much of a coward he was. Amir suffered his whole life living with the guilt of knowing that Hassan was raped, much like Baba lived his whole life in guilt knowing that he stole the truth from Ali by committing adultery. Baba ran from the truth, and so did Amir to protect the family name, even if that meant betraying the people closest to him. Baba was a man more worried about his image than anything, and that is what he taught his son as well. Slowly that is all Amir knew how to do: protect his family and himself, leading him into a life of guilt, and running from people when situations were challenging, instead of making the admirable decision and help a

    Read More

  • Perfect Heroes In The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini

    1866 Words  | 4 Pages

    Baba is displayed as an immoral man while at home because he is not loving to his son and he cheated with his friends’ wife and had a child. Even some of Baba’s good qualities such as his care for Hassan and Ali, his father, seem to have a selfish motive behind them because he wants to keep his son close to him. While Baba is never the fatherly figure in the first part of the book, once they leave their home, Baba seems to care a lot more about Amir. This may happen because he does not always have Hassan around to remind him of the terrible mistakes that he made in the past. However, even when Hassan is leaving, Baba still cares about him. Even though Hassan may be a symbol of past mistakes, he is still Baba’s son in the end and family always has a strong bond. Therefore, Baba’s character shows his moral side because instead of hating his illegitimate son, he cares for him as much as he can given the cultural standards of the two opposing religions. By healing his cleft lip and remembering Hassan’s birthday every year, Baba is able to show his caring side that is seldom seen with his relationship with

    Read More

  • Cruelty In The Kite Runner

    1474 Words  | 3 Pages

    Amir believes that Baba wants his son to be just like him, but when Amir doesn’t turn out exactly the way Baba wants, he rejects and neglects him. Amir notices this, and looks at Hassan, who embodies what Baba wants in a son. As a result, Amir takes his anger built in from his father disregarding him out and exerts it at Hassan. After every instance that Amir’s father shows Hassan any type of affection or attention, Amir becomes angry. He takes a pomegranate and “struck [Hassan] in the chest, exploded in a spray of red pulp. Hassan’s cry was pregnant with surprise and pain” (92). Amir repeatedly hits Hassan and asks him to hit in back so he doesn’t feel guilty for his actions. To Amir, in order for his cruelty for hurting Hassan to be forgiven, Hassan must hurt him

    Read More

  • Amir's Dreams In The Kite Runner

    247 Words  | 1 Pages

    Amir develops strength in his dreams after witnessing Hassan’s rape. Amir’s dreams convey a sense of reality. Amir has a dream about Baba wrestling the bear, which Amir is Baba. Baba was known for his strength in Afghanistan for defeating the bear. Amir had represented any obstacles Baba had encountered in his life, because in the dream, Amir represented Baba and Assef is the bear. “They fall to the ground with a loud thud” (Hosseini 303). The importance of this quote develops Amir’s accomplishments by saving Hassan’s son Sohrab from being in captivity from Assef. Amir has defeated Assef as Baba has defeated the bear. “Dreams tell us the truth about ourselves, and they could not be more misleading” (Phillips). Amir’s dreams come to terms with

    Read More

  • Similarities And Differences Between Amir And Hassan

    2611 Words  | 6 Pages

    He would do anything, even as a small child, to please Amir. Even after he grew up and had a son, he told his son about his love for Amir. “And, under the same roof, we spoke our first words. Mine was Baba. His was Amir. My name.” (Hosseini, 12). If this was a teenage romance novel this would be a love triangle. Between Amir, Hassan and Baba. Amir spent his entire life trying to make Baba like him, to forgive him for killing his wife, to understand him, and get that special father to son bonding. Baba instead gave his attention to the servant’s son, Hassan. Later the story we find out that Hassan is Baba’s son too, but this is after both have died and Amir is a grown man. During his childhood Amir would have done anything to gain his father attention like Hassan had. Baba, feeling guilty, gave his attention to Hassan, and treated him kindly, out of guilt for not being able to recognise Hassan as his son. Yet Baba never treated Amir diskindly, other than the fact they never got along. Hassan did not go to school, and spent his time helping Ali with household chores, but got respected by Baba, and given gifts during holidays and a kite for flying season. Amir and Baba did not click in the way both of them wanted too. Amir tried to fake interests in sports for Baba, but after watching a rider get trampled by his horse, and started crying during the one and only sport event Baba took him too. “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, 23) This was Amir memory of the sporting event. Amir need for love from Baba, led him standing in the alley watching Hassan get raped, knowing that when he brought that blue kite to Baba he will earn his love. Hassan on the other hand could not love Amir any less. To

    Read More

  • Honor And Redemption In Shakespeare's The Kite Runner

    1630 Words  | 4 Pages

    Baba is a very high standing man in Kabul, but seems to be extremely harsh to Amir when he was a child. He is a very large, tough man who was very well known in the town and as Amir stated in the novel, “Lore has it my father once wrestled a black bear in Baluchistan with his bare hands” (Hosseini 12). This small detail of Baba makes it known to the reader that Baba is a man of great courage and strength. Some may think that an honorable man is one with no flaws, but many disagree. Every human being makes mistakes, including Baba. When Amir grows up and goes back to visit Rahim Khan in Afghanistan, he finds out that his father lied to him his entire life about Hassan being his half-brother. He also finds out from Rahim Khan that all Baba had back then “was his honor, his name” (Hosseini 223). He did not tell Amir and Hassan that they were brothers because they had a different mother and that would have made their entire family be looked down upon in the town. He did it for their own good, and wanted for them both to grow up as honorable men, like himself. There is a difference in making mistakes and trying to do what’s best to fix them, rather than making the same mistakes over and over again, which is what Amir seemed to do in the novel. Amir was the exact opposite of his father, which made it very hard for them to have a

    Read More

  • The Kite Runner: A Journey Towards Atonement

    1939 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...rough his actions to save Sohrab, Amir became the man his father had always wanted him to be. Although Baba never lived up to the persona he created for himself, Amir did, and that is why his attempts to achieve atonement were more successful than his father’s. While Baba was unable to seek more than personal redemption, Amir found atonement with himself, Hassan, and God. Amir also found the courage his father lacked to make the necessary sacrifices to achieve redemption. Amir’s ability to transform into a strong character was a result of what he learned from his father’s strengths and weaknesses. While Baba was unable to achieve true redemption, he was a true role model that provided his son, Amir, with the necessary skills to achieve atonement for both of them.

    Read More

  • Becoming A Man In The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini

    1259 Words  | 3 Pages

    Amir never stands up for himself in his youth. He always uses others to execute his dirty deeds for him. Consequently, Baba doesn’t recognize Amir as a

    Read More

More about Gender Criticism In The Kite Runner

Open Document