Essay on Kite Runner

The Fragility of Father-Son Relationships “Children aren’t coloring books. You don’t get to fill them with your favorite colors” (Hosseini 21). Rahim Khan said to Baba when he talks about Amir lacking manly qualities; he explains to Baba that he shouldn’t force a child to be like them. All fathers’ parenting style is different from a mothers’ parenting style when it comes to a male child.

What a male child need the most is his fathers’ guidance most especially if the child’s mother isn’t present. In KhaledHosseni’s novel, The Kite Runner, a story of a boy who has an absent mother, and longed for his father’s love and did everything to get until the point that he even gave up an important friendship with his childhood friend. Another two novels that parallel the story is Chinua Achebe’s, Things Fall Apart and Salman Rushdie’s, Haroun and the Sea of Stories.

In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe tells a story of a man who fills himself with fear due to his father’s reputation, but Salman Rushdie’s novel deals with reconciliation of a son to a father --- three magnificent novels with three different cultures that imply the fragility of a father-son relationship. In the novels, The Kite Runner, Things Fall Apart, and Haroun& the Sea of Stories the theme that takes part is “The Fragility of a Father-Son Relationship Impacts a Child’s Life”. The father-son relationship between Okonkwo and his father, Unouka in Things Fall Apart is broken by the lack of care.

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Unouka is a non-titled, carefree musician who is very lazy and full of debts; he barely tried working for his family. But Onkonkwo, on the other side, he hated his father and never looked up to him. He’s the exact opposite of his father; he’s a strong, hard-working and well-titled man on his tribe. He feared to be walking on his dad’s footsteps, “Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children. Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a ruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness. […] It was fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father” (Achebe 13). Through Okonkwo’s childhood, his father was present yet absent on being a good father to him. The lack of caring from his father drove him to force himself to be a man with no weaknesses. He feared it so much that even his decisions are out of place as he kills Ikemafuna, who he considered as his son just to show people how fierce he is.

Okonkwo and Unouka’s father-son relationship proves the theme, “The Fragility of a Father-Son Relationship Impacts a Child’s Life”. The father-son relationship between Amir and his father, Baba in the Kite Runner is damaged by the lack of sincere love. As they move to America, a few years later, Baba develops cancer. Amir wants Baba to consider chemotherapy but he refuses and judges Amir. “As he was slipping the key into the lobby door, I said, ‘I wish you’d give the chemo a chance, Baba. ’ Baba pocketed the keys, pulled me out of the rain and under the building’s striped awning.

He kneaded me on the chest with the hand holding the cigarette. ‘Bas! I’ve made my decision. ’ ‘What about me, Baba? What am I supposed to do? ’ I said, my eyes welling up. A look of disgust swept across his rain-soaked face. It was the same look he’d given me when, as a kid, I’d fall, scrape me knees, and cry. It was the crying that brought it on then, the crying that brought it on now. ‘You’re twenty-two years old, Amir! A grown man! You…’ he opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, reconsidered.

Above us, rain drummed on the canvas awning. ‘What’s going to happen to you, you say? All those years, that’s what I was trying to teach you, how to never have to ask that question’” (Hosseini 156-157). He’s always wanted Amir to be a man who stands up for himself and tries lead him in that direction but Amir doesn’t see the effort his father is trying to make. Amir never appreciated the way Baba treats him, because his father doesn’t express the love he expects from him, thus the reason he longs for his father’s love and attention.

When he was a kid, he wanted Baba’s attention so much that he was willing to push away his one and only great friend, Hassan. Amir and Baba’s father-son relationship proves the theme, “The Fragility of a Father-Son Relationship Impacts a Child’s Life”. The father-son relationship between Haroun and his father, Rashid Khalifa in Haroun and the Sea of Stories is distant by the lack of communication. “‘What’s the use of story that aren’t even true’” () “quote about baba wanting amir to be a man, and not rely on him as he dies”Baba forcing Amir to be a man led to negative and positive effect on amir.

Another quote example is how he wants baba’s attention and love that he pushses away his good friend, Hassan, just so he can have baba all to himself. “the quote about what’s the use of those stories”Rashid Khalifa, Haroun’s dad was a good father to him although he didn’t like his dad’s work and told him that his story was no use, but when his dad disappeared, he comes to find him as h regrets saying those words to him and led to his reconciliation. Another quote example would be about how he focuses on saving his dad Conclusion: talk about the father and son importance.

Basically just elaborating on the details and end with “like father, like son” quote. Also emphasize on the how the theme is universal. Explain the significance of a father-son relationship throughout the culture “As he was slipping the key into the lobby door, I said, ‘I wish you’d give the chemo a chance, Baba. ’ Baba pocketed the keys, pulled me out of the rain and under the building’s striped awning. He kneaded me on the chest with the hand holding the cigarette. ‘Bas! I’ve made my decision. ’ ‘What about me, Baba? What am I supposed to do? I said, my eyes welling up. A look of disgust swept across his rain-soaked face. It was the same look he’d given me when, as a kid, I’d fall, scrape me knees, and cry. It was the crying that brought it on then, the crying that brought it on now. ‘You’re twenty-two years old, Amir! A grown man! You…’ he opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, reconsidered. Above us, rain drummed on the canvas awning. ‘What’s going to happen to you, you say? All those years, that’s what I was trying to teach you, how to never have to ask that question’” (Hosseini 156-157).

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