Making The Wrongs RIght

The ending of this story took the novel to another level for me. It’s hard to prepare yourself for all the twist and turns that appear once Amir leaves America. I believe within these last few chapters your finally see Amir's last and final character transformation. Amir because noble like his father, he fights for someone and something be believes in, putting his life at risk for Sohrab. We see that new battles appear and unlike before when Amir ran from Aseef and ran from the problems that he had put into his and Hassan's life, he faced them. Amir knew that he couldn’t live through the guilt that his once cowardly actions caused him so this time he needed to make it right. Amir's character has gone from being very self centered to humble and courageous. Making his wrongs right and saving his only link to Hassan that he has left. Amir's love finally shines through his actions and he doesn’t let his selfishness stand in his way and we see how much he cares when Sohrab attempts to kill himself. IT was said that Amir was " .. On [his] knees, screaming. Screaming through [his] clenched teeth. Screaming until i thought [he] though [his] throat would rip out of [his] chest [and] explode. Amir had given all he has and has put all his love into making sure that he has control over what happens to sohrab. Amir knows that he can never see Hassan again and tell him how sorry he was for that one day when he saw Aseef harassing him, but he knows that somehow he can help his son and give him the gift of a future and better life. At the end of the book when we see that Amir takes Sohrab kite running and asks " do you want me to run that kite for you?" made me feel so sad and happy at the same time because the significance of him running the kite and allowing from Sohrab to fly the kite and have control used to be a hard this for Amir. And when Amir said he would take Sohrabs smile " with open arms. Because when spring comes, it melts the snow one flake at a time, and maybe i just witnessed the first flake melting." finally at the end of the novel we see sohrab open up to Amir and let him feel the love he so desperately needed to feel from him. Amir knows that it snot going to be a fast process but one that takes time and needs to be worked on, but the one smile showed him that spring was around the corner and that hope was not far in sight.

Moving Forward

From chapter sixteen to twenty i believe is a breaking point and is the climax of the book. For once we finally see the Hero in Amir, we see him shine and his "true colors". Amir receives a phone call that brings him back to his once homeland, as he goes to visit his dying friend Rahim Khan he is faced with a challenge. Not only is it hard to see his once "father like" figure dying a similar death like Baba did, he is faced with news that will change him forever. Amir's childhood servant whom he picked on mercilessly was in fact his brother. Baba was forced by society and for his family’s safety and reputation to keep this secret from everyone, he was known as a high society man and would be ridiculed and maybe killed for having a child with a Hazara. We see with this news Amir now looked back on every single thing and realized why he was so different and how Hassan was what Baba looked at for a son. Without being angry at Hassan he then found out the horrible news that Hassan had been shot and killed trying to protect a place that Amir once called home. Rahim Khan then asks that Amir grant his dying wish, which is to find Hassans son Sohrab, Amir relentlessly, and finally decieds he will embark on this journey. When Amir decides to leave and to help Rahim Khan is the distinct part in this book where i think that Amirs "good" part of his character out ways the "bad", even though he knows that he has been lied to by Rahim Khan his whole life he helps him and even though he is treated as a spoiled America he still proceeds to find Sohrab. Amir's love for Hassan and regret for not helping him in his desperate time for need shows through his decision to risk his life and his wife’s sense of security. Through these chapters I can know look at Amir and realize that he made a mistake, a human mistake but he try’s to make those mistakes right, and do something for his brother. I believe these four chapters change the whole perspective on the book, the whole outlook I had upon the main character. Not only is the secret finally revealed Amir chooses to do the right thing, which I believe leaves readers satisfied and waiting in anticipation to see if Amir finds Hassans child, and his reaction to finding him. Will he want to adopt him or will he be able to leave him in poverty when he knows he can easily provide for a brothers son, and an old best friend.

A Chance To Change

Within the middle chapters of the novel the plot begins to thicken as Baba and Amir leave everything they own except a few pictures and the mere clothes on their back. They venture off and risk their lives in various ways. Through this journey I believe the real character of Baba is revealed, his weaknesses seep through. Baba’s once applauded courage turns to anger and gets the best of him as he tries to choke Kamal. Baba is not able to deal with the changes that take place, his temper flairs out of control and leaves Amir picking up after his pieces. He has become a mad man who was once all put together and is now frayed around the edges and unable to pick himself up and succeed. Success was something that had come so easy for Baba and now is only a memory, through Baba’s weaknesses we see Amir shine and come to his father’s assistance, he was once the one who always relied on his father and now he has evolved and is taking care of himself, becoming an adult with responsibilities.
Baba is resistant to change and unable to forget his “old life” he mourns even a year and a half after the move, as for Amir he uses the move as a way to escape Hassan and the horrible sight of him being sexually abused and doing absolutely nothing about it, being a coward. Since within Amir’s “old life” he was a coward I believe he feels now that he will not make that same mistake and take his burdens with him when he moved to America, he now wants to start fresh and have a new reputation one that he creates for himself not one that was made by his fathers accomplishments. These chapters are very pivotal and important to the story as they show a change in pace and a change within each characters personality. The setting not only changes but moods that are placed in the setting also sway and change, the most important thing about these middle chapters is that it allows the reading to see different shades and depths about each character and to learn more about how they react in situations they are not familiar with. This change portrays each character in a different and new light.

Price Of Acceptance

Within the first 80 pages of the book there is an on going rivalry between Hassan and Amir, its a friendship rivalry but also one of acceptance. Amir wishes so deeply that his father would only care for him and only do what was best for him, but Baba also does the same for Hassan. This attention that Hassan receives from Baba bothers Amir because, Hassan is only a servant; he is not the son of Baba. The overwhelming goal to try and reach a level of success is continuously drowning Amir's daily thoughts. This is a large pressure that can either allow Amir to come to the conclusion that he does not need this kind of acceptance and to look elsewhere for a void to fill his hole, or to turn evil bitter and cruel. When Amir comes face to face with helping Hassan fight their enemy’s (Asef, Kamal, Wali) he decides to run, run away and avoid the issues all together, this shows Amirs cowardly behavior. Amir readily admits that he " .. ran because [he] was a coward." Amir ran because deep down he questioned how much he loved Hassan, the boy who "coated [his] naan with marmalade,[and] placed it on a plate." All Amir ever really wanted was to be the center of attention and " Hassan was the price [he] has to pay, he lamb that [he] had to slay to win Baba." Hassan was nothing but kind, gentle and a loyal friend to Amir and yet Amir betrays him. Amir could care less about Hassan because " He was just a Hazara wasn't he? Hassan had been belittled so much in front of Amir that not only did the world see Hassan as "Just a Hazara" his best friend did too. I am personally outraged and disgusted by the character of Amir and the lengths at which he goes to for acceptance. Amir proudly buries his "face in the warmth of [Baba’s] chest." Although Amir had done a terrible thing to Hassan “in [Baba's] arms, [he] forgot what [he'd] done. After all the love and kindness Hasaan had put into their friendship all he received was abandonment. Amir sacrificed Hassan so that he could have his kite and his glory all for himself. The selfishness Amir attains drives him to extents that he does immoral and inhuman things. Even after Amir left Hassan in the ally to be beaten, he still proceeded to pretend he had no idea what happened and had no sympathy for Hassan, and was angry at "the way [Baba’s] brow furrowed with worry," for Hassan.
Amir soon finds out that his lustful acceptance and irrational trade of a long lasting frienship doesn’t solve his inner need with Baba. He is still not loved by his father the way he wants and will only realize that he gave up something far more valuable then acceptance, unconditionally kindness and love.

Struggling forces

Amir's desperate cry to live up to what his father expects of him has been apart of his life since he can remember. Amir always has his head in the books and aspires to be a writer this. These qualities are the opposite and furthest characteristics from his tough “force of nature” father. Although the two are opposites they are all each other has. When reading this novel and trying to understand Amir and his fathers relationship, a specific quote struck me as i read it over and over again trying to understand why a young boy would think such a thought; ".. after all, didn't all fathers in their secret hearts harbor a desire to kill their sons?" This astounding quote made me wonder how truly different the two were and the lack of love that was openly exchanged. Amir although I believe knew his father loved him; felt that he was never going to be enough. For any child to honestly believe that their father secretly wanted to kill them is something that I cant personally comprehend. Amir longs for someone to understand him, this is a very hard task for Baba (Amir’s father) because has no interest in poetry and can’t understand that a son of his would. I believe that the reality of this love hate relationship between Amir and his father comes to life through Amir’s thoughts that his father’s hearts desire was to kill him. Although Amir loves to be the son of Baba because he knows the comfort and pride that that role takes on he also wants his father to know what he feels. Amir truly longs for a father that will read his stories and understands his need for imagination and fantasy. I believe that Amir feels his fathers love and knows that he tries and cares, and they mutually understand that they are very different and may never completely understand each other. Although Amir’s words and thoughts are drastic, for a young boy they are thoughts that he relates to so that he can understand his and his fathers strange indifferent relationship. Through this quote I think as a reader it allows to really get inside Amirs head and start to understand what he feels heir father son relationship, which also helps us throughout the book to understand why they act the way they do around each other!