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The Author's presentation of relationships.

How the Friendship Evolves

Amir and Hassan

  • Hosseini creates a web of relationships, all unique and incongruous because of the different components that make them up.
  • The friendship of Baba and Ali bears very little resemblance to the tragedy of Amir and Hassan's story. However, both Amir and Baba betray their friends in some way.
  • No marriage or romantic relationship within the novel is similar either, both Hassan and Amir growing up with only a father. In spite of this, both Amir and Hassan went on to have a wife and son, the same son oddly enough.
  • Relationships as presented in The Kite Runner do not have endings but epilogues that pass into new stories - a ceaseless stream of relationships.
  • The state in which the friendship is left, leaves no room for second attempts. However, with the end of their friendship, Amir and Hassan become brothers.
  • The day Amir learns Hassan was his brother, is also the day he learns of his death. The friend that existed is gone in all senses- he was never just a friend.
  • This relationship comes back into focus with both parties equal.
  • Hassan is no longer the illiterate servant's son, but Amir's blood relative of competent literary skills.
  • A similarity between the friendship that fell apart and their future is that Hassan, though he is the one who has been wronged, approaches Amir without malice, with the same devotion he showed him since the beginning.

Relationships Explored in Khaled Hosseini's

Baba's death provokes a noticeable change in Amir; he suddenly looks much older.

before

after

Unrequieted Devotion

The End of a Friendship

Amir and Hassan

  • On various occasions, Hassan proves his loyalty to Amir. Amir, however, does not return that loyalty and often abuses it for personal gain.
  • Hassan permitted his own rape in order to keep a promise to Amir, however Amir did nothing in his power to save his friend.
  • After Baba's death, Baba and Amir's relationship is exposed by Rahim Khan to have been built on lies.
  • Finding out that Baba had flaws and bad decisions that tainted his past and life makes Amir realize that his mortal weakness was not the only thing that made Baba a human and not the hero Amir always saw him as.

The rape introduces an issue that is far beyond two twelve year olds' abilities to fix. Neither Hassan nor Amir know how to progress from the situation together and so the two inevitably part ways, on Amir's terms of course.

  • Society's influence on the boys' friendship securing its demise.

How the relationship evolves

Amir and Baba

  • By the time they reach America Amir is a young man. However, Baba is still illustrated as being more masculine, towering over Amir.
  • Baba, having commanded much respect in Afghanistan, now works in a gas station and Amir's university qualifications set him a rank above Baba.
  • Baba must depend on Amir in America as Amir depended on him in Afghanistan.
  • Since Baba's fall from all his power in Afghanistan, Amir manages to make him proud more often in America, however, Baba still does not recognize Amir's creative aspirations.

What kind of Relationships are explored?

  • friendship
  • father/ son
  • mentor/ avuncular
  • marriage

Father/ Son

Amir and Baba

Friendship

The Kite Runner

  • Baba is Amir's only parent and so he cleaves to him for parental love and affection, however, Baba is more concerned with raising his idea of a young man.
  • Their relationship is one of many disconnects, Amir feeling guilt for his mother's death and not being able to fit into his father's mold.
  • Amir idolizes Baba, wanting desperately to make him proud no matter what the price.

Amir and Hassan

  • Hassan's unrelenting devotion to Amir and his beliefe that Amir considers him his best friend just as he considers Amir, liken him to a faithful pet.
  • Tension that existed between Amir and Hassan arose from Amir's resentment towards Hassan provoked by Hassan's relationship with Amir's father, Baba.
  • Amir is very aware off the social disparity between Hassan and himself and this creates a barrier made of societal prejudices and ethnic discrimination between the friends.

the graphic novel

Marriage

Amir and Soraya

  • Amir and Soraya's union brings peace to Amir's life
  • Having lived in the past for so long, his only strong relationship being with Baba, Amir's future begins to take a shape that is not dictated by his past.
  • Having secrets of his own, Amir takes comfort in Soraya's confession of dishonorable decisions made in her youth.
  • The family they create together, allows Amir to fulfill the task ahead.

Mentor/ Avuncular

Amir and Rahim Khan

  • Uncle considered the most accurate word to describe Rahim Khan's function in Amir's life, he acts as a guide or mentor. A paternal presence alongside Baba.
  • Rahim Khan encouraged Amir in the direction his future took.
  • Rahim Khan bestows upon Amir the ability to right the wrongs of the past- guide.
  • Amir left Afghanistan a young man and did not see Rahim Khan for many years, leaving their relationship to pale in the years that interposed their reunion.

Father/ Son

Amir and Sohrab

  • The uncanny similarities between Sohrab's experiences in his youth and Hassan's, both at Assef's hands, act as a second chance for Amir to save the Hazara child he has the power to save.
  • These years allowed the relationship to mature so that when they met again, they were equals.
  • Their bond remains strong as characterized by Rahim Khan's appreciation of Amir's book.
  • As Rahim Khan and Amir's relationship came to an end as did Rahim Khan's life, Amir's relationship with Sohrab begins.
  • Amir becomes Sohrab's only parental figure and atones for his own sins by caring for Hassan's damaged son.
  • Through Rahim Khan's guidance, Amir finds redmeption from his past, Rahim Khan being, as ever, Amir's guide.

Annie George and Ria-Elena Williams

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