In a psychoanalytic criticism of Amir from The Kite Runner, which aspects of Amir’s personality would be identified with the id, ego, and...

According to Freud's idea of how the human psyche functions, an individual's psyche is divided into three parts, the id, the ego, and the superego.

A person's id is essentially the primitive instincts that cause an individual to act immediately upon pleasurable experiences. The id is not affected by reality and operates unconsciously. A person's id is impulsive, illogical, and selfish. Amir's id is reflected in his desire to play with Hassan and continually trick him. It is also the part of Amir's psyche that has an affinity for literature and seeks to avoid physical confrontation.

According to Freud, the ego is the part of the psyche that considers society's perspective and has been modified by the outside world. It is considered rational when compared to the id and is the decision-making component of one's personality. The ego is responsible for problem-solving and helps an individual make rational decisions to avoid unpleasant experiences. Amir's ego is reflected in his decision not to help Hassan when Assef rapes him in order to avoid physical confrontation and win Baba's admiration by bringing back the blue kite. It is also the part of Amir's psyche that decides to get rid of Hassan and repress his negative feelings once he arrives in America.

The superego is the part of a person's psyche that considers society's values and morals. The superego incorporates a person's conscience to punish the ego through feelings of guilt. It represents how individuals should treat one another and is relatively unselfish. Amir's superego is reflected in his overwhelming feelings of guilt, which influences Amir to travel back to Afghanistan to save Hassan's son Sohrab. It is also the part of Amir's psyche which influences his decision to adopt Sohrab.

In my opinion, Amir's ego would be considered the strongest part of his psyche because he attempts to make rational decisions which are selfish in nature throughout the majority of the novel. He knows his decisions are immoral, but they offer him a way to avoid physical pain and keep up with society's expectations. For most of Amir's life, he ignores his superego and refuses to make sacrifices to atone for his sins. It is only when he finds out Hassan is his half-brother that he acts upon his superego.