4th Reaction

                In the fourth section of this novel, Amir’s life undergoes some major structural changes.  He flees from Afghanistan, to Pakistan, and eventually to America.  He goes from living at the pinnacle of high society in Kabul to borderline poverty in San Francisco, California.  An enormous amount of change hits Amir in a fairly short amount of time.  Luckily Baba is a fighter, and Amir is able to cope with the changes well.  Life continues and eventually they work their way out of poverty without the help of welfare checks.  Even though he is thousands of miles away from his hometown, the thoughts of Hassan constantly torment him.  Amir says that America is the place to bury his past, yet he is unable to.  I believe his inability to forget Hassan is a sign that the two will meet again in the future.  Their paths have to cross again, considering the two were close enough to be called brothers.  Amir’s life goes surprisingly well, and he finally meets his wife.  The parallelism between his wife and himself is profound.  They both have committed acts that they both seriously regret.  Amir betrayed his best friend and ended a 40 year relationship with Ali and Baba.  His wife ruined her families and her own reputation by running away with a drug crazed Afghan teenager.  This is perfect for Amir, because it is easier for him to accept someone who has made a mistake versus someone who has no regret and guilt.  Baba’s death was another huge milestone in the book.  Baba was the man who made Amir who he is today, and made sure throughout their journey that Amir was safe and comfortable.  He is also the man that caused Amir to do anything for his attention, and had an obvious favorite for Hassan.  But Baba was a great man who helped many people in times of need.  His influence is shown at the funeral when hundreds of people Amir didn’t even know showed up to pay their respects. 

It was obvious that Amir was going to have to return to his hometown.  The entire book has foreshadowed his return.  I’m assuming now that Amir will finally be reunited with Hassan, and the two will be able to catch up after years of separation.