In the Novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini relationships and loyalty play a major role. In fact, they are so important that without which the story could not have existed, since it was Hassans loyalty that Amir comes to resent so much; it makes him feel so guilty and like a bad person, which essentially he is.
In a way, one could say that Amir is afraid to be Hassans friend, because of what it would do to his reputation: A Pashtun making friends with a Hazara is just unheard of; it is virtualy blasphemy. Deep down he does not accept him as a friend either as can be seen in the situation where Hassan and he are cornered by Assef and his friends. But hes not my friend! I almost blurted. Hes my servant! (p. 38) This response came automatically, and this implies that in his mind he is used to referring to Hassan as his servant; that is just the way it is in that time in Afghanistan. There are two quotes that link directly to each other, the first one is thought by Hassan. Why did I play with Hassan only when no one else was around? (p. 38) He is starting to notice this himself; it is because of what he nearly said (first quote) just before. He does not really know why he does not play with Hassan with other friends since it has always been this way, and it is playing back to that theme of his racial superiority which is getting in between Hassan and Amir. There is another theme that is showing up, albeit a minor one; the theme of self-discovery, and trying to work out why he is so prejudiced. The second quote is a line spoken by Assef to Hassan just before he rapes him. Have you ever wondered why he never includes you in games when he has guests? (p. 68) In all probability that line is going through both Hassans and Amirs head as Amir stands at the corner of the alley watching him get raped, and it signifies what a coward Amir tries to convince himself he is. Convincing himself to be a coward alleviates some of his guilt; he rationalizes that that is just the way he is, and so he has an excuse.
There are times however where he does treat him as an equal, sharing experiences like bike riding. We had taught each other to ride a bicycle with no hands. (p. 24) They obviously shared bonding experiences together, but still he doesnt relate to him as a friend. Moreover, in the book you read that in the adventures Baba and Ali shared that Baba never even refers to Ali as a friend. The proverb The apple doesnt fall far from the tree immediately springs to mind as I think of the similarities in relationships that Baba and Amir have.
For some perverse reason Amir constantly tests Hassans loyalty. Really? Youd do that?...Do what?...Eat dirt if I told you to. (p. 50) This quote is part of a conversation between Amir and Hassan just before Hassan catches the kite for Amir. It is a very cruel thing of Amir to do, because he is exploiting his birth-acquired superiority in society as a Pashtun. In doing so, he puts Hassan on the spot. However, Hassan turns the whole thing around by enquiring whether Amir would ever ask him to do that. Amir becomes frustrated by this loyalty, and hates his own inability to be loyal to Hassan in any way. there was something fascinating albeit in a sick way about teasing Hassan. (p. 50) It seems almost as if he is getting a kick out of it, and one asks oneself whether he enjoys the power he has over Hassan, because children his age dont normally do this, never mind Hassan turning it around to subtly. Another time he tests the loyalty of Hassan is on p. 86: What would you do if I hit you with this? With this, he is referring to an overripe pomegranate clutched in his hand and he does not wait for an answer this time, he just throws it. He picks up dozens more and throws them, while Hassan never moves a muscle to defend himself. Amir wants him to retaliate, because it would alleviate his guilt but he doesnt, which brings us to the next topic of why he resents Hassan so much
As the novel progresses, it becomes quite clear that Amir comes to resent Hassan. One possible reason for this is Hassans innocence. Near the beginning of the novel Amir writes a short story, in which Rahim Khan tells him he has mastered irony, which supposedly is a very difficult skill to master. Amir is of course, very proud at this praise. It tells of a man who finds a magic cups which turns his tears into pearls, so he inflicted pain upon himself to cry as much as possible, making him richer and richer. Eventually he winds up killing his wife to shed more tears. Hassan promptly points out one major flawand not out of spite, but quite innocently. Why did he kill his wife to shed tears?...Couldnt he have just smelled an onion? (p. 32) Hassan really hates and resents him for saying that, because it was something that was so simple that he was surprised he had not thought of it himself. And the fact that someone who couldnt even read had pointed it out to him really drove the nail home. What does he know, that illiterate HazaraHow dare he criticize you? (p. 32). On top of that, it makes his story seem amateurish because of this one major flaw that makes it so shallow.
Another reason why he resents Hassan so is because of his own internal conflict, of how he should deal with all these things going on around him, like whether he should stand up for Hassan, and whether he should include him in games with other kids. In comparison to him, Hassan seems almost tranquil, as if he is completely at peace with himself. He always knows what to do and has no doubts about his actions, standing his ground. A prime example of this is when they are both confronted by Assef and his cronies (p. 39). After a few minutes bandying of words Hassan decides things are getting out of hand, so he pulls out his slingshot and aims a rock directly at Assefs left eye. Assef has no choice but to admit defeat.
The final and most important reason why Amir resents Hassan is the attention that Hassan receives from Baba. Amir is constantly striving to get attention from his father, and to look good in his eyes. This proves very hard, because Baba is slightly disappointed in having Amir and not Hassan as his legitimate son. Baba waved. I couldnt tell if he was waving at me or at Hassan. (p. 58) Amir is constantly suspicious that Hassan receives more praise and attention from Baba than he does, so he becomes paranoid about this. Hassan is like some sort of competitor in his eyes, a rival, as if they are both competing for the love of a father, and it becomes ridiculous in the eyes of the reader.
So their relationship that has started with their birth is slowly but surely crumbling and finally comes to an abrupt halt just after the kite tournament. You really get the feeling that Amir does not want anything to with Hassan anymore. It is a build up, or culmination, of all the previous events Amir is sick and tired of Hassans unwavering loyalty. For you a thousand times over! (p. 63) Hassan says this when Amir has won the kite tournament and Hassan is about to run for the kite. In retrospective, this seems like one final, heartfelt goodbye from Hassan, and it makes you feel sad as you think of how Assef then completely ruins their relationship by raping Hassan in that fateful back alley.
They avoid speaking of this event, and because of this a rift forms between them, getting bigger and bigger with each passing day. At one point Hassan attempts to cross this empty canyon by having Amir read him a story, for old times sakes. But Amir completely blows it by bombarding him with pomegranates. It would be useful to explore that a little more. The way Hassan doesnt retaliate at all makes him so frustrated and angry at both Hassan and himself that he gets very fed up of him. In Amirs point of view, everything that has happened seems to be Hassans fault, and it makes him feel unbearably guilty.
Bearing all this in mind, it is no wonder they drifted apart and when their own way. The final shameful act performed by Amir is when he puts the money he got for his birthday under Hassans mattress, and this is his ultimate betrayal, because it is what drives Hassan and Ali away. In conclusion, relationships are at the core of this novel, the foundation building blocks that keep it upright, because without these relationships the story would crumble, and become merely mediocre.
Essay by:
David Skillman. Completed on 5th of October, 2007.
Page references:
Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. 2003. London: Bloomsbury, 2004.
Word Count:
1596
Already have an account? Log In Now
7232