Amir and Hassan have a close-knit, but opaque, relationship in The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Within the first chapters of this novel, a reader can’t deny the presence of a special bond tying Amir and Hassan together. Although Amir portrays harsh feelings about Hassan, Hassan’s great significance in Amir’s childhood sometimes defies those feelings. In the beginning Amir behaved like a friend to Hassan, maybe even more, because they lived and grew up together since birth, establishing a relationship like no other. However, obstacles such as Amir’s rank in society along with his jealousy of Hassan inhibits them from having a consistent and healthy relationship. Ultimately, as a reader I would describe Amir and Hassan’s relationship as intermittent
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Whenever Amir is alone with Hassan he treats him like a best friend would, in one incident Amir “clutched him [Hassan] in a hug and planted a kiss on his cheek…. [Amir] gave him a friendly shove. Smiled” because Amir had the opportunity to express his happiness since there was nobody to judge him about treating a Hazara like a friend (30). However, Amir’s jealousy sometimes clouds his thoughts which led to Hassan’s rape. The jealousy causer Amir to feel as if he has to compete with Hassan for superiority in their relationship, both for Baba’s affection and for Amir’s ego. For an example, Amir overheard Baba explain his frustration to Rahim Khan about how Hassan had always defended him against neighborhood bullies and then at breakfast the next morning “Hassan asked if something was bothering me[Amir]. I [Amir] snapped at him, told him to mind his own business” (23). All of a sudden Amir resents Hassan and lashes all his anger out on him because he can't defend himself without Hassan. In summary, one day Amir may regard Hassan as a friend, but then the next day Amir is neck-to-neck with Hassan in a never-ending race. The aspects that make up their relationship vary, there is the truth, the lies and the forced parts, and the competition causing an intermittent
Whenever Amir is alone with Hassan he treats him like a best friend would, in one incident Amir “clutched him [Hassan] in a hug and planted a kiss on his cheek…. [Amir] gave him a friendly shove. Smiled” because Amir had the opportunity to express his happiness since there was nobody to judge him about treating a Hazara like a friend (30). However, Amir’s jealousy sometimes clouds his thoughts which led to Hassan’s rape. The jealousy causer Amir to feel as if he has to compete with Hassan for superiority in their relationship, both for Baba’s affection and for Amir’s ego. For an example, Amir overheard Baba explain his frustration to Rahim Khan about how Hassan had always defended him against neighborhood bullies and then at breakfast the next morning “Hassan asked if something was bothering me[Amir]. I [Amir] snapped at him, told him to mind his own business” (23). All of a sudden Amir resents Hassan and lashes all his anger out on him because he can't defend himself without Hassan. In summary, one day Amir may regard Hassan as a friend, but then the next day Amir is neck-to-neck with Hassan in a never-ending race. The aspects that make up their relationship vary, there is the truth, the lies and the forced parts, and the competition causing an intermittent