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Class Differences In The Kite Runner

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Afghanistan is a country full of social expectations and boundaries influenced by both class and ethnicity. Amir and Hassan come from polar opposite social backgrounds: Amir, a wealthy member of the dominant Pashtuns, and Hassan, a child servant to Amir and member of the minority Hazaras. Yet, as young children, it seems as though this difference is a mere annoyance rather than a serious blockade to their friendship. This all changes, though, when Amir makes a split second decision, a decision shaped by his unconscious desire to uphold their class difference. Hassan does everything for Amir, most specifically, he runs his kites, and when the town bully wants to steal that kite, Hassan resists even in the face of unspeakable violence. He resists for Amir whom he loves with his whole heart. Amir witnesses this struggle, but he does nothing; he runs away since “he was just a Hazara, wasn’t he?” (Hosseini 77). Amir has always believed, deep down, that his father favored Hassan, a Hazara, the dirt of Afghan society, over him, his own son. Seeing Hassan reduced to that level of baseness is perversely satisfying for him. He is finally better than Hassan, his social conscience is satiated. In that moment, he values his …show more content…

Their contrasting social conditions shape the way they treat each other and influence their own beliefs and values, making it extremely difficult to maintain a normal relationship. The huge role of Marxism in class conflict greatly affects the decisions and choices that Amir and Hassan make ending in a truly painful estrangement. These boys should be the best of friends; deep down they love each other so very much, but their preexisting economic situations make this love impossible to put on display. Amir manages to repair this broken friendship twenty years later; Hassan may have gone, but Amir can finally forgive himself for the decisions he made as a

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It raises the question of: Why is Hassan so Loyal and brave after all the pain Amir’s cowardliness has caused him? The author uses this scene to juxtapose Amir’s cowardliness with Hassan’s bravery. Hassan’s bravery could be unexpected due to the fact that he has been treated like less of a person because he was a Hazara. This mistreatment could cause people to feel insecure and insignificant, but Hassan overcame the mistreatment and became a loyal and brave person, son and friend.

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When Farid confronts Amir about his business in Afghanistan, he tells the family about his quest to find his nephew, Sohrab. They call him “an honorable man” and “a true Afghan” which makes Amir uncomfortable because in his mind, those descriptions define Hassan, not himself (238). At first, he does not agree with them and still views himself as a coward. However, those comments also nourish the idea that because he made the selfless decision to risk his life to save Sohrab, maybe he really can be able to adopt some of Hassan 's honorable qualities and forgive himself. Having seen tangible evidence of the changes in his demeanor, the weight of his guilt lessens, but Amir still cannot completely forgive himself.

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The Kite Runner describes the life of Amir. Before the war, he lived in Kabul with his father Baba, their servant Ali and Ali’s son Hassan. Hassan and Ali are from a lower class than Amir and Baba, but Amir and Hassan are best friends regardless. In this essay the assertion ‘Amir is selfish and

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Because of this, he enjoys using his opportunistic advantages to make Hassan think less of himself. As children, Amir and Hassan enjoy reading under their favorite tree, but Amir’s favorite part is when they come “across a big word that [Hassan does not] know” and he has the opportunity to “expose his ignorance” (Hosseini 28). Amir craves so badly to be superior that he

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The Power of People: The Lasting Influence Rahim Khan has on Amir in The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini It is often the individuals taken for granted that have the most impact in the lives of others. Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner explores the profound power that lies in the hands of influential figures, and the resulting impact that they can have in terms of shaping ones identity and actions. While personally lacking rich character development, Rahim Khan’s role in the novel is significant, not only in terms of influencing Amir’s life, but also as a tool of personification used to embody the overall themes that are exemplified.

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This discrimination has become built into society and effects everyday life. As Pashtuns, Amir and Baba have the opportunities to receive an education and start their own business. While the Hazaras, Hassan and Ali, may only work as servants. This discrimination brought on by social hierarchy causes isolation, violence, and guilt, to those surrounded by it throughout the book. These ideas are caused by discrimination and are explored through Amir’s experiences in the book.

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The connection between the relationships of Hassan and Amir and then Amir and Sohrab thrive off of the conflicts and the recurring motifs throughout the novel. Amir lived his redemiton and his loyalty through Sohrab, trying to make what he did to Hassan feel like less of a burden on his shoulders. There are many different ways for one to redeem themselves, but there is no better way to show loyalty than to be present in a time of

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In The Kite Runner during the twentieth century, there is a great divide between the muslim citizens of Kabul. The Hazaras are considered inferior to the respectable majority of Pashtuns. Hazaras are persecuted and oppressed, simply because they are Shi’a muslims and Pashtuns are Sunni muslims. Throughout the novel, Hazaras are called various derogatory names such as “[...] mice eating, flat-nosed, load-carrying donkeys.” (Hosseini 10) Because of his cultural background, Hassan becomes a victim of racism, as he has run-ins with bullies, is raped and is constantly told that he is not nor ever will be an equal to Amir.

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Amir is not capable of asking for forgiveness from Hassan. He rather have the guilt reside in him then apologize. His reluctance to apologize for his actions prolongs the time he holds his guilt. Amir’s pride had stopped him from ever fully redeeming

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To begin, no matter what, Hassan bravely stands up for Amir. However, when the roles are reversed, Amir cannot do the same due to Hassan’s social class lurking in Amir’s mind. When Assef started to harass Hassan while simultaneously trying to evoke a response in Amir, it almost gets Amir to look beyond Hassan 's social class. “Assef narrowed his eyes. Shook his head.

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Amir and Hassan were born into two different social classes that warred against each other for years. Hassan being a lowly Hazara who lived as a servant in, “a modest little mud hut...dimly lit by a pair of kerosene lamps,” (6) while Amir lived

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While Amir is a part of the upper class, Hassan and his father are members of the lower class and are servants to Amir and his father. While Amir’s father does not treat them any differently for this, Amir does. Amir sees himself as above Hassan and his father repeatedly. Although, when Amir immigrated to America with his father, he was immediately knocked down a few pegs. Amir and his father were no longer a part of the upper class, and they had to build themselves back up.

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The book pretends to enclose the entirety of Afghan culture and history, as seen when the main character expresses “to me, the face of Afghanistan is that of a (…)”1 before describing, in two lines, his jovial friend, and servant; who, like him, never saw more of Afghanistan than the wealthy Kabul and its surroundings. Moreover, when dwelling into historical events, the books estimates it more important to further character development through fictional, story-telling events, rather than explain or detail in any way said historical events which the characters have been placed into (Russian, Taliban, and American Occupations, etc.). Thus, any competently critical reader with a sense of Afghan history, will place in doubt the portrayal of Afghanistan the novelist implicitly claims to have made; for example, some might think it a way to occidentalize Afghan culture for the masses, whilst others might deem it a brilliant way to put in question the narrator’s remarks, and thus expose the main character’s biased narration. In any case, the reading will change, and with it, the interpretation of the novel’s message. Outside the book itself, however, and within the novelist’s context, we can again find more facts that might change the readers’

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