The Kite Runner by Khaled Hasseini

Inoke Taumalolo

English

In our society most people lack trust in each other. In the Novel "The Kite Runner", by Khaled Hasseini, the main character Amir struggles with trust as a young child. Amir takes his servants, Ali and Hassan's, loyalty and trust for granted. Amir later finds out that his trust was broken by his father Baba, who kept a secret from him. I also struggled with trust as a young child like Amir because my mother kept a secret from me. When you lose the trust of someone, it's harder to gain it back. Trust is to be valued above all else, keeping a secret from each other leads to regrets down the line.

When someone you know your whole childhood tells you a secret, it makes you feel like you're standing on the edge of a cliff. "...There is only one sin. And that is theft...When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. Hadn't he said those words to me? And now, fifteen years after I'd buried him, I was learning that Baba had been a thief. And a thief of the worst kind, because the things he'd stolen had been sacred: from me the right to know I had a brother, from Hassan his identity, and from Ali his honor." Before Amir was born, Ali was in a relationship with a Hazara woman, but couldn't have any children and was forced to leave Ali. That woman left and had three kids with another man. Ali later had another relationship with a different Hazara lady named Sanaubar. We all know from this point that Ali can't have kids but we later find out that Baba was having a relationship with Sanaubar. This was the secret that Baba kept away from Amir, Ali and Hassan which brought them pain and suffering. After Amir found out that Hassan was his half-brother he felt like he was sliding down a building blind folded. It made Amir who he was when he was a child. Treated Hassan like a little pet. This is an example of how trust is very important in family because it unites the family and help bond a stronger relationship with each other.

Amir takes advantage of Ali and Hassans trust for granted. Hassan protects Amir in confrontations against Assef and endures a "rape" in order to save Amir's kite. Later Amir further exploits Hassan's loyalty and uses it to frame him the in theft of his watch and Afghani bills. The quote below explains Amirs cowardly act. "I lifted Hassan's mattress and planted my new watch and a handful of Afgani bills under it. I waited another thirty minutes. Then I knocked on Baba's door and told what I hoped would be the last in a long line of shameful lies." Amir took the initiative in falsely accusing Hassan of theft. I think Amir and Hassan had the right to know that they were brothers. If Amir would have known, I think that it would have been a better relationship between them both.