BELONGING SPEECH- Leo Im

Environmental and social influences as well as the desire to belong

can alter ones perception and action. Khaled Hosseinis The Kite
Runner (2003) explores this idea through the protagonist Amir.
Dealing with isolation and exclusion, he latches on to his only
family-like relationship with Hassan. On the other hand, due to the
racist society Amir belongs to, he treats Hassan in an ill-mannered
way. Therefore, Amir is left feeling baffled about his relationship with
Hassan and ultimately the development of his own character

Amir demonstrates the innate human desire to belong through how

he maintains his unusual relationship with Hassan. Due to the
distant connection he has with his father, Amir forms a brotherly
bond with Hassan, which to [his] own surprise provides company
and emotional assistance in various cases in the novel. His
expression of surprise reveals a more deeply seated astonishment
when being comforted by Hassan a servant who he once
considered impossible to find a sense of belonging in, as (Amir)
was a Pashtun and (Hassan) was a Hazara, (Amir) was Sunni and
(Hassan) was Shi'a, and nothing was ever going to change that.
Amir is adamant about how nothing could change his way of
thinking and his belief in the importance of religion and race just as
the rest of the society does; however by being unable to forge a
strong relationship with his father, Amir is unconsciously forced to

seek places to belong, where he least expects it, which is within

Hassan.

We can see that the environment Amir belongs to has a significant

influence on the way he thinks and behaves. Although Amir treats
Hassan mostly just like a friend we see moments in the novel
where Amir expresses his authority and higher social status. It
becomes ironic as the society that discriminates against Hazaras
strongly contrasts with Amirs intrinsic need to belong. Although he
is able to emotionally rely on Hassan, he never thought of Hassan
and (himself) as friends. The diction never suggests Amirs
definitive idea that he and Hassan dont have any special
connection, even when his only sense of belonging is within him.
The author illustrates this internal confusion when asking why (he)
play(ed) with Hassan only when no one else was around. The use of
a rhetorical question allows us to interpret Amirs feelings of
bewilderment and desperateness to belong. By belonging in Kabul
Amir has not only obtains the sense of immoral superiority but also
has been perplexed on his relationship with Hassan.

When we think of belonging, we tend to only think of its positive

effect it has on ones actions and mind; however The Kite Runner
illustrates how belonging can also cause further confusion and
contradiction. Amirs search for belonging fosters his close
relationship with Hassan; however the environment he is brought up

in rejects Hassans race and therefore their true sense of friendship

in the community of Kabul. Ultimately the author describes to us our
need and desire for belonging while also demonstrating conflict that
can arise from it.