Like most people Baba is a mixture of several layers. He is a decisive and generous man who tries to help his people. He has heroic moments, one is when he stands up for the man and his wife as they are fleeing Kabul. The soldiers are harassing and going to harm a female passenger and Baba stands up and prevents this from happening at the risk of his own life. The fact that he is willing to take his son and flee Kabul, begin again in America and raise his son with the opportunity for a college education is also in some ways heroic.
Yet, like all human beings Baba is also a hypocrite. He is a hypocrite because he denies a birthright to his other son, Hassan, his birthright because he is the result of an adulterous affair with a servant. Baba is never honest with Amir or with Hassan, yet he demands honesty from them. Baba can't relate to Amir because he doesn't see Amir as a "courageous boy" yet Baba demonstrates a lack of courage in his relationship with his son and Hassan by not being honest.
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