The first thing i noticed aout this book that really disturbed and upset me was the tension and difference between the Pashtuns and the Hazzaras. This theme was an important one because it contributed to the injustice brought upon Hassan on several occasions throughout the novel. One example is that Hassan is a household servant for Amir and Baba, simple because he was born Hazzara, which is of a lower class than the Pashtuns. Another example is the way that Assef treats Hassan. Assef treats Hassan in such a horrioble digrading manner not only because he is a sociopath but also because Hassan is a Hazzara, and so Assef sees Hassan as someone who is below him and therefore is considered trash compared to himself. It amazed me that people could be so degrading of one another and that they could simply ignore another right to free will and free speech. Segregation of such a degree is not common in our society and so it amazed me that things could be this intense in other countries.
Another thing i noticed and was intrigued by was the relationship between Amir and Baba. From the beggining i could tell that the relationship was going to be strained and that that would be a large part of the conflict in the book. Although Amir did not always feel it, Baba was quite an amazing man whom i was quite impressed by. He did all the things people said he could not do. Though he had no training as an architect, he designed and built an orphanage. Though people said he had no business sense, he became one of the most successful businessmen in the city. Though nobody thought he would marry well because he wasn’t from a prominent family, he married Amir’s mother, Sofia Akrami, a beautiful, intelligent woman who came from a royal bloodline. I could completley understand why Amir looked up to Baba so much and why he craved his love. I could relate to this theme very well because i was raised by my father and i remember when i was younger how i looked up to him and how i thought that he was capable of anything, that he was the strongest person aloive and that he was fantastic. My relationship with my father had a huge impact on my childhood and on the kind of person i am today. By the end of Baba’s life, he and Amir pretty much reunited and so i was very happy to see that.
Something i found ironic about the book was how prevalent American culture was in the country during