Has Amir grown up?

     In some ways, Amir has changed profoundly. He has come to admire his father and has fostered a relationship with him. He has also become an individual dedicated to pursuing a life of his own. When Baba frowns upon Amir's decision to be a writer, Amir holds his ground. Eventually, Baba expresses he is proud of Amir's decision. Clearly, Baba admires strength more than complacence, a concept Amir still has not come to terms with.

     Through his time spent in the flea market, Amir has also learned to go after what he wants; he finds the woman he loves and asks her hand in marriage. Even at twenty-two years old, however, Amir is still haunted by the memories of his past. America is a place of refuge for him; it is Kabul without the horrid reminders. Every time he thinks of Hassan, the guilt washes over him and he feels the need to vomit. As much as Hassan was traumatized by his experience, Amir has been traumatized by his own reluctance to be a hero. 

     Reading about Amir's torment makes me wonder how Hassan is coping; could he have suffered a fate similar to that boy Kamal's on the fuel car? Also, did Kamal experience the same trauma Hassan did? When Baba speaks with Kamal's father, there is a mention of bleeding pants and emotional scarring. Kamal grows weak and sick from the experience, but Hassan has always been stronger than most. Hopefully, under the care of his father, Hassan will get through his difficult times. 

     I have no doubt Amir regrets what he did, but I am not sure he has yet developed the strength to have acted differently. Through his experiences with others nobler than he, Amir has begun to second guess his actions as a child. When Soraya describes her passion for teaching, Amir feels a pang of guilt for taunting Hassan over his illiteracy. 

     Hassan is present in every major aspect of his life; when Amir graduates, Baba has a few drinks and remarks "I wish Hassan were here". The subject seems to have become a taboo between them.   

Between the suicide he witnesses and his father's certain death, Amir life has only gone downhill since Hassan's rape. But will Amir do anything to change the course of his life? To do so, he must first muster up the courage that he knows he does not posses.