The Kite Runner

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In Kabul, before the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, well-to-do teenage boy Amir and his very loyal Hazara servant Hassan (the son of his father's servant Ali) are best friends. Amir goes to school, but Hassan does not; as a result he cannot read. Amir likes literature and reads stories to Hassan. His father Baba (A Persian term similar to "papa" in English) thinks he is not tough enough, Amir lets Hassan protect him when he is bullied. Amir worries that Baba does not like him because Amir's mother died giving birth to him.

Amir also writes a story himself. Amir’s father is not very interested, but his friend Rahim Khan reads it and encourages him.

One day Hassan and Amir come across Assef, a bully with rancor towards Hazaras, and his two friends. He prepares to fight Amir and Hassan, but Hassan threatens him with his slingshot. They back off but Assef warns them that he will take revenge.

Amir and Hassan like kite fighting. It is a popular sport in Kabul, in which the lines are coated with a mixture of finely crushed glass and glue, for cutting the line of a competitor. In the competition whoever catches a kite of which the line is cut can keep it. Therefore children run for them. Hassan is the "kite runner" for Amir. He seems to have a gift of knowing where they will land. Amir wins a tournament. Hassan fetches the kite Amir has cut, but runs into Assef and his two henchmen. Assef demands the kite, but Hassan refuses to give it up. Because of that Assef beats him up. The film briefly shows the undoing of Assef's pants buckle and Hassan's pants being tugged down, suggesting that a sexual assault follows. While looking for Hassan, Amir approaches this scene, and hiding, watches the assault. He neither defends Hassan, nor calls for help. Amir and Hassan never tell anyone what happened, and do not talk about it among themselves. When Amir comes home he is finally praised by Baba for winning the tournament, but Amir realizes that the opposite would have been the case if Baba had known what had happened.

Amir and Hassan both become emotionally downcast. Amir feels guilty of being a coward, realizing that Hassan was brave; if Baba knew what happened he might love Hassan more than him. Amir decides it would be best if Hassan would leave.

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