Kite Runner 1

The Kite Runner Essay

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Table of Contents

The Kite Runner Intro ............................................................................................................4

Difference ..............................................................................................................................4

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Outline

I. Introduction

II. Difference

A. Character

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Katherine Chung

Miss Kolnik

World Literature

3 March 2011

Intro

“For you, a thousand times over.” Hassan was always loyal to Amir but, was Amir loyal

to Hassan? In the novel called The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Amir and Hassan are half-

brothers. Even though they are related, they were completely different from each other. An

example of their difference is shown in their characteristics; Amir was an introvert whereas

Hassan was an extrovert.

Difference

The first difference between Amir and Hassan is that Hassan was outgoing and strong but,

Amir was quiet and timid. When Assef got out his brass knuckles to beat Amir up, Hassan pulled

out his slingshot. Amir’s voice stammered as he said “Just let us go, Assef.” He was extremely

scared because Assef could have hurt him. On the other hand, Hassan was brave and strong

because he stood up to Assef. Amir said that “To and outsider, he didn’t look scared” but Amir

saw that on the inside Hassan was scared. Despite the fact that Hassan was frightened by Assef

he ignored his fear and confronted Assef. Hassan even insulted him by saying that if he flung his

slingshot he will be calling Assef “One-Eyed Assef.” Another contrast between Hassan and Amir

is that Hassan was pure and optimistic but, Amir was pessimistic. After Amir reads his story to

Hassan, Hassan responds by saying, “[W]hy did the man kill his wife?” Amir views life in a

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serious and dark way but Hassan sees life in a positive and happy way. Hassan was also smarter

than Amir because Amir admitted that Hassan taught him “the Plot Hole,” a writing technique.

Hassan couldn’t even read and he was not educated but he gave an idea to Amir. A major

difference between Hassan and Amir is that Hassan was endlessly loyal to Amir even to his death.

As time passed after Hassan was raped, he still tried to continue his friendship with Amir. He was

probably ashamed but that did not separate his friendship with Amir. Hassan gave a lot effort into

mending his broken relationship with Amir. Hassan asked Amir if he “wanted to hike up the hill.” Amir

said that he was tired and he also saw that Hassan was tired too but, Hassan did not care about his health

because he only wanted to rebuild his friendship. This proves that Hassan gave his uttermost strength into

being friends with Amir again. Amir admits that “Hassan kept trying to rekindle things between us.”

Amir felt guilt seeing Hassan get raped so he wanted to throw away his friendship with him. Hassan did

not let that come between them and was still faithful in his companionship with Amir. During one winter

in Afghanistan, Amir asked Hassan if he would eat dirt if Amir told him to and Hassan looked him in the

eye and said, “If you asked, I would.” Hassan meant what he said because after that conversation Amir

added that he found “it hard to gaze directly at people like Hassan, people who mean every word they say.”

There are several examples of Hassan’s faithfulness to Amir. Amir hid money underneath Hassan’s

pillow and blamed it on Hassan. Baba asked Hassan “Did you steal that money?” and Hassan’s reply was

“Yes.” Amir knew that it was “Hassan’s final sacrifice” because “If he’d said no, Baba would have

believed him because we all knew Hassan never lied.” Hassan also knew that if he told the truth, Baba

would have never forgiven Amir. Even to the end Hassan cared for Amir instead of himself. Throughout

the story Hassan’s loyalty to Amir is seen when he says to Amir, “For you a thousand times over!” Other

differences between Amir and Hassan are that they have different social status because Amir was a

Pashtun while Hassan was a Hazara. Hassan had a servant role in Amir’s life because he prepared

breakfast for him, ironed his clothes, etc. Amir was very wealthy but Hassan was poor because he lived in

a little hut outside Amir’s house.

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Some of the similarities between Hassan and Amir are that they both enjoyed kite running. Amir

liked running kites because he said that the “chill between Baba and me thawed a little.” Together Hassan

and Amir made a good team when flying their kites. Another likeness between the two characters is that

they both loved reading. Even though Hassan could not read, he wanted to hear the stories. He asked

Amir to read to him so that he could understand the book. Amir said that “Hassan insisted we had enough

daylight for one more story, one more chapter.” Hassan couldn’t get enough of the book because he

enjoyed it so much. Amir took joy in reading but he also liked writing stories. He read his stories to

Rahim Khan and Hassan. He pursued his dream and became a writer. Hassan and Amir shared physical

likeness because Hassan was born with a hare-lip and Amir also developed one. Amir’s upper lip was

ripped because he fought with Assef. Hassan and Amir are half-brothers because Baba slept with

Hassan’s mom who was Ali’s, Hassan’s father, wife. As a result, Hassan and Amir were related by blood.

After Amir became an adult he found out the truth because Rahim Khan had told him. Hassan never got

to know the fact because he was killed by the Taliban.

In conclusion, Hassan and Amir were very different, but at the same time they were similar. They

were related together by their love for books, their father, and their enjoyment of kite running. Even

though they were alike they were very different in their characteristics and in their friendship. Hassan

never failed in his love for Amir because he would do everything for Amir a thousand times over, even to

the point of sacrificing himself.

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Reference

Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead, 2003. Print.

"Beginner Tip: Presenting Your Page with Style." Webmaster Tips Newsletter. July 2000.

NetMechanic. 13 Sept. 2004

<http://www.netmechanic.com/news/vol3/beginner_no7.htm>.