The word "friendship" is important concerning the relationship between Amir and Hassan. Amir can never quite bring himself to call Hassan his friend, because of his lower class Hazara heritage. Hassan is Amir’s servant and Amir cannot get past this division of society. Amir and Hassan have a different relationship compared to most. There are many different characteristics that distinguish the relationship the boys possess. They have grown up together, playing as kids. but their relationship is not strong and it is one sided. Hassan loves Amir like a brother, although Amir does not reciprocate the love back. One night in the alley drastically took a toll on their friendship that would last forever. Amir witnessed Hassan being raped by Assef and said nothing of it for years. This does not show a true friendship. Amir’s actions have proven that they are not true friends. First, Amir has taken advantage of Hassan from the start. In the first chapter, it already seemed obvious that Amir had control over their friendship. He says “Sometimes up in …show more content…
The guilt that Amir is experiencing is caused by his experience of witnessing the rape of Hassan in the alley. He is so guilty that he can not even stand to be near Hassan. Amir says, “I’d hear Hassan shuffling around the kitchen in the morning, hear the clinking of silverware. The whistle of the teapot. I’d wait to hear the door shut and only then I would walk down to eat.” (Hosseini 87). He is avoiding having to face his guilt. His guilt shows that he knows what he did was wrong. Amir knows that he is guilty because he says “There was a monster in the lake. It grabbed Hassan by the ankles, dragged him to the murky bottom. I was that monster.” (Hosseini 86). Amir finally reaches a point where he can no longer handle the guilt of what he has done. He blames Hassan of theft, but ends up backfiring on Amir and leaving him with even more