Hassan


 * Synopsis**

__Kite Runner__ is the story of Amir, a boy who grows up in Afghanistan with his wealthy father. They have two servants, Ali and his son Hassan. Hassan is Amir’s age. They are friends until Amir witnesses Hassan being raped. Amir lacks the courage to report the event, and feels so much shame in the aftermath of the situation that he seeks to separate himself from Hassan. Eventually, Amir and his father move to America with the servants to escape the Taliban. Over the course of his adult life, Amir struggles with making amends for what he did, and sees every misfortune he comes across as punishment. When he learns of Hassan’s death at the hands of the Taliban, Amir discovers that Hassan left behind a son who needs rescuing. It is not until Amir confronts his past by returning to Afghanistan to save the boy that he feels he has reconciled himself with Hassan. The story deals with many themes, the most important of which are the importance of family, the importance of loyalty in a relationship, and atoning for past sins.


 * Archetypal Function**

Although Hassan is not the narrator, his character has large impact on the narrator’s life. Therefore, he should not be overlooked as a major character even though he is present for less than half of the novel. He plays the archetypal role of sidekick, and Amir is the “hero”. The name “sidekick” is misleading in that it gives the illusion that whoever fills that role is subordinate to the hero; that he lacks the complexity, independence, and authority that the hero possesses. However, in analyzing the over-all aspects of what defines a sidekick, and analyzing how well Hassan fills this role, one can see that the sidekick does not have to be a subordinate position after all.

To begin, a sidekick must have a strong relationship with the hero, yet something must place the sidekick “beneath” the hero, whether it be a submissive personality or a lack of superpowers. In Hassan’s case, it is a difference in societal class. Hassan is a servant, and of an ethnicity that is discriminated against in Afghanistan. Long ago, Amir’s “people, the Pashtuns, had persecuted and oppressed the Hazaras”, who are Hassan’s people. The divide still persists in the society Amir and Hassan live in. Amir explains that he “never thought of Hassan and [himself] as friends… because history isn’t easy to overcome” (p. 25). Hassan and Amir are separated, and, therefore, Amir will always be the hero and Hassan will always be the sidekick; “nothing was ever going to change that” (p. 25).

The second criteria for the archetypal role of sidekick is that the sidekick is extremely loyal to the hero, even when the sidekick is facing adversity or has been wronged by the hero himself. In the novel, the boys are threatened on several occasions by a neighborhood bully Assef. At one point, Assef “raised his fist and came for” Amir, yet it is Hassan who comes to Amir’s defense and “held a slingshot pointed directly at Assef’s face” (pp. 41, 42). Amir is so overcome with fear in this moment, so Hassan takes action instead, proving he has a great amount of loyalty despite his own terror. Hassan proves his loyalty a second time when it is Amir who mistreats him. Amir frames Hassan by making it seems as if Hassan stole a watch from Amir. Hassan must answer to Amir’s father, even though Hassan knows Amir’s part in the plot. And yet, Hassan and Ali “sat in that dim little hut, weeping, Hassan pleading [Ali] not to give [Amir] away” to Amir’s father (p. 107). Hassan’s undying loyalty is unbroken throughout the novel, even as he discovers how little loyalty Amir has for him.

A sidekick will make sacrifices for the hero if the moment ever presents itself. The sidekick always acts with an air of selflessness. When Amir frames Hassan, Hassan makes the greatest sacrifice he could make for Amir: himself. If Hassan had denied stealing the goods, Amir’s father “would have believed him because [everyone] knew Hassan never lied. And… [Amir] would be revealed for what [he] really was” (p. 105). And so to preserve Amir’s dignity and reputation, Hassan sacrifices his own. He admits to a crime he never committed, thus tainting is name and honor. Hassan knows this will forever separate him from Amir, whom he truly loves, yet he sees that as a small price to pay for saving Amir’s name. Hassan’s “final sacrifice” for Amir is himself (p. 105).

The final criteria a character must meet to be a sidekick is to be separated from the hero as a result of a mistake on the hero’s part. This separation can be either emotional or physical; in __The Kite Runner__, it is both. Amir’s choice to frame Hassan initiates this separation. First, as brothers, they are forever separated; Ali places his arms around Hassan in “a protective gesture”, and it is Amir whom “Ali is protecting [Hassan] from” (p. 106). Amir made “life here impossible for” Hassan, and it is the physical separation that follows as he watches a “car pull away from the curb, taking with it the person” who Amir had grown up with (pp. 106, 109). Hassan is on the receiving end of an act that created a rift much deeper than the societal divide between the boys. The choice Amir made had repercussions that solidified a history book’s worth of differences between the boys.

Hassan lacks one final aspect of a sidekick that would allow him to perfectly fill the archetypal role: the sidekick is reunited with the hero. But it is through the absence of this reconciliation that the author is able to develop his theme of atonement.

Dr. Watson in //Sherlock Holmes// is representative of the sidekick archetype. Watson and Holmes have a very strong relationship, yet Watson is inferior in the sense that he lacks the cleverness and problem-solving abilities of Holmes; at least, he possesses them to a lesser degree. Watson demonstrates undying loyalty to Holmes, as well. Holmes puts quite a bit of stress on Watson, and yet Watson always comes through for Holmes. He makes incredible sacrifices for Holmes; even when Watson finally decides to get married, he does not put Holmes on the backburner. And it is no question that Watson is wronged by Holmes. Holmes has a habit of acting selfishly, he rarely shares the full extent of his plans, and he even throws Watson’s wife off of a moving train. Yet Watson comes back to Holmes time after time, proving to be a loyal and selfless sidekick.


 * How to Speak Like Hassan**

1) Never say more than what is necessary. When a terse, sharp “Back off, bully, because I’m so angry I could kill you right now” is what is needed to get your point across, rethink your words and try again. The bare minimum is all that is needed. Hassan would say something more along the lines of, “Please leave us alone.” Hassan does not seek to make more out of what is already there. For example, in the situation where he is facing off against the neighborhood bully, he does not want to be the hero of the day. He only wants to get out of the situation with as little action as possible. Therefore, Hassan does not take the extra effort to say more than what he truly means.

2) Indicate to whom you are speaking. Hassan always clarifies which person he is addressing to add emotion to what he is saying. By saying the person’s name even when it is clear he is speaking to that person, Hassan gives the impression that he is dedicated to conversing with the person, which gives him and air of genuineness. When having a one-on-one conversation with Amir, he still ends his phrases with “Amir Agha”: “Would I ever lie to you, Amir Agha? …Would you ever ask me to do such a thing, Amir Agha?” (p. 54) Amir even comments later that Hassan appears to be someone “who means everything he says” (p. 55).

3) Speak simply and plainly. Hassan does not over-complicate his words, because he is trying to sound genuine, and doesn’t want useless, flowery language to get in the way of what he is trying to say. He does not use complex or compound sentences. At one point, Amir follows Hassan blindly into a situation. Instead of going into detail to explain what is going on, Hassan merely commands, “Trust me” (p. 53). If you want to sound like a genuine person, don’t let superfluous words cloud your message.

4) Speak honestly. When Hassan wants to communicate a truth, he says it straight up. He does not beat around the bush or confuse his message with double meanings. When Amir tells him a story, Hassan simply states, “That was the best story you’ve read me… It was great” (p. 30). This endeavor would be useful if you’re trying to say something that you don’t necessarily want to say; follow Hassan’s footsteps and just speak the truth.

5) Voice what is on your mind. If you suspect someone to be thinking something that they aren’t sharing, say the right words to set them straight. Hassan does this multiple times. “’You know… I //like// where I live,’ [Hassan said]. He was always doing that, reading my mind” (p. 58). This is from the point of view of Amir, who is often provoked by Hassan to be just as truthful as Hassan is.

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