Collision In The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini

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To have full control over one’s own life is a desire wanted by many. The reality of this dream is aptly displayed by the words of Khaled Hosseini: “Life just doesn’t care about our aspirations, or sadness”. Often, we are forced to respond to events beyond our control knowing that the weight of our actions may follow us for a long time. In his novel The Kite Runner, Hosseini explores a collision with forces beyond control through his main character, Amir. The collision occurs when Amir is a young boy, so his response to it can be described as morally questionable as it carries dire consequences far into his adulthood.

Amir’s childhood is spent vying for his father’s attention, feeling as though he must compete with his servant friend Hassan …show more content…

Both Amir and Hassan are native Afghan people, Amir is a Pashtun and Hassan a Hazara. Hazaras are viewed lowly in society and are often servants to Pastuns as Hassan and his father are to Amir and Baba. Amir lives a privileged life and comes to take Hassan for granted as he describes him as “good old Hassan. Good old reliable Hassan”. Though they have grown up together, Amir “never thought of Hassan and [him] as friends” and cannot see beyond the class difference that is between them. This causes Amir’s response to Hassan’s rape to be morally questionable as he inheritably judges those around him for what they cannot change. Amir lives in a society which is largely built upon tradition as well as religion, and to go against these values is not typically part of the Afghan culture. Children grow up to accept the world they are presented, and are easily moulded by the environment they are brought up in. The extent society’s influence on the naïve minds of children is shown through Amir’s thoughts as he runs away from Hassan, “[Hassan] was just a Hazara, wasn’t he?” The Afghan society Amir lives in values one ethnic group to be superior to all others, and Amir’s morally questionable response reflects on a child’s nature to follow what they are taught to believe despite how morally wrong they

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