The Kite Runner-Discussion Question #5
5. After Amir wins the kite running tournament, his relationship with Baba undergoes significant change. However, while they form a bond of friendship, Amir is still unhappy. What causes this unhappiness and how has Baba contributed to Amir’s state of mind? Eventually, the relationship between the two returns to the way it was before the tournament, and Amir laments “we actually deceived ourselves into thinking that a toy made of tissue paper, glue, and bamboo could somehow close the chasm between us.” Discuss the significance of this passage.
Amir and Baba attempt to wipe their slate clean and are ignorant to their past lives. Baba only considered Amir a trophy after his win in the kite-fighting tournament, thus causing the relationship between Baba and Amir to be weak and false.
After the tournament Amir and Baba’s relationship gets stronger since Baba told Amir that he wanted to win the tournament, which he did. While Amir and Baba were getting along and actually doing stuff together Amir was still unhappy. After Hassan was raped by Assef and Amir witnessed it he couldn’t rekindle their relationship. Also Baba to him felt like he wasn’t truely wanting to spend all this time with Amir, it was like he was faking his happiness with him, “When Baba was out-and he was out-a lot I closed myself in my room.” Amir didn’t have much to do now that he an Hassan were no longer friends and he and Baba were “happy”.
The significance of the passage is that both Amir and Baba had fallen into the illusion that they enjoyed going to movies, visiting friends and spending time in the study. They made themselves believe that all the years before the kite tournament had never happened and the Baba wasn’t embarrassed by Amir’s lack of sporting prowess and that he would write stories all the time. They both used Amir’s win in the kite tournament to create a false sense of happiness.
Amir succeeds in winning the kite fighting tournament that he so desperately wanted to win, in hopes that Baba will accept him for it. He is proud once he wins, and Hassan runs off to catch the kite for Amir, his trophy. Amir goes on to tell us how he has planned out the moment he meets with Baba after the tournament, kite in hand. And how Baba and him will finally become closer, and be accepted, Baba will proud if Amir. And Baba is proud. But Amir is not as happy as he thought he would be, after witnessing what happened to Hassan, he feels like a coward because he didn’t help. Even though Hassan would have helped him.
“we actually deceived ourselves into thinking that a toy made of tissue paper, glue, and bamboo could somehow close the chasm between us.”
This is Amir’s view of the situation, and although we don’t hear Baba actually say anything, we know he probably feels the same way. The kite brought them closer, but only for a while. For Amir to truly be accepted he would have to continue to please his father, one little thing could not change their relationship. And Amir only worsened the situation when he mentioned sending Hassan and Ali away. At first they spent their time together, and Baba would even read his stories.
The importance of this sentence is to show how Amir, deep down, knew that winning the competition would not fix everything between him and his father. They would eventually grow apart again.
Amir believed that winning the kite running competition would make everything between himself and Baba would be fixed, that they would form a proper father/son relationship. However Amir was living with the guilt of not helping Hassan, and could not bear Baba being so affectionate about him. he asks Baba if he’s ever considered getting new servants, unknowingly that Hassan was actually Baba’s son too. yeah i think im straying off my point…but anyway, the ‘happiness’ that existed between Amir and Baba was created by superficial means, not real love, but ‘love’ created from reached expectations. it’s obvious from the start that this kind of relationship wouldnt ever last.
Amir feels as if the new relationship between him and Baba after the kite tournament is forced and fake. They both make themselves think that everything is ok and just ignore the past. They fake their happiness and Amir notices that Baba always tries to invite other people to go on outings with them which obviously means that Baba doesn’t want to spend time alone with him. A false bond of friendship is created after the tournament when Baba is proud of a son he doesn’t actually have. Baba realises that even though Amir won the tournament, it wouldn’t change who he is.
Amir and Baba both use the upcoming Kite Running tournament as a reason to come together. But really, both of them no that this could never work. What is one event going to do to change the past.
When Amir wins the Kite tournament, he sees Baba on the roof cheering, but he isn’t sure if it is for himself, or Hassan. He wants it to be for him, but knows it can’t possibly be. Hassan is loyal to Amir and chases after the blue kite, this wounds up getting him raped by Assef. Amir just stands there and watches it happen, and this breaks the friendship between himself and Hassan.
Just like the passage in the book, a kite can’t heal relationships and bury the past. Its just an excuse to forget, when they know they will never be able to.
Amir is still unhappy when he wins the tournament and Babas affection because he betrayed Hassan and he can’t get his mind off it. It was a sour victory at the cost of a friend.Baba knew something was wrong and told Amir that he should get it out in the open because time would just make it worse. The quote “we actually deceived ourselves into thinking that a toy made of tissue paper, glue, and bamboo could somehow close the chasm between us.” meant that Baba was finally proud that Amir as they had something in common but it would only last a short while (went downhill when Amir asked ” Have you ever thought of hiring new servants?”.
Amir is still unhappy because he knows what he did was wrong. Yes, he is now in a slightly better place with his father but he knows that the ways in which he got the be there were wrong. Baba contributes to this unhappiness by being worried about Hassan which causes jealousy from Amir. All Amir wants is to be the favourite.
I think that the passage shows how much both father and son wanted something which they both knew was impossible for them to achieve. Amir is simply pointing out that those few fragile things cannot heal something which is so utterly broken.
Amir is still unhappy even though he won the kite fighting tournament because of the fact that he had witnessed the incident between Hassan and Assef and therefore he does not think of himself of being worthy of the love and affection that Baba is giving him. When the relationship between Baba and Amir returns to normal Amir says “we actually deceived ourselves into thinking that a toy made of tissue paper, glue, and bamboo could somehow close the chasm between us.” This shows us the reader how Baba thought of Amir as a trophy and nothing more.
Baba tricks himself into believing that Amir is the son he wants him to be when he comes home with the kite. Amir is unhappy during this uneasy friendship because of what he ignored to get the kite (Hassans rape). Their friendship is based on the lie that Amir is a honest sporty person whereas he actually got the kite off Hassasan after watching him being raped and doing nothing. They try to repair there relationship with lies which is as weak as the glue and tissue and string which holds the kite together. honesty wouldve been a good start
Baba tricks himself into believing that Amir is the son he wants him to be when he comes home with the kite. Amir is unhappy during this uneasy friendship because of what he ignored to get the kite (Hassans rape). Their friendship is based on the lie that Amir is a honest sporty person whereas he actually got the kite off Hassasan after watching him being raped and doing nothing. They try to repair there relationship with lies which is as weak as the glue and tissue and string which holds the kite together. honesty wouldve been a good start
Amir and Babas relationship is greatly strengthened by Amir winning the kite tournament. Baba had requested the he did and for once in his life Amir lives up to Baba’s expectations and his reputation. he finally feels like he is Baba’s son.He recollects to us how he imagined brining the blue kite to baba and being praised for his win-his triumph. But the reality is that although this triumph brought the two together for a short period of time he later describes the reality of his situation.
“we actually deceived ourselves into thinking that a toy made of tissue paper, glue, and bamboo could somehow close the chasm between us.”
But in gaining this short relationship he loses his closest relationship- his one with Hassan.
The significance of this passage shows that no matter what, one win cannot change the true feelings in baba and amirs relationship.It cannot disguise the fact that Baba is dissapointed with Amirs lack of sporting prowess and his more intellectual way of thinking.
Strong clear answers thank you.I feel that Cerise has written very well on this question, an insightful response.
The relationship between Amir and Baba strengthens when Amir wins the kite fight because Baba really wanted him to win it. Amir finally feels like he has achieved something great to make his father love him the way he wants, he finally feels that he is worthy of being a great man’s son.
He is sad because although he gained the love of his father he lost his friendship with Hassan who was completely loyal to him. His father’s love for him wasn’t really true unconditional love. Winning a kite tournament cannot make someone love someone else.
Amir is still unhappy even though his relationship with his father has become closer as he knows the price Hassan had to pay for it. He feels so full of guilt he can not feel the joy he would have otherwise felt. The passage is showing that a true relationship cannot be built on something else like pride, on something possessed. There needs to be a bond that is present even when there is nothing to be proud of. Love is not something that can be won.
Great answer Rebecca. Perceptive discussion, excellent last point.