important information but he was a hypocrite who failed to uphold the moral lessons he tried to instill in Amir. Amir feels both affectionate and responsible toward Sohrab, his nephew, and is happy with the decision that he and Soraya made to adopt the boy and bring him back to the United States (which Amir now considers his home). Nevertheless, he continues to resent Baba, blaming him for what he thinks of as years of needless suffering. This resentment only increases the guilt that he feels about his mistreatment of Hassan.

With Sohrab asleep in his new bed in Amir’s home, Amir looks at a photograph of Sohrab and Hassan together (chapter 25). This photograph makes him think about his and Hassan’s different relationships with their father. For the first time, he truly considers the pain that his father felt in keeping secret the sense that Hassan was his “true son.” As he replaces the photograph, Amir realizes that his own pain has slipped away. Rather than a single moment of epiphany, he understands that the slow escape of that pain is what constitutes forgiveness.

Then I realized something: That last thought had brought no sting with it. Closing Sohrab’s door, I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night.

Baba says to General Tahiri, in Chapter 11, while Amir is present, that:

"Amir is going to be a great writer ... He has finished his first year of college and earned A's in all of his courses."

Here Baba shows pride in his son, and also kindness, because he wants his son to be well thought of by General Tahiri. This is a particularly kind thing for Baba to say, because we know that Baba has been disapproving of Amir's desire to become a writer. But here he puts his own opinions aside, and prioritizes the feelings of his son.

In the first half of the novel, possibly the most explicit act of kindness from Baba to Amir occurs in Chapter 6, a few days before the kite running competition. Baba and Amir are sitting in Baba's study and Baba says:

"I think maybe you'll win the competition this year. What do you think?"

This is about the most explicit vote of confidence that Baba offers to Amir in the first half of the novel, and it is received with much gratitude from Amir. Baba's vote of confidence is kind and reassuring, because Amir is so nervous and so eager to please his father. Taken in context though, this one act of kindness also, because it is so rare, reminds the reader that Baba is usually very critical of Amir.

However, although Baba is often quite critical of Amir, for several quite complex reasons many of his criticisms are meant kindly, to help Amir negotiate the world successfully. For example, in Chapter 3, Baba tells Amir that:

“A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything.”

Baba wants Amir to grow up to be a good, moral man, which is a fatherly act of kindness. This advice does resonate with Amir, and eventually he takes the advice on board, such as when he decides to rescue Sohrab at the end of the story. Arguably the moral conviction which prompts Amir to rescue Sohrab can be traced back to the moral lessons that his father gave him. These lessons at the time may have seemed harsh, but they came from a place of kindness and ultimately helped Amir to become a good man. Indeed, Amir acknowledges after his father's death, in Chapter 13, that "much of who (he) was, what (he) was, had been defined by Baba."

Most of the kindnesses that Baba shows Amir take place once they have reached the United States.  Their relationship before that is problematic, with each frequently disappointed in the other.

When Amir and Soraya become engaged and they are on their way to the house of the General, Baba tells Amir, "You look khoshteep" (166), which means "handsome."  This was a kindness because Amir was concerned about his appearance as he prepared to visit the family he was marrying into.

To pay for the wedding, "Baba spent $35,000, nearly the balance of his life savings..." (169).  This was certainly a kindness! 

The night Baba died, Soroya and Amir helped him get into bed, and Amir says, "He asked us to lean in, gave each of us a kiss" (173). This was more than a kindness; it was like a blessing on Amir, on Soroya, and on their marriage. 

That Amir and Baba grew to appreciate one another and grow close when they got to America was an important part of Amir's growth and really part of his redemption for his failures in the past.  I am sure there are other example's of Baba's kindness in the story.

Good luck to you! 

Baba's decision to leave their hometown of Kabul and immigrate to America was his greatest sacrifice for Amir. In order to give Amir a second chance at life, Baba left his home country and lucrative business behind to immigrate to the United States. In America, Baba struggles to assimilate and provides for his son by working long days at a service station. In chapter 11, Baba tells Amir that it is not so bad living in America, and Amir says,

"I reached across the table and put my hand on his. My student hand, clean and soft, on his laborer's hand, grubby and calloused. I thought of all the trucks, train sets, and bikes he'd bought me in Kabul. Now America. One last gift for Amir" (Hosseini, 145).

When Amir graduates high school, Baba presents him with a graduation gift by giving him the keys to a used Ford Grand Torino. Given Baba's low wage and difficult job, he sacrificed his time and money to save up enough to purchase a car for Amir. Amir is very grateful for the gift and says,

"I wanted to say more, tell him how touched I was by his act of kindness, how much I appreciated all that he had done for me, all that he was still doing. But I knew I'd embarrass him" (Hosseini, 148).

In chapter 13, Baba is diagnosed with cancer and refuses to receive treatment. Before he dies, Amir asks his father for one last favor. Despite being deathly ill and fatigued, Baba agrees to visit General Taheri and formally asks if Amir can marry Soraya. It was very important for both families to follow the traditional Afghan marriage customs, which is why it was necessary for Baba to formally ask if his son could marry Soraya. Amir writes,

"Baba wet his hair and combed it back. I helped him into a clean white shirt and knotted his tie for him, noting the two inches of empty space between the collar button and Baba's neck. I thought of all the empty spaces Baba would leave behind when he was gone, and I made myself think of something else. He wasn't gone. Not yet. And this was a day for good thoughts. The jacket of his brown suit, the one he'd worn to my graduation, hung over him—too much of Baba had melted away to fill it anymore. I had to roll up the sleeves" (Hosseini, 179).