The Kite Runner | Chapter 2

Amir's (the narrartor's) friend Hassan is introduced to us. Hassan is a very faithful friend of Amir and is constantly trying to please him. Amir often makes him do things which are obviously wrong, but Hassan never complains and takes the blame on himself. One of their childhood pranks is to climb the poplar tree in the driveway of Baba's house and reflect sunlight into their neighbours' house. Hassan has a cleft lip, it was as though "the chinese doll maker's instrument may have slipped," otherwise he is beautiful.

Hassan lives with his father, Ali in a mud hut on Amir's property. His mother,Sanaubar deserted the family a week after Hassan was born to live with a group of travelling dancers. Hassan's family is forced to live with this stigma forever.

Amir's father is prosperous and owns an estate in an affluent neighbourhood of Kabul. Hassan's father works for Baba. Amir's father is affectionately called by him as Baba. Baba has many friends chief among them is Rahim Khan. Amir's mother died while giving birth to him.

Ali who is a Hazara and a Shi'a Muslim is slightly physically challenged. Ali and Hassan have to endure a lot of discrimination because Shiite muslims were a minority and resembled the chinese because of their mongol descent. Ali's lower facial muscles are paralyzed, so he cannot show any emotion, and his right leg is twisted so he walks with a stange gait. Amir's family, however, is Pashtun and they are Sunni Muslims. Although Amir and Hassan are both ethnicaly different, they are thick friends and grow up together. Amir's first word is "Baba" and Hassan's first word is "Amir."