Master/Servant Relationship and Friendship In The Kite Runner

1. By: Sara, Kendra, Kathy and Ainsley Master/Servant Relationship and Friendship In The Kite Runner

2. Thesis In the novel The Kite Runner, the author reveals the importance of social classes, which in the book, came before friendship.

3. Baba : Ali • Adopted brothers • Childhood Playmates • Ali was Baba’s servant • Baba never referred to Ali as his friend. • Baba had more education than Ali

4. Hassan : Amir • Best friends • Brothers • Hassan was Amir’s servant • Amir always made fun of Hassan • Amir could never find the difference between friendship and having a servant.

5. Passages • 1. Page 27 “Ali and Baba grew up together as…” - Describes the similarities of Ali and Baba’s relationship compared to Hassan and Amir’s. They followed in their fathers footsteps and both great childhood friends and shared experiences.

6. Passages • Page 29 “During the school year, we had a daily routine…” - In this passage we see that even though they were best friends, Hassan still worked for him. This is how they had to live, this is the way their culture worked.

7. Passages • 2. Page 82 “I had one last chance to make a …” • In this passage, Amir makes his final decision. He reflects on how much Hassan has done for him. He couldn’t decide what to do, he couldn’t stand up for Hassan, so he ran.

8. Passages • 3. Page 98 “I don’t know how many times I hit him…” • This passage represents their servant relationship. They are best friends, but Amir is a Pashtun and Hassan is a Hazara. Hassan will always be his servant. • Amir wanted Hassan to get back at him, but he couldn’t.

9. Passages • Page 371-372 “ I flipped to the page I had bent in the taxi…” - Amir reflects on how he had made fun of Hassan all those years. He proved his power over him this way. He would also read him riddles, but as soon as Hassan was better, he stopped. He always needed to have power over him.

10. Devices - Irony • Amir gets a scar on his upper lip from the fight • For you a thousand times over • Baba forgave Hassan • Assef’s eye

11. Devices – Metaphor/Symbol/ Foreshadowing • The Lamb (flashback) • The Kite (glory) • Amir asks for new servants.

12. How the theme evolved • The theme evolved in this novel when Amir finds out that Hassan was his brother. This changes the theme because this is not how family would be treated. • In the beginning, Amir was very mean and betrayed Hassan. • In the end, Amir treats him with respect and takes care of his son.

13. Theme.. • Amir and Hassan follow in their fathers’ footsteps and are best friends. What separates them though, is that Hassan is Amir’s servant. • Amir has difficulty finding the difference between friendship and servanthood. When Amir betrays his “friend” by not standing up for him, Amir justifies it because Hassan is his servant.

14. Class Assignment • 1. How is losing Assef an example of irony?

15. Answer • When Hassan was younger, he threatened Assef saying he would shoot him in the eye. A generation later, his son shot Assef in the eye, and he lost his eye.

16. Class Assignment • 2. Were Baba and Ali best friends too?

17. Answer • They would play together as a child, but Baba never referred to him as a friend.

18. Class Assignment • 3. Why does Baba get upset when Amir asks for new servants?

19. Answer • Baba was Hassans father too, that is why he specifically said that “Hassan” wasn’t going anywheres.

20. Class Assignment • 4. How did Amir prove his power over Hassan?

21. Answer • Amir made fun of Hassan a lot. He would read him riddles, but once Hassan started to get better at them then Amir, he would stop.

22. THE END