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Hassan is one of the primary characters in Khaled Hosseini's 2003 book, The Kite Runner. He is a compassionate and self sacrificing character throughout his life, from childhood until the face of death, being loyal to his friend/half brother Amir, regardless of his extremely hurtful actions toward him.

=Character= Hassan is described as 'a boy with a Chinese doll face perpetually lit by a harelipped smile.'(p.22). His father is Baba, making him half brothers with Amir. Hassan's mother (Sanaubar) neglected him after only a week of his birth as she eloped with a mystery man. After this, Baba decided it was best to disown him for the sake of his pride as an Afghan man and because of his stature as a well known business man in Afghanistan. Although Hassan's childhood lacked the love and care of a mother, he was still able to love and show his affection for Amir. Worse, he suffered the disrespect and derogatory comments of his mother's affair. Hassan appears to have not only retained the love of his 'father' Ali, who is Baba's friend as well as servant, who pretended to be Hassan's father as Sanaubar was married to him, but also never lost the love of Baba, making Amir jealous.

Hassan holds Amir in high regard and treats him as though he's his real brother. Sadly, Amir's feelings are not mutual, and even after multiple times of being deceitful towards Hassan, he repeatedly lies for Amir. This is seen when Amir devises a plan, making Hassan and Ali leave his house forever, as Hassan confesses to stealing the watch and money Amir had planted under Hassan's pillow. It is seen that Hassan is once again taking responsibility for Amir's actions, in spite of knowing that Amir did not replicate his thoughtful actions when Hassan was being raped. Hassan demonstrates that he is a trustworthy and loyal friend. This is noted when he is seen protecting Amir multiple times from Assef with his well-known slingshot. Due to his social status, his intelligence is more instinctive than academic, showing his low levels of education. He is a victim of discrimination, namely racism, as a result of his ethnocultural Hazara background, struggling to fit in.

=Depiction in film= .

=Analysis: Kite= Hassan seamlessly possesses his father's bravery and physicality as he is known as the best kite runner. Hassan, the cleft lip Hazara, nurtured by Ali the servant and confronted with discrimination, incorporates positive qualities and asserts his generous spirit. Hassan is an overall icon who embodies commitment, kindness, and dedication. In the book, the kites Hassan captures are metaphors for characteristics such as courage and devotion. Hassan always succeeds in catching the kite. Yet, achieving that isn't always easy. When catching the last blue kite, Hassan needs to decide between keeping a vow and facing anguish. He undergoes rape from Assef making him the ultimate sacrificial lamb, demonstrating his honourable virtues. However, his submissive nature led to his execution by the Taliban. Yet, his existence is confirmation of infinite benevolence and honesty. Hassan's death is the charge of the living's atonement. As a result, Hassan's encounter with kites instils optimism for mankind's transformation and a new beginning in Afghanistan. The kite represents Hassan's ambiguous life. As soon as he is born, he is sadly doomed to be unfortunate. He is an oppressed Hazara, a servant, a bastard without maternal love and 'ugly' due to his cleft lip. People are gravely affected by those who act wrongly. Subsequently, the conventional good hearted characters suffer the same fate, which is mirrored in the kites, which glide unsteadily and eventually collapse when their kite string is split. .

=The Hazaras= The Hazaras are one of Afghanistan's ethnic minorities. A law in Afghanistan prohibited Hazaras from holding positions of governing power until 1970. They're usually located in the mountains in the center of Afghanistan. Hazaras are perhaps the lineage of the originator of the Mongol empire, Genghis Khan. Their oriental facial features and Persian language ­distinguish them from the rest of Afghanistan. Although Hazaras are primarily Shi'a Muslims, the greater part of the Afghan population is Sunni Muslims. .

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