The Kite Runner Relationship Essay

“The most important Influence in my childhood was my father”- Deforest Kelly. This quote clearly illustrates parent-child relationships and the affects it can have on a person. In the novel The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini, the theme of parent-child relationships are abundantly evident throughout the entire novel. The most evident parent-child relationship within this novel is undoubtedly, Amir and Baba’s. However, their relationship is very distant during many parts of the novel. The greatest cause of the problems in Amir and Baba’s relationship is the amount of differences they have compared to each other. This is seen by the different ways they behave compared to each other, the different interests they have and the way Amir seeks …show more content…
In The Kite Runner Amir and Baba have many differences; due to this, Amir does whatever it takes in order to connect with Baba and his gain approval. A great example of this is when he let Hassan get raped in order for him to get the kite to bring it home to his father:
He opened his arms. I put the kite down and walked into his thick hairy arms. I buried my face in the warmth of his chest and wept. Baba held me close to him, rocking me back and forth. In his arms, I forgot what I’d done. And that was good (Hosseini …show more content…
He thinks this because he desperately seeks his father’s love and affection. By doing this, he has gained his father’s approval because his father also won the kite fighting competition when he was young which in turn, makes his father proud. However, their bond does not last very long and it returns to the silence it once was. Another excellent example of Amir doing whatever it takes to gain his father affection and approval is when Amir “lifted Hassan’s mattress and planted my [Amir’s] new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under it (Hosseini 110). Amir did this cruel act and lied about not doing it because he felt that if Hassan left the house he would be able to bond more with his father. He also did this because he was jealous of Hassan and Baba’s relationship; they had more in common then Amir and Baba did. As a result, it makes him think that by eliminating Hassan out of the equation he would be able to gain his father’s affection and love easier. Last but not least, Amir also fakes his interest in sports, more specifically, soccer in order to gain his father’s approval because he felt that he had nothing in common with his