In a dog-eat-dog world where people clamor over another to get a competitive edge, is there truly any place for loyalty? Nowadays it seems as though ones loyalty is measured not on the interactions they have with other people but rather the amount of points they have accumulated on their Starbucks Gold membership cards. Celebrities all over the world have millions of fans, prepared to defend their every misdeed and praise their trivial triumphs, provided that these celebrities act in a certain manner and dress in a certain way. People are killed every day due to religious violence caused by fanatical loyalty to one set of beliefs, the murderers expecting to be let into heaven for their actions. Sports teams have adoring fan-bases who loyally …show more content…
By seeing the honorable actions of loyal people going unrewarded, Hosseini teaches readers that blind loyalty towards another without the thought of repercussions can lead to serious consequences, causing readers to question whether their loyalties are sensible.
In The Kite Runner, Hassan is a servant in Amir’s family, but Amir initially sees him as a friend, and the two are inseparable. Hassan is extremely loyal to Amir, and proves time and time again to be a valuable companion, but over time their friendship deteriorates. The social differences between Hassan, who is a Hazara, and Amir, who is a privileged Pashtun, create a source of conflict within their friendship as the two can never be truly equal. Due to this inequality, Amir expects Hassan to sacrifice for him, and it is this expectation that leads Hassan to much misery. After Amir wins the kite tournament, he asks Hassan to run for him the blue kite, which Hassan does so, telling Amir “For you a thousand times over!” (Hosseini 67). Hassan, being a loyal friend of Amir’s, goes out to find
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His blind loyalty towards Amir leads him to immense mental and physical suffering when he refuses to give the kite to Assef. Though readers are angered at Amir’s cowardice, they also feel extremely frustrated at Hassan’s unwavering loyalty, as the pain he went through over a kite seems extremely senseless. The fact that the kite means so much to Amir makes it even more painful for readers, as Hassan does not get anything out of delivering the kite to him. In addition to this, the fact that Amir stays silent when Hassan is in need shows readers the futility of Hassan’s loyalty as it goes unrewarded and in fact leads to Hassan’s punishment. Later on in the novel, Hassan’s loyalty again causes him and the people around enormous suffering when he protects Rahim Khan’s house from the Taliban. His loyalty blinds him from the danger of the situation, and though he tries to act nobly, his actions end up in his death as well as that of his wife. Though his actions are brave, they are also foolish, and cause his child to become an orphan. Though one often sees loyalty as a trait, in a world where there is so much hate and dishonor, readers realize that blind loyalty can only lead to suffering for people and those around
Amir starts out the book as a very selfish child. His best friend, Hassan, gets more attention from Amir’s dad than he does. This causes Amir to only care about his relationship with his dad and only causing him to become more isolated from Hassan. Amir also begins to become angry and he forces Hassan to do things that hurt and affect him negatively. All of Amir’s anger is being placed on Hassan, causing Amir to have a negative image with the characters in the book. Every year a kite flying competition takes place in Pakistan, the country they live in. The children always run after the kites that get cut down for pride and to show off their accomplishment. Hassan being a servant, runs and gets the kites for Amir. One time Hassan is cornered by a group of boys and since he is a minority race and is a servant to Amir’s family, he is treated disrespectfully. As Amir catches up to them, he witnesses Hassan getting raped by the boys. Instead of stopping this and saving his best friend, he watches, hides, then runs away fearing that he will get hurt. Amir does this because he wants to show Baba that he got a kite and trying
Betrayal is one of the most prominent themes in the novel The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. Hosseini chose to represent this theme through the decisions and actions of the main protagonists. Both Baba and Amir chose to betray the people close to them, which resulted in major ramifications for themselves and the people around them. With their betrayals came feelings of guilt. However Amir 's guilt was exponentially more conspicuous than Baba 's. It followed him into his adult life, and the impacts were quite negative and detrimental to both his personal health and his personal relationships. Hassan, on the other hand, chose to remain loyal to those close to him, regardless of the situation or the threats placed upon him. While this resulted in major consequences, it also demonstrated his capacity for kindness, caring, and loyalty. Even though he was confronted with traumatic experiences due to his loyalty, he was able to accept it, move past it and eventually heal. In turn, although his life was short, it was filled with meaningful realizations
The theme of loyalty is widespread throughout "The Kite Runner". Hassan is a very loyal character in this story, he is loyal to his brother Amir this is demonstrated from the start he tells Amir “for you a thousand times over” often to mean he would do anything for Amir when the situation calls for it. Amir on the other hand is jealous and feels entitled to his father’s love and care, he does not understand Baba’s love for Ali and Hassan and as such he does everything to discredit Hassan and put himself on better grounds with his father. Hassan’s loyalty is juxtaposed with Amir’s betrayal, for in every act of kindness demonstrated by Hassan he receives and equal or greater amounts of betrayal from Amir. Nonetheless Hassan remains
One of the most tragic and tear-jerking moments in the entire novel surrounds the moment when Amir decides to not help Hassan while he is getting raped. Reading this part, it is very hard not to get furious with Amir because obviously what he did was wrong, but he did have reasoning behind not helping his brother. Amir stands there for a few reasons; one of the reasons being his desire for his father approval, which he knows he can receive by coming home with the kite. When Assef says this, “I've changed my mind; I'm letting you keep the kite, Hazara. I'll let you keep it so it will always remind you of what I'm about to do.
Is loyalty important to everyone? How important to you? Does it affect your friendships?In Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini loyalty is one of the themes that is explored, it is shown three times through the phrase “For you a thousand times over”. “For you a thousand times over” is said three times, once Hassan to Amir, Farid to Amir, and then finally Amir to Sohrab. Each time this is said it represents a loyalty and who the loyalty is towards
Moreover, Hassan displays great courage from the beginning of the novel, and his courage and bravery allow him to stay loyal and obedient to Amir. Firstly, Hassan exhibits his courage by helping Amir to fight off the neighborhood boys who are bullying him. For instance, Baba says he sees “Hassan steps in and fends them off” (Hosseini 23). Hassan’s action exhibits that he is extremely brave and loyal to Amir. The fact that he even lied to Baba about how he gets his scar from protecting Amir is a demonstration of his loyalty and courage. Secondly, Hassan demonstrates his courage by defending the blue kite from Assef using his slingshot, since Amir, his friend, wants him to bring back the blue kite in order to gain favor for his father. The blue
Amir and Hassan’s relationship is a recurring theme throughout the novel. In the ethnic caste system, Amir is a Pashtun and Hassan is a Hazara. Pashtuns are placed in a much higher caste than Hazaras, therefore Hazaras are treated as servants to the Pashtuns. Every morning, Hassan prepares Amir’s breakfast, makes his clothes and cleans his room for him. In the annual kite tournament, at least two people must work together in order to properly maneuver the kite, one to lead the kite, and another to feed the kite’s glass string. Hassan’s role is the latter. His role is to feed the kite’s string for Amir and run after any fallen kites. The glass string attached to the kite is dangerous as it is coated with shards of glass and leaves bloody marks and cuts on the hands. Although Hassan catches the fallen kites, he must always bring it back to Amir. One winter, when Hassan and Amir were waiting under a tree for the kite to come to them, Hassan asks Amir “Would I ever lie to you, Amir agha?” (Ho...
Everything in his life has been earned, not given, unlike Amir. Hassan’s substantial work ranges from cleaning the house, buying groceries, and washing clothes, to working rigorously for those he truly cares about. The understanding of what it means to do something for others instead of personal benefit, and the ability to suffer in silence is what truly distinguishes Hassan from Amir. Despite their age, the only similarities the boys share is that they both have grown up without the presence of a mother. Hassan’s ability to aid others proves useful when him and Amir enter a kite flying contest in an attempt to win Baba’s love. Hassan and Amir win the contest, but when Hassan tracks down the kite that was defeated by Amir so he could show it to Baba, he is trapped by Assaf and other boys who want revenge on Hassan and Amir. When Amir finds Hassan surrounded by the boys in the alley, his initial instinct was not to save his friend Hassan; however, he thought only about the kite which he described as the key to his father's heart. As Hassan is defending Amir to the boys, despite his own predicament, Assaf asks Hassan, “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?” (72). Hassan
Amir also committed a sin that affected him negatively throughout his life. This sin occurred when Hassan, Amir’s best friend during his childhood, was getting raped by Assef. This situation occurred when the children were chasing kites. Hassan got the kite first, but Assef insisted that he wanted the kite. Assef also had a racial and religious prejudice against Hassan. Because Hassan did not give the kite, Assef decides to rape Hassan as a “punishment”. Instead of helping his friend out, Amir just walked away from the scene and let Hassan get violated in one of the most vulgar ways. After this incident, Hassan quietly walked back home and gave Amir the kite for which he was confronted by Assef for. The kite in this situation proves to be an important symbol. Whereas earlier in the novel the kite represented happiness and fun to Amir, in this situation it represented sin and guilt to Amir. The only reason that Hassan got raped was that he was trying to get a kite for Amir. Now the kite acts a reminder to Hassan of his wrong-doing and it will now begin to haunt him for a long time. Although when in America, Amir does not get reminded about Hassan, deep inside he still feels guilty. Amir immediately begins to feel the most guilt when he goes to Iran when Rahim Khan, Amir’s childhood friend, asks him to come. He feels that Rahim Khan has reminded him of his “past of unatoned sins”(Hosseini 2).
The Kite Runner focuses on the relationship between two Afghan boys Amir and Hassan. Amir is a Pashtun and Sunni Muslim, while Hassan is a Hazara and a Shi’a. Despite their ethnic and religious differences, Amir and Hassan grow to be friends, although Amir is troubled by Hassan, and his relationship with his companion, one year his junior, is complex. Amir and Hassan seem to have a "best friend" type relationship. The two boys, Hassan and Amir, are main characters in the book titled, The Kite Runner. The two boys have a relationship that is significantly different compared to most. There are many different facets that distinguish the relationship the boys possess. The boys do write their names in a pomegranate tree as the "sultans of Kabul" (Kite Runner 27) but, their friendship is not strong and it is one sided. Hassan has love for Amir. He loves him like a brother. Hassan is exceedingly loyal to Amir. The relationship between the two boys is emotionally wearing and rather gloomy for the most part. The main reason for their complicated relationship is the fact that Amir is Pashtun, and Hassan is Hazara. The Afghan society places Hassan lower than Amir. Hassan is Amir's servant. The placement of Hassan in the Afghan society disenables Amir from becoming Hassan's true friend. Amir sees Hassan as lower than human. Amir ruins the chance for friendship between himself and Hassan because he is jealous of Hassan, he thinks of Hassan as a lower human, and because Amir possesses such extreme guilt for what he has done to Hassan. Amir is an unforgivable person overall.
Amir is, to be put bluntly, a coward. He is led by his unstable emotions towards what he thinks will plug his emotional holes and steps over his friends and family in the process. When he sought after Baba’s invisible love, Amir allowed Hassan to be raped in an alleyway just so that the blue kite, his trophy that would win his father’s heart, could be left untouched. In the end, he felt empty and unfulfilled with the weight of his conscience on his shoulders comparable to Atlas’ burden. Unable to get over his fruitless betrayal, he lashes out and throws pomegranates at Hassan before stuffing money and a watch under his loyal friend’s pathetic excuse for a bed, framing Hassan for theft and directly causing the departure of both servants from his household. Even after moving to America, finding a loving wife, and creating a career for himself in writing, he still feels hollow when thinking of his childhood in Afghanistan. Many years later, he is alerted of Hassan’s death and sets out on a frenzied chase to find his friend’s orphaned son. He feels that he can somehow ease his regrets from all of those years ago if he takes in Hassan’s son, Sohrab. He finds Sohrab as a child sex slave for Assef, who coincidentally was the one to rape Hassan all of those years ago. After nearly dying in his attempt to take back Sohrab, he learns that he can take the damaged child back to the states with him. Sadly, Hassan’s son is so
One example of loyalty in this novel occurred when Amir tested Hassan’s loyalty by asking if he would eat dirt to uphold his loyalty (Hosseini 54). However, Hassan responded with a stimulating question, ““would you ever ask me to do such a thing, Amir agha?” And, just like that, he had thrown at me his own little test. If I was going to toy with him and challenge his loyalty, then he’d toy with me, test my integrity” (54). By using this simple question, Hassan was able to withstand Amir’s loyalty test by reversing Amir’s logic onto himself, completely altering their friendship. Amir, being a Pashtun, believed that he was allowed to request such actions from Hassan because Amir towered over Hassan in the social ladder. On the other hand, Hassan viewed their friendship as more important than their ethnic groups. Another instance of loyalty in The Kite Runner is when Hassan stood up to Assef by threatening to take out his eye with a slingshot in order to protect Amir (42). Not only did Hassan once again prove his loyalty to Amir, but he also withstood the possible consequences from Assef due to their ethnic groups. This action of Hassan demonstrated that he is willing to rebel against the social hierarchy of Afghanistan on behalf of Amir’s safety. After Amir witnessed Assef raping Hassan, he framed Hassan by placing his birthday gifts under Hassan’s mattress in an attempt to get rid of him and his constant reminder of Amir’s guilt (105). Unexpectedly, Hassan pleaded guilty to the crime, once again taking a bullet for Amir and verifying his strong loyalty. Sacrificing himself for Amir held importance because Baba would have been angry with Amir if Hassan had not taken the blame. Clearly, Hassan validated firm loyalty and honor throughout The Kite
Loyalty is one of the only things that can hold the bonds of family and friends.
Most people have been betrayed by someone close to them in their life. The Kite Runner is a novel written by Khaled Hosseini. It is a story about friendship, betrayal, guilt and redemption. The story takes place in Afghanistan and revolves around two friends named Amir and Hassan. Amir is born in a Pashtun family and is respected across Kabul because of his heroic father Baba. They are a part of the Sunni Muslim religion. In contrast, Hassan is part of the Hazara tribe and they are persecuted in Afghanistan for taking part in the Shiite religion. Added to Hassan’s disgrace is that his father is crippled and his mother’s reputation for tempting lots of men into sin. The two became friends because they were born in the same household and nursed
As a foreword, the story of The Kite Runner focuses on a man named Amir. In his childhood, he enjoyed a high-class life in Kabul, Afghanistan, living with his father Baba. They have two servants, Ali and his son Hassan. They are Hazaras, a lower class ethnic minority in Afghanistan. In one Winter of their childhood, Amir and Hassan participate in a kite-fighting tournament; the goal is to be the last kite flying. When a kite is cut, boys chase after it as a trophy. Amir wins the tournament, and Hassan flies to catch the losing kite. Later, following Hassan's path, Amir comes upon a neighbourhood bully named Assef about to rape Hassan who has the trophy, the blue kite. Amir does not interject, believing this will secure him the kite. Thus, Amir sets forth a chain of events he must redeem in his adulthood.