Amir and Hassan’s relationship could be viewed as one sided. Between the two of them, Hassan was the loyal one. Amir only acted kind to Hassan when no one his age was around, and even then he would often make fun of him for his lack of education. Hassan did not know this, as Amir was quite devious in the ways he would make fun of Hassan. Hassan would stand up for Amir if he was being threatened, but Amir would not do the same for Hassan. Amir allowed Hassan to be brutalized by Assef because he believed it would allow him to become closer to his father.
After Amir allowed Assef to violate Hassan, he did not tell anyone. He did not even let Hassan know that he knew. Instead, he attempt to get Hassan and Ali kicked out of the house. Amir became distant with Hassan without any indication as to why. He did not tell his Baba or Ali, or even Rahim Khan, whom had always treated Amir well. Amir even went as far as to frame Hassan for taking his money and watch, which triggered Ali and Hassan leaving
Amir and his Baba eventually moved to the United States of America to escape the poor living conditions in Afghanistan. There Amir found a woman he wished to marry and settled down with her. His wife, Soraya, had had a rough past with men and, before they got married, she told Amir. She expected him to not want her anymore, but he still did. However, he still did not tell her about what he had done to Hassan, and essentially betrayed her trust, as she believed that she knew everything about him.
While living in the United States of America, Amir received a call from Rahim Khan, who told him there was a way for him to be good again, as he had found out how Amir betrayed Hassan when they were children. He goes to Afghanistan and Rahim Khan tells him he needs to save Hassan’s son, Sohrab and bring him to some of Rahim’s friends, where he can live. Amir did not want to at first, but Rahim Khan tells Amir that he was a child who did not stand up for himself and a man who stands up for nothing and that Hassan was his biological brother. Amir decides to help Sohrab.
In a twist of events, he gets beat up by Assef to save Sohrab. Then, he makes a promise to Sohrab, which he breaks and Sohrab attempts to kill himself. Amir betrayed many people in his life, but the most prominent betrayal of his was the betrayal of Hassan, as he did it several times and the outcomes of these betrayals were horrendous. However, Amir betrayed all those who cared about him because he was selfish. He treated Hassan so poorly to make himself look better in the eyes of his peers. He allowed Assef to violate Hassan so he could win his father’s love and approval.
He did not tell anyone about the violation because he did not want their opinion of him to be lessened, including Hassan, Ali, his Baba, his wife, and Rahim Khan. He agreed to help Sohrab and fought Assef so he could feel redeemed and not as guilty about what he let happen to Hassan. He broke his promise to Sohrab so he could get back to the United States of America and return his wife sooner. Everything he did was for himself. On the other hand, Hassan did everything for the people around him, especially Amir.
When they were young and getting in trouble for mischief, Hassan would always take the blame, despite it being Amir who convinces Hassan to participate in the activities that would get them in trouble. Hassan let Assef violate him then give up the kite he had promised to Amir. He was incredibly loyal and adored Amir. Even after Hassan figured out Amir let the rape happen, he still idolized Amir and considered Amir to be his best friend. He even made Ali and him leave rather than letting Amir’s Baba know what had happened.
Hassan is so loyal because he does not know how to be deceiving. He never received a full education, so he only knew how to behave honestly. This is the main reason he never betrayed anyone he cared about. Another reason is because he wanted the best for those he loved, like Amir. He did not want to make it hard on Amir, because he loved him as a brother. Therefore, Hosseini represented betrayal through the use of actions and decisions of the main protagonists in The Kite Runner. Amir and Baba were the two worst betrayers within the novel, while Hassan was the most honest and loyal.
