Similarities Between The Kite Runner And Catcher In The Rye

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Recommended: Comparative analysis of the kite runner novel and the kite runner film

The trope “parent-child relationships,” encompassing both parental and mentor relationships, appears in many stories or texts. Not surprisingly, parent-child and mentor relationships run throughout all of the books examined this year in English class, most obviously in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner and J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. The two protagonists in these novels, both of whom are boys struggling to find their place in the world, have significant adult figures who try to guide them in their journeys to maturity. Amir finds solace in Rahim Khan, and Holden receives guidance from both Mr. Spencer and Mr. Antolini; however, Amir and Holden’s mentors are very different and cause very different outcomes. Amir’s distant relationship with his father causes him to seek out thoughtful and effective Rahim Khan, who guides him to maturity; whereas Holden chooses to …show more content…

The contrast between these two coming-of-age works and their protagonists’ different resolutions highlights that mentors make the ultimate difference in characters’ journeys to adulthood. Amir’s dead mother and his hopelessly aloof father do not provide him with much guidance or love; their inattention to Amir is what causes him to seek alternate mentorship. After his mother dies giving birth to him, Amir is left alone with only one parent - Baba, his father. One would assume that as the sole members of their family, father and son would be close, but instead they have a distant and chilly relationship. This dynamic is a result of Baba’s actions - he is consistently cold and aloof to Amir, despite Amir’s attempts to garner a warm

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