Pride

Pride is being very proud of yourself and having a high opinion about your dignity.  I personally define pride as having a very high self-esteem.  Being prideful is not letting yourself fall below your standards you make for yourself.   Having pride is actually a very good trait to have, but having too much pride can be a very bad thing and could have consequences in the end.    

Baba is very prideful in the Kite Runner.  His pride is sometimes a good thing and sometimes it hurts him more than it does help him.  A scene in the Kite Runner where his pride is helpful is when he stands up for the afghan lady when the Russian Officer wanted to rape her.  Luckily, another officer stepped up and calmed the Russian down.  Regardless of the gun that was pointing to his head by the Russian, he stood his ground and did not let the Russian take the Afghan lady away from her husband.  This was a rather tough decision to make.  Baba could have sat back and not have said anything and let the Russian take the lady.  The Russian could have shot Baba and ended his life right then and there.  His pride, as I mentioned earlier, helped him out more than it hurt him. 

Sometimes Baba has too much pride for his own good.  In the Kite Runner I learn that Baba has Oat Cell Carcinoma which is cancer.  He visits a doctor and the doctor offered the best treatment which is doing the chemotherapy.  Baba’s pride came into play here and he denied the chemotherapy.  His ego was so big that he would rather fight the cancer himself than to have treatment for it.  Later on in the story Baba dies of cancer.  This could have been prevented by simply doing the chemotherapy, and as I stated earlier, sometimes having too much pride can hurt you in the long run more than help you.