Hassan’s Hands: Afghanistan’s fate
Adnan Bashir
English 12 AP
Mr. Pomeroy
December 6, 2010
Khalid Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner is a haunting and fast moving piece of work, taking place in the war torn country of Afghanistan, in the 1970’s and 80’s. The book gives the reader a close examination of the lives of Afghanis and their inner societal discrimination issues. The book revolves around two characters in the Wazir Akbar Khan district of northern Kabul. By page 7 the reader is captured by the raw emotions felt by an ethnic Hazara boy as he is comforted by his best friend in the overcrowded Afghani cinema (Bartley). The novel takes the reader around many corners of betrayal among these two best friends, Amir and Hassan. Although, both shared the same nurse, the same breast, their worlds are completely different. Amir, the son of a wealthy Afghan businessman is always troubled despite his privileged life. Amir is a very self centered boy who betrays his best friend and (unrealized) half brother Hassan, just to gain brief moments of happiness with his father. On the other hand, Hassan, the flat nosed servant who was from Mogul descent, with a face that conveyed the complexion of a Chinese doll and that unforgettable cleft lip, portrays the loyalist character throughout the novel. Therefore, it is clearly obvious that Hassan can’t help but serve and love, in spite of this, Amir can’t stop using Hassan (Graves). The tone of the interactions between Amir and Hassan reinforces the dominant concept of betrayal as the novel’s predominant theme. The betrayal of Amir’s loyalty to Hassan is a reflection of his own personality and the societal influence upon his actions.
Another character that displays a crucial role in the theme of betrayal is Baba. Acknowledged as “Toophan Aagha” or “Mr. Hurricane” for his ferocious wrestling and his physical appearance, Baba was renowned for his generosity to friends. Baba was a prosperous merchant in Kabul. Baba and Rahim...