Antagonizing With Love

“A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything.” This quote from Baba is one that attributed to the common view of Baba. People say he is a terrible father and he expects too much from Amir, but that viewpoint is making his character far too one-dimensional. Baba, the antagonist in many parts of the novel, has many sides to his personality. He grew up with the view that a man was supposed to be a man from an early age. Weakness was simply unacceptable. Because he was raised in this way, he came to raise his son in the same way. It just so happens that Amir has a far from typical childhood full of things that forced him to grow up far before he should have. Once the duo reaches America, it is clear that all Baba wants for Amir is the best, and he is more than willing to sacrifice himself for Amir to have it.