Brass Knuckle Scene

            The kite runner has been a pleasure to read so far. Though the events going on in the novel are not what people would call “pleasant,” the storyline is interesting and understandable. One part that strongly stuck out to me was the scene with Assef, the local bully. Here I understood how much the children are influenced by their parent’s during this time of war and hostility, and from Assef’’s words and actions I became disgusted by the power of corruption. In a sense I feel sorry for Assef. All he has been exposed to are racist, violent, and unscrupulous parents who probably brainwashed into making him believe that discriminating and torturing others for their backgrounds is right. It was perfectly clear that Assef’s words were those of his father’s when he claimed that Hitler was a great leader. The tone of admiration for that man showed the extent to which he was brainwashed and I wondered how such a young boy could have such a strong opinion. Obviously, the opinion wasn’t truly his.

            Another aspect of this scene that stood out to me was when the difference in social class and race between Hassan and Amir was sharply highlighted during their encounter with Assef. Hassan is and has been nothing less than a friend (if anything a brother) to Amir, and Amir knows this, but he still hesitates to call him his friend. This is due to the fact that Amir was raised with Hassan as his servant. This has always acted as a barrier between them, and though Amir hates to admit it, he sees himself as superior to Hassan and is sometimes ashamed to call him his friend. We see a growth in Amir’s opinions and knowledge on this subject when he says, “... and I wondered briefly what it must be like to live with such an ingrained sense of one’s place in hierarchy.” That is one of my favorite lines so far, as it really showed Amir’s contemplations surrounding this subject. A sort of question is sparked in Amir and here he begins to realize the racist and hostile environment he is being raised in. 

            This scene also made me like Hassan even more, because although he knows his "position" in society, he defends his best friend and risks being severely hurt. Hassan's true personality is shown here and we see his loyalty to Amir. He kind of makes Amir look like a coward and a terrible friend, but whatever.