Character Analysis of Amir in The Kite Runner

Growing up privileged is not something everyone recognizes. Everyone experiences life differently based on their parents, social class, and gender. Those who grow up rich cannot understand what it’s like to be poor. Those who grow up without their mother, cannot understand what it would be like to have one. And those who grow up without their parent’s attention would undoubtedly yearn for it. This is the case in “The Kite Runner,” with the protagonist Amir who grows up privileged, insecure, and deprived of attention from his father. Amir is an individual who is overwhelmed by guilt and his feelings to make up for how he treated Hassan during his time in Kabul. 

Amir grew up desperate for attention from his father, Baba. He also became jealous every time Baba gave his best friend Hassan any attention or validation. These feelings of jealousy drove Amir to act childishly on multiple occasions. In fact, Amir is driven by his emotions all throughout the book, including allowing Hassan to stand up for him against an antagonist of the story, Assef. He also would treat Hassan worse because of his social class and because it was easy, yet repeatedly show cowardice in every other aspect of his life. Even Baba commented saying, “A boy who won't stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up for anything.”

As Amir matures, he separates from Hassan and becomes a very submissive aspiring author. He never develops the courage to take control of his life. This is evident after taking a year to talk to a girl he has a crush on. Even though this girl temporarily distracts him, he is living with guilt throughout this time period. Rahim Khan reminds him of this later on during their reunion. The readers catch a glimpse of the old Amir, but we are also introduced to the main character in a different light. He is deciding to take serious action towards saving Hassan’s child in Kabul. 

Hassan made sacrifices for Amir which he repeatedly took for granted. As a result, Amir decides to rescue Sohrab because he wants to make up for all the times Hassan sacrificed for him. Despite Amir refusing to recognize it as an adolescent, Hassan was his friend. In moments where Amir was too weak to stand up for himself, Hassan was there to do it for him. It often seemed like Hassan loved Amir more than himself. When commanded by Amir to come back with the winning kite, he said, “For you a thousand times over!” Even though Amir is rescuing Sohrab, the motivation behind it comes from what he owes Hassan. Rahim Khan convinces Amir to rescue Sohrab but he doesn’t ask him directly. Instead, Amir is left thinking about his final comment over the phone where he says, “he knew about Assef, the kite, the money… There is a way to be good again.” That night Amir dreamt of Hassan, and he is reminded of times in his life where Hassan stood up for him.

Amir says, “I wish Rahim Khan hadn’t called me… wished he had let me live on in my oblivion.” However, the matured version of Amir takes control and he realizes that his life had been “a cycle of lies, betrayals, and secrets.” Amir only realized what Hassan meant to him when it was too late. Hassan’s son, Sohrab, was an orphan who was too young to know who his father was. To Amir, Sohrab was a little part of Hassan that lived on. Amir recognizes that Hassan “loved [Amir] in a way that no one ever had or ever would again.” This is why Amir saves Sohrab, because he is reminded of the sacrifices his brother made for him that he never repaid him for. 

Amir was a jealous child who was unappreciative of the people around him, especially Hassan. However, this is part of the reason he matured into a man who was able to make the journey he did and stand up for himself. Baba’s distance, Rahim’s advice, and Hassan’s impact were all integral parts of the character development of Amir. The tragic events that led to the end of Amir’s story ended in motivating him to make his father proud, earn forgiveness from Hassan, and save Sohrab from Assef and Kabul.