The Kite Runner - How Does the Environment Shape the Characters?

Hassan is a victim of discrimination, bigotry, and class structure in Afghan society. Hassan and Ali are members of the Hazaras, a minority group of Afghanis. Amir and his father are Pashtuns, the majority, who believes they are a better class than the Hazara. Religion was all that separated Amir and Hassan, as did tribe and class. Amir learned from his father that the Harara tribe to which Ali and Hassan belonged, were inferior people. Because of this bigotry and basic class structure, Hazaras are often victims of physical, emotional and psychological abuse. Thus when a crisis comes and Hassan is being attack, Amir not only doesn't come to Hassan's aid, but also allows him to be brutally abused. Morality lacks because of this class structure, which allows people to be treated as second-class citizens. Considerations towards morality and religion helps the reader to broaden there understanding of the novel and it would be impossible to appreciated the book lacking them.

The story starts out as Amir recalls an event that happened twenty-six years before, when he was growing up in Afghanistan, and this is what made him who he is today. Before the event, he lives in a decent home in Kabul, Afghanistan with his father named Baba. Ali and his son, Hassan, are servants of Amir and Baba, and are also an ethnic minority.

Amir thought, “I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan – the way he’d stood up for me all those times in the past…. Or I could run. In the end, I ran.” (Hosseini, 82) It was this conflict that changed the lives of all the characters. This was Amir’s, “final opportunity to decide who [he] was going to be.” (Hosseini, 82) As a result, He spent his adolescence ‘running’ away from his mistakes, because everywhere he looked “Kabul had become a city of ghosts…A city of harelipped ghosts.” (Hosseini, 144) To Amir, Hassan was haunting his memories. Amir couldn’t stand it so Baba and Amir moved to America. “For [Amir], America was a place to bury [his] memories.” (Hosseini, 136) In contrast to Kogawa’s novel, Amir’s actions resulted to the change of his life and the lives of people around him. Rahim Khan, a family friend, calls Amir in his adulthood asking him to come to Pakistan. Rahim Khan urges Amir, “There is a way to be good again.” (Hosseini, 2)

In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a novel that discusses the importance and uses of setting. Afghanistan is a sinful place for a young boy, Amir, who lived in Afghanistan for the majority of his life. This particular novel takes place in the past between 1975-2001 which shows the malicious ways of the Taliban, who are a violent group of Pashtuns. Amir goes though many ongoing events, that still happen today. Amir is must face fear its self and the true meaning of redemption, although the novel has numerous aspects of the book, which the settings were the most significant.

Assef sees Hassan is weak and seeking some sort of love, due to not having a mother. Assef takes advantage of Hassan’s weakness and selflessness. Assef, though a sociopath is inquisitive in the way he senses Hassan will do anything for Amir and Amir would never do the same. "But before you sacrifice yourself for him, think about this: Would he do the same for you? Have you ever wondered why he never includes you in games when he has guests? Why he only plays with you when no one else is around? I'll tell you why, Hazara. Because to him, you're nothing but an ugly pet. Something he can play with when he's bored, something he can kick when he's angry. Don't ever fool yourself and think you're something more."(61) This passage is the start of what tears apart Amir and Hassan’s relationship. Next Assef steals much more, after he has put a knife in Hassan’s gut with realization that Amir will never respect him, he twists by stealing his choice and freewill with a swift unbuckling of his belt. “Assef knelt behind Hassan, put his hands on Hassan's hips and lifted his bare buttocks. He kept one hand on Hassan's back and undid his own belt buckle with his free hand. He unzipped his jeans. Dropped his underwear. He positioned himself behind Hassan. Hassan didn't struggle. Didn't even whimper. He moved his head slightly and I caught a glimpse of his face. Saw the resignation in it. It was a look I had seen

He is characterized with all the contrasting qualities that make up Amir. Amir’s confrontation with Assef is one of the most important scenes in the novel. It is important because it is where he finally faces the demons he’s held at bay and also where he finally confronts the role of his complicity as a Pashtun over the ethnic discrimination of the Hazaras. Assef portrays his Afghanistan as “a beautiful mansion littered with garbage” and says that “someone has to take out that garbage” (The Kite Runner, 284). As part of the Taliban, that is exactly what he’s been doing and he lives for it and the suffering of the Hazaras.

Amir and Baba eventually leave Afghanistan as well, forced out by the Russian invasion of their beloved country. Everything he does at this point proves that he truly loves Amir; he sacrifices his wealth, business, and life to bring Amir to the safety of the United States. In response to this new country, filled with new people and languages, Amir and Baba’s relationship drastically transforms. Before, Baba was all powerful and knowledgeable, but now, Amir guides his father in the American way. Nowhere is this more evident than when Baba vandalizes the Nguyen’s store after they ask

Over the course of the novel, a man versus man conflict emerges between the characters Assef and Hassan. Since Hassan mostly refuses to reciprocate the acts of violence Assef commits towards him, Hassan is stuck on the losing end of the conflict. Assef repeatedly bullies Hassan calling him racial slurs because he is a Hazara and Hassan cannot fight back

Hassan seems weak at the beginning of the story, but his strength shows as the story progresses. Hassan is portrayed as a follower and a servant to Amir, but he actually is the one who has strength and protects Amir from danger. Hassan always stands up for what he believes is right. When the Taliban comes to Amir’s old house where he is staying and demands him to get out, he stands up for himself, his family, and all of the Hazara people. “They told Hassan they would be moving in to supposedly keep it safe until I return. Hassan protested again. So they took him to the street..and ordered him to kneel..and shot him in the back of the head” (219) Hassan believes that he should stand up for what is right and that is what ultimately costs him his life.

In the movie, “The Kite Runner”, the political turmoil reveals the effects it has on the lives of two people with different religious and ethnic backgrounds. As a whole, while the movie is about the childhood of a young afghan boy, it also reveals the major political events that happen during the time and how these political events severely affect the lives of those in the movie. Throughout Amir’s childhood, the political transitions of Afghanistan are also shown – for example: first it was the state of Kabul during the monarchy, and then the founding of the republic, and then the Soviet invasion. All of these events each have a significant impact on both Amir and Hassan. The destruction of Kabul forces Amir and his father to leave the country

It is difficult to separate the life of Amir's family from the occasions happening in Afghanistan. Amir and his father were forced to leave the country and to enter a country to the U.S. There is no described/explained description given by the (person telling the story) of the political events happening in Afghanistan, but the reader knows about the conflict that was continuing within the country after the Soviet troops left. When Amir tells us about theTaliban being in control of the country, the reader learns that the only wat they control the people is by religion. In the novel, there is Assef, a character who shows the reader the clear and colorful image of the Taliban. He was born into a part Afghan and German family, and as the story grows larger, it becomes clear that he possesses strong (must strictly follow religious laws) views on his religion. It is obvious that Assef is the (person or thing that irritates and fights with someone or something) of the novel. Since (the time when a person is a child), he is showed/represented to be a mentally sick person and a generally grouchy person. When he wanted to hurt Amir, he raped his closest friend Hassan, and he governor Adolf Hitler's life story as a birthday present. As he was growing up, his views on religion became stronger, even though they are usually going (or arguing) against with the main ways of thinking/basic truths/rules of Islam. (without any concern

First, Amir’s relationship with his father, Baba, helped create Amir’s identity. Their intricate relationship often left Amir feeling worthless as if he could not live up to the standards of a Pashtun. This negatively impacted Amir growing up; his values constantly changed as he tried to form a close bond with his father. Baba raised Amir to believe that everyone in Afghanistan had a certain role to play in life, but they should all be treated with respect. Baba’s values made Amir think he had disappointed his father. The high expectations that Baba had for Amir showed that he cared about their reputation. Being the child Amir was, he translated Baba’s hardness as though his father were unhappy to have a child such as Amir. Amir recounts the emotion displayed on his father’s face after an afternoon together; he laments, “Mostly I will never forget Baba’s valiant efforts to conceal the disgusted

Hassan’s inferior character is presented by the way he serves Amir, ‘While I ate and complained about homework, Hassan made my bed’, which implies that no matter how close they may be, Hassan remains the servant which he accepts and is content with, ‘I’d hear him singing to himself in the foyer as he ironed’. Also, Hassan addresses Amir as ‘Amir agha’ which highlights his respect to Amir. However, despite their divisions, when they are alone together they consider themselves equal, ‘”Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul”’, creating irony as they are both aspiring the same hopes and dreams but we know that it is unattainable.

Amir is an intelligent boy and gifted storyteller. His desire is to please his father and make him proud. Amir is also a coward because he let his best friend be raped by Assef. Hassan is Amir’s best friend and servant of his father. He is loyal, always defends Amir, and listens to his stories. Hassan is a poor and uneducated boy. Baba is the father of Amir, a wealthy businessman, and biological father of Hassan. Assef is the character that makes Amir feels guilty and lack courage. After Amir wins the kiting completion, Hassan runs to bring the kite back. However, he is raped by Assef in an alleyway and the only witness is Amir Whese cowardice does not let him help his loyal friend. Amir and Baba escape to Pakistan after the Russian invade Afghanistan, and then to California when Amir graduates and meets his wife Soraya. Baba passes away and Hassan is murdered by the Taliban leaving his orphaned son waiting for Amir to get back to Afghanistan. In this novel, the author discusses how characters are products of their environment, and how this affects their lives, regardless at what their backgrounds are. Influences of environment emanate from

During the fight, Amir laughs, causing Assef to ask him what is so funny to Amir. Amir rhetorically responds, saying, “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 a hidden corner of my mind, I’ve been looking forward to this.” (303) He finds that, in that moment, he is free of the guilt of allowing Hassan to be raped because he, too, has now been beaten and disrespected by Assef. He no longer lives with the intense amount of guilt that he once had. His decision also significantly impacted Sohrab’s entire future. Amir fought Assef to save Sohrab and free him from being Assef’s sex slave. This later leads to Sohrab’s attempt at suicide, but also leads to him find a new life in the United States. Amir’s decision to fight Assef and save Sohrab positively impacts both his and Sohrab’s future.