Author’s Note: I wrote this for English 11; my assignment was to compare Amir and Hassan, two characters in The Kite Runner. This was written after reading the first three chapters.

In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Amir and Hassan have a rather peculiar relationship for two personalities that are similar yet very different.

Amir and Hassan share a childhood together. They launch walnuts at German shepherds and even shine sunlight into their neighbours’ homes by using a mirror. However, their friendship is more than simply having a good time. They stand up for each other when they encounter an obstacle. When they get caught annoying their neighbours, Hassan “[n]ever [tells] that the mirror…[is] always [Amir’s] idea” (4). Likewise, when Hassan is harassed by a group of soldiers, Amir comforts him. Undoubtedly, their relationship is that of brothers – without the family connections.

The differences between Amir and Hassan are so vast they appear to be opposites. For instance, Amir is the one who always produces the mischievous ideas which annoys their neighbours. Although he is impish, he “never fights back” (24). Hassan always steps in when the neighbourhood boys tease him. On the contrary, Hassan is not fiendish.

Finally, although Amir and Hassan are opposite in personality, their differences complement each other and compensate for the flaws of the other. This pulls them together and results in “a kinship that not even time [can] break” (11).

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