Father-son relationship of Baba and Amir

Baba and Amir have a strained relationship throughout the novel, especially before they left Afghanistan. Amir always seeks his father’s validation, love, and affection and Baba keeps on being indifferent and careless. There could be multiple explanations for this father-son relationship and the first apparent reason would be their difference as human beings. In the novel, Baba says “If I hadn’t seen the doctor pull him out of my wife with my own eyes, I’d never believe he’s my son. ” (Hosseini 19), emphasizing their difference. Amir is more fragile compared to Baba. He lacks self-defense and the ability to stand up for himself, which disappoints Baba greatly. On the other hand, Baba is a strong, ambitious and proving-himself-right kind of person. He wants his son to grow up to be something like him, to be brave and social, and eventually to take over the business. Amir loves books and literature and Baba likes soccer games and manly stuff. He simply cannot find a point to grow a bond between himself and his son and is more distant from him. This lack of connection leads Amir to believe that Baba’s indifference toward him might have to do with his mother dying while giving birth to him. Of these differences, Amir becomes more and more desperate for his father’s attention and approval which eventually becomes a motive for Amir’s decisions in life. Baba becomes an irreplaceable figure of a father and a role model to Amir, and the relationship becomes the core of this story and it revolves around these figures.