Friends. Everyone wants one, everybody needs them. Most people are fortunate enough to find true friends who are loyal and brighten up each and every one of their days. For others, friendships are complicated and people are brutally betrayed. Some take others’ loyalty for granted and completely disregard their feelings. In the book, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Amir takes advantage of Hassan’s unwavering faithfulness and friendship. Even though Hassan was always there for Amir, Amir wasn’t there for Hassan in the one, single moment that would negatively alter his life forever. Like Hassan, I have experienced a time where I was betrayed by the same friends I thought I could trust the most. The themes of both friendship and betrayal are …show more content…
evident in the both of our lives. Everyone has had those friends that acted like soul companions, but deep down, they truly weren’t. In middle school, I only hung out with one group of people. Since it was during middle school, the group was full of drama, but I was a part of it. Every time, I was stuck in the center of it all. Out of everyone in the group, who was the loyal, unbiased one that never got into any fights? It was me. Even though I was never involved in any drama and enjoyed the company of every one of my friends, I was often the person that was left out. It didn’t matter that I had been there for each one of them during their pathetic fights, I was left in the dust time and time again. My friends would come to me for advice so they could work through their problems. I would then help them and in return they would pretend to be my best friend for a few hours. I was there for them when no one else was, no matter what the circumstances were. Fast forward a couple of days, and the two girls involved in the fight would become best buds and I was left to walk along behind them. Not too long after, a different combination of girls would be mad at each other and I would be pulled to both sides for comfort. Once again, I would go aid each side, they would eventually come back together, and forget about me. I was like that ragged doll that sat on the top shelf and given attention when there was nothing else, and then thrown back on the shelf when my friends found someone better in the group to hang out with. This was a cycle throughout my whole middle school life. As a young teenager, I missed out on a lot of opportunities like hanging out and experiencing adventures with friends. I was never invited to hang out with anyone and rejected every time I suggested having everyone come to my house for the weekend. Many times I would ask my friends to hang out, and they would tell me they had a family gathering or some other made up excuse. Later that day, I would go onto Instagram and see a picture of all of them hanging out, unsurprisingly without me. All in all, I never had friends in this part of my life that were there for me through thick and thin. I had no support system because I was the constant support system for everyone else. I was betrayed by my friend group, but I was too blind to see it for a whopping four years. I was the only completely reliable friend in the whole group, and in return, I was not given the same dependability and friendship that I so longed for. In The Kite Runner, Hassan goes through a similar, more intense betrayal of friendship. Hassan and Amir had been friends since birth and were destined to continue to be for life. Hassan was always loyal to Amir and willing to do whatever for him. Amir even goes far enough and tests Hassan by asking if he would eat dirt for him. Hasan replies, “If you asked, I would” (Hosseini 54). Amir knew he wasn’t lying because Hassan was one of those people who meant every word they said. Hassan could never imagine betraying Amir, but Amir couldn’t keep the same promise. Ever since they were born, Amir and Hassan were never seen apart. They were always together, and they did everything together. Amir says, “We were the kids who had learned to crawl together...I spent most of the first twelve years of my life playing with Hassan” (25). The only thing Hassan didn’t realize was that they only hung out when Amir wasn’t off with other friends. Amir never referred to Hassan as his friend. Once Amir almost blurted out, “He’s not my friend!...He’s my servant” (41). Amir never thought of Hassan as an equal or as someone who was worth being with. Throughout the whole book, Hassan continually demonstrated his loyalty to Amir.
He was willing to throw pebbles at dogs for him, be pelted by pomegranates, and stand up against every bully for Amir. Hassan involved himself in so many fights for Amir and wouldn’t back down because his devotion to Amir was more important than his own well-being. Unfortunately, while Hassan was being raped, Amir decided to care more about himself than what was happening to Hassan. During his rape scene, Assef questions Hassan about Amir’s loyalty. Assef asks him, “But before you sacrifice yourself for him, think about this: Would he do the same for you? Have you ever wondered...why he only plays with you when no one else is around” (72)? Whether or not Hassan realized what Assef was true, he still stood up for Amir and kept his promise to bring back the blue kite no matter what the consequence was for himself.
Overall, Hassan’s life was dedicated to Amir. Hassan was loyal to him and was the absolute support system for him. Every time Hassan was told to run a kite, his commitment to Amir rang out with one single phrase: “For you a thousand times over” (67)! And each time, Amir knew that Hassan meant what he said because he had such deep dedication to Amir. In return, Hassan was betrayed Amir and was only important to him when no one else was around. Amir would gladly trade anyone else’s company for Hassan’s. Hassan was the one person that never betrayed Amir, but Amir was the one person who always betrayed
Hassan. It is clear that Hassan and I both have lives that represent two of the main themes in The Kite Runner: friendship and betrayal. My case did not include having to move away or endure physical pain as a result of a friend’s disloyalty, but it has left a lasting effect on my life just as it did for Hassan. In his book, Khaled Hosseini is able to show this lasting impact of a friend’s betrayal through the story of Amir and Hassan, two boys with two different views of friendship. In life, everyone will be shunned and forgotten somehow, but no one imagines it being from their own friends. Friends are a essential part of everyone’s lives, but true friendships are difficult to come by and should be counted as a blessing.
As he grows into a man and pushes his regrets to the side - though not ever completely out of his mind - he learns to live through and accept the pain he caused both himself and his best friend, Hassan. Towards the end of the novel, Amir goes to great lengths to earn the redemption he feels he needs in order to finally be at peace. The Kite Runner asks the audience what it truly means to be a good person - do we need to be born with goodness in our hearts, do we live the way that is comfortable and right according to ourselves, or do we have to constantly fail and prove that we are good?
Hassan agrees and gives chase for the kite with Amir follow some time later on. However, during that time Hassan is corner by Assif and several others children. Hassan is then punished by Assif for protecting Amir, as well as being a different type of Afghani. In one swift motion, Assif performs a horrifying sexual act on Hassan, all the way Amir watch it far down a street. And what does Amir do? Well he ran as he put it, “I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me. I was afraid of getting hurt” (77).
In the book “THe Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini, betrayal is is one of the big themes that occurs in this book. Amir shows the most betrayal of all, like him witnessing Hassan's rape and not helping him at all. That was his cowardly thing that he did and experiences guilt from it. Many years pass since that event he starts to feel what other people felt when he would betray them, like when he was betrayed by his father and Rahim Khan, because he found out that Hassan was his brother and he felt betrayal of trust just as he made the people he betrayed feel.
So when Assef comes, Hassan becomes the scapegoat to protect Amir. According to Hosseini, “Hassan had pulled the wide elastic band all the way back. In the cup was a rock the size of a walnut. Hassan held the slingshot pointed directly at Assef’s face. ‘Please leave us alone.’” (Hosseini 42). From Assef’s talking, Hassan knows Amir gets trouble because of him. So he thinks he has the responsibility to deal with it. So he pulls Assef’s attention to himself and let himself become the target. According to Hosseini, “Hassan didn’t struggle. Didn’t even whimper. He moved his head slightly and I caught a glimpse of his face. Saw the resignation in it. It was a look I had seen before. It was the look of the lamb.” (Hosseini 42). Hassan knows he promised that he would catch the kite and give it to Amir. So he is willing to do anything to save the kite. At that time, Hassan imagines the kite as Amir, so he can be the scapegoat for the kite. Also he knows if Assef does not catch him, Assef will start to look for Amir and beat Amir up. Since one of them will be hurt, Hassan chooses to sacrifice himself to make sure Amir is
The theme of loyalty is widespread throughout "The Kite Runner". Hassan is a very loyal character in this story, he is loyal to his brother Amir this is demonstrated from the start he tells Amir “for you a thousand times over” often to mean he would do anything for Amir when the situation calls for it. Amir on the other hand is jealous and feels entitled to his father’s love and care, he does not understand Baba’s love for Ali and Hassan and as such he does everything to discredit Hassan and put himself on better grounds with his father. Hassan’s loyalty is juxtaposed with Amir’s betrayal, for in every act of kindness demonstrated by Hassan he receives and equal or greater amounts of betrayal from Amir. Nonetheless Hassan remains
Many books today portray a different world. Few books will make readers think they’ve lived in that world all their lives. The Kite Runner is a tale about betrayal, fear, and redemption. In the book, a young boy, Amir, lives in Kabul, Afghanistan happily, until one fateful day. After that, he’s plunged into fear and regret as his life gets worse and worse. Decades later, a man reminisces on his past mistakes and desperately tries to bury his old life. Khaled Hosseini has captured the minds of many with his book, The Kite Runner. The Kite Runner was published by Riverhead Books in 2003, after Khaled Hosseini had worked on it for two years. The book immediately became an international bestseller, becoming the number one New York Times Best Seller for two years, and its fame sparked the creation of a movie based on the book. The book was inspired by Hosseini’s childhood, and it features significant moral lessons that are embedded into the very text of each chapter.
One of the most tragic and tear-jerking moments in the entire novel surrounds the moment when Amir decides to not help Hassan while he is getting raped. Reading this part, it is very hard not to get furious with Amir because obviously what he did was wrong, but he did have reasoning behind not helping his brother. Amir stands there for a few reasons; one of the reasons being his desire for his father approval, which he knows he can receive by coming home with the kite. When Assef says this, “I've changed my mind; I'm letting you keep the kite, Hazara. I'll let you keep it so it will always remind you of what I'm about to do.
Betrayal is one of the most prominent themes in the novel The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. Hosseini chose to represent this theme through the decisions and actions of the main protagonists. Both Baba and Amir chose to betray the people close to them, which resulted in major ramifications for themselves and the people around them. With their betrayals came feelings of guilt. However Amir 's guilt was exponentially more conspicuous than Baba 's. It followed him into his adult life, and the impacts were quite negative and detrimental to both his personal health and his personal relationships. Hassan, on the other hand, chose to remain loyal to those close to him, regardless of the situation or the threats placed upon him. While this resulted in major consequences, it also demonstrated his capacity for kindness, caring, and loyalty. Even though he was confronted with traumatic experiences due to his loyalty, he was able to accept it, move past it and eventually heal. In turn, although his life was short, it was filled with meaningful realizations
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 order to grow and prosper, one must make mistakes and learn from them. People are not born perfect; everyone must live and everyone must learn throughout his/her lifetime in order to mature. In the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni, Amir does exactly this. He makes several mistakes, these mistakes are not wasted, because, in time he learns from his wrong-doings and redeems his himself. Several if not all of the mistakes Amir makes are directed toward his childhood friend, and brother, Hassan. The first mistake Amir makes is not a tangible one. This mistake being he does not see Hassan as a friend while they are children because they’re part of two different ethnic groups and cultures. Because of this difference, Amir does not stop
Amir takes advantage of Hasan because he is a Hazara and his servant. “When it comes to words Hassan is an imbecile” (29). This is when Amir first starts to belittle Hassan knowing that he is a Hazara therefore illiterate. Instead of helping his friend, Amir chooses to instead downplay him and mock Hassan. “What would you do if I hit you with this?” (92). Amir pelting Hassan with the pomegranate after he asks this question continues his betrayal because Amir knew Hassan would not do anything about it. “A loyal Hazara. Loyal as a dog” (72). Assef of all people acknowledged that Hassan was loyal to Amir. This in some ways makes Amir as disgusting as Assef but it there are worse instances of betrayal by Amir.
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.
Because of this, Hassan is almost constantly bullied when he steps outside. Amir usually refuses to help Hassan, fearing he will get bullied for helping a minority. This type of thing built guilt up inside of him because he was then viewed as weak by his father’s friend. He overheard them talking and he was called weak because he would not even stand up for his best friend that he essentially lives with. He continues not to back Hassan up and starts being mean to Hassan, just like the other boys because he does not want to be viewed as weak.. During the kite runner festival, Hassan went to get the winning kite that Amir had knocked out of the sky. When he does, he is cornered by one of his bullies, Assef, and some of his friends. They take the kite and then rape Hassan. Amir stands nearby, watching the event take place and does nothing about it. Eventually he runs away trying to get the thought out of his head. Gradually over time, guilt builds up inside of Amir and it starts to become hard to even be around Hassan. This then leads him to frame Hassan for stealing his watch. After Amir does that, Amir finds out he forced his father to kick his brother out of the only housing he had. His father starts crying a lot and Amir feels that it is all his fault. Guilt impacts him very much even when he moves to America, he still
Amir also committed a sin that affected him negatively throughout his life. This sin occurred when Hassan, Amir’s best friend during his childhood, was getting raped by Assef. This situation occurred when the children were chasing kites. Hassan got the kite first, but Assef insisted that he wanted the kite. Assef also had a racial and religious prejudice against Hassan.
Because of Amir’s extreme desire to receive the attention and affection from Baba, he begins to subconsciously sacrifice his relationship with Hassan in order to fulfill his interests. However, as Amir continuously matures and begins to recognize his initial ignorant, detrimental actions towards Hassan, he no longer “worship” his father like he did in the past. This causes him to ensure a sense of independence because of his ability to quickly adapt to a completely new, unfamiliar environment and remain adamant on pursuing their own aspirations.