P3+Terra+and+Alicia

Event
//Rape Of Hassan// After Amir went looking for Hassan following the kite running tournament, Amir found Hassan backed into an alley holding the kite that was rightfully his. Assef and his friends began tormenting Hassan mercilessly. It is only because Hassan was a Hazara that he is treated so brutally. Assef used his words to break down Hassan so he would feel belittled and foolish for thinking Amir was his true friend. Assef stated, "But before you sacrifice yourself for him, think about this: would he do the same for you? Have you ever wondered why he never includes you in games when he has guests? Why he only plays with you when no one else is around? I'll tell you why, Hazara. Because to him, you're nothing but an ugly pet. Something he can play with when he's bored, something he can kick when he's angry. Don't ever fool yourself and think you're something more" (Hosseini 72). The rape of Hassan is so crucial to the novel __The Kite Runner__ because it shows the massive borders between ethnicity, religion, and human rights allowed in Afghanistan during the time period of the story. The Hazara people had been subjected to oppression by the Pashtuns in the nineteenth century. The Hazara people were Shi'a while the Pashtuns were Sunni Muslims, leaving a massive dispute open for conflict. In the novel there is an on-going theme of of Amir not standing up for himself or his beliefs. Instead Amir ran away from the situation leaving Hassan alone to lose his innocents, feeling an immense amount of guilt from Amir, the boy who was closest to him.

Symbol
//Pomegranate// Amir felt guilt for not standing up to Assef to protect Hassan. Amir was longing for closure and decided the best way to gain closure is to have Hassan throw pomegranates at him and fight back. Amir stated after repeatedly chucking pomegranates at Hassan, “Then Hassan did pick up a pomegranate. He walked toward me. He opened it and crushed it against his own forehead. “There,” Hassan croaked, red dripping down his face like blood, “Are you satisfied? Do you feel better?” He turned around and started down the hill, I know the answer to that question” (Hosseini 93). By Hassan refusing to throw pomegranates at Amir he showed that he had already done everything for Amir, even sacrificed himself. When Hassan broke a pomegranate over his own head he showed Amir that he had sacrificed his body to protect Amir’s prized possession, he had given up his virginity. The pomegranate signifies Hassan’s purity and his loyalty he gave to Amir. Hassan showed Amir he had given everything to him and that he should be happy now. Hassan showed Amir his loyalty by protecting his kite, and Amir had the chance to show Hassan loyalty by standing up for him but never took that opportunity.

Theme
//Infertility// Amir and Soraya tried very hard for a year to have their own children but didn’t succeed. After visiting the doctor numerous times and having different procedures the doctor finds out that Soraya is infertile. Amir stated to the readers after leaving the doctors office, “He sat across from us, tapped his desk with his fingers, and used the word ‘adoption’ for the first time. Soraya cried all the way home” (Hosseini 186). Soraya is upset with herself because the doctors told her she had unexplained infertility. The doctors could not find a reason why she was unable to conceive children, Amir was still fertile. Amir blames himself and his past relationship with Hassan as the reason he is unable to have children of his own. When the question arises about adoption Amir and Soraya turn away from the option because they want their own bloodline of children. Later on in the chapter Amir meets up with Rahim Khan and learns the story of Hassan and his family. Amir also learns that Hassan is dead and his son is in an orphanage. Rahim Khan tells Amir that he needs to go to the orphanage and rescue Hassan’s son. Amir gets upset and refuses but then thinks that this may be why Soraya is infertile and he is destined to be the father of Hassan’s son.

Hosseini, Khaled. //The Kite Runner//. New York: Riverhead Books, 2004. Print.