Guilt, Love, Blame and Suppresion

                Arguably the most thought provoking, and "evil" ridden segment of the novel, was the climax.  That faithful day in the alleys of Kabul that would literally tear apart, up until then, life-long relationships and leave a broken home in its wake.  The day started off already, a day of immense importance to Amir and little did he know, it would be that and much more. The wait for the much anticipated annual Kite Fight has come to an end, and it is game day.  In Amir’s eyes, the annual Kite Fight represents a spectacular platform for him to finally earn some fatherly, and of course manly love and respect from his father Baba that he’s been tormented without and yearns for every passing day.  The symbolism in this instance is already overwhelming.  Amir wants the title of the year’s Kite Running Champion for one person at the end of the day; Baba and his love and respect.  From the get-go it is much more than a game for him, and he wants it so bad.  He cannot blow this golden opportunity.

               

                  Amir comes through, and captures the title that has eluded him.  For the time being, Amir is on top of the world.  Looking at Baba take in this momentous moment in both of their lives, he shows his satisfaction.  As tradition has it, Amir commands his Hazara slave Hassan to track down the final kite to bring home to Baba as a memento, or trophy; a constant reminder of love and respect centred on a kite.  While the jubilance and “good” for that matter seems to be at an all-time high, evil is looming literally just around the corner.  The closest thing to the embodiment of Evil in the novel, Assef (Hitler fanatic) and his goons rear their ugly heads.  When Hassan tracks down the kite and Assef demands it, Hassan’s unrelenting and persistent loyalty, and love for Amir radiates and is truly heart-warming.  A clash of the two polar opposite characters battle for the kite.  Good versus Evil.  The suppression is clear.  A tall, well nurtured Pashtun Assef bullies Hassan, the sickly malnourished Hazara servant for the kite.  After yanking it away from him Assef commits the evil atrocious act of raping Hassan.  Torture is clearly present here as if it were really all just about the kite, Assef and his friends would have yanked it away from Hassan and left him.  But the act of raping the little Hazara servant proved that Assef enjoyed what he did.  A beat down would not suffice.  Another course theme that fit here was the act of raping as a weapon for War.  After watching the videos "The Greatest Silence in the Congo" and the interview with Lisa F. Jackson, it's clear the shoe fit well.  Two opposing castes in one country, one dominant and suppressing the other constantly flexing their power in disgusting methods. This, all while the by-stander Amir watches on as the human being who has devoted his life for him gets violated.  This particular moment is especially reminiscent of our lectures on the Holocaust and for that matter, the Katy Genovese/Winston Moseley case.  Questions like “How could he just stand there and watch?” surfaced. Was there really three evil-doers to blame?  Amir was tempted by “evil” hardening him into inaction, so does his omission of doing the right or good thing constitute him as evil? It all boils down to class, and the suppression of the Hazaras by the Pashtuns.  Things might have ended up different were it not for this long-standing difference.   As Hedges touches on, humans become objects, and pity is banished during war, which this class feud essentially is.

 

One thing is for certain however, Amir would be anguished by guilt for the rest of his life for the events that transpired that day.  It ate away at any loving part of his soul every time he would see Hassan again.  With his conscious being disintegrated like termites eating away at wood, Amir schemes to get Hassan to hate him, and subsequently make himself feel better.  Amir throws a pomegranate at him and encourages him to throw one back.  This is where Hassan’s unconditional love for Amir is witnessed, as he smashes the fruit on his forehead.  A last ditch attempt at regaining his soul is made when Amir frames Hassan blaming Hassan for stealing his watch.  Hassan out of more unconditional love recognizes what has happened and accepts the blame anyways.  Amir’s plan ends up making things worse when Ali and Hassan leave their home out of their own free will as a result of this.