Hassan, a character who is consistently humble and good, leaves a strong impression on the reader. Despite his significant role in the story, only a small number of scholars have examined his character. The purpose of this essay is to analyze Hassan’s tragedy using the theory of Etiology, which explores different causes of a phenomenon. The main elements in this analysis are The Kite Runner, Hassan, tragedy, causes, and Etiology.
Introduction
“The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini quickly became a worldwide best-selling novel. It explores themes of redemption and is set against the backdrop of Afghanistan’s monarchy falling, the Soviet invasion, and the rise of the Taliban regime. Numerous scholars have analyzed this book, specifically focusing on Amir’s betrayal and subsequent redemption. Notable examples include LV Tuo’s 2003 essay “Amir’s Growth: A Jungian Interpretation of the Kite Runner” and Jiang Xiaoqing’s 2010 piece “Growth in the Redemption Journey— Interpreting the Bildungsroman Aspect.”
Several scholars have argued that the betrayal in the story can be attributed to various factors, including the lack of anima projection, the desire for a father’s love, and the protagonist’s weak personality and inward fears (Lin Qianqian, Kang Junhei, Chang Zhonghua). While there have been literary studies on themes such as kite images, racial discrimination, and narrative strategy, there are only a few that specifically focus on the characterization of Hassan. Li Jing, an English and American literature scholar, has analyzed Hassan’s character in her essay “Analysis of the Character Hassan,” where she suggests that he is a scapegoat for racial disputes and parental failures. The aim of this essay is to further explore the causes of Hassan’s tragic fate from both internal and external factors.
The tragic story of Hassan
Amir’s character arc focuses on growth, while Hassan’s arc revolves around staying unchanged. Throughout his life, from the beginning to his tragic death, Hassan remained constant in his loyalty, forgiveness, and good-natured demeanor. Due to being born out of wedlock, Hassan faced rejection from Baba, who did not acknowledge him. Despite having Pashtun heritage, Hassan was mistakenly identified as a Hazara boy. Despite being both a friend and a servant to Amir, Hassan’s unwavering loyalty was tested when he selflessly chose to protect Amir’s kite instead of his own dignity when confronted by three boys in town. Tragically, he was sexually assaulted as a consequence.
Amir experienced guilt for not assisting Hassan when he was being bullied. He desired for Hassan to vanish before him to avoid the burden of guilt. In order to do so, he falsely accused Hassan of stealing his birthday present, a watch, by placing it beneath Hassan’s pillow. Hassan confessed to the crime and departed from the family. Despite Amir’s betrayal, Hassan harbored no anger towards him. In fact, Hassan even went so far as to sacrifice his life in order to protect Baba and Amir’s home.
Taliban soldiers sought to take possession of the house and requested Hassan to leave. However, Hassan refused to depart and was shot alongside his wife. Despite facing numerous hardships, he never regretted his decision and passed away at a young age, leaving his child as an orphan. Tragedy is a form of drama characterized by a protagonist who confronts overwhelming challenges and ultimately meets an unfortunate or disastrous fate. In this story, unlike other tragic heroines, Hassan did not resist the injustices he experienced. Instead, he displayed submission and loyalty towards Amir but fiercely fought against anyone who threatened Amir. Ultimately, he died not for himself but for Amir, representing another form of tragedy.
Importance of learning the character Hassan
The first-person narration in the novel, “The Kite Runner,” revolves around the main character, Amir, making him the central focus of scholars’ attention. Amir’s psychological actions are described in detail, and his journey to regain his goodness is both moving and shocking, showcasing the positive power of humanity. However, in addition to Amir, Hassan plays a crucial role in revealing both servility and goodness in humanity. Furthermore, his tragic circumstances shed light on the social issues of racial discrimination, inequality, and the oppressive regime in Afghanistan at that time. Thus, studying Hassan’s character is highly worthwhile, as his inherent goodness and humility make his tragedy even more sympathetic. It is clear that Hassan’s tragedy is not a random occurrence.
The causes of the tragedy
About Etiology
Etiology, the study of causes and effects, is widely applied in various fields including medicine, philosophy, physics, psychology, government operations, and biology. In the medical field, etiology (also known as “pathogenic” or “aetiology”) focuses on understanding the causes and solutions for diseases. Aristotle believed that philosophy not only aims to uncover the true nature of things but also to explore their reasons. Without knowledge of the primary cause of something, one cannot truly claim to know it. According to Aristotle, there are two types of reasons for changes in things: the “apparent” reasons and the “essential” reasons. Etiology serves as a theory that seeks to identify both types of reasons for a particular phenomenon.
Who is at fault for a tragedy?
Oxford (2005) asserts that tragedy frequently entails the primary objective of determining responsibility. Hassan’s narrative presents a tragic scenario that prompts the query of assigning blame. The notion of holding someone accountable for a tragedy is commonly linked to the “tragic hero” or “protagonist”. Conversely, the burden can be ascribed to deities, God, or another formidable force beyond our influence (Oxford, 2005).
One explanation posits that tragedy can be affected by intrinsic factors, while another argues for the influence of extrinsic factors. By employing Etiology, we can determine both the primary cause and secondary cause of tragedy.
The causes of Hassan’s tragic fate.
The extrinsic reasons
The act of discriminating against individuals based on their race
The Pashtun ethnic group is the largest and politically dominant in Afghanistan (Li Chonglv, 1980). They have historically held power in politics, while other groups like Hazaras, who only constitute fifteen percent of the population, are considered to have a lower status.
Hassan, the protagonist, is a Hazara boy who faces discrimination from local children. One child with blue eyes expresses his belief that Afghanistan belongs solely to the Pashtuns as true Afghans. He accuses Hazaras of polluting their homeland and blood by derogatorily referring to them as “Flat-Nose” (Hosseini, Chapter 4).
He was constantly seen as an outsider, not just by the criminals but also by his friend, Amir. Amir referred to him as “harelip”, “flat nose”, and “the one who eats mice”. Amir felt remorseful when he witnessed Hassan being assaulted in the alley, but he consoled himself by thinking that Hassan was merely a Hazara boy, serving him as a servant.
Amir believed that sacrificing Hassan was justified because he thought winning his father’s approval was more important. It could also be argued that Hassan’s death resulted from the discrimination he faced due to being Hazara. As he grew older, Taliban soldiers saw him as unworthy because of his ethnicity and confined him within the house where he was eventually shot. While it is possible that the Taliban used Hassan’s ethnicity as an excuse to seize the house, his racial background still played a crucial role in his tragic demise. Racism affected every aspect of Hassan’s life, causing him immense suffering and ultimately leading to his premature death.
The blame lies with parents.
Despite being born into a Hazara family, Hassan was Baba’s biological son. This was the result of Baba’s extramarital relationship with Sanaubar, who was already married to Ali. However, due to fear and the desire to protect his reputation, Baba decided not to acknowledge Hassan as his own child. Despite witnessing Hassan endure mistreatment and forced labor, Baba chose to keep his distance from him. Meanwhile, Sanaubar, known for her beauty but lacking in morals, abandoned Hassan upon discovering his cleft lip and joined a performing group.
Hassan remained unaware of his Pashtun heritage until his death. Despite considering himself a Hazara and a servant, he continuously sacrificed for Amir. Similar to Ali, Hassan endured racial discrimination and unfair treatment in silence. The suffering Hassan experienced from racial discrimination can ultimately be attributed to the irresponsibility of his parents, which serves as the underlying cause of his tragic fate.
The primary reason for Hassan’s servility is his inherent nature.
“For you, a thousand times over.” This is the famous line that Hassan promised to Amir in the novel.
Readers are impressed by Hassan’s loyalty and love for Amir. However, from another perspective, it can be seen as servility. Hassan never refused any of Amir’s requests, even those that were unreasonable. On one occasion, Amir asked Hassan if he would eat mud if he ordered him to do so, and Hassan replied affirmatively. In today’s context, asking someone to eat mud is disrespectful. Hassan acknowledged this, but he did it because he believed he was inferior to others. He felt obligated to do whatever Amir asked of him because Amir was his master.
Hassan’s rape was a result of his actions in protecting Amir’s kite, a kite that held the potential to gain Baba’s approval. This act subjected Hassan to the extreme humiliation that many Afghan men face. Despite the anguish he experienced, there was a faint glimpse of something on Hassan’s face – a look of acceptance, akin to that of a lamb. These peculiar behaviors signify the loss of Hassan’s dignity and individuality. It is important to note that Hassan and I shared the same nurturing source and took our initial steps on the same lawn, within the same yard. Moreover, we uttered our first words under the same roof – mine being “Baba” and his being “Amir,” my own name (Hosseini, Chapter 2).
Hassan’s first word was Amir, which demonstrates the immense importance of Amir in his life. Hassan viewed Amir as a maternal figure and longed for his affection. As a result, Hassan never went against Amir’s desires and even agreed to take blame on behalf of him. In going above and beyond the roles of friend and servant, Hassan devoted himself entirely to Amir. His unwavering loyalty can be seen as a type of subservience. Despite his lack of knowledge, Hassan internalized how he should behave and what actions were forbidden. He believed that, as a Hazara, it was his duty to remain loyal to his master while also understanding that as a Pashtun, he should not take risks for his servant (Jiang Xiaoqing, 2009).
Hassan’s ability to escape the pain he endured would have been possible if he had not viewed himself as inferior to others and had self-respect, regardless of his Hazara background. He could have prevented his own rape by giving the kite to Assef. Furthermore, he could have revealed Amir’s wrongdoing to avoid being forced to leave. When the Taliban arrived, he could have left the house to avoid death. The tragedy experienced by Hassan was not solely because of his Hazara identity; it was ultimately his submissive attitude that led to his demise. The Hazara people’s long-standing lower status can be attributed to their own subservience.
Conclusion
Hassan’s tragic tale can be attributed to various factors beyond his control. His parents’ actions and the prevalent racial discrimination played a significant role in his unfortunate circumstances. Owing to his parents’ behavior, Hassan was unjustly categorized as a Hazara and subsequently became a victim of racial bias. The Taliban ultimately shot him simply because, as a Hazara, he was deemed unworthy of owning a splendid house. This racial discrimination ultimately led to his untimely demise.
Hassan’s tragedy primarily stems from his servility, which is the fundamental cause of his downfall. Without this characteristic, the other two factors would not have had such a profound impact. This essay examines three contributing factors to the tragedy, while acknowledging that there may be additional elements at play, such as the complex relationship between Amir and Hassan, Hassan’s education, and Baba’s attitude towards him. The tragedy is a result of multiple factors. Within this context, Hassan is depicted as a sacrificial lamb. By delving into the causes of his tragic fate, we gain a deeper understanding of the concealed servility and insecurity within human hearts, as well as Afghanistan’s rich cultural and historical background.
