I would say that the one of the strongest examples of the
American Dream is the idea that Amir and his father are able to relocate to America and
start a new life away from the difficulties of Afghanistan. Essentially, this is the
immigrant narrative. Someone is pushed out of their home and pulled into the allure of
America in starting a new life for themselves. In this light, the American Dream is one
of escape and reinvention. Indeed, Amir was able to forgo his own sins of the past and
his treatment of Hassan. Amir's father was able to escape his own sins of Hassan being
his son and never being able to disclose such a truth to Amir. America is an area where
one's own ethnicity can merge into something larger, an escape away from the tribal and
communal rivalries that are such an integral part of the
homeland:
Amir
says,"For me, America was a place to bury my memories. For Baba, a place to mourn
his."
In this vacuum, Amir
and his father enter. Yet, in the end, Amir recognizes the need to return to
Afghanistan, indicating that the American Dream is one where one can find redemption
even after a period of supposed renunciation.
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