Why does Amir cringe when Wahid calls him a 'true Afghan'?

• A. He feels like he is a deserter.
• B. He dislikes the term Afghan altogether.
• C. He doesn't feel like a true Afghan; he feels like a deserter.
• D. He worries about Wahid's safety.

Answer: (C)

Identity and belonging are being tested here. Wahid’s phrase highlights Amir’s inner struggle about who he is and where he belongs. Amir grew up with two worlds—the homeland of Afghanistan and a life in America—and he doesn’t feel fully at home in either. He left his country when the war escalated and carries guilt about his past choices, including the way he failed to stand up for Hassan. That mix of exile and guilt makes the idea of being a “true Afghan” feel distant and uncomfortable. The label reminds him that he doesn’t measure up to that identity in his own eyes, so he cringes because he doesn’t feel like a true Afghan and feels like a deserter who abandoned his homeland.