The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini Essay Sample

Anyone can have a kid and call themselves a father, although it's the courage and determination to raise a child that makes one a father. Fathers are the guardian angels that protect their children, they give them strength so that one day they can rise up and stand up for themselves. A vital role in being a heroic father is having a positive influence as it can affect a child's life and turn them into an adult that can take care of themselves. Heroic fathers demonstrate keeping their children protected with affection and how to keep pride when faced with racism as illustrated by Ali in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. Ali is a prominent father figure in the novel although the opposite of Baba, he is a poor ethnic Hazara that was parentless after they died in a car crash. On the contrary Baba, Amir’s dad is a very wealthy, well-respected businessman in Pakistan that has a personal moral code that is heavily based on doing charitable work to share his success with others. Baba’s personality is larger than life, he does not hesitate to put his foot in the door and help someone.

A father is a soldier on the frontlines. They experience mental and physical challenges every day as being a father to a kid is demanding as every day is a new struggle. It's a father's job to make sure his children are protected physically and emotionally even if it causes them to lose their pride to save their dignity. Ali is a protective father of Hassan and even sometimes to Amir when his father is in his absence. Hosseini makes it clear that Ali is always there to reassure them when their city was bombed as Ali says“They’re hunting ducks, Ali said in a hoarse voice. They hunt ducks at night, you know. Don’t be afraid”(Hosseini pg.34). Ali isn’t concerned with what’s happening in the outside world. He’s stepping up to the plate putting his weaknesses aside and giving the boys reassurance on how everything's going to be okay. Ali is acting as a wall to lean on for emotional support as the wall they’re leaning on is not afraid to show affection. Ali putting himself last and putting the boys first makes it evident that Ali is a class act and is not afraid to sacrifice his well-being for his son. Ali is a very reasonable person as he's found on accepting people for who they are and forgetting when others have double-crossed him although when it comes to Hassan. That's a different story to tell as Ali does not hesitate to sacrifice himself to stop Hassan from being toyed with. This is clear when Ali learns about Amir’s betrayal of his son and says “We are leaving, Agha sahib, Ali said. What? Baba said, the color draining from his face. We can't live here anymore, Ali said. But I forgave him, Ali, didn't you hear? Said Baba. Life is impossible for us now, Agha sahib. We're leaving”(Hosseini pg.106). This quote alludes to how Ali did not hesitate to take Hassan out of a toxic situation despite him having limited social power, he still protects Hassan. He protects his son from another betrayal from the monster deep within the blackness of greed. Hassan doesn't want to give Amir away as he's too loyal to Amir and Ali respects his son's wish by allowing him to lie which sacrifices everything Ali has to save Hassan. Ali put his reputation to save Hassan, a well-rounded kid that suffers from adversity which Ali cannot take much more and acts on it instead of lamenting it demonstrating the characteristics of a heroic father.