I Feel Like a Tourist In My Own Country

     In chapter 19 of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Amir is faced with a cultural shock. While riding in the back of a taxi cab, Amir begins to see the changes that have been made to the country that he grew up in. Through the use of imagery, Hosseini allows us to visualize what Amir is seeing as he sees the town that he has grown up in. The streets that were once filled with food vendors are now destroyed beyond recognition. Amir soon begins to realize that Afghan is no longer the place that held all of his childhood memories. Amir states, "I feel like a tourist in my own country," (Hosseini, 231). Even though he was dressed in his traditional Afghan clothing and had the long fake beard that should have allowed him to blend in with his surroundings, he knew that he was not home anymore. While riding in the back of the taxi cab with Farid, Amir soon comes to the realization that even though he grew up in the country of Afghanistan, he was not a true Afghan because of his lavish lifestyle. Amir grew up with privileges that most people were never offered.  He discovers that the true Afghan people are the ones that stayed behind in order to protect and defend their country, not the ones who fled to America in the country's time of need. He now believes that even though Afghanistan was an enormous part of his childhood, he is no longer part of the country of Afghanistan, but he has transformed himself into an American.