Distinction Among Us Throughout an individual's life, many of one’s moral decisions are made based on their experience in race, ethnicity and social class. In Afghanistan, many individuals are judged based on their cultural backgrounds and hierarchy, which has led to the diversity of their own kind. Throughout the novel The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini focus on two types of castes: Pashtuns and Hazaras. Pashtuns are considered as the majority race and ethnic group in Afghanistan, while the Hazaras are viewed as the weakest and poorest race in Afghanistan, so they are easily insulted by Pashtuns. In this world, race, ethnicity and social class influences us to make the decisions individuals make. This is evident in the novel The Kite Runner …show more content…
Once Assef also realized it was Amir, he said that they will fight in front of Sohrab in a small room, and whoever comes out alive can leave with him. Amir describes the fight as redemption for what he has done in the past. Sohrab feeling bad for Amir takes the slingshot, puts the brass ball in it and slingshots Assef in the eye. Assef’s grudge against Hazaras leads to him losing his eye. Likewise, Assef would still have his eye, if he had not used the stereotypes to describe Hazara’s. Therefore, Assef’s act of race and social class affects the overall outcome of the novel and his own decisions. Next, judging a person of his social class changes Farid’s character and overall outcome of the novel. Farid’s assumption of Amir coming to Afghanistan is to, “Sell this land, sell that house, collect the money and run away like a mouse. Go back to America, spend the money on a family vacation to Mexico” (Hosseini 249). Farid is implying that even though Amir has lived in Afghanistan most of his life, he has never experienced the problems that normal people have faced. Farid thinks of Amir has a rich individual, so believes that he has come to Afghanistan to sell land and make money. However, he realizes the truth that he has come to save
Hosseini’s purpose of writing the Kite Runner was to teach the readers the different ethnic groups in Afghanistan. The main character, Amir, is a Pashtun and Pashtuns are Sunni Muslims, then there are Hazara’s that the Pashtuns do not get along with. Hazara’s are not welcomed by the Pashtuns because they are different social classes.
The way our friends treat us in the face of adversity and in social situations is more revealing of a person’s character than the way they treats us when alone. In Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner, ethnic tensions, nationality, and betrayal become the catalyst that drives and fuels Amir, Assef, and other characters to embark on their particular acts of cruelty. Serving as a way to illustrate the loss of rectitude and humanity, cruelty reveals how easily people can lose their morals in critical circumstances. Through Amir, Assef, and the Taliban’s actions, cruelty displays the truth of a person’s character, uncovering the origin of their cruelty. Amir’s cruelty spurs from his external environment and need for love from his father, choosing
One day when Hassan and Amir are walking through Afghanistan, they come across Assef, a sociopathic bully known for his brass knuckles and his rancor towards Hazaras. He prepares to fight Amir and Hassan, but Hassan threatens to shoot out Assef's left eye with his slingshot, saying they'll call him "one-eyed Assef." Before the daunted bully backs off he warns them that he will have his revenge.
Hassan defends Amir from being beaten by Assef, who has a reputation in Kabul of being a psychopath. When Assef threatens them, Hassan does not hesitate to respond saying, “You are right, Agha. But perhaps you didn’t notice that I’m the one holding the slingshot. If you make a move, they’ll have to change your nickname from ‘the Ear Eater’ to ‘One-Eyed Assef,’ because I have this rock pointed at your left eye” (45-46). Later on, Amir stands up for Sohrab, Hassan’s son, as Hassan stood up for Amir countless times before.
It is difficult to face anything in the world when you cannot even face your own reality. In his book The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini uses kites to bring out the major themes of the novel in order to create a truly captivating story of a young boy’s quest to redeem his past mistakes. Amir is the narrator and protagonist of the story and throughout the entire novel, he faces enormous guilt following the horrible incident that happened to his closest friend, Hassan. This incident grows on Amir and fuels his quest for redemption, struggling to do whatever it takes to make up for his mistakes. In Hosseini’s novel, kites highlight aspects of Afghanistan’s ethnic caste system and emphasizes the story’s major themes of guilt, redemption and freedom.
In English class, I read a book called The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Overall a splendid book, I enjoyed it quite a lot and I highly recommend reading it for those who haven’t because it really is a powerful story that grasps readers attention. Anyways, there are these 2 boys in this book, Amir who comes from a privileged background in Kabul and has a wealthy dad whom he calls Baba, although he is not a completely sympathetic character. Hassan is a hazara, which is the most disrespected and the lowest status group in
In Afghanistan, Amir lived in a community of people that had a high level of social class, the Pashtun. They were given right over the Hazaras, or the lower ranking people of their community. However, this social class difference was no problem for Amir and his best friend Hassan. Hassan was a Hazara, and everyone except Amir treated him like the city scum. This began to change however, as he
Even when Amir was nasty and cruel to him, he had always been a faithful, kind soul. He never doubted that Amir was his friend and that he held a special place in his heart. When Hassan got raped, Amir did not help Hassan. There were ultimately two options: step up to the bullies and rescue Hassan, or run away. Even after hearing Assef say how Amir would never do the same for him, about how he would never stand up for him, he still chose to run away and pretend like he did not just witnessed what had happend. There is also scene where Amir is feeling guilty and both the boys are around a pomegranate tree. Amir just starts pelting Hassan with pomegranates and threatens to him to throw one back. He exclaims, “You’re a coward,” (...). And what does Hassan do? He picks up a pomegranate, but instead of hurling it in Amir’s direction, he smashes it on himself and says, “are you satisfied?” (....). There is this constant pressure on Hassan and Amir’s relationship. The Afghan society would not approve of such “friendship.” Both of the boys were good, but Amir was so young when he made the mistakes that it made the reader question whether there was a way for Amir to be morally good again.
In the beginning, Hassan makes many sacrifices for Amir. One of the many, Hassan takes being sexually assaulted while Amir stands there watching. Amir describes, "[seeing] the resignation in [Hassan's face]" as, "something [he] has seen before" (Hosseini 76). Hassan takes this traumatizing experience just for Amir to win his father, Baba's, love. Another sacrifice Hassan makes is almost getting beat up by the neighborhood bully, Assef. Amir and Hassan both get stopped on their way home by Assef and he tried beating them up with brass knuckles. Hassan tells Assef "you are right Agha. But perhaps you didn't notice that I'm the one holding the slingshot..." he then aims it towards Assef's eye and says "they'll have to change your nickname from Assef the Ear Eater to One-Eyed-Assef" (Hosseini 42). Hassan once again proved
He builds a life with a career and wife he is able to call his own, until he gets an unexpected call from Rahim Khan who was friends with his late father and also served as a sort of mentor to Amir when he was a child. Rahim Khan sends Amir on a journey to search for Hassan’s now orphaned son in Afghanistan in order to be good again and make up for the treatment of his now dead friend. It is on this journey when Amir is faced with an old demon, Assef, who has taken Hassan’s son and preformed unspeakable acts upon him. Assef agrees to give Hassan’s son, Sohrab, over to him in exchange for settling old conflicts. This is Assef’s fatal flaw, his need for vengeance that pushed him to rape Hassan as a child and will now push him to attack Amir as an adult. The reason this moment brings up a quote that highlights the value of virtue is due to what happens as Assef is beating Amir to the point of near death. “The slingshot made a thwiiiii sound when Sohrab released the cup. Then Assef was screaming. He put his hand where his left eye had just been a moment ago. Blood oozed between his fingers” (Hosseini 291). In this instance, Assef chose to be the person who seeks vengeance and as a result he his eye popped from his skull the same way Sohrab’s father had threatened to do when they were kids. His lack of virtue shows just how detrimental not letting go of pent up resentment can
Throughout the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Amir demonstrates what happens when the fear of self assertion takes over one’s life and causes a fear of conflict.
Khaled Hosseini, the author of The Kite Runner, grew up in prejudiced Afghanistan during the 1960’s as a middle-class Pashtun living with Hazaras working for his family. His move to America after the Communist Coup proved difficult for his family, especially his father. In his novel, Hosseini writes through a young boy, Amir, very similar to himself, who grows up with his father and two Hazara servants in Afghanistan at the time of the Taliban attacks. Both Amir and his father, Baba, treat their servants, Hassan and Ali, like family. Society, however, does not approve of such relationships between Pashtuns and Hazaras. As Amir hides and watches horrified, another Pashtun boy rapes Hassan. This leads to the continuation of Amir’s internal conflict about the treatment of Hazaras by the public, and also makes him feel guilty and self-conscious throughout his entire life. In addition, Amir strives for affection and attention from his rather indifferent father. Amir’s outward conformity to societal values in his relationships with both Hassan and Baba, as a result of his inner struggle and guilt, contribute greatly to the significance of The Kite Runner.
What is it that makes us human and what does it mean to be human? These questions should be frequently and relentlessly contemplated by all members of society. What makes us human is the notion that we have complex thoughts and emotions. No two individuals are exactly alike in every way who share the same opinions, tastes, thoughts, ideas, or feelings. Which is quite fortunate, because it would be a complete bore if everyone acted completely identical to one another. So, what is it that makes us abhor another based on their uniqueness as an individual or as a group? The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is about a friendship between two boys set in Afghanistan. The story spans over the last thirty years. Amir is the son of a wealthy business man, Baba. Ali is a longtime childhood friend of Baba’s and works as a servant for him. Hassan is the son of Ali and spends time with Amir. Hassan and Amir one day run into Assef—who has a superiority complex—and threatens to beat Amir for being friends with a Hazara. Later on in the story, Hassan is cornered by Assef and his two friends and Assef rapes Hassan. Amir witnessed the event concealed in the shadows, and is tormented for the rest of his life with his decision for not standing up for Hassan. The author,
In the literature, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, the idea and representation of justice, and its relationship to that of the treatment of women in Afghan society, the ever-changing politics of Afghanistan, and the desired results of redemption and forgiveness, become illustrated through the novel’s characters and motives. Justice can be defined as the quality of being guided by truth, reason, and fairness. The Kite Runner illustrates the power of influence from an outside power and its effects on society, and the minds and lifestyles of the people. In relationship to the Cheverus High School Grad-at-Grad profile the actions and wrongdoings that take place in the The Kite Runner and in Afghanistan prove to be injustice.
Amir shows change within his actions as we go through the novel, he realizes his father’s approval isn’t all he needs but also a way to redeem himself from allowing Hassan to be raped. Amir shows another side to his character when he took care of Baba while he was dying, he cared for him until he died. When Amir visited Rahim Khan and was told to find Sorab, just by agreeing it also shows he’s developed a more caring and compassionate side. Amir even allowed Assef to beat him senselessly just for the boy, showing that the boy was a priority to him and would give up his life to save the him just like Hassan did for Amir. In the end the two boys live together in San Fransisco only having each other left to lean on, and Amir treats the Sorab just like Hassan, treated him, he would do anything for him a thousand times