People Change

As I continue to read, The Kite Runner, my feelings and emotions towards the main characters are starting to change.  In the first 50 pages, Amir and Hassan were very good friends and it seemed like nothing could tear them apart.  For example, Amir is bullied because he is friends with Hassan (a Hazara), however they go about their life and continue their relationship.  For those who do not know, Hazara are an ethnic group in Afghanistan who are Shia Muslims.  "You're part of the part of the problem, Amir.  If idiots like you and your father didn't take these people in, we'd be rid of them by now" (Hosseini 41). At this point in the story I was thinking that if they could get through these challenges, like verbal abuse, they could get through anything together.  However, I was wrong. In Chapter Seven everything changes.  In this chapter, Hassan gets raped by a group of bullies, while Amir around the corner watches and reluctantly does nothing. "I could step into the alley, stand up for Hassan-the way he'd stood up for me all those times in the past-and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run.  In the end, I ran" (Hosseini 77).  From this point on I lost all respect I had for Amir.  How could he let someone he cared for, and someone who cared for him, get abused like that and do nothing about it.  It makes no sense to me.  Also, instead of apologizing to Hassan, Amir instead purposely attempts to sabotage their relationship so he would no longer have to feel the guilt. In the end, Amir succeeds and Hassan and his father leave Amir's house after years of service.

This part of the book hit me hard.  I could not believe how selfish Amir acted.  It will be interesting to see how Amir changes as a person when he grows up and if Hassan and Amir will ever reconnect?