Parenting Style in the Kite Runner

Kite Runner Final Paper

Parents play an integral role in their childr's life. Each parenting style has a different influence on a child, determining how one will interact with their peers and develop future relationships once their in the real world. In the Kite Runner, By reading through the psychoanalytic lens, itr's clear to see that Babar's authoritative and uninvolved style is problematic and has a negative effect on Amir and their relationship.

The first sign of Babar's uninvolved parenting style is his lack of involvement in his sonr's life. When Amir was asking his dad if he could sit with him and his friends, trying to enter his dadr's smoking room, Baba kept on blocking him from coming in. Go on now, hed say. This is grown-ups time. Why dont you go read one of those books of yours, (3). Baba not engaging in his sonr's life makes it difficult for Amir. He is constantly yearning for his fatherr's love and attention. He ends up being jealous of Babar's relationship with Hassan. As of result, this leads Amir to not having any guidance, a real father figure to nurture him and teach him.

In addition to Babar's uninvolved parenting style, her's shows very little warmth and affection towards Amir. Amir was told a story about his dad fighting a bear with his bare hands how no one would even question his fatherr's strength, any story about Baba for that matter. Amir would have dreams multiple times about his father wrestling with a bear, leaving Baba with scars all down his back. And in those dreams, I can never tell Baba from the bear, (9). A bear represents power and strength, but therer's also a coldness to Baba. Amir is left emotionally withdrawn by his father. Amirr's dreams indicates that there is a distance in his relationship with his father. Their relationship becomes the motive behind Amir betraying Hassan because he saw how much attention Baba was giving to Hassan instead.

Finally, Babar's aggressiveness is a sign of this parenting style. Amir is in the smoking room with Baba, sitting on his lap and talking about what he learned in school. Baba then tells Amir what he thinks about sin. Youll never learn anything from those bearded idiots. Piss on the beards of all those self-righteous monkeys, (12). Amir tries to live up to his fatherr's demands and high standards and doesnt want to disappoint him. He spends time with Baba to succeed at his fatherr's demands, but therer's a part of Amir that stands back and kind of hesitates because he feels as if his father is already disappointed in him.

Last but not least, the final sign of Babar's authoritative parenting style is he sets some ground rules, specifically on stealing. Baba tells Amir about the act of theft being a sin and if he ever came across a man who committed such an act, they would suffer the consequences. There is no act more wretched than stealing, Amir, Baba said. I spit on such man, (14). Once again, we see Amir fearing his dad; the fact that Baba would say that he would spit on a man. This leaves Amir terrified of his father, with his sort of militant behavior.

In conclusion, we see Amir gradually learn how to stand up not only for himself, but for others. He stood up to his enemy, Assef, after being put down by him for so long. He stood up to Sohrab when the General Taheri called Sohrab a hazara boy. Even though the book doesnt end a good note, we see Amir making strives to become a better individual and a father figure, nurturing and giving sohrab the love and attention that he never got as a child.

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