Kite Runner Discussion

Toward the beginning of the novel, Amir and Hassan have a very close brotherly relationship when they are alone. Amir is afraid to be Hassan’s true friend in public because they are from two different social classes (Amir being a Pashtun and Hassan being a Hazara). Hazaras are thought of to be lower class and should not be fraternizing with upper class Pashtuns. Amir tests Hassan’s loyalty and resents Hassan because he is secretly jealous of him. Baba is always treating Hassan like a more favored son than Amir even though he is not his son (or so was thought). After the kite tournament, their relationship is strained because Amir was ashamed of being more concerned to return the kite to Baba than to help Hassan from being raped by Assef.

The pomegranate tree was a strong image throughout the novel. This is where Amir and Hassan bonded closely when their relationship was strong, but when their friendship was falling apart the tree had a drastically different image. The guilt inside of Amir built over the course of the novel and the hill with the pomegranate tree is where some of the major points of confrontation surfaced regarding their relationship. At times Amir cannot even approach the tree because his guilt torments him and the tree represents their friendship. Also, this is where Amir attempts to get Hassan angry in order to try and make amends with his own guilt. Hassan finally indirectly reveals that he knows why Amir feels guilty which spikes Amir’s guilt further. When Hassan writes to Amir saying the tree hasn’t borne fruit in years, this can represent the communication and existence of a relationship between the two of them.

Baba is disappointed that Amir wants to become a writer because Baba believes that this just increases his weakness as a person (as stated in an early conversation between Baba and Rahim). Amir says that the last time he sacrificed something for Baba damned him. This means he