“I stopped watching, turned away from the alley. Something warm was running down my wrist. I blinked, saw I was still biting down on my fist, hard enough to draw blood from the knuckles. I realized something else. I was weeping. From just around the corner, I could hear Assef's quick, rhythmic grunts.
I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan the way he'd stood up for me all those times in the past, and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end I ran” (7. 137-139) Amir leaves Hassan in the alleyway. This passage In the Kite Runner is very important, along with the passage in which Amir plants a wad of cash and his watch under Hassan's mattress. Khaled Hosseni, the author counts these two incidents as Amir's two major betrayals of Hassan. I have been in both Amir’s situation and Hassan’s situation, I have seen people betray me and I have betrayed other people as of a result, I have even seen my friends betray their friends in front of me. As a child I had a lot of friends. One particular friend was Alexis. I grew up with her in an apartment complex that was located on the bad side of town. We always had to stick up for each other. My friends had a lot of influence on me at this time in my life because my feelings as a child were similar to Hassan’s growing up. I often got mistreated by my friends but I never actually realized how much they had a depraved effect on my life. Sometimes I even felt like if I didn’t have my friends I would have no one. There was a time in 2cd grade when I was bullied by friends in the bathroom. I was surprised to see that one of my best friends were a part of this. Alexis and I were supposed to be good friends but because she wanted to fit in with the bad kids in school she decided to join them. She betrayed me for a group of kids she barely knew. The way my best friend at that time betrayed me was a lot alike when Amir betrayed Hassan. I have many experiences with people I am very close with stabbing me in the back. When I graduated high school my older sister gave me her car. She was moving out of state to start a better life. Even though I was not capable of driving she left the car to me so when I get my drivers license I will be able to drive it. My brother who I am really close with asked me if he could have the car since he was capable of driving, I said no because my sister left me in charge of the car and she left specific orders saying not to let anyone drive it. I woke up one morning and my car was gone, I started to worry. I was very confused because I put the keys in a very confidential area. Later on that evening I got a phone call I wasn’t expecting. The phone call was from my grandmother and she told me that my brother took my car to a junk yard to crush it. I was devastated because that was my first car. Everyone falls in love with their first car, and mine was destroyed by my jealous older brother. My brother reminds me of Amir, they both are loyal less cowards who only think of themselves. I honestly grew myself up to be loyal and to respect others. I used to believe in the golden rule which is treating others the way you want to be treated. Amir and Hassan’s relationship showed that the golden rule has no meaning at all. I relate that to myself because even though I used to be nice to people it doesn’t mean they will be nice to me. I treat people how I want to treat them and I do what I want whenever I feel like. | | | |