The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini

Afghanistan is a culture-rich land consisting of many ethnic tribes. The largest of these groups is the Pashtun tribe which constitutes an estimated 40% to 55% of Afghanistan’s total population. The third largest group in the country is the Hazara tribe which comprise between 15% of the population (Barfield 26). Historically, the Hazara people have been largely persecuted by other tribes in Afghanistan. In Martin Ewan’s book, Afghanistan: A Short History of Its People and Politics, he writes, “There has in the past been little love lost between [the Hazaras] and other Afghans, who despise them on both religious and racial grounds, while they themselves have a particular hatred

Millions of people around the world are discriminated against, but Hazaras and Shias especially know the struggle of this, constantly being put at the bottom of the social class and knowing unfair treatment all too well. In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, the act of discrimination is portrayed throughout the novel and is the cause of many of the main events that occur in the novel. Hassan, a hare-lipped Hazara boy in the novel, feels the pain and torture of simply being who he was and endures the hardships of his ethnicity, but yet he never complains or wishes to change who he is, symbolizing his bravery. Therefore, discrimination and slander towards Hazaras in the novel gives a strong sense of unequalness among the two ethnicities, Pashtuns and Hazaras, and is not considered virtuous among societies today.

Afghanistan, a country of several ethnic backgrounds, is in constant struggle of standing united as a nation. The various beliefs, languages, social statuses, and ways of living have created tension among the ethnic groups (“Social Classes”). The Pashtuns and Hazaras are two particular ethnic groups that have clashed throughout history. The differences between the Pashtun and Hazara people created a major conflict with lasting effects on the way in which they live.

All human relationships are complicated, there are many instances in the Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, which portrays the complexity of human character. Throughout the book, the Amir is burden with his own guilt from his childhood summer of nineteen seventy-five . As the book progresses the reader is forced to grapple with the meaning if redemption and the true meaning of family. Many readers have often debated whether Amir has actually attained redemption for his actions; however through the latter half of the novel the reader comes to understand that Amir does in fact redeem himself.

In Afghanistan, there is a divide between the Pashtuns and the Hazaras; the Pashtuns are upper class citizens who are treated with respect while the Hazaras are lower class, minority citizens who are treated poorly. Because of the contrasting history of the two groups, their responses to the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul were complete opposites. The Pashtuns “danced on [the] street,” (Hosseini 200) while the Hazaras cried “God help the Hazaras now” (Hosseini 213). The conflict between the Pashtuns and Hazaras in “The Kite Runner” directly reflects the real life issues in Afghanistan starting in the late 70’s and continuing on past 2001.

Social status allows the powerful to gain more power, while pushing the struggling deeper into a hole. Hazaras are an ultimately low class in Afghanistan with very minimal rights. In The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini the protagonist Amir is a higher level Afghan citizen who is best friends with Hassan, a lower level Hazara. Throughout the book Amit gradually begins to treat Hassan more like a Hazara is treated by the majority of the population. Assef bullies Hassan to show him his place as a minority in Afghanistan. Due to Hassan being a Hazara, Baba avoids social embarrassment by not exposing the truth of Hassan being his son. Hassan later on gets killed for being a Hazara. In The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini shows that an individual's social status affects their future through the way Hazaras are treated in Afghanistan.

In Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, the author uses the deep-rooted ethnic prejudice present in Afghanistan to show its ability to break down relationships, as it influences people to stray from instincts that abide to moral and ethical codes. Afghani society, a product of accepted prejudice, makes it okay for the Pashtuns to self-proclaim dominance over and discriminate against minorities, such as Hazaras. Because of this ethnic hierarchy, the friendship between Amir, a Pashtun, and Hassan, a Hazara, is tenuous. In their childhood, Amir and Hassan are very close. They often play together and sit by a pomegranate tree reading stories from the Shahnameh, a Persian epic filled with tales of adventure. However, on one occasion, as they walk towards the hill on which the pomegranate tree sits, Amir and Hassan come across Assef who questions Amir about his friendship with Hassan on the basis of his ethnicity.

“There is only one sin, only one. And that is theft... When you tell a lie, you steal someone 's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness... there is no act more wretched than stealing” (Hosseini, 2004). Though this quote by Khaled Hosseini is written concerning a situation in fictional story, The Kite Runner, the words still ring true in our lives. A large portion of our days consists of communication and interactions between one another at work, home, and social groups/events, even though a large part of those interactions are not pure. Lying is becoming more common in individuals of all age groups. In fact, it is estimated that individuals lie 1.65 times per day according to an article written by Gad Saad (2011), but why do we lie so often when we ultimately crave the truth, especially when the truth is a pivotal point in business decisions? In this paper we are going to investigate the types of lies people tell, why they tell them, the repercussions of their actions, and what human resources can do to help diminish this type of communication in the workplace.

Are all humans capable of extreme acts of cruelty against those they love? Savagery, brutality, inhumanity and wickedness can all classify as cruelty. In areas such as Afghanistan where corrupt political groups, like the Taliban, are seizing control of the government widespread suffering is weakening the people. When in power these groups are able to exercise control in whatever way they deem necessary. Cruelty is utilized in The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, as the main characters inhabit Afghanistan during times of extreme turmoil. Throughout the story the characters suffer through and cause cruelty which affects each other and their own lives. The hardships suffered by the characters is connected to the lives of the reader by using empathy to create emotions. Cruelty can be portrayed through motifs such as rape, blood, death and executions. In literature, cruelty serves the purpose of showing how the characters function and their quest to acquire power by demeaning others.

The Taliban used their power to attempt to wipe out the Hazaras. They believed, like many others, that the Hazaras were unworthy of being humans because their customs and religious beliefs differed. The Kite Runner accurately depicts how the Taliban viewed and treated the Hazaras in real life, which affected the social classes too. The Taliban enforced the idea that Hazaras belonged to the lowest class. “The Taliban strips Hazaras and those of minority ethnicities of their human qualities as a means of asserting their superiority over them” (Hazaras Afghanistan- Hazaras).

“That was a long time ago, but it’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it, because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last 26 years.” (Hosseini). The Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseini, is the story of Amir, a Sunni Muslim, who struggles to find his place in the world because of the aftereffects and fallout from a series of traumatic childhood events. In addition to typical childhood experiences, Amir struggles with forging a closer relationship with his father, Baba; with determining the exact nature of his relationship with Hassan, his Shi 'a Muslim servant; and eventually with finding a way to compensate for pre-adolescent decisions that have lasting repercussions. Along the way, readers are able to experience growing up in Afghanistan in a single-parent home, a situation that bears remarkable similarities to many contemporary households. One of the biggest struggles for Amir is learning to navigate the multifaceted socioeconomic culture he faces, growing up in Afghanistan as a member of the privileged class yet not feeling like a privileged member of his own family. Hassan and his father, Ali, are servants, yet at times, Amir 's relationship with them is more like that of family members. And Amir 's father, Baba, who does not consistently adhere to the tenets of his culture, confuses rather than clarifies things for young Amir. Many of the ruling-class

In The Kite Runner, the bond between the stories’ two central characters is almost identical to the history of the two key groups within Islam, the Sunni and the Shi’a. While, Amir is Sunni and Hassan is Shi’a, one’s heirloom of power over the other shows the historical difference among the religious groups. What comes next is a look at how this religious separation shakes up Afghanistan, and then how it has impacted the whole Muslim community. Either way you look at it, one can see how this division is a major part in The Kite Runner.

Their Kabul society dictates that Hazaras are lesser beings and should be treated as such, exemplified when Assef comments that “it’s just a Hazara” (75) in response to his friends’ objections of the rape’s sinfulness. Referring to Hassan as “it” establishes a prejudice of Hazara inferiority while the rape itself symbolizes the dominance of Pashtuns in Afghanistan. Ironically, the Hazaras tend to be characteristically kind and gentle, like Hassan or his father Ali. They are the paper and string kite. While they may experience a degree of freedom with the breezes of the wind, ultimately the Pashtuns and the line determine their fate. Amir describes Hassan as being “the lamb” with the “look of acceptance” (76) as if his “imminent demise is for a higher purpose” (77). Hassan sacrifices himself for Amir’s benefit not only because he loves Amir but also because he acknowledges the unfairness of the life he was born

In Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner and Tatiana de Rosnay’s Sarah’s Key, two historical novels, Amir and Julia Jarmond emerge as strong individuals whose beliefs significantly contrast with those of their societies. Unlike Afghani society in both Afghanistan and the United States, Amir knows Hazaras deserve unalienable rights they have been deprived of. When Amir returns to Afghanistan to rescue Sohrab, Hassan’s orphaned son, he endures physical and emotional pain, risking his own safety so save Sohrab from Assef’s unjust hands. After Amir has successfully brought Sohrab to America, his wife’s family questions his desire to provide for a Hazara. Amir defiantly responds with, “‘And one more thing General Sahib... You will never again refer

Pashtuns and Hazara’s! Sunni and Shi’a Muslims. Two groups of people that live in the same country, breathe the same air and drink the same water, but are divided by one thing! Now what is that one thing, you might wonder? Well that one thing is, social class. Social class might sound like some sort of innocent word to you, but for many, it divides the way you live, eat and survive as a person in a society. Afghanistan as a whole has a very diverse landscape with different types of ethnic groups scattered across the vast, dry, mountainous landscape. According to rough estimates “42% of Afghans are Pashtuns, 27% Tajik, 9% Hazara, 9% Uzbek, 4% Chahar Aimak, 3 % Turkmen, and 6% other” (Afghanistan). This diverse society provides a home for millions but also provides a home for social class. As a young, privileged, western societal teen, I barely face the issue of social class on a daily basis. I grew up in Canada, a multi-cultural breeding ground, where every single person has the same rights as the person standing right next to you. My childhood and life does not compare to that of Amir and Hassan’s. Both Amir and Hassan live in Kabul, a city crippled with social class. There Pashtuns and Hazara’s share different rights, where Pashtuns are the richer, privileged and higher in social class compared to the Hazara’s, who are dirt poor, have basically no rights and are low in social class. Throughout the book The Kite Runner, we observe the effects of social class