Question

What does the bear that Baba fights symbolize in Chapter Three: "Lore has it

my father once wrestled a black bear in Baluchistan with his bare hands. If
the story had been about anyone else, it would have been dismissed as laaf,
that Afghan tendency to exaggerate - sadly, almost a national affliction; if
someone bragged that his son was a doctor, chances were the kid had once
passed a biology test in high school. But no one ever doubted the veracity of
any story about Baba. And if they did, well, Baba did have those three parallel
scars coursing a jagged path down his back. I have imagined Baba's
wrestling match countless times, even dreamed about it. And in those
dreams, I can never tell Baba from the bear."?

Answer 1

The bear Baba fights symbolizes the battles and struggles he spent his whole life fighting with.

Step-by-step explanation:

It is significant that Amir opens his description of Baba with this legend – both showing that Baba is a larger-than-life figure, and that he has spent his life wrestling with things, as the bear will symbolize other struggles later. Baba always succeeded where other people said he would fail.