Tony Kappen
Ms.Cecchetto
ENG 4U1
13 March 2015
The Product of Fear Individuals who act selfishly are slaves to their fears, not masters of good reason.
Fear is the root of all selfishness, as it is what drives individuals to place their own irrational needs before the wellbeing of those around them. Amir, the protagonist of Khaled Hosseini’s novel the Kite Runner, his father Baba and General Taheri are all examples of such individuals. The fear these individuals possess, cause them to damage and infringe on the lives of those around them. The validity of the statement that fear is the root cause of selfishness is clearly evident in Khaled Hosseini’s novel the Kite Runner because Amir, Baba and General Taheri all act selfishly because of …show more content…
Several years after his arrival to America, Baba develops lung cancer, but he refuses treatment. He fears losing the image of strength that he once was and becoming an object of pity. This is evident by what he demands Amir after learning of his cancer, “‘…No one finds out about this, you hear me? No one. I don’t want anybody’s sympathy.’… He [Baba] chain smoked the rest of the day in front of the TV.” (Hosseini 157). Baba demands Amir not to tell anyone of his health condition because he fears being seen as helpless, and worries of the resulting loss of respect. Baba’s angst of becoming an object of sympathy causes him to act defiantly- continuing to smoke, with little concern as to the impact this has on those around him. Baba’s fear of becoming a social outcast also directs his egocentric actions. When Amir goes to Pakistan, he learns the truth of Hassan’s patronage, a truth Hassan himself was never aware of. Rahim Khan justifies Baba’s actions, “‘…It was a shameful condition. People would talk. All that a man was back then, all that he was, was his honour, his name…We [Rahim Khan and Baba] couldn’t tell anyone, surely you can see that”’ (Hosseini 223). Baba fears becoming a social outcast in his extremely conservative society if his extramarital affair was ever revealed. As a result, he acts self-servingly and hides the true identity of Hassan’s father. The fear Baba has of …show more content…
General Taheri, is an individual who once held a position of great prestige in the former Afghani government. Following the ensuing chaos in the country, he fled with his wife and daughter to America. Amir enters the Taheri family through marriage and describes what he first observes, “I learned that he [General Taheri] had kept his family on welfare and had never held a job in the U.S. preferring to cash government issued checks than degrading himself with work unsuitable for a man of his stature…” (Hosseini 176). General Taheri fears that if a prominent figure like himself works a menial job it will damage his reputation, and thus he chooses to take welfare, instead of working. This causes his entire family to be in a state of constant financial dependency on the government. Thus General Taheri’s fear of damaging his own prestige causes him to act selfishly. General Taheri’s fear of social rebuttals also causes him to infringe on the personal freedoms of his family. This is evident when Amir narrates, “I learned that Khanum Taheri-whom I called Khala Jamila now-had once been famous in Kabul for her enchanting voice….But as much as the General appreciated listening to music…he believed the performing of it best left to those with lesser reputations. That she would never sing in public had been one of the general’s conditions when they married” (Hosseini 177). General Taheri
Ms.Cecchetto
ENG 4U1
13 March 2015
The Product of Fear Individuals who act selfishly are slaves to their fears, not masters of good reason.
Fear is the root of all selfishness, as it is what drives individuals to place their own irrational needs before the wellbeing of those around them. Amir, the protagonist of Khaled Hosseini’s novel the Kite Runner, his father Baba and General Taheri are all examples of such individuals. The fear these individuals possess, cause them to damage and infringe on the lives of those around them. The validity of the statement that fear is the root cause of selfishness is clearly evident in Khaled Hosseini’s novel the Kite Runner because Amir, Baba and General Taheri all act selfishly because of …show more content…
Several years after his arrival to America, Baba develops lung cancer, but he refuses treatment. He fears losing the image of strength that he once was and becoming an object of pity. This is evident by what he demands Amir after learning of his cancer, “‘…No one finds out about this, you hear me? No one. I don’t want anybody’s sympathy.’… He [Baba] chain smoked the rest of the day in front of the TV.” (Hosseini 157). Baba demands Amir not to tell anyone of his health condition because he fears being seen as helpless, and worries of the resulting loss of respect. Baba’s angst of becoming an object of sympathy causes him to act defiantly- continuing to smoke, with little concern as to the impact this has on those around him. Baba’s fear of becoming a social outcast also directs his egocentric actions. When Amir goes to Pakistan, he learns the truth of Hassan’s patronage, a truth Hassan himself was never aware of. Rahim Khan justifies Baba’s actions, “‘…It was a shameful condition. People would talk. All that a man was back then, all that he was, was his honour, his name…We [Rahim Khan and Baba] couldn’t tell anyone, surely you can see that”’ (Hosseini 223). Baba fears becoming a social outcast in his extremely conservative society if his extramarital affair was ever revealed. As a result, he acts self-servingly and hides the true identity of Hassan’s father. The fear Baba has of …show more content…
General Taheri, is an individual who once held a position of great prestige in the former Afghani government. Following the ensuing chaos in the country, he fled with his wife and daughter to America. Amir enters the Taheri family through marriage and describes what he first observes, “I learned that he [General Taheri] had kept his family on welfare and had never held a job in the U.S. preferring to cash government issued checks than degrading himself with work unsuitable for a man of his stature…” (Hosseini 176). General Taheri fears that if a prominent figure like himself works a menial job it will damage his reputation, and thus he chooses to take welfare, instead of working. This causes his entire family to be in a state of constant financial dependency on the government. Thus General Taheri’s fear of damaging his own prestige causes him to act selfishly. General Taheri’s fear of social rebuttals also causes him to infringe on the personal freedoms of his family. This is evident when Amir narrates, “I learned that Khanum Taheri-whom I called Khala Jamila now-had once been famous in Kabul for her enchanting voice….But as much as the General appreciated listening to music…he believed the performing of it best left to those with lesser reputations. That she would never sing in public had been one of the general’s conditions when they married” (Hosseini 177). General Taheri