The Kite Runner 2

The novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is about a child, Amir, with a middle class father, Baba, that has a stubborn way of not accepting other people's help. He did not want help so he wouldn't show a sign of weakness.

“I work always. In Afghanistan I work, in America I work. Thank you very much, Mrs. Dobbins, but I don't like it free money.” and “...alleviated one of his greatest fears: that an Afghan would see him buying food with charity money.” (Page 130) and (Page 131)

These quotes show how Baba didn't want the free food stamps even when it could be useful. The food stamps could of saved Baba a lot of money from working so hard, but he returned it just because he was such a prideful person. He could of worked less with those food stamps, and he could use the saved time to spend it with his son, Amir. This also shows how self-conscious he is about himself and his actions with wealth. He doesn't want to be seen as a poor person, even thought he is. I think that he is too prideful and determined, and this is why he later dies of cancer.

“He hated doctors and hospitals. To my knowledge, the only time Baba had ever gone to a doctor was the time he'd caught malaria in India. Then, two weeks later, I caught him coughing a wad of bloodstained phlegm into the toilet. "How long have you been doing that?" I said. "What's for dinner?" he said.”(Page 153)

This shows how Baba does not want help, not even from a trained professional that nearly everybody goes at least once in their lives. This shows how his self-confidence in his health has ruined his own body. Even when he knows he is in trouble, he still plays dumb with Amir, trying to change to topic. This attitude shows that Baba is totally stubborn, and that his adamance is the reason he died. His death was deserving, but didn't have to happen. If only he was more open minded to different ways to show his strengths, he would have gotten treatments.

In the end, Baba's own stubbornness killed him in the long run, but if he was more submissive, then he might of lived longer and even happier.