The Kite Runner - Fathers and Sons Flashcards
A quote from Chapter Three reflecting the fractured relationship between Baba and Amir. Amir feels responsible for the death of his mother, and therefore attempts to justify Baba’s assumed hatred of him through rhetorical questions in relation to this
“I always felt like Baba hated me a little. And why not? After all, I had killed his beloved wife, his beautiful princess, hadn’t I? The least I could have done was to have had the decency to turn out a little more like him. But I hadn’t turned out like him. Not at all.”
Chapter Three, p. 17
A quote from Chapter Three suggesting Baba’s fractured relationship with Amir to be derived from Amir’s inability to stand up for what is right. This becomes the primary focus of Amir’s redemption in the novel, partly spurred on by the moral figure of his father
“‘A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything.’”
Chapter Three, p. 20
Two quotes from the start of Chapter Three describing Baba, presenting him as a great, brutal, masculine figure of heroism. He is strong, formidable, wild, domineering. He is an impressive force worshipped by others, and the quote also reflects his great morality.
“Lore has it that my father once wrestled a black bear in Baluchistan with his bare hands… I have imagined Baba’s wrestling match countless times, even dreamed about it. And in those dreams, i can never tell Baba from the bear.”
“My father was a force of nature, a towering Pashtun specimen with… hands that looked capable of uprooting a willow tree, and a black glare that would ‘drop the devil to his knees begging for mercy,’ as Rahim Khan used to say.”
Chapter Three, p. 11
A quote from Chapter Four in which Amir recalls the story of ‘Rostam and Sohrab’ from the Shahnamah, in which Rostam, a warrior, kills his nemesis Sohrab in a battle, only to discover that he was his long-lost son. The story has a significance for Amir and Hassan, Amir ‘killing’ Hassan in forcing his eviction from the house after the betrayal, and the quote reflects the fractured relationship between father and son on which this is built - though Amir cannot see it, his father distances himself from Amir due to his own need for redemption
“Personally, I couldn’t see the tragedy in Rostam’s fate. After all, didn’t all fathers in their secret hearts harbor a desire to kill their sons?”
Chapter Four, p. 26
A quote reflecting the divide between Amir and his father and their being joined through kite running, the one opportunity in which Amir feels he can make Baba proud. It bridges the gap in their relationship, and is the reason why Amir betrays Hassan
“Baba and I lived in the same house, but in different spheres of existence. Kites were the one paper-thin slice of intersection between those two spheres.”
Chapter Six, p. 43
A quote from Chapter Twelve after Baba is diagnosed with cancer and begins to regress, Amir having to look after him after he is discharged from hospital. The once ideal Pashtun man, the pinnacle of Afghan pride and status, is now diminished, fragile, the “bird” contrasting the “bear” at the start of the novel. This reflects Amir’s coming independence as he begins his journey toward redemption
“Wrapped my arms around his back and pulled him up much too easily. His shoulder blade felt like a bird’s wing under my fingers.”
Chapter Twelve, p. 141
A quote from Chapter Thirteen when Baba dies following the marriage of Amir to Soraya, suggesting that Baba’s role in Amir’s life has ended and that he has begun one of independence alone. The quote is reflective of Baba’s strength in standing up consistently for his steadfast moral values. Amir must learn to do this himself
“Baba had wrestled bears his whole life. Losing his young wife. Raising a son by himself. Leaving his beloved homeland, his watan… In the end, a bear had come that he couldn’t best. But even then, he had lost on his own terms.”
Chapter Thirteen, p. 152
