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Ashley Stokes

Dr. Jody Jensen

HNRS 495

8 May 2023

Khaled Hossenini’s The Kite Runner:

Hassan’s Power of Ethical Confidence Over Amir

In Khaled Hosseni’s The Kite Runner there is an obvious power dynamic between Amir

and Hassan. Amir is from a wealthy family with high social status while Hassan is a servant in

Amir’s house. However, by observing the confidence and consciousness of the two characters,

we see an inverse dynamic. We often see the power dynamic between superiors and their

subordinates as absolute, but by Hassan’s example it is seen that those in lower positions are not

powerless. Realizing that power can be found in all social positions allows us to affect change in

situations that might have previously been seen as out of our control. In this essay I will argue

that despite Amir’s social status over Hassan, Hassan holds significant power over Amir through

his ethical confidence due to his understanding of social situations, which Hassan uses to inspire

ethical behavior in Amir.

. With his ethical confidence, which is the conviction that one can act according to their

own principles even in situations that are morally confusing, Hassan is able to influence Amir to

be good throughout Amir’s life. Because of Hassan’s ability to read people and situations, he is

able to stop Amir when he begins to act in a cruel or demeaning way. For example, when Amir

questions Hassan about whether he would do the uselessly humiliating task of eating dirt, Hassan

replies, “If you asked, I would…But I wonder, would you ever ask me to do such a thing, Amir

agha?” (Hosseini 54). This leads Amir to question himself, thinking, “And, just like that, he had
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thrown at me his own little test. If I was going to toy with him and challenge his loyalty, then

he’d toy with me, test my integrity. I wished I hadn’t started this conversation. I forced a smile.

‘Don’t be stupid Hassan. You know I wouldn’t,’” (Hosseini 55). Amir was testing his limits of

cruelty, but Hassan is able to hold him back. Hassan, even as a child, knows his environment and

knows his social status. He knows that if Amir asks him to do something, he has to do it; but his

confident perception of Amir gives Hassan the leeway to test him back. Hassan knows Amir has

very little ethical confidence and is able to be guided by stronger beliefs.

Hassan is also able to encourage Amir to be brave due to his confident understanding of

social situations. Baba often complains to his friends about Amir not being brave, so Amir longs

to be brave to receive Baba’s approval. However, when Amir goes to fly his kite in the

competition he is very nervous as winning the competition would accomplish the rare

achievement of making Baba outwardly proud of him. Hassan calms the nerves of Amir by

reminding him that, “There’s no monster, just a beautiful day,” (Hosseini 61). With this nudge,

Amir is able to win the kite fighting competition and the support of his father. Hassan is able to

help Amir achieve Amir’s greatest desire by correctly identifying the situation and confidently

reassuring his master. Hassan’s confidence gives Amir the power to achieve his goals.

Hassan has ethics he is willing to suffer for, namely his loyalty to Amir; and suffering

gives him power over Amir. Hassan runs the winning kite for Amir and does not hand it over to

Assef like Assef tells him to even though Hassan knows he will be punished for this. When Amir

sees this, “he identifies Hassan’s look of ‘resignation’ to that of a lamb which is about to be

slaughtered on ‘Eid Al-Adha’ a Muslim day of festivities. Amir’s association of Hassan’s

offering to himself, to that of Prophet Ibrahim’s sacrifice of his son Ishmeal to God,

unequivocally elevates Hassan’s status to that of a religious hero,” (Al-Sudeary 239). Religious
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figures are among the most powerful in human existence as they influence people to commit

their lives to a specific cause or belief. Ultimately, Hassan’s rape leads Amir to commit his adult

life to Sohrab, Hassan’s son. In Hassan’s sacrifice he plants a seed in Amir that later is the

foundation for Amir’s commitment to becoming good; thus allowing Hassan’s power to extend

over Amir long after they have parted ways.

Amir decides to try to repent for his childhood actions after meeting with Rahim Khan

and finds his own ethics come from Hassan. As Amir contemplates Rahim’s statement, “There is

a way to be good again,” he finds himself remembering Hassan’s loyal actions (Hosseini 192).

Amir's understanding of how to be good is intrinsically intertwined with his memories of

Hassan. Also, the statement that Amir can once again be good implies that he was good at some

point in his life. After Amir betrays Hassan, Amir lives in guilt and shame; which implies he had

some level of ethics before the incident which he failed to meet. During this time Amir does not

have significant guidance from his father, or any other adult figure. In fact, the only person who

had a consequential impact on Amir before Amir betrayed Hassan was Hassan himself. Thus, the

supposed good of Amir must, at least in part, have come directly from Hassan's influence even

when they were children.

Without the influence of Hassan’s ethical confidence, Amir is not a moral person; and it

is only with the reminder of Hassan that Amir becomes principled once more. During the time

between his betrayal of Hassan and receiving Rahim Khan’s letter, Amir barely mentions Hassan

aloud and actively tries to avoid thinking about him. In Amir’s conversation with Rahim in

Pakistan, Rahim mentions Hassan's name, which induces Amir to repeat Hassan’s name and

ponder, “When was the last time I had spoken his name? Those thorny old barbs of guilt bore

into me once more, as if speaking his name had broken a spell,” (Hosseini 202). Speaking
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Hassan’s name broke a spell for Amir. The mental avoidance of Hassan’s influence causes Amir

to be unkind; and yet when he is faced once again with the character of Hassan and knowledge of

his actions, Amir starts his journey of becoming ethical. After hearing about Hassan’s life and

eventual death, Amir is inspired to save Sohrab, despite the fact that Amir does not want to go

back to Afghanistan. Years after the death of Baba, Amir begins to become brave like Baba

always wanted him to be, and like Hassan always was.

The greatest display of ethical actions by Amir are directly correlated to his cruelest

actions against Hassan. As a child Amir planted money under the mattress of Hassan in order to

frame him for stealing, and as an adult one of the first actions Amir takes after returning to

Afghanistan is planting money under the mattress of a poor family. The first step Amir takes in

trying to be admirable is in the memory of Hassan. Amir then endeavors to save Sohrab and in

the process stands up to his childhood tormentor, Assef. When Amir was little, Hassan was the

one who stood up to Assef in order to protect Amir. Now the roles are reversed, and Amir

emulates Hassan to protect Sohrab. This is one of the, if not the, bravest moments of Amir’s life,

as he states, “That was the first time I’d fought anyone,” (Hosseini 288). Amir is finally standing

up for what he believes in; in fact, believing strongly in anything has always been a problem for

Amir up to this point. By following the example set by Hassan, Amir is finally able to gain a

form of power; his ethical confidence is strong enough to be displayed.

Utilizing German-American psychologist Erik Erikson’s psychosocial development

theory produces the insight that Hassan gains confidence in his morality and ethics due to the

guidance of his parental figures, one thing that the wealthy Amir lacks. In the first stage of

development from infancy to 18 months, children are supposed to form their sense of trust;

however, “children need to get enough love and care from their parents to help themselves
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develop their sense of trust” (Kai-fu 191). Amir’s mother dies in childbirth, and Baba is almost

resentful towards baby Amir. One of the few descriptions we have of Baba and infant Amir is in

a picture where “Baba is holding [Amir], looking grim and tired” (Hosseini 5). Due to Baba’s

cold treatment of Amir, Amir is not able to fully develop his sense of trust and instead develops a

mistrust of the world around him. On the other hand, Hassan is beloved by his father, Ali.

Despite the fact that Ali was often verbally assaulted by Sunni Muslims, Amir narrates that, “Ali

was immune to the insults of his assailants; he found his joy, his antidote, the moment [Hassan’s

mother] had given birth to Hassan” (Hossenini 10). Hassan received an appropriate level of love

and care from his father as an infant, and as such was able to fully develop his sense of trust.

Thus, while Amir questions what to believe and who to trust, Hassan trusts his father’s opinions

and is able to get a head start on his ethical confidence.

Each stage in Erikson’s theory is supposed to build off of the one before it, so Amir is

already at a disadvantage compared to Hassan, leaving Hassan with a much better grasp on his

surroundings and beliefs. In the second stage of development children are supposed “to get

familiar with the environment and learn to connect themselves with this world,” (Kai-fu 191).

Amir’s distant relationship with his father prevents him from attaining a sense of trust and

therefore decreases Amir’s understanding of his surroundings. Because Amir does not really

grasp the situation he is in, he often acts in a manner which goes against his feelings. Society

tells him that Hazaras, like Hassan, are not worthy of full human rights. Amir treats Hassan very

poorly despite the fact that he does love him, as Amir tells Hassan after Hassan compliments his

story, “‘You’re a prince, Hassan. You’re a prince, and I love you,’” (Hosseini 30). His actions do

not reflect his feelings because he does not have the self-control he should have acquired as a

child. Meanwhile, Hassan is close with his father and thus recognizes his status. The only times
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Hassan acts in a way that goes against his feelings are when Amir asks him to, which merely

shows that Hassan values loyalty over some other ethical considerations. Hassan is in control of

his decisions and develops a personal code of ethics at a young age, inspiring self-assurance,

unlike Amir.

In the next stage of development, children are meant to develop their sense of confidence

and independence, which are foundational in developing one’s ethics. In order to become

confident and independent, a child needs guidance and encouragement from their parents. Amir

as an elementary school child is left on the outside of his father’s life; when he would ask to sit

with Baba and his friends, Baba would “close the door, leave [Amir] to wonder why it was

always grown-up’s time with him,” (Hosseini 4). This leads Amir to develop a sense of

inferiority to Hassan, who has a strong relationship with his father. This inferiority converts into

jealousy, which is partially responsible for Amir’s increasingly cruel treatment of Hassan. Amir

does not have the self-control from the second stage to responsibly use the independence gained

during this time and thus exhibits irresponsibility. Hassan at this time is able to further develop

confidence in his own belief system as his independence allows Ali’s ethics that were passed on

to him to be shaped into Hassan’s own ethical system. It is during this stage that Amir ultimately

betrays Hassan by watching Hassan be raped without stepping in and then proceeds to frame him

for stealing, which forces Hassan out of Amir’s life. However, Hassan continues to impact Amir

despite the fact that the last time they see each other is when they are twelve years old.

Teenagers should be establishing their identity; but Amir, despite receiving more

attention and love from Baba in America, is fixated on his guilt for his actions against Hassan

due to his questionable ethics. Baba and Amir are able to escape Afghanistan and live in

America while Hassan is left behind in a county that turns into a war zone. In America, Baba and
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Amir live and work in closer quarters, which provides Amir the parental guidance that he has

craved all of his life. However, for Amir, “America was a place to bury [his] memories,”

(Hosseini 129). The memory of how he treated his childhood playmate is ever-present in Amir’s

mind. Amir’s lack of ethical confidence has forced him to live in the shadow of his mistakes.

In adulthood, Amir finally catches up to where he should be in his development by

showing love and devotion to others, and in this stage he measures his actions against the ethical

standard of Hassan. Even while Amir commits his life to Soraya in marriage, he does not admit

to his treatment of Hassan. When Amir receives a letter from Rahim Khan encouraging him to

return to the Middle East, Amir is presented with an opportunity to escape the life of guilt he has

been facing. As Rahim Khan tells him, “There is a way to be good again,” (Hosseini 192). The

only way that Amir sees to become good is by taking over where Hassan left off; he must adopt

Sohrab, Hassan’s son. Amir passes on the ethics of Hassan to Sohrab explaining, “that there are

bad people in this world, and sometimes bad people stay bad. Sometimes you have to stand up to

them,” just as Hassan stood up to Assef for Amir (Hosseini 319). Amir finally gains ethical

confidence in adulthood, but it is only due to the influence of Hassan’s example.

Although the term “power” typically is connected to those with money or social standing,

power is simply the ability to direct or influence the decisions of others; therefore, the ethical

strength to set an example is a form of power. Knowing the difference between right and wrong

allows a person to act in a purposeful manner. With ethics comes a desire to live a certain way

and uphold specific values. “This ‘effort to exist’ is an always unsatisfied desire; but this ‘desire’

gives power in the sense of productivity to the subject, even to individual suffering,” (Carlisle et

al. 88). If one suffers in the process of upholding their beliefs, their suffering is consequential

and can inspire others to act according to their beliefs. For example, when Hassan threatens
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Assef with his slingshot in order to protect Amir, Hassan is warned by Assef that, “‘This doesn’t

end today, believe me,’” a threat which Assef carries out when he rapes Hassan (Hosseini 42).

Hassan’s suffering is not powerless, however, as when Amir faces Assef in adulthood Amir

remembers Hassan’s actions and tries to replicate them. Amir thinks, “I would never forget the

day after Daoud Khan overthrew the king. My entire adult life, whenever I heard Daoud Khan’s

name, what I saw was Hassan with his slingshot pointed at Assef’s face, Hassan saying that

they’d have to start calling him One-Eyed Assef instead of Assef Goshkhor. I remember how

envious I’d been of Hassan’s bravery…Now it was my turn,” (Hosseini 286). Hassan is able to

influence the actions of Amir years after their final meeting because Hassan has a

well-developed sense of ethics.

In addition to having an ethical code, having confidence in oneself is also a form of

power. Without the belief that you can achieve something, it is nearly impossible to accomplish.

According to European philosopher Paul Richoeur, “To believe oneself unable to speak is

already to be linguistically disabled to be excommunicated so to speak,” (Carlisle et al. 83).

Having ethical confidence means that you believe you can uphold your moral beliefs. Thus

following the logic of Paul Richoeur, to not have ethical confidence makes one unable to live

ethically, causing a person to be filled with guilt. Hassan, who has ethical confidence, is able to

live his life freely, without the weight of his faults. Meanwhile, Amir is forced to live a life of

self-accusation; he is not even able to be proud of himself until he is a fully-grown adult.

Hassan’s confidence allows him to be consistently ethical, which enables Amir to see Hassan as

a measure to hold himself against.

Knowledge of the world and having a concrete belief in how the world works is yet

another element of Hassan’s power. Hassan has a deep understanding of Amir; and with that he
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is able to direct him much more easily. According to French philosopher Michel Foucault, “We

should admit rather that power produces knowledge (and not simply by encouraging it because it

serves power or by applying it because it is useful); that power and knowledge directly imply one

another… These ‘power-knowledge relations’ are to be analyzed, therefore, not on the bases of a

subject of knowledge who is or is not free in relation to the power system, but on the contrary the

subject who knows, the objects to be known and modalities of knowledge must be regarded as so

many effects of these fundamental implications of power-knowledge and their historical

transformation,” (Al-Sudeary 241). In Amir and Hassan’s relationship, Hassan is the one with the

knowledge of his own beliefs; and for this reason, he is the one with this power. While

knowledge typically is given to those who are higher up in the societal power system, Hassan's

healthier development due to his closer relationship with Ali leads him to understand his ethics

while Amir flounders.

Hassan is a confident, trusting, and ethically powerful person; and because of this Amir is

able to be ethical under Hassan’s influence. Amir has the power to tell Hassan how to clean and

what to eat, but Hassan’s power runs much deeper than this. The power of social status can force

people to be tortured, humiliated, and killed; but the power of ethical confidence can guide

people into living the lives they want to live. Amir, at the end of the novel, is an ethically

confident person who is once again “good,” because of the power of Hassan. Ethical confidence

is a power that creates more ethical people willing to act upon and even suffer for their beliefs

and thus is a power that grows. From Hassan's example we can see that even in the lowest social

position every individual has this power to impact the people around them despite relative social

status.
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Works Cited

Al-Sudeary, Mashael. “Power Relations in The Kite Runner: A New Historiscist Reading.” Arab

Journal for the Humanities, vol. 27, no. 107, Summer 2009, pp. 233–49. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=42204053&site=eds-live.

Carlisle, Joseph, et al. Moral Powers, Fragile Beliefs : Essays in Moral and Religious

Philosophy. Continuum, 2011, pp. 83–107. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e700xna&AN=357463&site=eds-live.

Kai-fu, Chen. “A Study of Amir’s Psychological Change in ‘The Kite Runner.’” English

Language Teaching, vol. 12, no. 5, Jan. 2019, pp. 190–93. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1214311&site=eds-live.

Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. Riverhead Books, 2003.