The Kite Runner Chapter 7 Quotes

The Kite Runner Chapter 7 Quotes

How we cite the quotes:
Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote 7

It happened just the way I'd imagined. I opened the door to the smoky study and stepped in. Baba and Rahim Khan were drinking tea and listening to the news crackling on the radio. Their heads turned. Then a smile played on my father's lips. He opened his arms. I put the kite down and walked into his thick hairy arms. I buried my face in the warmth of his chest and wept. Baba held me close to him, rocking me back and forth. In his arms, I forgot what I'd done. And that was good. (7.148)

Amir finally wins his father's admiration but we're pretty sure this actually isn't the way he imagined it would happen. Sure, this passage has all the trappings of a good father-son hug. "I'm so proud of you, son!" the father might even say. But you should dig a little deeper. Just under the surface there's a further connection between Baba and Amir. On one level, Baba celebrates Amir's athleticism and courage in the kite tournament. The boy is finally acting like a man. But on another level, Amir has just committed a hefty betrayal on the same level as Baba's infidelity with Sanaubar. The two are now bound by guilt and sin and that's not healthy.