Jillian Morrin

3/28/13
2A/English IV
Book Report Essay

The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner is a story of two friends who are of different social rankings.
One of the best friends works for the others father. This story takes you about their lives
as children and adults as well. The two friends, both named Amir and Hassan were born
only one year apart. These two boys practically grew up as brothers together as both of
their mothers were not around during their lives. Neither did they know until Amir was
an adult and Hassan had passed away that they were brothers through the father. The
relationship that these two boys share is inseparable in one of their perspectives. In the
other boys eyes, he is just a boy that he can push around and call his friend when he
needs someone to back him up or fight for him. Amir and Hassan are best friends and
their friendship really grows and expands during the course of the book. These two boys
share a special brotherhood that was broken by a conditional love that one boy had for the
other unconditional loving one that was later turned into an unconditional love between
them both.
Amir was born in 1963 to Baba his father and his mother who died supposedly
during childbirth. Amir was raised knowing that he had everything he could possibly
need in his life. The only things missing in his life were a mother, and a father who
actually paid attention to him. Amir received everything he wanted so that he would be
satisfied if his father was not around during the time to take care of him. He was blessed
with a wonderful house, a father and son that served his family, and a very good
education privilege. It is fair to say that Amir was a little bit spoiled as a child. Amir was
Jillian Morrin
3/28/13
2A/English IV
Book Report Essay

not a very nice person though. He tended to get jealous very easily of people who
received his fathers attention more than himself. He was also willing to treat others
poorly so he could look better among his friends. He was selfish when he was younger,
but that turned around with maturity and age. Due to his father not being around, he
thought it would be good to make a friend. So he used the servants son as his best friend
to be with.
The servant who took care of Babas home was Ali. Ali had a son named Hassan.
Hassan and Ali were not very wealthy; they barely had any money at all. While Ali
would work Hassan would play outside with Amir. Hassan was a year younger than
Amir, but he was already wealthier in virtues. Hassan was a boy who was born a Hazara.
This ethnic group was looked down upon because of their ethnicity. Hassan was raised
and taught to be patient, kind-hearted, selfless, and generous. Hassan admired Amir with
his everything he had.
Amir and Hassan were best friends in a way and also brothers as well. When
Hassans mother supposedly ran off when he was born, Ali brought him to a woman that
Baba had told him so she could breast feed Hassan. This woman also breast fed Amir
when he was a baby as well. (11) This made them half brothers in a way. Even though
they were like brothers, there were plenty of things that made them opposites. Hassan
was a puppy dog in the eyes of Amir, while Hassan thought Amir was his closest best
friend that he could ever have. Amir was able to push him around and tell him what to do
with hopes that Hassan would actually carry out the plan Amir had for him. Hassan just
wanted a friend and was willing to do anything for Amir because he admired him so
Jillian Morrin
3/28/13
2A/English IV
Book Report Essay

much. Amir was able to receive an education while Hassan was not able to. Hassan did a
lot for Amir such as make his breakfast for him every morning and gather his textbooks
for him before school started for the day. (27)
Sometimes Amir would be really sweet to Hassan while he was not being snotty.
He would read to him under Hassans favorite pomegranate tree. Hassan would listen to
him read, especially his favorite story. Amir also played with him while he was not busy
with his schoolwork. They would climb trees together and throw things attempting not to
get caught by Ali or Baba. One day they came across a boy who threw a rock at Hassan.
The boys name was Assef, he was the bully of the area. Hassan stopped Assef from
hitting Amir by aiming a slingshot at him. This was a sign that Hassan was a true best
friend who really did care for Amir. (41-42) This was not the last sign of Assef. During
the annual winter kite running tournament, Amir cut the blue kite that was last besides his
own and won the tournament. Everyone was proud of him including Hassan. Hassan then
told him that he was going to go get the blue kite and bring it back for him as a trophy.
Amir was all wrapped up in people congratulating him that he did not even realize that
Hassan had been gone for a while.
While Amir had set off to look of Hassan he found him surrounded by Assef and
his two bully friends. Amir hid behind the corner of a building so that no one could see
him watching. Hassan had the blue kite and Assef wanted it. Assef claimed that a Hazara
should not have the kite because he is not worthy of it. Hassan told him that it was for
Amir because they were friends and he wanted to give him the kite as a congratulation
award. Assef told him that a Hazara was a pet that should not be friends with an Afghan.
Jillian Morrin
3/28/13
2A/English IV
Book Report Essay

Assef and the boys then charged him and beat him. Assef then raped him thoroughly and
ran off leaving Hassan alone bleeding and in tears. When the rape had finished Amir ran
off and pretended like he had no idea where Hassan went or what happened to him. (73-
77)
This showed how much of a coward Amir was when it came to standing up for
others who are dear to him. It is amazing how much someone can be spoiled and be
scared into doing the wrong thing because they do not want the same to happen to them.
Amir completely left Hassan to be raped and left with the kite ruined in the dumpster.
Amir betrayed Hassan during a time when he needed him the most. Everything Hassan
had ever done for Amir was for nothing because of Amirs cowardice personality and
spoiled rotten selfish ways. Hassan and Amir stayed distant for a while due to Amirs
heavy burden that he had to endure. When Hassan had returned from his trip with Ali, he
asked Amir to read to him. Amir told him no and went back to the house. (87) This is a
sign of a relationship breaking apart due to one person who did not trying hard enough.
Amir felt so much guilt that he tried to get rid of Hassan by making him look like he did
things that were wrong but in reality he did not do anything. Hassan said that he did
everything though because he cares so much for Amir.
During the course of the story Amir had grown up and had moved away. Amir
had married and loved but was unable to reproduce with his wife. He received a letter
from Hassan and a man told him that Hassan had been shot protecting his family.
Hassans child was then put into an orphanage and Amir took that as an advantage to help
out Hassan and he took the child in. This then provided Amir to use Sohrab, Hassans
Jillian Morrin
3/28/13
2A/English IV
Book Report Essay

child, as a replacement for Hassan and a way to get happiness back into his life. Amir
still felt guilt from allowing Hassan to be raped in front of his eyes and he never did
anything about it, but he was willing to give up his selfish ways to be a selfless person
again.
Amir loved Hassan but he showed a conditional love for him. Hassan, on the
other hand, had unconditional love for Amir. This unconditional love was shown in a
variety of ways by giving up all of his time he could be resting for time to hang out with
Amir. He was raped and beaten so that Amir could have the blue kite that Hassan had
worked so hard to get for him. Hassan was also willing to lie to Baba and Ali because he
knew Amir set him up and he did not want Amir to get in trouble if Hassan had told the
truth. On the other hand, Amir felt guilty the whole time after he watched Hassan get
raped and he felt horrible about it that he did not do anything to help Hassan. He could
not afford to look at Hassan with all the guilt he had in his eyes and still call him a friend.
This is why he attempted to get rid of Hassan for good out of his home.
It was not until after Amir found out that Hassan had passed away that he decided
he was going to redeem himself. He set off back to Kabul to find Sohrab to take home to
his wife. He wanted to save Hassans child from dying in Kabul. This allows him to
partially feel less guilty because he is know going to take care of Hassans only child.
When Amir finally found Sohrab, he had to talk to the Taliban official to win the child
over. The Taliban official was Assef. Assef told him that he could leave with the child, if
he made it out alive. He put on his brass knuckles and began to beat and fight Amir just
like he had beaten Hassan when they were kids. Amir finally felt relief and felt a lot
Jillian Morrin
3/28/13
2A/English IV
Book Report Essay

better like his burden was lifted off his shoulders while he was being beaten by Assef.
Sohrab and Amir ran off and drove away. This helped Amir finally rid himself of any
guilt that he had from allowing Hassan to get raped and beaten without saying a single
word to prevent him from getting hurt for life. Once Amir had finally brought Sohrab into
America, he fell in love with the child like he was his own son. He taught him how
Hassan used to capture other kites for defensive tricks and other fun things. Amir asked
Sohrab if he wanted to run the kite for him and he nodded his head. Amir finally became
selfless and said For you, a thousand times over. (371)
Even though Hassan had been treated horribly by Amir when they were children,
Amir grew up and became selfless and helped out Hassan more than he could ever
imagine. This is a true friendship in the end even though they had their rough patches in
the beginning. Hassan means the world to Amir now and so does his child, Sohrab.
Hassan and Amir grew so much as individual people while they were growing up apart.
They show an unconditional love for each other now that can never be broken even
through betrayal.