Sohrab is Ungrateful

[Makaila]

I believe Sohrab is incredibly ungrateful throughout the story. The only time I believe Sohrab shows some gratitude, is when he defends Amir with his slingshot. He obviously knows Amir is there to help him and is grateful for that, thus he attempts to save him. Besides that, I think Sohrab was ungrateful throughout the book. Amir had come and saved him, and countless times he would prove ungrateful. For example, Amir had brought him back to America, so he could be happy and have a new family; he hardly spoke to Amir and his wife. He had a home, a room full of toys, yet still ungrateful. I understand he obviously had gone through a lot, but Amir was doing all he could to keep Sohrab happy and to try to get him to smile one more time(which evidently ends up happening:)) I think the Author did this to portray Amir and Hassan's relationship. Amir was never very graetful for everything Hassan had done for him. Hassan stood up for him all the time. Even after Amir had run away from the sight of Hassan being raped, Hassan stayed loyal to him. This came back to Amir to bite him in the but. He was never grateful, and finally he was put on the otherside. "As I waited for a reply, my mind flashed to a winter day form long ago, Hassan and I sitting on the snow beneath a leafless cherry tree. I had played a cruel game with Hassan that day, toyed with him, asked him if he'd eat dirt to prove his loyalty to me. Now I was the one under the micrscope, the one who had to prove my worthiness. I deserved this." (355)

[Melissa]

Sohrab is a little boy who is emotionally scarred due to the untold horrors he's had to endure. He lived in fear and uncertainty. After promising him that he'd never have to go back to an orphanage, he is told that he's going back which, I'm sure, brought up images of what Assef had done to him along with starvation and loneliness. How does he know that Amir will keep his promises after that?

I really don't believe he made a conscious decision to remain silent. I believe he was unable to due to psychological problems. He was a very damaged young boy.

[Tanuja]

Sohrab is not ungrateful, its just he wants a little more time to adapt to new situations. How can one have a different family back and start living with another? it needs time to build that emotional existence that also being in very traumatic situations.

[Stephanie]

I don't think he was ungrateful. So much had happened to him and he wasn't a child anymore. He had seen and experienced so many awful things; including the public murder of his parents as well as the daily abuse by the same people who abused his family. He had to grow accustomed to his surroundings quickly and then suddenly this man comes to save him. He wants to leave his misery behind so he helps the man to help himself. Then he's suppose to be happy, just right off the bat? I'm not at all surprised that he was quiet or worse: suicidal. Sure, his life was great again but how was he suppose to know it all wouldn't change? Again. I don't blame him one bit.

[Steven]

Sohrab is a child who experienced terrible things. The public murder of his parents and sexual abuse aren't likely to be easy things for a kid to recover from.

[Usha]

As pointed out by so many readers, Shorab is a child who had been through a lot. Losing parents that young, Moving into an orphanage,being subjected to sexual abuse.Shorab is a child and he thinks he has become impure due to the abuses he had to go through.A ten year or old or so had been reduced to think that it was his fault.I cant even being to imagine what he must have gone through. Then he had a hope to have a better life, have a guardian probably a chance to have a family again. Then again Amir tells him that there might be a chance that he will have to go back to the orphanage for some time, that would have scratched his healing wounds again. How does a ten year old muster up the courage to attempt to die!!!! The child was damaged badly.Thats why he took a recluse in himself.He couldn't bring up himself to trust that anything thats good around him would stay for long. I don't blame him for that.

[Sabrina]

you must understand Sohrab was a boy after all he had been through it is understandable that he was quiet he had been emotional traumitised throughtout his life he had ben sexually abused, his parents were killed and he tried to kill himself. It is hard for Sohrab to go back to normal he is haunted by his past. he lost his trust in Amir after Amir promised that he wouldnt send him back to the orphanaged and then told him he'd probably have to go. Sohrab was just like his father words meant alot to him and he probablt felt he couldnt trust anyone after Amir was about to break his promise

[Alexandra]

I think this is a totally believable portrayal of a traumatised child.

"Grateful" is what you should be when given a present - it is not an appropriate concept in these circumstances! And given that all Sohrab's terrible experiences are ultimately due to how loyal his father was to Amir (who repeatedly betrayed him) - who really "owes" who here? It is not sensible to try to run that sort of equation of moral debt...

But actually, I think the 'reason' that Sohrab behaves in that way is because the author is trying to set up a symmetry regarding Amir's ungratefulness towards Hassan. My problem with this book is that it is emotionally manipulative - characters behave in inconsistent ways, for maximum impact.

I have a hard time believing in Hassan as a character: at times he is incredibly perceptive and wise beyond his years - yet he never sees through Amir's lies. he seems to be a mish-mash of virtues - wise or naive, whichever will show Amir up most at the time!

But if we take Hassan at face value, and blinded by his love for Amir, then it does not follow that Sohrab shares his delusion. If Sohrab sees Amir for what he really is - in his father's stories as well as in the present (and no more reliable in regard to keeping his word now than then) - then does he not have enough reason to hate the man who destroyed the lives of his grandfather, his parents and himself? Rescuing him is prompted by Amir's guilt-trip; it might *Amir* feel better, but it doesn't really put anything right.

[Felgona]

'The thing about you Afghanis is that...well, you people are a little reckless.' This is what Fayyaz, the hotel manager said to Amir when Sohrab disappeared. This is embodied when Amir suggests to Sohrab that he would have to go back to the orphanage where he had had to endure so much wretchedness. Sohrab wasn't ungrateful, he was just given very little to build trust in anyone.

[Sahibah]

I really don't think that sohrab was ungrateful. He was just traumatised with everything and the fact that he had to go back to the orphangage made him commit suicide.I know that once in america he was quiet and isolated, but just think about what the poor boy went through. It could be that the writer is trying to show hassan's emotions through sohrab. So i really don't think he is ungrateful.

[Syamel]

Steven wrote: "Sohrab is a child who experienced terrible things. The public murder of his parents and sexual abuse aren't likely to be easy things for a kid to recover from."

yup...i can't agree more.some of the victim, a real victim take some times to fully recover mentally. some of them have to live with it until they reach their adult age. and in some isolated case they repeat the disaster they have experiences to the others

[Mikhael]

the thing that happened when they raped him and he showed no anger or normal Adolescents protest is actually unreal and delusion

[Mikhael]

sorry am talking abt hassan

[Mikhael]

sohrab made mw cry after he showed interested by Kate

[Rawia]

I believe Sohrab was pretty ungrateful, because when i met him in that book, i really wanted to seee his relationship with Amir grow stronger. i think Sohrab's charachter made the book all the more interesting. but, when i see that Sohrab is not exactly cooperative, i really felt sad and angry. but thinking deeper, Sohrab is a very small boy and what had happened to him snatched away his childhood. his mind is too small to endure the horror of the world and he had no idea what to do. the suicide, suddenly running to Faisal Masjid, taking long under showers was just his way if trying to remove the past and move on. his state right after the horror of about half a year is unimaginable. his acts portray the lack of right guidance. thanks to Asif, the boy's traumatic experience cut a very very deep wound in his heart.
:'(

[Sahibah]

Rawia wrote: "I believe Sohrab was pretty ungrateful, because when i met him in that book, i really wanted to seee his relationship with Amir grow stronger. i think Sohrab's charachter made the book all the more..."

Very true, if you look at the deeper meaning, it shows how vulnerable and traumatic sohrab's life has become because of asif and the loss of his parents, really sad but this is changed into a positive when he smiles at the end :-)

[Catherine]

Melissa wrote: "Sohrab is a little boy who is emotionally scarred due to the untold horrors he's had to endure. He lived in fear and uncertainty. After promising him that he'd never have to go back to an orphana..."

I agree. The child was traumatized. After having fostered children for many years, I believe the word 'ungrateful' should not even be in the dictionary.

[Danielle]

I wouldn't call Sohrab ungrateful. As we know, he's been through a lot and has witnessed a tragic incident, leaving him traumatized and making it difficult for him to connect with the outside world.

How would you feel if a strange man came to you one day and told you that he was taking you away from the country you were born in and were already accustomed to? Of course it would leave you quite puzzled and you'd be reluctant to go along.

My point is that someone like Sohrab who has been through so much at such a young age needs time and space to heal. He's not ungrateful, he was learning how to trust again and really did not know how to express his emotions to Amir.

[Dewinda]

i think is not because he's ungrateful, but there's some kind of trauma that he shuts down himself to outer world, especially Amir, because he felt somehow Amir makes he believes that everything's gonna be alright until he came up with the news that sohrab must stay in the orphanage while he took care of everything..

i think it's no one's fault. everything's so complicated and here i think the author pretty success in describing the whole dramatic things... i really feel sorry for each character who endures their own wound in the past...

[Andrew]

Melissa wrote: "Sohrab is a little boy who is emotionally scarred due to the untold horrors he's had to endure. He lived in fear and uncertainty. After promising him that he'd never have to go back to an orphana..."

I think that you are dead on Melissa about Sohrab, he was so emotionally damaged and no longer knew who to trust and so closed himself off to the world around him.

[Megan]

I would not call him ungrateful. He was traumatized. Saw his parents murdered and then was sold to Assef and abused. His whole world was turned upside down. And then to move to a foreign country with a stranger. Post Tramatic Stress disorder comes to mind. Maybe he dissociated from his reality? I felt horrible for this child. I was kind of hoping he would come to America and be happy again. I kept reading the end of the book hoping he would talk again. I can understand why the author ended it the way he did, was very powerful.

[Haileyfallows]

You are a bigot to think Sorann or Amir were unjust. What suffereing they both endured. Life takes us all in different directions and the mere fact that they were coincdentially reunited show how life re creates itself with uncondtional love,family, history, and true blood.. yes Amir was selfish but are we not all in our up bringings in one way or another.. I know that I am..We are who we are and what a fantastic display of another story and culture.. how could you not find it educational and inspiring? I cried for all of the characters because they all showed what every human being wishes too..vunerabilty,addaption, happiness, and the will to be better!

[Radwa]

Melissa wrote: "Sohrab is a little boy who is emotionally scarred due to the untold horrors he's had to endure. He lived in fear and uncertainty. After promising him that he'd never have to go back to an orphana..."

i totally agree with you

[Jennifer]

I don't think Sohrab is ungrateful at all. He's just a little boy who lost everything he ever loved. At the age of ten he lost his parents, his home, and his childhood. He became depressed and suicidal and quite frankly I think I would be the same way if I endured the same things that he has.

[Alexandra]

What should he be grateful for? Because Amir eventuslly, and after breaking promises and snatching away hope once given, rescued him from a hell which he had only ended up in because his father had died for Amir!

If I destroy someone's life and whole family (however unwittingly), and then try to ameliorate some of the consequences to them, they don't owe me ANYTHING. Amir owes Sohrab so much, for all the sacrifices that Hassan made; the fact that his reaction is to sulk because Sohrab doesn't fawn on him shows that he has learnt nothing, and is, at heart, still the selfish little boy who let his best friend get raped in an alley because he thought that doing nothing (and so getting the kite to take back) would win his father's approval!

[Herbert]

well in a way i disagree with you, sohrab was going throught some rough times in his life like his father and mothers death, to being in a Forster home and then molested by assef. these things can make a pretty of the charts child

[Hatice]

The writer reflects Hasan's fondness to Amir on the relationship between Amir and Sohrab. The situation is not being grateful or not, the intensity and sincerity of the feelings alone. Hasan's friendship defines who he is, Amir's fatherhood defined, built his personality. He devouted himself to his most innocent memoir because his life meant nothing to him until that. His personal challenge through his adventure is obvious.

Sohrab went trough a lot, he never knew luxury before, so, that means nothing to him. He had a good relationship and good memories with his father. Material might mean nothing to a child torn that much.

[Saumya]

No, Sohrab isn't ungrateful. It was only after he discovers, much to his horror, that Amir is to send him off to the orphanage, that Sohrab develops cold feet towards him. After all, Amir has been so kindhearted towards him! He had rescued him from the cruel Assef, and had almost succeeded in building a bridge with him, so it is but natural for Sohrab to wish to stay on with this nice man. All the same, trust once broken is hard to re-establish. I don't blame Amir for his circumstances; he does not know what he must do when he is asked for evidence supporting the fact that Sohrab is an orphan. But when we consider this from the point of view of a tortured orphan who has seen light at the far end of the tunnel after ages of darkness, he really does not wish to understand anything else; he is dumbfounded, devastated, shocked. He even attempts suicide and is fortunately rescued, but that incident has left him shattered. And I feel that it is natural for a person to feel betrayed when he/she discovers, after expecting some happiness after such a long time, that he/she will have to return to darkness.
However, time does heal things, and we readers need to take Sohrab's "lopsided smile" towards the end of the story as a positive sign and assume that all problems may eventually become resolved.