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Question:


mz-toxxic
Student
High School - 12th Grade

Please defend this statement about Amir in The Kite Runner:  Amir is selfish and cowardly but he is not entirely to blame for his flaws.

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Posted by mz-toxxic on Friday February 27, 2009 at 6:12 PM and tagged with amir, complex, reasons, the kite runner.

Answers:

  1. parkerlee
    parkerlee Teacher

    eNotes Editor

    You are right in that Amir is reacting to a relationship he doesn't understand.  He sees the attention his father gives Hassan, affection he bestows upon a servant's child which should be reserved for his own son. Also, Hassan has qualities (such as his athletic bent) which Amir lacks. Baba shows an interest in Hassan which he never displays towards Amie. In this respect, Amir feels "justly" jealous.

    However, Hassan is Baba's son, whom he never acknowledged. Even his servant Ali is in the dark about this. Amir doesn't learn that Hassan was indeed his half-brother until too late. He makes up for it, though, when he delivers Sohrab (Hassan's son) from Assef's clutches and finally adopts him in America.

    We can see at the end of the story that Amir has learned both courage and unselfishness, two traits which could not have been attributed to him at all in the beginning.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/kite-runner/characters
    http://www.enotes.com/kite-runner/themes

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    Posted by parkerlee on Friday February 27, 2009 at 9:58 PM