Stereotypes In 'The Kite Runner'

Can the negative actions of a malicious person change the purity of a person’s heart? A pure heart can lead someone to see the best intentions of all those around them. But, a pure heart does not protect any person from other’s impure actions. In the Kite Runner, Hassan is the character that suffers the most due to the pervasive betrayal at the hands of Amir and Baba and discrimination he faces. The betrayal Hassan endures through unrequited loyalty and deception is deeply rooted in his suffering. Hassan’s foremost loyalty is to Amir, and it leads him to sacrifice himself to Assef’s assault for the sake of Amir’s relationship with Baba. Despite the opportunity to change Hassan’s fate, Amir stays silent in the face of brutality and justifies

Hassan’s Hazara status is a mark of persistent discrimination, and other frequent insults because of the little consequences they face because of the systematic oppression of Hazaras. Hassan must suppress any anger he faces and keep it inside of himself in a way Amir and the Pashtun children do not have to. Additionally, Hassan faces stereotypes of distrust because of his heritage. When Rahim Khan leaves for Pakistan, he leaves Baba’s house to Hassan to care for. The Taliban regarded the Hazara family alone and executed Hassan because they said “he was a liar and a thief like all Hazaras”(Hosseini 218). Even though Hassan had many neighbors standing up for him, the Talibs did not care and refused to listen to the words of someone of the Hazara race. Hassan was powerless to fix the situation because of the lack of respect his heritage receives. Hassan did not receive a happy ending due to the extreme discrimination his ethnic group faces. Cruelty to the Hazara race caused Hassan suffering from constant harassment and pervasive stereotypes. Hassan experiences great suffering in the Kite Runner, from the loss of his relationships to experiencing lifelong