Taking a Stand: Favorite Quote of The Kite Runner

"A boy who won't stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up to anything."

Baba says these words to Rahim Khan while he is talking about Amir. These words, basically sum up one of Amir’s major character flaws which is his cowardice, and Baba shows how much he values the ability to stand up for anything that you belive is right. He wants Amir to stand up for himself. Baba is reluctant to praise Amir because he feels that Amir lacks the courage to even stand up for himself. Amir wants his father to accept him, and approve of him badly. He feels that his father does not have much respect of him. Amir wants to give Baba the impression that he can be the son that he wants to have.

Though, Amir has trouble acting tough, and standing up for himself. I think this quote is saying, if you never learn to stand up for yourself as a kid, how do you expect to be able to stand up for yourself as an adult? Amir needs to do just that, he needs to learn how to stand up for himself, that way he can be able to do it as a grown man. If he never learns this, people will forever step on him like a doormat.