Question

character sketch of hasson

Answer 1

Who is Hassan?

Hassan is the son of Ali and Sanaubar. His mother runs away shortly after Hassan's birth, perhaps due to the disfigurement of his cleft lip. In addition to this birth defect, Hassan is also Hazara. The Hazaras are a minority group in Afghanistan that are the frequent target of harassment. Because of this, his social standing is not equal to that of the Pashtuns, like Baba and Amir. As a result, he and his father are the house servants for Baba and Amir. Since Amir and Hassan are essentially the same age, they grow up together, running around and acting as if they were brothers. Hassan is also the frequent target of harassment by other kids.

Hassan is a brave young boy who stands up for himself and Amir. Amir tends to rely on Hassan for protection when confronted by bullies, due to Hassan's excellent marksmanship with the slingshot. Despite Amir's tendency to look down on his friend due to his social standing and lack of education, Hassan stands by Amir, and would do anything to help or protect his friend.

Kite Runner

Hassan has many strong abilities, but perhaps his best skill is tracking down kites. During the kite festival, kites are flown and engaged in battle to see who will be the last flying. When the kites fall, the children run to try and catch them. Hassan has the ability to know where a kite will fall before it actually does. When Amir wins the tournament, Hassan races off to catch the last kite, which is considered a highly coveted prize.

Hassan tracks down the kite and secures it for Amir. He pays a big price for this. Hassan is confronted by Assef, the neighborhood bully, and his two cohorts. Assef sexually assaults Hassan, while Amir remains hidden and does nothing. This event marks the moment when their friendship begins to dissolve. Amir is overcome with guilt for doing nothing, while Hassan becomes silent and distant. The two attempt to rekindle their friendship on several occasions, mostly at the request of Hassan, but Amir's guilt pushes them further apart.

Betrayal

Hassan tries to engage Amir in some sort of activity, but Amir declines due to his studies. Amir's guilt eats at him to the point where he can no longer stand the sight of Hassan. Knowing his father will never allow Hassan and his father to leave their property, Amir betrays Hassan to disgrace him and his father. Knowing his father hates a liar, Amir hides his birthday money and a gift under Hassan's bed. He then tells his father that these items are missing.

Hassan knows what Amir has done. He tells his father, but begs him not to tell Baba, Amir's father. Instead, the two inform Baba that they are leaving. Rather than tell the truth and disgrace Amir, Hassan protects his friend one last time. Even though Baba forgives Hassan, he and his father leave, knowing that they cannot trust Amir