Shame

I was incredibly repulsed by this one scene from page 114 to 116 when the Russian soldiers are checking the truck which Baba and Amir are on. One of the Russian soldiers looks at a young women and wants "a half hour with the lady in the back of the truck." (Page 115) This was one part of this scene that disgusted me because the lady began to cry as well as her child, and her husband was right there next to her. So not only did this man want to rape a poor helpless women, but a women who had a child right there on her lap and a husband who grew pale. The husband tried to defend his wife but probably felt too threatened; it wasn't until Baba asked the man "ask him where his shame is." that someone actually stood up for the family. What saddened me was that all the while that Baba was defending this family, Amir just sat back and thought "Do you have to always be a hero? I thought, my heart fluttering. Can't you just let it go for once? But I knew he couldn't - it wasn't in his nature. The problem was, his nature was going to get us all killed." Amir is a selfish coward who won't fend for anyone but himself and finds it easier to be a bystander and let others take the heat than him risk his own life for what's right. This is the true difference between Baba and Amir. The worst part is that when the soldier threatens Baba and says "He says he'll enjoy putting a bullet in you almost as much as...", Amir doesn't even do anything. "So this is where Baba dies, I thought. This is how it's going to happen." Now, maybe because it was just a verbal threat, I might understand why Amir doesn't attempt to do anything, but if I were Amir and a soldier pointed a gun at my father, I would've stood up without hesitation and start yelling. This soldier points a gun at Baba and all Amir does is close his eyes and thinks about how much pity he has for himself because now he won't have a father. Boo-hoo. He's lucky that soldier didn't shoot his father because that would've been just one more regret for him to carry since he was too much of a coward to stand up for someone else. Honestly, Amir angers me greatly and I don't understand how a great man like Baba could have such a pathetic excuse for a son.