The parental influence on children is tremendous. A child’s entire life can be influenced from just one event that was shared with a parent figure. It can create a lifetime of anguish and suffering for the child. Amir’s childhood had an absence of a father. He was not provided the nurturing at a young age that is needed for a child. In the Kite Runner, Amir’s actions can be traced back to the internal struggles he faced brought on by his father’s neglect. From the beginning, there was evidence that Amir suffered from neglect. Through his whole life, he was searching for the love of his father. He would do anything to accomplish his goal. He was constantly competing with Hassan for Baba’s love. Eventually, Amir’s psychological understanding
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Not only do they determine the lifestyle, but also your outlooks and beliefs on life. Growing up, children are in search of their parents. They want someone to look up to, and in return, receive their love and nurturing. Amir had never received this. He was showered in gifts, but there was not a meaning behind the gifts. It was just Baba giving him gifts that he thought would make him happy. Baba was often insulting Amir as well. He would tell him he needs to become a stronger man and to be able to fight his own battles. At one point, he even said he would not even think Amir is his son if he had not been there when he was born. At such an early age, Amir was felt unwanted. He had the feeling that he was not good enough for his father. He was in search of a figure that would give him the guidance he needed. Marie Hartwell-Walker states in her article Neglect: The Quieter Child Abuse, “Even more often, they develop serious psychological problems including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety, and personality disorders” (Hartwell-Walker). It can be argued that Amir experienced at least one of these, if not all of them, in the entirety of his life. Hartwell-Walker describes many situations and different outcomes of child neglect. In one scenario, a man, who never had parental guidance, was trying to break a drug habit. He had started using drugs at age 8. He does not have social skills and has a low self-esteem and depression. He is now 30 and is teaching himself the basic skills that should have been taught to him by his parents (Hartwell-Walker). This example shows just how mentally damaging neglect can
Not only do they determine the lifestyle, but also your outlooks and beliefs on life. Growing up, children are in search of their parents. They want someone to look up to, and in return, receive their love and nurturing. Amir had never received this. He was showered in gifts, but there was not a meaning behind the gifts. It was just Baba giving him gifts that he thought would make him happy. Baba was often insulting Amir as well. He would tell him he needs to become a stronger man and to be able to fight his own battles. At one point, he even said he would not even think Amir is his son if he had not been there when he was born. At such an early age, Amir was felt unwanted. He had the feeling that he was not good enough for his father. He was in search of a figure that would give him the guidance he needed. Marie Hartwell-Walker states in her article Neglect: The Quieter Child Abuse, “Even more often, they develop serious psychological problems including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety, and personality disorders” (Hartwell-Walker). It can be argued that Amir experienced at least one of these, if not all of them, in the entirety of his life. Hartwell-Walker describes many situations and different outcomes of child neglect. In one scenario, a man, who never had parental guidance, was trying to break a drug habit. He had started using drugs at age 8. He does not have social skills and has a low self-esteem and depression. He is now 30 and is teaching himself the basic skills that should have been taught to him by his parents (Hartwell-Walker). This example shows just how mentally damaging neglect can