Compare And Contrast Amir And Hassan
Khaled Hosseini's "Kite Runner" is a novel about an Afghan boy, Amir, and his best friend, and illegitimate brother, Hassan. The story of Amir and Hassan is filled with adventure, secrets, love, loyalty and redemption. It is told through Amir's perspective. Amir is raised in an affluent Afghani neighborhood in Kabul. Amir is very privileged in contrast to his servant Hassan. Amir is Pashtun, and Hassan is Hazara. Hazaras are discriminated against by most Pashtuns. Amir and Hassan are bullied for beings close despite their racial differences. Amir feels resentment towards Hassan because Hassan is the son that Amir's father always wanted. Hassan is athletic and strong unlike Amir who is sensitive, and prefers reading and writing over sports.
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Hassan has an unconditional loyalty towards Amir.
Hassan is willing to sacrifice anything for Amir even his own wellbeing. Amir has a loyalty towards his father. Amir longs for his father love and attention, and is willing to sacrifice Hassan for his father's love. Hassan is selfless and is willing to give of himself to Amir. Amir, is selfish, and willing to take advantage of others for his own benefit. Hassan is brave. Hassan is willing to stand up for himself, and for Amir. Hassan stands up for Amir, even when he knows that he can't win. In the end, Hassan is a foil for Amir. Hassan is everything that Amir isn't. while Hassan is strong and athletic, Amir is more sensitive and he prefers reading over sports. While Hassan is selfless, and willing to give himself for others, Amir is selfish and willing to take from others for himself. While Hassan is brave and willing to stand up for Amir in any situation, Amir is a coward, and willing to allow Hassan to be sacrificed in order to preserve himself, and to get what he wants. Hassan is Amir's better half. The half he will never
be. As a child, Amir was never able to fulfill the stereo type of a typical Afghan boy for his father. Baba wanted Amir to be athletic, and to love sports like he does. Amir feels as if he has disappointed, by not being athletic and by preferring to read than to play sports. "I was going to win, and I was going to run that last kite. Then I'd Bring it home and show it to Baba. Show him that once and for all that his son was worthy. then maybe my life as a ghost in this house would finally be over." (pg. 56) This quote shows Amir's feelings towards winning the kite for his father. This quote reveals that Amir thinks that in order to win his father's approval, he has to win the kite for Baba. Amir thinks that Baba will only accept and love him if he is able to excel in a sport. In contrast to Amir, Hassan is effortlessly good at sports. He barely has to try, and he wins Baba's affection. Amir feels jealous towards Hassan because he has won Baba's love in a way that Amir will never be able to compete with. "I wanted Baba all to myself. And besides, one time at Ghargha Lake, Hassan and I were skimming stones and Hassan made his stone skip eight times. The most I managed was five. Baba was there, watching, and he patted Hassan on the back." (pg. 14) This quote takes place when Amir is having a flashback to when he was younger, and Hassan wins Baba's approval over him. Amir is jealous in this quote because Hassan is more athletic than him. He is able to effortlessly win what Amir wants so badly. All Hassan has to do is throw a stone, and Baba is proud of him, while Amir, his son, tries and can't gain his pride.
Hassan is the son Baba wishes Amir would be. Hassan is brave while Amir is weak. Amir and Hassan's first encounter with Assef ended with Hassan scaring Assef away. He was brave and protected Amir by standing up to Assef and threatening him. Assef had just threatened Hassan and Amir by saying that they out number them, for there is three of them and only Amir and Hassan. Hassan replies to him while holding a slingshot pointed at his face. He responds, "You are right, Agha. But perhaps you didn't notice that I'm the one holding the slingshot. If you make a move, they'll have to change your nickname from Assef 'the Ear Eater' to 'One-Eyed Assef,' because I have this rock pointed at your left eye." (pg. 42) although Hassan was scared he did not show his fear. Amir on the other hand, showed his fear and didn't even attempt to create false bravery. We see Amir's cowardice and weakness most when he witnesses Hassan being raped. He does not try to intervene and save Hassan, like Hassan had done for him so many times before. Instead he turns to his usual escape route, which is running away. “I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me. I was afraid of getting hurt. That’s what I told myself as I turned my back to the alley, to Hassan. That’s what I made myself believe. I actually aspired to cowardice, because the alternative, the real reason I was running, was that Assef was right: Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba. Was it a fair price? The answer floated to my conscious mind before I could thwart it: He was just a Hazara, wasn’t he?” (pg. 77) This quote shows Amir’s cowardice and inability to really stand up for himself or anyone he cares about. It also shows Hassan’s unconditional loyalty for Amir but also shows his selflessness. He risks himself so Amir can gain his father's affection.
One of Amir's worst traits is his selfishness. Amir is very occupied with his own feelings, and he often harms others in order to make himself feel better. When Amir wants something, he is willing to sacrifice anything and anyone in order to get it. " 'Hit me back,' I spat. 'Hit me back, goddamn you,' I wished he'd give me the punishment I craved, so maybe I'd finally sleep at night." (pg. 92) This quote takes place a couple weeks after Amir witnesses Hassan being raped. Amir feels unbearable guilt over letting Hassan's rape go unnoticed. In order to relieve some of his guilt, Amir tries to get Hassan to retaliate, but Hassan just walks away. Instead of thinking about Hassan's feelings, Amir simply tries to make himself feel better. Amir throws pomegranates at Hassan in order to get him to throw one back, so that he is able to sleep again. Amir doesn't realize that he is hurting Hassan. He is simply trying to ease his own pain. Hassan loves Amir so much that he would never hurt him. Unsatisfied that Hassan would not hurt Amir and give him what he deserves, Amir conjures up a scheme to rid of Hassan. Hoping that his pains will ease once Hassan is gone. He remembers Baba had told him that the only sin in the world is theft. He frames Hassan and accuses him of stealing his watch that Baba gave to him for his birthday. Hassan and Ali are called in and Baba asks Hassan if he stole Amir's watch. Amir is expecting Hassan to tell the truth but he admits to Instead Hassan lies for Amir, he once again sacrifices himself for Amir. “I flinched, like I’d been slapped. My heart sank and I almost blurted out the truth. Then I understood: This was Hassan’s final sacrifice for me. If he’d said no, Baba would have believed him because we all knew Hassan never lied. And if Baba believed him, then I’d be the accused; I would have to explain and I would be revealed for what I really was. Baba would never, ever forgive me. And that led to another understanding: Hassan knew.” (pg. 105). Hassan knows how much Amir wants his fathers approval and so he sacrifices himself once again. “I loved him in that moment, loved him more than I’d ever loved anyone, and I wanted to tell them all that I was the snake in the grass, the monster in the lake. I wasn’t worthy of this sacrifice; I was a liar, a cheat, and a thief." Amir is a coward again and does not fess up to his wrong doings. He let's Hassan take the blame for him because he is not strong enough to defend his friend and illegitimate brother.
Amir and Hassan aren't similar in anyway. They are complete opposites. Their appearances aren't similar nor are their personalities and interests. Hassan has an athletic build and a distinguishing birth defect on his face, a harelip. Amir does not have an athletic build nor any birth defects. Hassan has a selfless and brave personality while Amir has a selfish and cowardice personality. Hassan's interests are sports and pleasing Amir. Amir's interests are reading books, telling stories, pleasing Baba and gaining Baba's affection. Hassan and Amir have little in common, practically the only thing they share in common is blood. It is ironic that Amir's appearance changes and becomes similar to that of Hassan's. Amir is inflicted with a wound, after a terrible fight, that causes him to have a harelip like Hassan's. Amir can no longer run from his past and mistakes. He'll always have a scar on his lip to remind him of Hassan and his past. Amir can not be a coward and run any more he is forced to face the truth.
Hassan has an unconditional loyalty towards Amir.
Hassan is willing to sacrifice anything for Amir even his own wellbeing. Amir has a loyalty towards his father. Amir longs for his father love and attention, and is willing to sacrifice Hassan for his father's love. Hassan is selfless and is willing to give of himself to Amir. Amir, is selfish, and willing to take advantage of others for his own benefit. Hassan is brave. Hassan is willing to stand up for himself, and for Amir. Hassan stands up for Amir, even when he knows that he can't win. In the end, Hassan is a foil for Amir. Hassan is everything that Amir isn't. while Hassan is strong and athletic, Amir is more sensitive and he prefers reading over sports. While Hassan is selfless, and willing to give himself for others, Amir is selfish and willing to take from others for himself. While Hassan is brave and willing to stand up for Amir in any situation, Amir is a coward, and willing to allow Hassan to be sacrificed in order to preserve himself, and to get what he wants. Hassan is Amir's better half. The half he will never
be. As a child, Amir was never able to fulfill the stereo type of a typical Afghan boy for his father. Baba wanted Amir to be athletic, and to love sports like he does. Amir feels as if he has disappointed, by not being athletic and by preferring to read than to play sports. "I was going to win, and I was going to run that last kite. Then I'd Bring it home and show it to Baba. Show him that once and for all that his son was worthy. then maybe my life as a ghost in this house would finally be over." (pg. 56) This quote shows Amir's feelings towards winning the kite for his father. This quote reveals that Amir thinks that in order to win his father's approval, he has to win the kite for Baba. Amir thinks that Baba will only accept and love him if he is able to excel in a sport. In contrast to Amir, Hassan is effortlessly good at sports. He barely has to try, and he wins Baba's affection. Amir feels jealous towards Hassan because he has won Baba's love in a way that Amir will never be able to compete with. "I wanted Baba all to myself. And besides, one time at Ghargha Lake, Hassan and I were skimming stones and Hassan made his stone skip eight times. The most I managed was five. Baba was there, watching, and he patted Hassan on the back." (pg. 14) This quote takes place when Amir is having a flashback to when he was younger, and Hassan wins Baba's approval over him. Amir is jealous in this quote because Hassan is more athletic than him. He is able to effortlessly win what Amir wants so badly. All Hassan has to do is throw a stone, and Baba is proud of him, while Amir, his son, tries and can't gain his pride.
Hassan is the son Baba wishes Amir would be. Hassan is brave while Amir is weak. Amir and Hassan's first encounter with Assef ended with Hassan scaring Assef away. He was brave and protected Amir by standing up to Assef and threatening him. Assef had just threatened Hassan and Amir by saying that they out number them, for there is three of them and only Amir and Hassan. Hassan replies to him while holding a slingshot pointed at his face. He responds, "You are right, Agha. But perhaps you didn't notice that I'm the one holding the slingshot. If you make a move, they'll have to change your nickname from Assef 'the Ear Eater' to 'One-Eyed Assef,' because I have this rock pointed at your left eye." (pg. 42) although Hassan was scared he did not show his fear. Amir on the other hand, showed his fear and didn't even attempt to create false bravery. We see Amir's cowardice and weakness most when he witnesses Hassan being raped. He does not try to intervene and save Hassan, like Hassan had done for him so many times before. Instead he turns to his usual escape route, which is running away. “I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me. I was afraid of getting hurt. That’s what I told myself as I turned my back to the alley, to Hassan. That’s what I made myself believe. I actually aspired to cowardice, because the alternative, the real reason I was running, was that Assef was right: Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba. Was it a fair price? The answer floated to my conscious mind before I could thwart it: He was just a Hazara, wasn’t he?” (pg. 77) This quote shows Amir’s cowardice and inability to really stand up for himself or anyone he cares about. It also shows Hassan’s unconditional loyalty for Amir but also shows his selflessness. He risks himself so Amir can gain his father's affection.
One of Amir's worst traits is his selfishness. Amir is very occupied with his own feelings, and he often harms others in order to make himself feel better. When Amir wants something, he is willing to sacrifice anything and anyone in order to get it. " 'Hit me back,' I spat. 'Hit me back, goddamn you,' I wished he'd give me the punishment I craved, so maybe I'd finally sleep at night." (pg. 92) This quote takes place a couple weeks after Amir witnesses Hassan being raped. Amir feels unbearable guilt over letting Hassan's rape go unnoticed. In order to relieve some of his guilt, Amir tries to get Hassan to retaliate, but Hassan just walks away. Instead of thinking about Hassan's feelings, Amir simply tries to make himself feel better. Amir throws pomegranates at Hassan in order to get him to throw one back, so that he is able to sleep again. Amir doesn't realize that he is hurting Hassan. He is simply trying to ease his own pain. Hassan loves Amir so much that he would never hurt him. Unsatisfied that Hassan would not hurt Amir and give him what he deserves, Amir conjures up a scheme to rid of Hassan. Hoping that his pains will ease once Hassan is gone. He remembers Baba had told him that the only sin in the world is theft. He frames Hassan and accuses him of stealing his watch that Baba gave to him for his birthday. Hassan and Ali are called in and Baba asks Hassan if he stole Amir's watch. Amir is expecting Hassan to tell the truth but he admits to Instead Hassan lies for Amir, he once again sacrifices himself for Amir. “I flinched, like I’d been slapped. My heart sank and I almost blurted out the truth. Then I understood: This was Hassan’s final sacrifice for me. If he’d said no, Baba would have believed him because we all knew Hassan never lied. And if Baba believed him, then I’d be the accused; I would have to explain and I would be revealed for what I really was. Baba would never, ever forgive me. And that led to another understanding: Hassan knew.” (pg. 105). Hassan knows how much Amir wants his fathers approval and so he sacrifices himself once again. “I loved him in that moment, loved him more than I’d ever loved anyone, and I wanted to tell them all that I was the snake in the grass, the monster in the lake. I wasn’t worthy of this sacrifice; I was a liar, a cheat, and a thief." Amir is a coward again and does not fess up to his wrong doings. He let's Hassan take the blame for him because he is not strong enough to defend his friend and illegitimate brother.
Amir and Hassan aren't similar in anyway. They are complete opposites. Their appearances aren't similar nor are their personalities and interests. Hassan has an athletic build and a distinguishing birth defect on his face, a harelip. Amir does not have an athletic build nor any birth defects. Hassan has a selfless and brave personality while Amir has a selfish and cowardice personality. Hassan's interests are sports and pleasing Amir. Amir's interests are reading books, telling stories, pleasing Baba and gaining Baba's affection. Hassan and Amir have little in common, practically the only thing they share in common is blood. It is ironic that Amir's appearance changes and becomes similar to that of Hassan's. Amir is inflicted with a wound, after a terrible fight, that causes him to have a harelip like Hassan's. Amir can no longer run from his past and mistakes. He'll always have a scar on his lip to remind him of Hassan and his past. Amir can not be a coward and run any more he is forced to face the truth.