1. When Amir studies his father's grease-stained hands in America. He thinks,
"For me, America was a place to bury my memories. For Baba, a place to mourn his" (129).
Amir knows that Baba made the treacherous escape from Afghanistan and life-altering move to America solely for him. If it were not for Amir, Baba would have stayed in Kabul and most likely would have physically fought against the Soviets and Taliban. On this same page, Amir mentions that they could have stayed in Pakistan, but Baba tells him that that was only good for him not for Amir.
2. In America, Baba drives an "old, ochre yellow Century"--hardly the flashy Steve McQueen Mustang that he had in Kabul. But when Amir graduates from high school, Baba sacrifices to buy Amir a nicer car--a Grand Torino that needs a little paint but that is still better than Baba's (page 133).
3. When Amir announces to Baba what he will major in in college, Baba is disappointed. He wanted Amir to study law or medicine--something "prestigious" or useful. At this point, he could have refused to help pay for Amir's education or could have taken away his car, but Baba allow Amir to follow his dream and even praises him for it. When he and Amir are at the flea market, Baba proudly says,
"Amir is going to be a great writer. . . . He had finished his first year of college and earned A's in all of his courses" (139).
Out of the number of sacrifices that Baba makes for Amir, moving to America is certainly the most significant and emotional costly for him.
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