The Kite Runner question

I think he would have been far less insecure which could have bolstered his confidence and courage in the face of such horrors.

Amir knew he was something of a disappointment to his father and he was not what his father wanted him to be. He seemed to take out his frustrations on Hassan, who was far braver than him, to the point that Baba recognised it because it was a trait he valued. This made him terribly insecure.

I think that when Baba notes that he never stands up for himself, that also affirmed his own weaknesses. Baba's words spoke it into being, made it real, confirmed his fears and insecurity. At some point (I could be misremembering), he admits to himself that he is a coward. If you believe yourself to be a coward you will be one.

Baba did a lot of good stuff and bad stuff but he could have been a better father to young Amir in Afghanistan. I think he improved in America. In Afghanistan he seemed to not know how to interact with Amir or was just busy. A lot of parents, especially fathers do that. Apart from gender norms that places child rearing on women more than men, they're working and busy elsewhere. Amir was eager for his attention and approval. He felt Hassan had it and he did not. He sacrificed Hassan for his father's approval by leaving him out of meetings. But it is probably best symbolised in the blue kite which doubles as a symbol of Hassan's undying loyalty since he would not give it up.

Rahim Khan seems to be able to read him better than his father. I do think there is a possibility that Amir would have been better off has he been raised by him. He would not feel so starved for attention the way he did with Baba. He would be less insecure and more confident in himself and his ability. It is Rahim Khan who counters Baba's assertion that something is wrong with Amir. Amir is a child who more or less heard his father expressing that he thinks something is wrong with him. Of course he isn't supposed to be listening to this but that can be damaging. That and other examples of him just reading Baba's view of him, imagined or true, can be awful.

Sue wrote: "After completing the book, I have always wondered whether Amir would've acted differently had he been raised differentlyThe Kite RunnerThe Kite Runner. Amir's Baba was a good person with morals, bu..."

I think he still might have ran. After all, he was not even a teenager yet. Maybe he would've sought help afterwards though. I cannot help but wonder if he would've turned out differently if he had a mother figure in his childhood. This book leaves so much for the reader to think about.

That was exactly what I had in mind and oh i gotta say i love the symbolism between the blue kite and Hassan's loyalty, that was very insightful!

I think Amir would of loved himself more. He would of had a better self-esteem and would have been more secure with himself. He would of been an overall better person and friend to Hassan. But I still can’t say if he would have attempted to help Hassan. Morally he knew what he was doing was not correct. In saying that he was also just a child...