Question 1
Either
A
By the end of the novel Amir has taken Hassan's role as the Kite Runner. What other aspects of Hassan's character are there to admire and which ones do you think Amir has assumed?
- Hassan never lies. This made clear over the climactic incident of Amir's attempt to frame him and Ali for 'stealing'. By the end of the novel Amir has atoned for his childhood dereliction of Hassan, admitted the truth of his past to Soraya and is ready to proceed to the future with his conscience clear.
- Hassan remains a good friend to Amir throughout his life. In his letter to Amir he concludes 'you will have an old faithful friend waiting for you'. He is the epitome of the good friend, which, finally, Amir attempts to replicate in his dealings with Sohrab.
- Hassan is illiterate when he is in his relationship with Amir (Farzana teaches him to read and write later.) His reactions are instinctive and he is in touch with his emotions: he cries regularly at the conclusion of 'Rostam and Sohrab'. Amir has not the same capacity and has been trained to respond in a cerebral, intellectual way. It is why Hassan can get over Assef's sodomy but Amir can't get over his failure to deal with his guilt.
- Despite his illiteracy Hassan is intelligent: he solves the riddles and offers constructive criticism of Amir's short story. It is this, perhaps more than anything that Amir allows to irk and upset him and provoke his self-defence of 'Hazara'.
- Above all Hassan never questions his position or status. He and Ali live contentedly in the hut, he replicates this in his life with Farzana and repeats it when they…
