The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, we learn a lot about Amir the main character, and Hassan his servant/brother. In the beginning Hassan and Amir’s relationship was one of brotherly love despite the fact that Hassan was a Hazara and Amir a Pashtun. Back in the 1970’s race and religion played a big part in Kabul and these two races were not suppose to have relationships unless it was owner (Pashtun) and servant (Hazara). Baba Amir’s father had an affair with Hassan’s mother, but it was kept a secret until one day Rahim Khan let’s Amir know the whole truth. Hassan a loving, and loyal servant to Amir sacrifices himself many times for Amir, while Amir was disloyal, and cruel. Once Amir finds out the truth he embarks on a journey of atonement to right his wrongs.

Hassan’s love, and loyalty for Amir was never in question. Even through the sacrifices Amir was to naïve to ever understand it. Hassan starts showing from the beginning that he isn’t ever going to let any harm come Amir’s way, It starts off in the yard throwing pebbles at windows and at the neighbors dog. Amir says, “ Hassan never wanted to, but if I asked, he wouldn’t deny me. Hassan never denied me anything” (pg. 4&5). Hassan even lied to his father to protect Amir, “ Yes father, Hassan would mumble, looking down at his feet. But he never told on me. Never told that the mirror, like shooting walnuts at the neighbor’s dog, was always my idea” (pg. 5). Even when Assef first came around with his boys, it was Hassan who protected Amir from Assef’s little gang. One day while Amir and Hassan were walking up to the hill to the pomegranate tree where they carved, “Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul” (pg.24) which signified their friendship. They had an altercation with Assef...

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...g his ribs blood spewing all over the floor Amir dizzy from all the beating, and he just laughs. At the end sohrab saves him from the beating by launching a rock with the slingshot through Assefs’ eye. The final duty for Amir was to take Sohrab with him back to San Francisco, give him a new life.

Hosseini gives us an insight on how life in Afghanistan was in the 70’s. The difference in how people are treated because of your race or religion. The karma part of the book, of the evil Assef causing Hassan and Amir both harm. Amir laughing felling healed, making his father proud that he finally stood up for something. Paying back Hassan’s sacrifices, rescuing his nephew. With vivid details a look at a real life example of what possibly goes on in that country. The Afghanistan culture.

Works Cited

Hosseini, Khaled. "The Kite Runner." New York: Riverhead, 2003. Print.