Hey guys, I ended up choosing the 2nd topic the night before we wrote it in class (regretted it tho
, should of done the easier ones like you guys sed)
"Lore has it my father once wrestled a black bear in Baluchistan with his bare hands..." Baba's flaws, more than his heroism, intrigue us. Discuss.
Khaled Hosseini’s powerful novel, The Kite Runner, demonstrates how a character depicted as one with valiant and compassionate qualities can simultaneously embody underlying imperfections. Through Amir recounting his father Baba, the audience from the onset of the novel are captivated by Baba’s bravery and charitable contributions to the 1970s Afghanistan society. However, Amir’s desperate seek for his father’s love exposes that Baba is not as impressive in his role of being a father, especially contrast to other male characters in the novel who already hold this ability. Confronted with the stunning truth of Baba’s past, his lies and betrayal of Ali, the readers are further positioned to revaluate Baba’s heroically claimed figure, now clearly a sorrowful man who once lived a double-mirrored life.
Baba’s benevolent and caring nature throughout the story intrigues the audience, his greatness widespread through all of Kabul. Through Amir’s eyes Baba is his idol, one that fulfils the notion of a successful Afghanistan by being “one of the richest merchants in Kabul” who marries “one of Kabul’s most respected, beautiful and virtuous ladies”. Alongside opening the readers’ minds to the appearance of higher class Afghanistans, Hosseini emphasizes that Baba’s persistence and risk-taking including starting his own business is what made him financially successful. The readers are urged to admire Baba’s courage in business as “people were always doubting him” in his early life. These optimistic characteristics are further manifested through Baba’s orphanage in which he built despite having little architectural experience. The orphanage symbolizes Baba’s kindness and that he was a heroic individual towards many of Kabul’s citizens. Through the praising dialogue of several minor characters, the “people who filled the parking spots” at his funeral, the readers are encouraged to respect Baba; they describe him as “a brother” and the man who “found me a job”. When Baba miraculously stands up to a Shorawi rafiq, a Russian Soldier, who demands to sleep with an innocent lady during their escape from Kabul, he represents a hero, putting his life on the line for people he did not know. Baba is a powerful man, someone “impossible to ignore...Baba’s snoring...a growling track engine”, and even living in America, he continues to “wrestle that bear”, again persisting by declining any form of radiation treatment when he is diagnosed with cancer. Baba’s heroism is evident throughout the plot; the “nang and namoos” revolving around him attracting the readers to the novel and his character as a whole.
One of the immediate flaws recognised is Baba’s inability to be a decent father for Amir, instilling fascination among the readers towards fatherhood. It is astonishing that Baba, who is constantly portrayed as a perfect human being, is a father who never takes interest in Amir partially based on the fact that “he’s always buried in those books” or “never fights back”. Baba’s behaviour towards Amir is so harsh, causing Amir to think that “all fathers...harbor a desire to kill their sons”. Amir is so afraid of Baba’s scrutiny, recalling moments where “he can never tell Baba from the bear”, fearing that this empowering ‘bear’ would continue neglecting him and accusing him of being weak. Here, Baba’s personality is not heroic at all, but selfish and reckless, Baba’s flaw interestingly serving as a catalyst to Amir’s multitude of regretful events. In contrast to Rahim Khan, Baba proves to be a poor father, never reading Amir’s creative stories unlike Rahim Khan who acknowledges that Amir does possess some talents. Baba only strives to do so once Amir wins the Kite Tournament, a more manly type of hobby. This demonstrates that Baba does not consider Amir’s feelings, whilst the sudden switch from perfection to imperfection sways the audience into observing Baba’s character into more depth. However, a perfect role model of fatherhood is reflected on Ali, Hassan’s father. Ali despite being flawed physically with his partial facial paralysis and residing in a servant’s hut instead of a mansion, is the ideal father as he solely makes decisions based on his son’s feelings. Amir instead never experiences that fatherly devotion in his childhood which Hassan receives, jealous of the way “Ali pulled him [Hassan] close...with tenderness”. Ali sacrifices for Hassan, leaving Baba’s house even though he had served Baba for so long; this is a heroic act of a father. Baba’s blemish against his flawless exterior was fatherhood, apparent when contrasted those who succeed in this area.
Towards the denouement of the novel, the audience discover that Baba had made many unexpected mistakes in the past which stems off explaining many of the ambiguous aspects of the narrative. Baba had betrayed the people he loved when he slept with Ali’s wife Sanauba causing her to fall pregnant with Hassan. His recklessness of doing so emphasized that he was once a man who made bad decisions, quite similar to Amir’s childhood of indulging in lies. This discovery makes most things more understandable, why part of Baba always neglected Amir and favoured Hassan, the more active and ‘heroic’ son out of the two. A reason for Baba distancing himself from Amir as suggested in the novel was because “when he saw you [Amir], he saw himself...and his guilt” and the frustrating responsibilities that came with his wealth. This breakthrough of Baba’s past moreover promotes the readers to relate Baba’s charity to his sins where his form of redemption was giving back to society and its people through charity. However, Baba’s past sinful actions contradicts his present philosophy where “there is no act more wretched than stealing”. But Baba had in actual fact stole a father from Amir, stole a biological father from Hassan, and a biological son from Ali. Baba past actions also contradicts his view that Amir is nothing like him as they had both caused betrayal to the people who loved them most. Baba’s revealed flaws intrigue the readers greatly and it ultimately completes the story of The Kite Runner.
Baba’s character begins simple; however, as the plot unfolds, the complexity of his character becomes appealing to the reader’s understanding of the text. Baba is instantly conveyed as an almost flawless heroic Afghanistan, but his weakness of failing as the father of young Amir sparks a negative perspective towards his leading figure. As the novel reaches a standstill, Baba’s past sins are completely revealed, the imperfections behind his shining armour engaging readers at various levels; the audience are naturally intrigued in what makes an individual human; their flaws.
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