To be at home is to be at peace within oneself. Khaled Hosseini, author of the bestselling novel The Kite Runner, focuses greatly on the connection characters feel to a certain location as a home. But every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Hosseini also explains the consequences of over and under attachment to a specific location through the characters Baba and General Taheri, Amir, and Assef. Baba and General Taheri have a similar connection to Afghanistan that they carry with them into the United States. Both have such a profound connection to their homes that they experience great troubles while trying to adapt to American life, which might have been the reasoning behind Baba’s explosion towards the Nguyens (Hosseini 127).
Baba was so accustomed to his life in Afghanistan that he expressed his discontent with his new life through anger and violence. America does not only affect Baba emotionally, but also physically. This is evident when Amir suggests that Baba seemed to be taller while living in Kabul (131). America has impaired his stature, causing him to go from a towering, self-confident man in Kabul to a small, weak gas station manager in California. General Taheri conveys the relationship with Afghanistan differently than Baba, in which Taheri does not make any progress in adapting to the American way of life.
After Amir and Soraya’s marriage, Amir learns that “he had kept his family on welfare and had never held a job in the U.S., preferring to cash government checks than degrading himself with work unsuitable for a man of his stature” (176). General Taheri failed to support his family in the United States, both financially and emotionally, because he was obsessed with returning to Afghanistan to resume his formal position in the Military of Defense. Baba and General Taheri both demonstrate that having a strong love for one’s country is admirable, unless it damages families and friendships. Amir, unlike his father and General Taheri, has no difficulty adapting to his new life in the United States. Amir realizes that his new life in California is an ideal opportunity to bury his horrifying life in Kabul and quickly allows America to become his true home. Amir familiarizes himself with American customs, which is credible when he alleviates his father’s anger towards the Nguyens (127).
127 our experts are availableright now
If Amir had an immersed relationship with Kabul, he too would have been agitated by the Nguyens’ request, but he understood the nature of the American customs and adapted substantially. Amir’s transposing relationship to a home is even more apparent when he returns to Afghanistan under Rahim Khan’s request. As Amir drives through his earlier home, he disclosed to Farid that he “feel[s] like a tourist in [his] own country” (231). Driving through the unsuitable town, it is clear to Amir that he never truly lived in Afghanistan because he grew up in wealth. He never had the opportunity to develop a veritable connection with Kabul because he was only aware of the favorable aspects of the land. Faith and the connection through God is an extremely important aspect to many Afghans, and Amir’s adaptation to America separated him from the mosque. He finds a reason to pray solely when Sorab is nearing death; Amir almost forgot the prayers but he felt it necessary in the desperate time (346).
His disconnection with religion demonstrates Amir’s distant connection with Kabul, which could directly relate to all the negative aspects that occurred there. The relationship Amir has with a location directly relates to the events manifested there and how they affect him. Although Amir’s ability to connected with America rewarded him with Soraya and the advantage of submerging his past, he lost the friendships of people who used to be undeniably significant in his life. In some cases, however, the consequences of excessive patriotism results in much greater damage. Assef characterizes this throughout the course of the novel, starting at a young age with his harassment and taunts toward Hassan stating that Afghanistan should be composed of solely Pashtuns (40).
Assef’s love of Afghanistan causes Hassan and Amir trepidation that haunts them their whole lives. The greatest representation of this was during Hassan’s rape, in which Assef meets Wali’s uncertainty with “there’s nothing sinful about teaching a lesson to a disrespectful donkey” (75). Assef’s hatred for Hazara’s enables him to disregard the fact that Hassan is a human as he extracted Hassan’s happiness and dignity which would haunt both him and Amir for the remainder of the novel. Assef annexes his repugnance for Hazara’s and his love for God and Afghanistan as the story advances. His indoctrination into the Taliban allowed for increasingly inhuman methods for expressing his aversion to anything against God, including when he stoned two adulterers to death in front of a studium of people (271).
Although Assef was under the impression that killing the adulterers would improve society, his sin could easily be considered greater than the sin of adultery. Patriotism can be positive and effective in shaping one’s country, but Assef proves that excessive amounts of it can be destructive and cause permanent trauma for those involved. The characters Baba and General Taheri, Amir, and Assef explain the ramifications of having a plethora, as well as an under abundance, of connection to a certain home. The restriction that affects both Baba and General Taheri is that they refuse to let go of Afghanistan, even after living in America for years, while Amir has no issue adapting to the new lifestyle and welcomes it with content. Assef demonstrates the negative outcomes of exhibiting a severe connection to Afghanistan. A person’s home has the ability to shape who they are and how they interact with those around them, some for the better and others for the worse.
