Like Father Like Son?

          Growing up, Amir always thought that his father and him were completely different people. For instance, when Amir saw his father stand up for a woman in their group who almost was assaulted by a Taliban man. This symbolized what Amir was unable to do when Assef raped Hassan in the alley and he ran away. 
         An aspect of irony later evolved when Amir's father passed away and Amir went back to his homeland to meet Rahim and learned that his father had an affair with Ali’s wife and that Hassan was his half-brother. Amir was dumbfounded as the pieces all come together and he realizes that his father and him were more alike than he gave himself credit for. They both carried a huge secret that they didn’t tell others, one that hurt the ones they loved in the process and a secret that they regretted in many different ways, shapes and forms. One of the symbols that was presented in the memory recollection of when Amir was trying to convince his father to get new servants appears on page 236-237. “I remember the day we were planting tulips, when I had asked Baba if he’d ever consider getting new servants. Hassan’s not going anywhere, he’d barked. He’s staying right here with us, where he belongs. This is his home and we’re his family. He had wept, wept, when Ali announced he and Hassan were leaving us.” According to the Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols, tulips are a symbol of perfect love. Amir’s father always had love for Hassan because he was his son. He didn’t treat him like the average slave when giving him toys, paying for his facial surgery or making comments to Amir that he wished Hassan was with them. Amir didn’t understand his father’s doing in the beginning but as he looks back on the past, all the pieces start to fit together as well as the irony in Baba’s statement, “this is his home and we’re his family.”