Many times, Amir has referred to Hassan as his servant - and strictly his servant, although Amir and Hassan do everything together. They are together at all times of the day and enjoy their time together climbing trees, reading books and poems, shooting slingshots and pestering people, and laughing and playing together. It is beginning to bother me that Amir has changed his perception of Hassan from friend to servant so frequently. When Assef, the biggest bully in Kabul, and his two friends came across Amir and Hassan, Assef started verbally attacking them. Assef began trash talking Hassan and accusing Amir of not being a pure Pashtun because he spent time with Hassan and treated him well.Assef said to Amir, "You're bothering me very much. In fact, you bother me more than this Hazara here. How can you talk to him, play with him, let him touch you? How can you call him your 'friend'?" (44)
Amir almost blurted out, "But he's not my friend! He's my servant!" (44)
On the other hand, Amir is extremely sweet to Hassan and admits to him that he loves him. If Hassan was just a servant to Amir, then I'm sure he wouldn't have a "love" for him. This is a hint that Amir really does consider Hassan his friend.
"I gave him a friendly shove. Smiled. 'You're a prince, Hassan. You're a prince and I love you." (33)
Yes, there is evidence that Amir really does love Hassan - so go back and read the first page of the novel again; when Amir is speaking retrospectively as an adult .... what connections / predictions / interpretations can you make about Amir's love and his adult tone in those first few paragraphs?
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of regret and guilt in his adult tone.
ReplyDelete"...I knew it wasn't just Rahim Khan on the line. It was my past of unatoned sins."
Now that I know what has happened in the novel and the main conflict, I now realize what the ultimate quest is. It's not really trying to get Baba's approval or trying to win the kit-fighting tournament, but it's trying to put his sins and faults behind him. Amir has never confronted his wrongs and never made any apologies for what he's done and he feels terrible.
"...I realize I have been peaking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years."
Amir is explaining that he's never gotten to confront his guilt, and that it still eats away at him and it's been twenty-six years. He can't get the image of the alley out of his head and be free of his guilt until he confronts it head on and apologizes and confesses to Hassan.