Amir Act 1 Scene 11 Analysis

The author introduces the conflict that Amir struggles with that show how classism was related to his betrayal of his relationship with Hassan. Early in the novel, Hosseini shows how Amir is always questioning his relationship with Hassan because of the differences between the Hazaras and the Pashtuns. For example, at the beginning of the novel when Amir and Hassan have their first encounter with Assef “ But he is not my friend! I almost blurted. He’s my servant! Had I really thought that? Of course I hadn’t. I hadn’t”(41). Hosseini shows us this internal conflict that Amir faces with Hassan not knowing where he stands in their friendship because of their religious differences. Then later on in the book during a pivotal scene when Assef rapes Hassan we see the great betrayal of Amir by not standing up for Hassan and just watching this as it happens.

Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, Amir was the son of a wealthy social worker. He was brought up with the son of his servant, and perhaps his only best friend, Hassan. Amir had a rocky relation with his father. At times, it seemed as his father loved him but those moments didn’t lasted forever. He thinks Baba (his father) wishes Amir were more like him, and that Baba holds him responsible for killing his mother, who died during his birth. Despite being best friends, Amir thinks that Hassan is beneath him because he belonged to an inferior cast. He used to mock him jokingly or tried to outsmart him. In all fairness, it was Amir’s cowardly nature that

Amir questions his relationship with Hassan and says, “I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara, I was Sunni and he was Shi’a, and nothing was ever going to change that” (Hosseini 25). This is the first occurrence in the novel of Amir acknowledging that him and Hassan are different. Amir is superior to Hassan in the eyes of Afghani culture. Later Amir almost says to Assef, “But he’s not my friend! I almost blurted. He’s my servant!” (Hosseini 41). Amir later questions what he says, and does not understand what he really thinks Hassan is to him. Another example of Amir realizing his superiority is when he was not not beaten by a teacher like the other students. Amir says, “But my father was rich and everyone knew him, so I was spared the metal rod treatment” (Hosseini 90). Amir recognizes his father’s wealth and realizes he receives special treatment because of it. This thought of being superior is inevitably capable of being installed in a child’s brain that they are above others and deserve special

From brief observation, it may appear as though Hassan and Amir are the best of friends. However, as readers come across this quote from Amir’s point of view, they achieve a bit of insight on his deepest thoughts and feelings. According to Amir, history and ethnicity can break the bonds of their seemingly everlasting companionship. Amir is wrong to think this way and to follow in the footsteps of his flawed societal views. However, not all the blame can be placed on Amir, for his reasoning can be traced back to his father’s complicated relationship with the beloved family servant, an event that has clearly had a significant influence on him.

One day Asseff rapes Hassan as an act of power, and Amir witnesses the actions but acts in a cowardly matter and simply avoids the matter by ignoring it. Amir then proceeds to cut off the relationships between himself and Hassan, “I actually aspired to cowardice, but the real reason I was running, was that Asseff was right. Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay to win Baba. Was it a fair price? The answer floated to my conscious mind before I could thwart it: He was just a Hazara. Wasn’t he?” Amir did it because the traditional and historical beliefs were more important than friendship. This action displays how being born in a different social class can outweigh all feelings of love and friendship with one of a different social group.

Throughout the novel, Amir endeavors to be approved by his father, Baba, who is admired by people in Kabul. Unfortunately, Baba believes that Amir, unlike him, is very unmanly “and [that he] never fights back. He just... drops his head ” (Hosseini 24). Since Baba wishes for a son who would stand up for himself, he can’t help but observe that Amir’s friend Hassan, as the guy who “steps in and fends the [bullies] off” (Hosseini 24) is his idea of the ideal son. Though aware of his father’s expectations, Amir is unable to change himself and instead envies Hassan and the fact that Baba treats him like his own son by“[patting]Hassan on the back. [and even putting] his arm around his shoulder [like a fatherly figure]”(Hosseini 15). Despite the manifestation of this hatred in Amir, he continues to recognize the bond that he shares with Hassan, “ brotherhood between people who had fed from the same breast” (Hosseini 11) which is because both their mothers died during birth. The confusing emotions he feels for Hassan has Amir face a situation in which he acts inappropriately and allows the guilt to manifest upon him. After winning a very important kite tournament for the first time and “seeing Baba on that roof, proud of [him] at last” (Hosseini 71) Amir begins to search for Hassan who had gone to run his kite earlier. Finally, Amir finds him in a dark alley and as he “peeks around the corner” (Hosseini 75) he witnesses a sight that eradicated not only his relationship with Hassan but also Baba’s brotherly relationship with Ali, Hassan’s father. Peeking through the corner of the alley, like a bystander, he watches his one and only friend getting raped. The guilt that came upon him was for two reason; one, his lack of courage to stand up to

Amir’s mother, Sofia, dies in childbirth; Amir inherits her love of literature and probably her looks to some extent, but, her being dead, never receives any motherly love or guidance, which could have helped him out of the cowardly hole he later digs himself into. Amir’s father’s best friend and business partner, Rahim Khan, tries to give Amir the motherly love he clearly needs, fostering Amir’s love of writing and steadfastly standing up for him when Amir’s father, Baba, criticizes him, but Rahim Khan does not do enough to instill honesty, courage, and strength of conviction in young Amir. Amir’s best friend, Hassan, a servant a year younger than Amir, is everything Amir is not: athletic, brave, loyal, honest, and kind, inciting jealousy in Amir. Assef, a local bully, poses a real threat to Amir, hating Amir for the crime of befriending a Hazara (oppressed ethnic minority), but Amir is protected by Hassan, allowing young Amir to freeze and not stand up for himself in Assef’s presence. Last, but most importantly, is Amir’s father, Baba, and his views on Amir: he blames Amir for Sofia’s death,

. In the end, I was Pashtun and he was a Hazara, I was Sunni and he was Shi’a, and nothing was going to ever change that”(Hosseini 27). Amir struggles to be a good friend and truly loyal to Hassan even though their relationship basically makes them best friends. He is unable to admit he is friends with Hassan because he is from the upper social class and is taught by his Afghan tradition and history that Pashtuns are too pure to have relationships with Hazaras because they are below them. Hassan is treated as a friend and a enemy by Amir because he wants to follow what he has always been taught as the principles of Afghan society while he wants to challenge the societal norms by staying true as a friend to

Amir is a young Afghani boy that possesses few differences from any other boys his age. He looks like, acts like, and lives like a young boy, but he has the advantage of living with a wealthy father. Jealousy is a flaw of his, and is one of the reasons he wallows in his own self pity for the majority of the novel. Hosseini does a remarkable job of making this character real and understandable. Amir is not a hero in any factor, but he does find a

He has traveled to Afghanistan to save his nephew he never knew. At this point Amir knows the dangers he faces in the war riddled country but he must seek a way to forgive himself for what he did to Hassan. In his quest to make things right again, Amir confronts Assef, ““WHAT’S SO FUNNY?" Assef bellowed. Another rib snapped, this time left lower. What was so funny was that, for the first time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace. I laughed because I saw that, in some hidden nook in a corner of my mind, I’d even been looking forward to this.” (Pg. 289) This is a large turning point in the novel. Amir can finally feel like he is doing right by everyone and gaining redemption for his

An individual tends to treat another inadequately when they believe they are more superior than the other. This is sometimes caused by the act of influence. In this book, Amir being a Pashtun makes him “superior” compared to Hassan as he is a Hazara; this causes Amir to do and say uncivil things. However despite all the bad behavior Amir has portrayed, throughout the book he has shown love and care for Hassan, Amir specifies that “history isn't easy to overcome -- “I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara,” (Hosseini C4) Prior to this Amir was talking about how Baba and his relationship with Ali.. He is implying that “history” is referring to Baba, as he never referred Ali as his friend. Amir may have gotten influenced to not consider Hassan a friend

One decision can change a life forever, something that Amir in The Kite Runner had experienced firsthand. Throughout the story, the main character, Amir, made multiple decisions that not only affected him but his family and friends. Amir’s actions represented physical traits, such as; dishonor and rudeness, along with how his thoughts and who he truly was. When facing a difficult situation, a person must be careful about how they react to it can change their lives forever. The impact of a decision is perfectly represented in the short story, The Killings, by Andre Dubus, when the main character kills the man who murdered his son. Both stories related in a way that makes the reader wonder why the characters did not think about their actions, but instead did something that not only affected them but their friends and

Conversely, Amir grows up to be a man who achieves holistic atonement. As a child in Kabul, he overheard his father tell Rahim Khan, “A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything” (Hosseini 22); however Amir

Belonging to the “superior” Pashtun race, Amir and Assef both propagate suppression by silently witnessing and instigating injustice respectively. A bully, Assef chastises Amir for playing and being friends with Hassan, a Hazara. Even as Assef insults the “inferior” Hazara race, Amir remains silent to Assef’s blunt remarks. Suddenly, Hassan stands like a wall between Assef and Amir and threatens to shoot his slingshot. Sadly, Amir is neither truly grateful for Hassan’s action nor does he stand up to defend Hassan, who values him more than life itself. A silent oppressor, Amir knows the difference between right and wrong. Yet, due to his fear of both Assef and societal expectations set forth of being a Pashtun, he remains reluctant to take a stand against the bully. On the other hand, Assef, fearless of anyone and any repercussions, raises his voice and hand against the “inferior” race. Idolizing Hitler who was bent on exterminating the Jewish population, Assef believes in wiping out the Hazara race from Afghanistan and thus assumes the role

1. Amiry proves that the stereotypes of the Israeli and Palestinian people are misguided. Salim, Suad's husband, treats her very well. The same goes for many other Palestinian husbands. Suad is an educated architect. Despite that stereotype that Israeli and Palestinian’s hate each other, the book proves that not to be the case. Suad takes an Israeli man to the hospital due to a heart attack proving that compassion, at times, can override territories. She chooses an Israeli vet for her dog, Nura.