Andrew Gross English 112 Professor Bergren March 13, 2023 Loyalty Trip The inequalities in Amir and Hassan's relationship are evident throughout the novel. Amir often used his education to ridicule Hassan. Hassan's intelligence is obvious, yet his lack of education caused him to be illiterate and unable to enjoy the pleasure of reading. rather, he had to rely on Amir to be the storyteller. It is through his role as the storyteller that Amir's vindictiveness first becomes apparent. "My favorite part of reading to Hassan was when we came across a big word that he didn't know. I'd tease him, expose his ignorance" (Hosseini 24). The social divide between the two becomes more obvious when Amir describes his morning routine: "Hassan had already washed …show more content…
Amir, desperate to win his father's affection, proclaims that he is going to win the kite race. Yet he is unable to do so without the help of Hassan. Hassan loyally runs the kite for Amir, "For you a thousand times over." (Hosseini 59) It is Hassan's determination to help Amir fulfill his desire to please his father that leads to his rape. While flying the kite, Hassan is confronted by Assef and his friends, who want to steal the kite. Assef brutally beats and rapes Hassan for refusing to hand over the kite. This incident not only highlights an overwhelming amount of courage on Hassan's behalf but also highlights the unbelievable cowardice of Amir, who witnessed the event and did nothing. "I [Amir] fled because I was afraid. I was afraid of what he would do to me. I was afraid of getting hurt. That's what I told myself as I turned my back on Hassan and the alley. (p68) Amir's cowardice is reflective of his abuse of Hassan's friendship, but it is only when Amir frames Hassan for theft that the true exploitation takes …show more content…
Amir revels in his deception of Hassan: "I'd taunt him if he didn't know some big word... kind of like when we used to play insect torture." (p47) The fact that Amir himself is able to relate his teasing of Hassan to insect torture highlights his sinister motives. It also becomes evident that Amir's deception is motivated by Hassan's intelligence: "But despite his illiteracy, I saw he was far better at solving them than I was." (p24) Amir, very much aware of the ethnic difference that prevents Hassan from receiving a formal education, is motivated by his jealousy of Hassan, thereby reinforcing the cultural belief that Hazaras are not worthy of