The role of a father-figure, shared by Baba and Rahim Khan is a complex relationship that heavily impacts Amir's actions and emotions. Eventually, Amir and Soraya bring him to America and adopt him. The defining event in his life is his betrayal of his closest friend, Hassan. Rahim Khan giving Amir his much-loved leather notebook on his birthday. Why does Rahim Khan lie about the American couple? In this, the relationship between Rahim and Amir demonstrates qualities and traits in the exposition of the novel that will help to play a formative role throughout it. In Amir's early years, Rahim Khan is a father figure to Amir. Ace your assignments with our guide to The Kite Runner! DK (author) from London on December 23, 2011: Beata Stasak from Western Australia on December 22, 2011: Loved the book and the movie as well:)thanks for sharing:). They fanned her and looked at me as if I had slit her throat. Soraya's mother. Before the war, he lived in Kabul with his father Baba, their servant Ali and Alis son Hassan. Want 100 or more? Rahim Khan appears as the agent of Amir's past, as it is his phone call that brings Afghanistan back to Amir and Amir back to Afghanistan. Baba holds the secret that Hassan is his son to protect his social status in society, Amir hides Hassans rape and keeps it to himself and pretends it did not happen. Dont have an account? Explain why you chose each trait. Stephanie Das from Miami, US on December 27, 2011: Loved the book, and I have yet to watch the movie! He and Amir were nursed by the same woman and, unbeknownst to them both, they are half-brothers. 110 lessons As revenge for Hassans humiliation of him, he later rapes Hassan. I remember he said to me, 'Rahim, a boy who won't stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up to anything.' Below are examples of how to answer these questions. Thats just the way of things. Rahim Khan (p99). One of the central characters, Amir, belongs to an elite class of Afghans having the privilege of living in villas and visiting foreign countries. All Rights Reserved. Furthermore, Hassan had a son, Sohrab, who is in an orphanage in Kabul. It's no accident that Rahim Khan is the one who offers Amir this chance 'to be good again.' Amir. Yet his relationship with Amir improves. This comment especially stings Amir, because he knows that it was his fathers life effort to make Amir into a man who acts. As a Hazara and a Shia Muslim, he is an outcast in Kabul; despite this, Baba treats him with love and kindness. Amir loves parts of his father and resents other parts. Get unlimited access to over 88,000 lessons. We seek to discover who we are and how we can become truly happy. This is a powerful quote explaining that humans are often searching for something in life, whethter they know it or not. Rahim Khan is Baba's closest confidant, and the one man who knows all of Baba's secrets. SupportiveWhen Rahim Khan does speak, it is usually out of the need/want to help someone, either defending Amir, congratulating/praising someone, or giving advice. Amir is, in essence, a morally ambiguous character, a trait he shares with his father. Ali is killed by a land mine when Hassan is already grown. Manage Settings If Hassan and Ali are off in the land of bright, shining moral purity, and Assef is in depths of devilish cruelty, and Amir and Baba are . As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 It is delineated by natural inclination that people sympathize with others who undergo an unfortunate circumstance or event. He is one of the only people who knows everyone's secrets (Baba having fathered Hassan, Amir having betrayed Hassan, Hassan having been raped), and he protects each individual by remaining silent. Answer the remaining questions in a similar way. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Baba is Amir's father, who is considered a hero and leader in Kabul. The difficulties of the past have faded and they have a special bond now, a father and son bond. In the novel the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini he illustrates the sacrifice one gives for love. Despite failing to recognize Hassan as his son, Baba showers him with affection, setting the stage for Amirs jealousy of Hassan. Please wait while we process your payment. However, as an adult, Amir shows his love for Hassan by adopting his son, Sohrab. Wed love to have you back! Amir continuously tries to impress Baba, a longing that has a lasting negative impact, as he bases his self-worth on the approval his father. But other than that I thought they did well with the characters and staying true to the story etc. He draws a comparison between Hassan and the lamb sacrificed during the Muslim holiday of Eid Al-Adha to commemorate Abraham's near sacrifice of his son to God. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. Explore Rahim Khan's traits and bond with Amir, and review his quote, "There is a way to be good again". I am moftakhir, Amir, he said. and Rahim Khan never married the woman, but the story lets Amir know that someone else he admires thinks of the Hazara ethnicity as equals. The Question and Answer section for The Kite Runner is a great Rahim Khan's significant character traits include courtesy, empathy, calmness, and manipulation. Rahim wants Amir to come home. Rahim Khan is Baba's best friend and business partner. Soraya soon takes Sohrab in her fold and cares for him, just as she takes care of Baba in his last days. Although not a completely sympathetic character, Amir is one for whom most readers feel compassion. Hassan considers Amir his friend, although Amir never consciously considers Hassan as such. Many years later, the Taliban, an Islamic fundamentalist movement , seized power in Afghanistan. Amir lives in San Francisco from the age of eighteen. A bully to the core, he carries steel brass knuckles to fix the boys who do not fall in line with him. There, he said, pointing to the car in front of usa (Hosseini 140). Look into the character of Rahim Khan with a limited analysis and quotes on the impact of his well-intentioned manipulations. As a servant to Baba and Amir, Hassan grows up with a very particular role in life. Also, if the question asks for specific details from the text, make sure to include that information in your response. He is persuasive because he convinces Amir to travel to Pakistan and adopt Sohrab. Over the course of the novel Amir, Hassan, and Baba all face dramatic events that shape them to the person they are. Chapter four opens with the story of how Ali became a part of Baba's family. Courtesy When showing courtesy, Rahim Khan strives to treat people better than himself. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. Why does Amir love Baba? These words are from Rahim Khan's final letter to Amir. Assef is the example of complete devilish cruelty. However, working with what we do know, let's take a closer look at Rahim Khan. For this reason, he chooses to go after the blue kite, thinking it will bring Babas applause for him. General Taheri in The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini | Character & Analysis. He balances Baba's dismissal with the words about his door always being open to Amir. Amirs desire to have his babas attention and acceptance is powerful. Lets get to know him better. Rahim Khan admits that the primary reason he searched for Hassan was his own loneliness. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. Rahim Khan tells Amir a story about how he almost married a Hazara woman. Finally, after revealing Hassan's parentage and giving Amir Hassan's letters, Rahim Khan manipulates Amir into thinking that an American couple will take Sohrab (Hassan's son and Amir's nephew) after Amir rescues the child from an Afghan orphanage. He is a wealthy and well-respected man with a dark secret; he had an affair with Ali's wife and Hassan is his illegitimate son. He is the son of Hassan and Farzana. Baba foreshadows Amir's betrayal of Hassan, and Rahim Khan reflects on Baba's statement, showing the adult Amir that he has fulfilled Baba's unhappy prediction. Rahim Khan, we think, serves as the novel's moral center. flashcard sets. Rahim Khan, Baba's best friend and business partner, symbolizes redemption. Rahim Khan is one of the only people in the novel who knows all of the secrets; however, he carefully guards this information and protects each individual. If Amir's character arc is about growth, Hassan's arc is about not changing at all. Baba, as Rahim Khan explains in his note, felt guilty over his rich . Chapter 7 Quotes He stopped, turned. Analyze Rahim Khan from The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. He is an Afghan man who had a privileged childhood in the Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood of Kabul. The Afghan man who drives Amir from Peshawar to Kabul and ends up helping him throughout his journey. Later, he understood that the only way Amir could feel better about himself is by taking the chance to sacrifice something for Hassan, allowing him the knowledge of Sohrab and how to save him. Ross shows that searching for answers can cause bad things to happen and in order to get through them, humans search for forgiveness. How did Ali become a part of baba's family? Lying about the existence of an American couple also showed understanding on Khan's part because he knew that without the couple Amir would not have gone, but that after Amir had got Sohrab, he would want to take him back to America instead. His family reacted very strongly (death threats!) Baba Character Analysis. ManipulativeWhen he feels strongly about something, he is capable of lying and manipulating people in order to achieve a goal. The story's narrator and protagonist. It was obvious in the expression on his face. Baba thinks that a person should have the courage of his conviction to the point of laying down his life for it. The Kite Runner is purported to be one of the first Afghan novels to be written in English. Rahim finally speaks the truth to Amir to save himself as well as Amir from their guilt of the past. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% But Rahim seems to be the whole storys moral centre. Stephanie Das from Miami, US on December 29, 2011: Cool thank you, but just last night I watched it on streaming. Alices Adventure in Wonderland Characters, The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn Characters, 12 Archetypal Characters in Story Writing. Not only does he not help Hassan, but also has these thoughts afterward, Hassan put his life on the line and Amir starts to think, Nothing was. Rahim Khan also respects his father's decision because he recognized the negative impact his marriage would have had on the family and his prospective wife. The The Kite Runner quotes below are all either spoken by Sohrab or refer to Sohrab. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Hassan's father. 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Rahim Khan is a counter-balance to Baba's gruffness. Rahim Khan is referred to several times throughout the story by other characters and plays a large part in the latter half of the novel when he calls Amir back to Afghanistan. He is also the best kite runner in Kabul. Taking into account Baba, Ali, Hassan, Amir and Assef, each of them have their meaning. - Analysis & Quotes, Sanaubar in The Kite Runner: Analysis, Redemption & Quotes, Relationship Between Amir & Sohrab in The Kite Runner, Relationship Between Amir & Hassan in The Kite Runner, Relationship Between Amir & Baba in The Kite Runner, CLEP Analyzing & Interpreting Literature: Study Guide & Test Prep Course, Technical Writing Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, American Literature Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, Study.com SAT Reading Test Section: Review & Practice, AP English Literature Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, Study.com SAT Writing & Language Test Section: Review & Practice, 11th Grade English Curriculum Resource & Lesson Plans, 12th Grade Assignment - Plot Analysis in Short Stories, 12th Grade Assignment - Essay on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, 12th Grade Assignment - Writing the Opening Scene for an Original Play, 12th Grade Assignment - Extended Analysis of Poetry, 12th Grade Assignment - Satirical Response to a Political Speech, 12th Grade Assignment - Television Series Analysis, 12th Grade Assignment - Evaluation of a Political Debate, 12th Grade Assignment - Technical Writing, 12th Grade Assignment - Brainstorming & Writing Narrative Essays, 12th Grade Assignment - Writing an Original Short Story, 12th Grade Assignment - Self-Created Field Trip, 12th Grade Assignment - Outlining an Original Novel, 12th Grade Assignment - Graduation Speech, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. General Taheri Soraya 's father and Baba 's friend, a former general in the old pre-soviet regime of Afghanistan, he is a conservative, traditional Afghan man who in the United . Rahim Khan is a minor but important character in The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. After he beats Amir nearly to death, Assef loses an eye to Sohrab's slingshot. Below are examples of how to answer these questions. His comment to Amir about being good again catalyzes Amir to return to the Middle East and begin his journey toward goodness. Daughter of a former Afghan general, Taheri, Soraya is a loyal wife for Amir. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. Rahim Khan is a minor character in Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, but nevertheless he plays an important role. Don't forget to include text details when prompted. Rahim Khan encourages Amir's writing, and as an old man he summons Amir back to Afghanistan for a chance to redeem himself by rescuing Sohrab from Afghanistan. She takes care of Baba when he is ill and eagerly accepts Sohrab into her family. Explain with specific details from the story. Rahim Khan said that Amir only lacked a mean streak, but later, Amir, who took babas conception of his shortcomings to heart, took his hurt feelings out on Hassan and noted to himself that Rahim Khan was incorrect about the mean streak thing (23). I enjoyed the book a lot, but I thought the movie was so-so. Why does Amir want Hassan to leave Babas household? Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Rahim Khan, a character from Khaled Hosseini's 2003 novel The Kite Runner, plays a significant role as a foil to the main characters in addition to reinforcing thematic development. Not only was Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, almost entirely destroyed, but the cost to human life was also huge. At the novel's opening, Rahim Khan tells Amir that ''There is a way to be good again'' which is a catalyst propelling Amir back to the Middle East. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Hassan wasn't exactly the Hazara I imagined but he did look different to the rest haha! As a child, he is the neighborhood bully who rapes Hassan. Amir, too, tries to repay him m by hiding some money under the bed to help him out of his poverty. These two ethnic groups are very different. Rahim Khan, we think, serves as the novel's moral center. A conflicted character, Amir struggles between the logical and emotional sides of his being. Hurricane.' Rahim Khan asks Amir to rescue Sohrab, Hassans son, from Kabul. He and Amir were nursed by the same woman and, unbeknownst to them both, they are half-brothers. creating and saving your own notes as you read. Is Rahim Khan a flat or dynamic character? Rahim Khan's Influence In The Kite Runner 1731 Words | 7 Pages. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! Rahim Khan is encouraging, persuasive, and wise. I remember he said to me, Rahim, a boy who wont stand up for himself becomes a man who cant stand up to anything. I wonder, is that what youve become? (p221), Caring - Amir[to Baba about Amir] Children arent coloring books. People in our life can influence us in many ways. Hassan and Farzana's son. And this is what I want you to understand, that good, real good, was born out of your fathers remorse. Purchasing He fears that his love of reading and writing, Through this event, Amir wished to get his fathers attention. This is because those parts that he does intervene in Amir's life are vital for his transition from boy to man. Farid's brother. He wished to persuade to his father that, although he didnt want to watch soccer like his baba, choose to busy himself in reading many poetry books, never fights back again and lowered his head when his friends just bully him, it generally does not mean he didnt has any worthwhile quality a young boy had. Being a moral compass, pushing characters to reach beyond themselves and see others for who they are, and helping characters find their ways back to redemption, Rahim Khan plays a significant role in the novel. He is always loyal to Amir, even when Amir betrays him. However, Baba does not realize that Amir is jealous of the affection that Hassan receives from Baba. (one code per order). To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Assef is a Kabul bully who ends up joining the Taliban. Rahim, now old and sick, attempts to clean the slate and bring some long-buried truths into the light of day. She became a hypochondriac after suffering a stroke and loves Amir all the more for listening to her describe her ailments. However, this type of behavior is dependent on how one uses prior knowledge to judge whether someone is worthy of sympathy. Amir has conflicted feelings about his father, Baba, and his playmate, Hassan. People would talk. He also shares Baba's deepest secret with Amir. Baba is complaining about Amir's passivity and his love of reading. She proves a grandmother to Sohrab by the end. It's Rahim Khan who encourages Amir's writing. An ethnic Hazara, Ali is Babas servant and Hassans father. He maintains this through his age and even when explaining what had happened in Amir's absence in Kabul he uses a concise and clear way of explaining what happened, letting Amir ask further questions, not elaborating himself. Hassan is Amir's playmate and servant and is a Hazara and Shi'a Muslim. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Rahim Khan's statement ''There is a way to be good again.'' This is how he redeems himself of his past guilt. succeed. However, Rahim Khan discusses the importance of honor and how society would have condemned Baba for fathering a child with a Hazara woman. Furthermore, Rahim Khan's father, after learning about the romantic relationship between his son and a woman he believes is unsuitable, sends the woman away. He insults Hassan every chance he gets. He thinks that his Baba has never pardoned him for this. He also functions as a second parent for Amir. He dies at the hands of the Taliban, defending Baba's house from takeover. Erin has taught college level English courses and has a master's degree in English. He couldpossibly be the foil character to Baba, due to their verydifferent roles in Amir's life and how Amir views Rahim more as a father than Baba Ali is a foil to Baba Baba and Ali were raised as brothers after Ali's parents werekilled when he was five. on 50-99 accounts. He keeps Sohrab as a sex slave until Amir comes to rescue him. People like our family, friends or close relatives can influence us. But having shame about a certain action or event doesn't necessarily mean that you have to regret or even take back what happened because there may be justifications and sometimes you cant justify how you feel or why you feel that way. Not only is Assef a villain, but he also symbolizes all villainy. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, tells the story of a boy named Amir and his story and journey throughout his life. He cupped his hands around his mouth. Amir in The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini | Who is Amir? Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. He loves Hassan and passes his admirable character traits, such as loyalty and love, on to him. Answer the remaining questions in a similar way. bookmarked pages associated with this title. However, when Amir fails to protect Hassan and then further betrays him, Rahim Khan calls upon the adult Amir to make amends and seek forgiveness, even if he is only able to forgive himself. This is because those parts that he does intervene in Amir's life are vital for his transition from boy to man. Even when confronted with horrific events and experiences, Rahim Khan chooses compassion over brute force. Rahim Khan is a man of compassionate honor whose empathy enables him to help guide Amir toward making better decisions. Bravo.''. Is Rahim Khan a major or minor character? Include at least two quotations from different characters and explain each quotation. 20% Amir's father. The time when Amir triumphed the competition, Hassan run after the last losing kite for. The Kite Runner describes the life of Amir. Hassan epitomizes the perfect servant who is loyal to his master, even after the master betrays him. Amir's most loyal and devoted servant, who is born with a clept lip. Hassan and his wife are killed, and Sohrab is orphaned, setting the stage for Amir to reenter and rescue the boy. Rahim has always been like a father figure for Amir even after years of no connection. In conclusion, Rahim Khan is an important yet minor character within The Kite Runner. Early in the novel, he is Baba's close friend and business partner and a father figure to Amir. Additionally, Rahim Khan is utilizing this story to try and manipulate Amir into confessing his betrayal. He encourages Amir to be a writer by giving him a notebook and it is he who summons Amir back to Afghanistan to atone for his and Baba's sins. CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. And honestly, that is completely okay. Whilst Baba is the biological father and role model of Amir, it is Rahim Khan who is the one to provide emotional support, and stability. She dies peacefully when he is four. Even though he has excellent intentions, Rahim Khan can also be manipulative, as demonstrated through his deceptive statement that an American couple in Pakistan was going to take in Sohrab, who is Hassan's son and Amir's nephew. Baba is always doing things for others and always seems to expect more from his son. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. He is the son of Hassan and Farzana.