“Do you think me, because I am poor, obscure, plain and little, I am soulless and heartless?” Charlotte Brontë. People are persecuted and oppressed in every society all over the world. The weak, the different and the poor are mistreated and therefore have disadvantages in leading normal lives. In every society there are divisions between a lower class and an upper class, however, when reading The Kite Runner, the author Khaled Hosseini reveals to the readers the desolation and suffering that many Afghans experience from the separation of social classes. Despite the fact that some readers think Amir the Pashtun and Hassan the Hazara were best friends, there are too many examples that show social rank is put before friendship, resulting in an unstable, erratic, and misunderstood relationship.
The social ranks in Afghanistan are separated between the Pashtun and the Hazara. These two groups hate one another and the Pashtun even go as far as wanting to annihilate their enemy. The Pashtuns are the largest group of people in Afghanistan and because they are the majority, they try to take charge and run the country with power and control. The rich Pashtuns have a deep hatred for the poor Hazaras. The Pashtuns believe that they are far more superior and intelligent than the Hazara. The Hazara are poor peasants and farmers who work as slaves for the Pashtun; they are supposed to be illiterate uneducated workers who only live for the sake of the Pashtun. They do not fit into Afghan society, they are the outsiders.
The Hazara are constantly hated by the Pashtun for one reason, because they are different. Both races are from diverse sects of Islam: Pashtun is Sunni and Hazara is Shiite. Aside from religion, the Hazara are not like the Pasht...
... middle of paper ...
...ir can redeem himself and repent for his sins is if he takes that extra step over that boundary and take Sohrab-a Hazara- as a son. It takes Amir a long time to become motivated and to stand up for something important, and when he does, he realizes he and Hassan were never “friends”, they were brothers.
The divisions between the two social classes have created many miserable and unhappy Afghans. In The Kite Runner, Amir and Hassan are thought of as best friends; however, the book abounds with examples that put social ranks before friendship. As a result of the hatred in Afghan society, Amir and Hassan suffered from a misunderstood relationship. Seeing this repeatedly, creates a strong image of Afghan society filled with privilege and suffering. But in the end, they realized the truth behind their friendship, and that it was a close bond of brotherhood.
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.
Critics have already begun a heated debate over the success of the book that has addressed both its strengths and weaknesses. The debate may rage for a few years but it will eventually fizzle out as the success of the novel sustains. The characters, plot, emotional appeal, and easily relatable situations are too strong for this book to crumble. The internal characteristics have provided a strong base to withstand the petty attacks on underdeveloped metaphors and transparent descriptions. The novel does not need confrontations with the Middle East to remain a staple in modern reading, it can hold its own based on its life lessons that anyone can use.
With the struggle of social stature between two boys; Amir, a Pashtun - Sunni Moslem that is considered of a higher class with seniority, and Hassan, who is looked down upon because he is a Hazara of lower class. Hassan and his father Ali, (a good friend of Baba, Amir’s father) live in a mud shack on Baba’s property together – they are servants for Amir and Baba. Despite the social differences between the boys, and at a time in Afghanistan when bigotry has sparked flame between these two ethnic groups, they still find a way to create what seems to be an everlasting bond with one another. “Hassan and I fed from the same breasts. We took our first steps on the same lawn in the same yard, and under the same roof, we spoke our first words. Mine was Baba, his was Amir.” (Page 13) Even as children, Amir was always the weaker one; Hassan was always sticking up for him and fighting his battles for him. Even though Amir was educated and Hassan was not, Amir still found ways to be jealous of Hassan at times especially when he corrected him and foun...
Khaled Hosseini is the author of “The Kite Runner” the first Afghan novel published in English is a story set in the mid 1970’s to the early 2000’s is about a young Pashtun boy named Amir and his friend/servant and someone who he soon realizes as his half-brother a Hazara boy named Hassan , shows us that Amir goes through man changes as a person would in real life, these changes are what people of all cultures, religions and regions experience without any boundaries stopping them from doing so this is what is known as the human experience. Many experiences such as overcoming obstacles to suffering from disease or illness are all incorporated thorough out Hosseni’s novel. He uses Amir, the main character; to show the readers that in the beginning of the novel how a young boy, naïve to all that is around him can develops into a grown man because of his experiences such as loss of family members, happiness, and friendship something that all of us can experience as human beings and make us who we are.
To begin, the first instance of redemption is found and portrayed through irony. As Amir's mother died giving birth to him, he has always felt guilty. Leading up to the annual kite-fighting tournament, Amir feels as if winning will redeem her death, and solidify his relationship with Baba. When he comes upon Hassan who is cornered by Assef, Amir feels as if his rape might be justified: “Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay to win Baba. Or was it a fair price?” (Hosseini, 82) If Amir gains the kite, he wins Baba's heart. Ironically, the sacrifice of Hassan is the catalyst to Amir's need for redemption. Instead of redeemi...
The Kite Runner “illuminates ethnic tensions, political turmoil and Taliban repression in Afgahnistan through the story of boyhood friendship and betrayal” ('Kite Runner' Shines A Light On Afghan Sport). By intertwining the real life struggles of Afghani people and the characters of this fiction novel, “Hosseini brings us into the politically chaotic but beautiful world of Afghanistan and one man’s journey through guilt and trauma from his childhood” (Pearson 66).
Interestingly enough, many different ethnic groups can be found in Afghanistan. Some are from other countries and others have only Afghan routes. Discoveries show that Hazaras are one of the lowest and Pashtuns one of the highest powers in Afghan society. People would automatically assume that there were only one or two different ethnic groups, which live in Afghanistan. However, there appears to be a great variety of different peoples living in Afghan society. All together, fourteen different ethnicities can be discovered in Afghanistan. I have found the following: Arab, Hindu-Sikh, Farsiwans, Wakhis, Sunni Brahui, Qizilbash, Aimaqs, Baluchs, Nuristanis, Turkmens, Uzbeks, Hazaras, Tajik, and Pashtun people.
Amir, the main character and narrator in the Kite Runner, belongs to a wealthy family in which his father is a powerful businessman. Amir is also a part of the dominant Pashtun ethnic group and Sunni religious group. Amir in the Kite Runner tells the story of his friendship with Hassan. Hassan and his father, Ali, are Amir’s servants. Hassan on the contrary is a low-caste ethnic Hazara and belongs to the minority Shi’it religious faith. This provides many of the Afghan’s who are different such as Sunni’s, who make up 85% of the Muslim faith, to persecute people like Hassan for their religion.
The Kite Runner focuses on the relationship between two Afghan boys Amir and Hassan. Amir is a Pashtun and Sunni Muslim, while Hassan is a Hazara and a Shi’a. Despite their ethnic and religious differences, Amir and Hassan grow to be friends, although Amir is troubled by Hassan, and his relationship with his companion, one year his junior, is complex. Amir and Hassan seem to have a "best friend" type relationship. The two boys, Hassan and Amir, are main characters in the book titled, The Kite Runner. The two boys have a relationship that is significantly different compared to most. There are many different facets that distinguish the relationship the boys possess. The boys do write their names in a pomegranate tree as the "sultans of Kabul" (Kite Runner 27) but, their friendship is not strong and it is one sided. Hassan has love for Amir. He loves him like a brother. Hassan is exceedingly loyal to Amir. The relationship between the two boys is emotionally wearing and rather gloomy for the most part. The main reason for their complicated relationship is the fact that Amir is Pashtun, and Hassan is Hazara. The Afghan society places Hassan lower than Amir. Hassan is Amir's servant. The placement of Hassan in the Afghan society disenables Amir from becoming Hassan's true friend. Amir sees Hassan as lower than human. Amir ruins the chance for friendship between himself and Hassan because he is jealous of Hassan, he thinks of Hassan as a lower human, and because Amir possesses such extreme guilt for what he has done to Hassan. Amir is an unforgivable person overall.
In Khaled Hosseini’s novel “The Kite Runner,” he illustrates a fine line between what is defined as morally good and evil. During their lives as kids, Amir and Hassan had always been close, but there had always been one problem. Amir was the son of a rich and powerful Pashtun man who was almost always given everything he wanted, while Hassan was a Hazara boy who had spent his life serving Amir and his family with his father. Although the two of them seemed to always be inseparable when they played games or flew kites, there was always the defining factor of who they really are, a servant and his master.
The Kite Runner is a book about a young boy, Amir, who faces many struggles as he grows up in Kabul and later moves to America to flee from the Taliban. His best friend and brother , Hassan, was a big part of his life, but also a big part of guilt he held onto for many years. The book describes Amir’s attempt to make up for the past and resolve his sins so he can clear his conscious. Amir is worthy of forgiveness because although he was selfish, he was very brave and faced his past.
Amir’s conquest in the art of writing indicates how the opportunities he has found in America have better shaped him to reach his entire capabilities, than in Kabul. When Amir marvels over how life in America has been better for him, he ponders o...
There are many sociological key concepts that would relate to the war in Afghanistan. The three that I have chosen are structural social mobility, modernization theory, and gender stratification.
Amir’s redemption is a large part of the novel and is carried out almost entirely until the end of the story. He travels to rescue Hassan’s son, Sohrab, from the orphanage he was placed in after the death of his parents. He promises to find him a safe home with someone but after time passes he feels like this is not enough. He then speaks to his wife and decides to take Sohrab back to the United States with him and take care of his as if he was one of his own. Earlier in the novel when Baba is speaking Amir over hears his conversation as he is referring to him stating, “A boy who won 't stand up for himself becomes a man who can 't stand up to anything” (Hosseini, 22). Thus meaning that if he is able to stand up for himself as a young boy, when he is grown he will not be able to stand up for anything that is in his future. This is true throughout the story until he stands up for himself and Sorhab when he is arguing with his life long bully, Assef. Amir lacked the courage to defend himself in the novel until he finally took charge and went against
Afghanistan is like a time capsule. Many people farm for subsistence, and few are able to read or write. Afghans have been compared to Spartans in that they are a martial people who have been at war for thousands of years. The rough terrain in which they live lends itself to long periods of resistance. Time and time again they have been able to push away would be conquerors. The current war in Afghanistan stands in contrast to previous wars because its purpose is not one of conquest for land or for the exploitation of resources. The purpose of the current war in Afghanistan is to win over the Afghan people and to help them grow ideologically to assimilate into an ever more technologically advanced global environment.