Friendship and Social Inequality in The Kite Runner Essay

Set in the late 20th century, Khaled Hossieni's novel "The Kite RUnner" explores frienship seperated by the inequalities of wealth, power, religion and class. Hossieni's commentary on Afgani culture and the descrimination faced by the Hazzara race from teh Pashtuns expose the challenges faced between the two key friendships between Amir and hassan, and Baba and Ali. through these relationships and their flaws, Hossieni emphasises that friendship can not exist when one party is more privilleged than the other.

The childhood relationship between Amir and Hassan is one marred by racial differences. Being the more socially superior race, Amir is of Pashtun decent whilst Hassan is of Hazzara decent, their bond is more obetween master and slave when Amir almost bursted out "Hassan's not (his) friend, his (amir's) servant." Simulary, Baba and Ali suffer from the same hinder in their relationship when Amir realises that "in none of Baba's stories did he refer to Ali as a friend." The confrontation to admit that Hassan was servant and not a friend highlights that the relationship can not exist between these characters because these relationships are only one sided where only one party exchanges his loyalty whistle the over abuses his friendship.

Amirs privilleges are used to abuse and hinder his relationship with Hassan. Through Amir's Pashtun background, he is opened to a formal educaton and used his literacy to read "to Hassan and (when they) can to a big word (hassan) didn't know, (amir) would tease him, expose his ignorance...""kind of like when (they) use to play insect torture." Amirs cruel and almost sadistic mockery of hassan is an obvious abuse of power to demonstate Pashtuni superioity over the Hazzara whistle Hassan's heritage neglects him of a formal education despite (hassan) being more better in solving riddles than" Amir.

Through the abuse and comments made by Asseff, it is Asseff that offers the true nature in chich Hazzara's are treated in Afgan socety. Asseff comment "Afganistan is teh land of pashtuns....(they) are the true Afgans...not the flat nose here. (hazzara) pollute the homeland...they dirty or blood." highlight how Pashtuns reject the hazzara from their community and the despite and contemp towards the Hazzara. Furthermore, asseffs rape of hassan Pashtun superiority adn authority as well as leading to teh deteriation of teh friendship between Amir and Hassan.