The Kite Runner Marwa Sadat

Writing Assignment #1- The Kite Runner Marwa Sadat

The intricate relationship between Hassan and Amir in The Kite Runner allows the reader to understand the conflicts between two socially and culturally divided friends. Hassan has proven his loyalty on several occasions, as he is always the one to take a stand for Amir, but when Amir’s loyalty is tested, his betrayal becomes evident. Although Amir treats Hassan like a brother when they are separated from the contrasting views of society, when he is in public, he does not hesitate to label Hassan as his Hazara servant. Amir’s ultimate act of betrayal towards Hassan is shown when he places his watch and money under Hassan’s mattress, making it appear as if Hassan stole from him, in order

Although Amir does not treat Hassan as his servant when they are alone, Hassan does not have a sense of belonging in his own community, due to the notion that Hazaras are inferior to Pashtuns in the Afghan society. At his birthday party, Amir wanted to say: “(Hassan’s) not my friend!...He’s my servant!” (Hosseini, 36) to Assef and his friends, simply out of fear of him, knowing his harsh views of Hazaras. In difficult situations; when Amir senses danger, or when he feels insecure, it becomes acceptable for him to isolate Hassan in front of others, in order to save himself. From my experiences, people tend to use their hierarchy as an advantage in desperate times, despite having to forsake their friendships because of it. Even in today’s society, immigrants are sometimes deprived of the same opportunities as natives of the country, and are often not given priority in critical situations. In certain countries, some ethnicities and cultures do not have a sense of belonging because of this hierarchy, for instance, in France, the Islamic burqa is banned, which makes the Muslim women feel alienated, as they are forced to forego a part of them. I believe that ethnic differences among people, especially in our today’s times, should be set aside, and not have such an