The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini
Discrimination
The theme of discrimination plays a major part in the book. It stems from the
two races which feature in the book, Pashtuns and Hazaras. The Hazara race is
seen to be the ‘weaker’ of the two, the narrator and main character Amir is a
Pashtun whereas his ‘best friend’ and other main character Hassan, is a Hazara.
Although Baba and Amir have been brought up to be kind to Hazaras and act as
though they were no different from themselves not all of society was taught
this way therefore the Hazaras are tortured and abused. Throughout the book
the divide of races is made very clear through many ways, the mistreatment of
Hazara’s being one. Hazara’s are subjected to severe violence and mockery in
this book. The rape of Hassan in chapter 11 not only shows how he contradicts
the view that Pashtuns have about Hazaras through his loyalty to Amir, it
mostly show the inhumanity of one particular Pashtun, Assef.
Class Division – Pashtuns and Hazaras
Race limits many things in the lives of each character, for example the rape
of Hassan by Assef. Assef believes like many Pashtuns that Hazaras have
no rights as they are beneath them, this leads Assef to the conclusion that
he has the rights to abuse Hassan. Another time when the class division is
evident is when the truth about Hassan and Amir being brothers comes to
light. It shows that throughout their lives the two brothers lived side by
side, Amir in luxury and Hassan in poverty, the only barrier being their
racial background.
The Hazaras are discriminated against, abused, violated and killed by many
Pashtuns. Pashtuns may be stronger in the sense that there are more of
them physically but the idea of them being morally wrong shows that in
fact they are no where near better than anyone and they are below the
Hazaras for the way in which they treat them.
Difference between Hazaras and Pashtuns
Hazaras
• The less powerful race known as
the ‘weaker’ race
• No right to education or learning
so are used as servants
• Work as servants for Pashtuns,
cooking, cleaning and serving the
Pashtuns
• Difference of appearance with
flattened noses and slanted eyes
• Live either on the streets or in the
servants accommodation of the
families they serve
• Have little in the way of
belongings due to lack of money
Pashtuns
• The largest and politically more
powerful race
• Have rights to education, go to
school
• Work in higher paid jobs
• Lighter skin, hair and eye colour
• Have servants, better quality of
life
• Live in large houses, have
servants and have many
expensive belongings
Hazaras which feature in the book
Few Hazaras feature in this book in comparison to Pashtuns but the four are shown here.
• Hassan – best friend of Amir and also servant to Amir and his father.
• Ali – the father of Hassan, religious man with disfigurements and
single father, also a servant to Amir and his father
• Farzana – becomes the wife of Hassan and mother of Sohrab their
son, she is shot by the Taliban whilst running from them after
Hassan was killed.
• Sohrab – the son of Hassan and Farzana, he becomes an orphan
after the Taliban kill his parents, he is taken, tortured and raped by
Assef but he is then taken to America in the last few chapters by
Amir who hopes to create a better life for him.
Examples of abuse
 Rape of Hassan in Chapter 11 by Assef
 The massacre of Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif and Hazarajat by the
Talibs
 The stoning of Hazaras
 Shooting of Hassan and Farzana by the Taliban
 Capturing, torture, abuse and rape of Sohrab by Assef and the
Taliban
 Beating of Amir by Assef
The Taliban
In Taliban controlled Afghanistan discrimination is everywhere. On one
hand the Taliban do not seem to care who they abuse, torture or kill. It is
not only the Hazaras who suffer but those who are not with the Taliban
also. In this sense everyone who is not a Talib is not worthy. An example of
this is when Assef makes Sohrab dance to music for his amusement, even
although dancing and listening to music had previously been banned. Amir
thinks “I guessed music wasn’t sinful as long as it was played to Taliban
ears”. But on the other hand the Hazaras specifically are subjected to the
most brutal violence and discrimination. The Taliban massacre the Hazaras
in both Mazar-i-Sharif and Hazarajat region and anywhere they can find
Hazaras. Assef describes Afghanistan as ‘ a beautiful mansion littered with
garbage’ and says that ‘someone has to take out that garbage’. Assef also
uses the term ‘ethnic cleansing’ a lot, this idea goes with his garbage
metaphor. He deems Hazaras as not worthy of living in his land therefore
he must kill them.