Symbolism of the Bear in the Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini

Throughout history bears are used to symbolize strength, protection, and bravery because of their protective instincts and powerful bodies. In The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini, Baba is usually reference to the bear. He is a well-respected business man in Kabul. Baba is seen to be very moral and powerful. He lost his wife during the birth of his son, Amir which is easily bullied by the other children of the neighborhood, because he is too afraid to stand up to the other children. Baba worries that if Amir cannot handle himself as a child, he would not be able to handle himself as an adult. Baba is a very strong and powerful character, while Amir is often seen as cowardly and weak; so their relationships is not very strong because they are both so different. In the book Baba often resembles a bear because of his strength. Amir is different; he is usually seen as weak, but he begins to resemble a bear as he grows older. The author uses symbolism of the bear to emphasize the growth in Amir’s character and to show the resemblance between Amir and Baba.
Throughout the story Baba is shown as brave and powerful through symbolism of the bear, while Amir is found to have no connection with the bear. In the story Amir states that, “I have imagined Baba's wrestling match countless times, even dreamed about it. And in those dreams, I can never tell Baba from the bear” (12). Amir, not being able to tell the bear from Baba shows his strength and power. The way Amir is imagining and dreaming about Baba wrestling the bear shows how he looks up to Baba and adores him. But also how Amir is unable to identify who is who shows that how Baba’s powerful characteristics also make others fear him. As Amir was reflecting he thinks, “In the end, I ran. I...

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...th that Baba had throughout his life. This quote clearly shows that as the story progress Amir grows more in his strength and mentality. In the beginning he was cowardly and Baba would worry if he can handle himself. In the end he made his father proud and stood up to Assef. Overall the symbolism of the bear shows the growth in Amir’s character and his resemblance to his father.
In this book, Baba has been seen as powerful and moral. On the other hand, Amir is seen as weak and cowardly. Baba’s character is strong because he faces his struggles while Amir runs from them. In the beginning Amir did not resemble Baba because of his weak and cowardly character. As the story progresses Amir begin to resemble Baba as he faces his fears and past mistakes. Through the symbolism of the bear the author shows the growth of Amir’s character and the resemblance of Baba and Amir.