Rahim's final wish is to die alone and in peace. When Amir is in the hospital after his fight with Assef, he receives a final letter from Rahim, in which Rahim tries to explain to Amir why his father kept the secret that he was Hassan's father from him. Rahim has a unique perspective on all the characters, especially Baba and Amir. He understands Amir's desire to please his father, and Baba's guilt over his relationship to Hassan, which he cannot acknowledge. This guilt, Rahim says, was the source of much of Baba's philanthropy; he did good in part to absolve his guilty conscience. At the same time, Rahim knows about Amir's betrayal of Hassan; he understands Amir's need for atonement as of a piece with Baba's guilt. When Rahim says to Amir over the phone that there "is a chance to be good again," he is appealing to this desire to do good in the world that Amir and Baba share.

Given Rahim's ability to empathize with others, it's not surprising that Amir wishes that Rahim had been his father, an impulse that in itself expresses a certain lack of self knowledge on Amir's part. What Rahim helps Amir realize is that he is his father's son. Rahim's desire to be left alone must be frustrating for Amir, but it is a final gesture of care on the part of Rahim, who realizes that the best thing he can do for Amir is stay out of the way.