In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, the main protagonists, Amir foils the qualities, behavior, and ideas of Hassan. Hassan’s contrasting characteristics to Amir highlight the main characters strengths and weaknesses. By contrasting and comparing the behavior, ideas and acts of Amir and Hassan the meaning of the novel are enhanced. To begin, Amir and Hassan have different social status’s that contribute to the contrasting characteristics of them. While Amir is sheltered, protected and spoiled from his wealthy father Hassan is poor and has a more rough life, each of their lifestyles shape the characteristics they have.
Amir is disloyal and selfish but ambitious and educated while Hassan is humble and loyal, but uneducated. The characteristics they have can be judged by the environment from which they came. As the novel progresses Amir’s characteristics are slowly transformed from guilt caused in part by his father and enventualy has some of the attributes of Hassan. Hassan’s qualities impacted Amir’s later life. Many of the attributes of Amir and Hassan are due to the lifestyle they each had.
Furthermore, Hassan’s acts of loyalty helped emphasize Amir’s characteristics. As children Hassan has always taken responsibility for Amir yet could not see Hassan as a friend due to jelousy,. Amir later realizes his faults because of Hassan and feels guilty but changes him for the better. Amir struggles with choices he made as a child and the affects of choices he made led him and Hassan on different paths. Acts of loyalty from Hassan brought out Amir’s cowardness and selfishness that helps the reader understand more of Amir’s characteristics.
Amir’s personality is illuminated through his fathers favoring of Hassan and acts Hassan does towards Amir. A majority of Amir’s characteristics are represented through the doings of Hassan. Finally, incidents involving Hassan had a critical effect on Amir’s development. When Hassan was being raped by Assef in the ally Amir’s lack to help and let it happen changed the way he felt about his life. Amir felt guilt for not taking revenge and spent his life trying to get better and live the life Hassan never could after that incident. The horrible act ommitted by the bully led Amir be the greatest man he could be and in the end a sense of true accomplishment and redemption washes over him. In the end, the incident with Hassan brought Amir’s true good side to do whatever it took to make up for what he felt he was responsible for. The incident with Hassan had a major effect on the developing of Amir. In conclusion, Amir’s foils to Hassan greatly distinguish his characteristics and qualities. The contrasting attributes of Hassan and Amir help shape the meaning of the work as a whole.
