Amir and Baba's Relationship

When Amir visits Rahim Khan in Pakistan, he is told that Hassan is actually his half-brother, making Baba Hassan's real father.  This image relates to Amir's changing feelings about his father.  Amir has looked up to Baba throughout his life as a full-grown, leafy tree, yet after learning about the sins Baba committed, Amir sees Baba as more of a sparse, hollow tree.  The shadow covering most of the tree illustrates the overwhelming guilt that both Amir and Baba have experienced throughout their lives.  The sunlit top of the tree represents the light that Amir sees when he realizes that his father, in the end, remained a good person as he constantly attempted to redeem himself for his sins by performing acts of good such as the building of the orphanage.  The tree itself represents the phases of Amir's life and his transition from shadow to sunlight as he gains understanding.