Monday, May 21, 2012

In The Kite Runner, why do Amir and Hassan have a strained relationship? Can their troubles be attributed to religious differences, as Amir seems...

"Amir is a privileged Pastun, Hassan one of the despised minority Hazaras.  Amir is guilty of "the petty cruelties that privilege invites, the risk of these escalating into betrayals with far-reaching consequences, and the way loving devotion can become masochistic submission" is evident in the way Hassan serves Amir.  Their relationship is further strained because Hassan is a servant.  He and Amir are "friends" and play together but there are many evidences that Amir abuses this friendship and "plays" with Hassan's devotion to him.  The friendship is put into further strain when Amir observes Hassan being raped and does nothing to stop it and later does not tell anyone what he has seen.  The guilt that Amir suffers from creates an insurmountable wall between the two boys.

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What is the main function of the fool in "King Lear"? What is the secondly function?

The fool as a character is confusing, but part of this is the difference between the 1600s and today, as well as the difference in place. If...