The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a remarkable coming-of-age novel describing and revealing the thoughts and actions of Amir, a compunctuous adult in the United States and his memories from his wealthy childhood in the unstable political environment of Afghanistan. The novel showcases the simplistic but powerful ability of guilt to influence decisions and cause conflicts that arise between Amir's childhood friend and half-brother, Hassan; Amir's father, Baba; and above all, himself. Class Difference The quest to become “good” again provokes a reflection in Amir to atone for his sins and transform himself into the person he chooses to be. The difference in social class causes discrimination and conflicts between individuals and even between close friends in Afghanistan. . In this novel, the protagonist, Amir, and his father, Baba, are both members of the Sunni Pashtun Muslims. Most Pashtuns in Afghanistan considered themselves superior to the “dirty kasseef Hazaras” (40). The Hazaras were Shia Muslims and historically persecuted and oppressed by the Pashtuns. Hassan, Amir's half-brother and childhood playmate, is a Hazara with typically Mongoloid features. His face is “like a Chinese doll carved from hard wood” and he has “a flat, broad nose…and a cleft lip, just to the left of the midline” (3). Unfortunately, the life of a Hazara was difficult and prone to physical and mental abuse, as evidenced by the incessant bullying of Hassan and Ali, by the neighborhood boys Wali, Kamal and their leader Assef. Known for “his famous stainless steel brass knuckles” (38), Assef ridiculed Hassan and Ali by calling them “kunis” and “flat noses” (39). Physical violence manifests itself most often with the brutal rape of Hassan and a large Hazara mass...... middle of paper ......e of the final adversary. Hassan, the best kite flyer in the neighborhood, promises Amir, with the most beautiful words in the novel, “for you a thousand times” (67), that he will return with the kite. For Amir, the kite symbolizes the acceptance and pride he desperately desires from his father. This desperate desire for his father's affection pushes Amir to allow Hassan to be raped by the Assef, with the conclusion that "he was only a Hazara", expendable, and "the price [he] owed pay, the lamb [he] had killed, win Baba” (77). This lack of action due to his cowardice and selfishness clings tightly to Amir and changes his entire world, for the worse. Although "there is a way to become good again" (2), the path to redemption for Amir is difficult and is linked to the serious damage he has caused directly to Hassan and indirectly to Baba and himself..