Hassan is a poor Shi'a Muslim and ethnic Hazara. The two boys clearly love one another, but their differences are always at the surface.

For instance, it is telling that Amir never once refers to Hassan as his friend. Yet the two boys are always together. They do everything together, but there is an unspoken line drawn between companionship and actual friendship—at least in Amir’s mind, as a child growing up in Afghanistan. His relationship with Hassan parallels the relationship their fathers had as boys. Amir says,

Ali and Baba grew up together as childhood playmates—at least until polio crippled Ali's leg—just like Hassan and I grew up a generation later…

But in none of his stories did Baba ever refer to Ali as his friend.

The curious thing was, I never thought of Hassan and me as friends either. Not in the usual sense, anyhow.

It is not until years later that Amir realizes how good a friend Hassan was to him and that they were, indeed, friends. In fact, they were not merely the sons of a master and servant—as it turns out, they were brothers.

Throughout the book, the people in Amir’s social class display tremendous prejudice toward Hassan. They openly refer to him as “a Hazara” and to Amir as his master. Moreover, during the book’s most pivotal scene, it seems clear that the three boys who assault Hassan are from Amir’s social class. The merchant who points Amir in their direction says,

The other boys...The ones chasing him. They were dressed like you.

The reader has to wonder whether those boys would have had the temerity to assault another boy had he been from the same social class. It seems unlikely.

We often see that social class becomes a barrier to forming friendships in reality. Sometimes it is because people from different social classes socialize primarily in their own neighborhood and therefore do not have the opportunity to meet.

In The Kite Runner, social class is linked to ethnicity and religion. The main characters in the novel are separated by class but also by ethnic and religious background. Amir and his father Baba are upper class characters who are Pashtun (ethnic group) and Sunni Muslims (religion). Their servants Ali and Hassan are Hazara (ethnic group) and Shi'a Muslims (religion). Amir points out in the novel that in Afghanistan, these ethnic and religious categories are typically aligned.

Although Amir and Hassan grow up spending time together and are even nursed by the same woman after Amir's mother dies in childbirth and Hassan abandons him and Ali, their relationship is strained as a result of their class difference. When Amir feels insecure or feels like Hassan is better than him in any way, he falls back on his supposed superiority, based on his family's class and ethnic makeup. For example, when Hassan points out the plot hole in Amir's story, Amir thinks to himself that Hassan, as a Hazara, is inferior to him and has no right to correct him. When Amir and Hassan come across the bully Assef one day in the city, Assef (also upper class and Pashtun) challenges Amir to explain why he is seen in public with a Hazara and proceeds to hurl slurs at Hassan and his father Ali and to relay his admiration of Hitler and programs of ethnic cleansing. Amir thinks to himself that maybe he didn't believe Hassan was his "friend," and later, he denies Hassan as a friend and calls him simply "our servant." Amir's need to feel superior to Hassan also plays a role in Amir's lack of action when Hassan is assaulted by Assef after the kite fighting tournament.

Ironically, when Amir and Baba move to America, they must suffer a decline in class, as Baba can only find work at a gas station. Amir gets an education and becomes a writer, living a more middle class lifestyle, but they are certainly not at the top of the social hierarchy as they were in Afghanistan. A further irony is that both Baba and Amir, though privileged in their society, commit arguably unforgivable acts against the lower class characters. However, both Baba and Amir try to redeem themselves: Baba through helping the poor and starting an orphanage and Amir by adopting Sohrab, Hassan's orphaned son. Ultimately, Amir claims Hassan and stands up to his father-in-law, who insists that their Afghan-American community will demand to know why his daughter is raising a Hazara boy.

It is tragic but also realistic that the class and ethnic divisions between Amir and Hassan lead to the dissolution of their friendship, and later, to Amir's attempt at redemption. The Kite Runner offers a poignant depiction of the way social class and other distinctions can drive a wedge between people who would otherwise have been best friends.

Throughout the novel, Khaled Hosseini depicts how people treat others differently because of their social class. This treatment negatively affects many relationships throughout the novel. For example, Baba refuses to have an open, loving relationship with his son Hassan because Hassan is a Hazara. Amir is also a privileged Pashtun who looks down on Hassan and treats him disrespectfully at times. It is socially acceptable for Amir to treat Hassan with contempt, which causes a rift in their relationship. Amir never fully expresses his true feelings of friendship to Hassan because Hassan is from a lower social class. Both Baba and Amir's relationships with Hassan do not reach their full potential because Hassan is a Hazara and they are Pashtuns.

For centuries, Hazaras living in Afghanistan have suffered persecution at the hands of Pashtuns because of their religious and ethnic differences. Hazaras have prominent Asian features and are Shiite Muslims. Although they compromise 20% of the population, many Hazaras live in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan to avoid persecution. These provinces are extremely underdeveloped, and they do not have the same opportunities for advancement as Pashtuns. Relationships between Pashtuns and Hazaras are also socially discouraged in Afghanistan.

Viewing literature through the lens of social class structures allows us to see how socioeconomic status contributes to characters' lives and relationships. In The Kite Runner, the socioeconomic (as well as ethnic and religious) divide between two of the main characters creates the conflict and ultimately leads to tragedy.

The narrator, Amir, is an upper-class Afghani boy in the 1970's. He grows up alongside Hassan, his servant but also his friend. Amir is a member of the majority ethnic and religious groups (Pashtun and Sunni Muslim), and his father is wealthy and influential. Hassan, on the other hand, was born to Ali, a servant. As a Hazara and Shi'a Muslim, Hassan is denied an education and discriminated against by those of majority groups. Hassan simply never has the opportunities Amir does. Though they are close (even having been nursed by the same woman after Amir's mother dies giving birth and Hassan's abandons the family), Amir sometimes resorts to his cultural superiority and looks down upon Hassan. For example, when the boys are bullied by Assef, Hassan is quick to defend Amir but Amir doesn't feel compelled to speak out against Assef's Hazara slurs. When Amir later sees Assef assaulting Hassan after the kite fighting tournament, Amir runs away and does nothing to defend or protect the boy who grows up like a brother to him. When it comes down to it, Amir feels he is better than Hassan because of their socioeconomic and ethnic differences.

It is also the socioeconomic and ethnic privilege of Amir and Baba that allow them to flee Afghanistan while Ali and Hassan must stay. While Baba has a tough time adjusting to American life, Amir gets a great education and his dream job as a writer. He meets Soraya and they start a happy marriage together. Meanwhile, in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, Ali is killed by a landmine and Hassan is murdered by the Taliban for living in Baba's palatial house (at Rahim Khan's request and invitation). The Taliban cannot believe someone so low in status could reside there, and when Hassan's integrity and honor lead him to fight back, he is shot. Hassan's son Sohrab is orphaned and must live in squalid conditions in a home with other children until he is forcibly taken by Assef as a personal slave.

Amir is (arguably) able to redeem himself by rescuing Sohrab and defending him against his father-in-law, who feels it is not right for Amir to adopt a Hazara boy. It is ultimately the socioeconomic and ethnic differences between Amir and Hassan that lead to the division, suffering, and tragedy that these characters face. Khaled Hosseini does provide a glimmer of hope at the end of the novel, but he is also realistic in portraying the turmoil and discrimination in Afghanistan.

Analyzing literature by using a social class lens allows the reader to understand the differences between social classes, social status, and the occupations of various characters throughout the novel. Analyzing The Kite Runner through the social lens illuminates the socioeconomic disparity between certain groups of people living in Afghanistan and America. In Afghanistan, Baba and Rahim Khan are wealthy Pashtun businessmen, while Ali and Hassan are poor Hazara servants. In Afghanistan, the Hazaras are discriminated against because of their ethnicity and religious beliefs, which is why they occupy a lower social class. Later on in the novel, the Taliban take control of Afghanistan and occupy a higher social class. In Chapter 20, Amir meets a beggar who used to be a professor. The professor's current economic struggles depict his lower social status under Taliban rule. In America, Baba and Amir occupy a lower social class than they did in Afghanistan, but Amir is able to climb the social ladder after going to college and becoming a successful writer. Throughout the novel, characters who occupy lower social classes have relatively difficult jobs and are discriminated against, especially in Afghanistan. Individuals with less social status seem to be more religious and innocent, while characters who come from wealthy families tend to be immoral and selfish. Characters like Ali, Hassan, Wahid, and Farid are caring individuals who act selflessly. Wealthy individuals like Assef, and to a much lesser extent Amir, make selfish decisions which harm others.

The Kite Runner has much to do with the issue of social class because the characters' relationships with one another revolve around their placement on the socioeconomic hierarchy in Afghanistan.  Early in the novel, it becomes clear that Baba is relatively well-off and that he separates himself from Hassan and his father who are Hazara and, therefore, on a lower rung of the class system.  Through his father and others around him, Amir learns his place in this system and starts to use his air of privilege to his benefit.  When Amir decides to leave Hassan behind in the alley, he reckons that Hassan is "just a Hazara" so it does not matter what happens to him.  Even at this moment, Amir's tone suggests that he does not truly believe this, and later, Amir comes to a full realization that class status is a divisive system.  This realization puts Amir on his path to atonement, the major journey in the novel.

The issues of social class are central to The Kite Runner, especially concerning Amir and Hassan, and to a lesser extent Baba and Ali as well. It is the core of all problems and suffering in the novel, with the exception of simple human cruelty, which transcends all social class. It is worth noting, however, that other things transcend those lines as well but are less obvious, at least to societies in large. For example, the reader notices quite early on that Ali and his son Hassan are portrayed in a more positive light than Baba and Amir. This contrast only gets sharper as the action progresses, especially concerning Amir, who has to spend the second half of the book making up for mistakes he made in the first.

This isn't to say that people in power are always worse than those who are oppressed, but it shows that the lines social class draws are completely fictional and arbitrary. History has shown us time and time again that every class from kings to slaves births heroes and villains all the same. What the social class does account for is opportunity, and that remains as relevant as ever.

Today's society has all those same issues, and they are likely to remain ever-present. As human beings, it is very natural to us to think of ourselves in terms of "us" and "them," whether the "us" is our family, our religion, our nationality, or something else. In itself, it is nothing negative. The problems begin when people start to think that belonging to one group makes them better than the people in another group.

In the case of The Kite Runner, as the other answers have already pointed out, the characters don't really raise the issue of whether the Pashtuns are somehow actually objectively better than Hazaras. They live in a society where that is already accepted as a given. It means that while Hassan is—from the reader's point of view, at least—objectively a better person than Amir, it does not matter. He will still be persecuted based on his ethnicity; he will still be denied proper education and opportunities.

In addition, the other issue with social class is the continued perceived superiority of the Pashtuns. It is said that absolute power is corruptive, and it shows in the novel in the actions of the Pashtuns. Even good men like Baba turn a blind eye to the shameful treatment of Hazaras, because the unpleasant truth is that people who enjoy luxuries and success are reluctant to give it up for the sake of those who do not. In conclusion, The Kite Runner realistically portrays that there are good and bad people all over the world and in every social class. In the end, however, a person's worth is only defined by their own actions.

Throughout the novel, Khaled Hosseini depicts the oppression and persecution of the Hazara ethnic group in Afghanistan at the hands of the ruling Pashtuns. Hosseini illustrates the marginalized Hazaras through the characters Ali, Hassan, and Sohrab. Ali and his son are both Shiite Hazaras who live in poverty and are subservient to Baba and Amir. They are routinely criticized because of their ethnicity and are even persecuted throughout the novel. Hassan does not attend school, and Amir refuses to openly acknowledge their friendship because Hassan occupies a lower social class. Baba also hides the fact that Hassan is his son due to the conflicting social climate between Pashtuns and Hazaras. Later on in the novel, Rahim Khan explains to Amir how the Sunni Taliban soldiers massacred Hazaras in the street. Despite the social conflict between the two different ethnic groups, Hosseini portrays Amir and Hassan's bond in a positive light, as well as Baba and Ali's close relationship. The four characters get along extremely well but are forbidden to express their true emotions about each other because of the cultural tension. Essentially, Hosseini indirectly states that despite ethnic differences, all humans are inherently equal and should be given appropriate civil rights. It is a shame that social status and cultural conflicts prevent Amir and Baba from openly expressing their love for Ali and Hassan.

There are still many minority ethnic groups throughout the world that are oppressed and marginalized. From the Muslim Rohingya living in a majority Buddhist Myanmar to the persecuted Christians living in Syria, minorities are frequently marginalized throughout various parts of the world. The social conflict and difficult relationships illustrated throughout The Kite Runner remain relevant in today's society.

The contrast between social classes is seen in Amir and his friend Hassan. Amir is the son of Baba, a wealthy businessman and a Sunni Muslim. They live a life of privilege and comfort in a fine home and enjoy every social advantage. Amir goes to school, owns books, and reads well. Hassan, however, is a member of Hazara, an ethnic minority in Afghanistan who can be recognized by their distinct ethnic features. The Hazara make up the lowest class in Afghan society; individually and as a group, they are reviled, rejected, and dismissed as human beings. They live lives of abject poverty and discrimination.

Ali, Hassan's father, is a servant to Baba. Hassan acts as Amir's personal servant. They live on Baba's property, but not in Baba's house. Their home is a small, crude dwelling. They live in poverty, although Baba treats them well in other ways. Amir and Hassan grow up as close childhood friends, but Amir never forgets--and never lets Hassan forget--the difference in their social classes. Neither boy questions why Amir is Hassan's social superior.

Racial and ethnic discrimination still exist in our society, but it is no longer accepted as the social norm. Furthermore, many laws have been enacted to protect members of minority groups. In our society, a person is not labeled by his heritage and forced to remain in poverty as a member of a predetermined "lower class." Being able to get an education (free public education is available to all) and improve one's life is the foundation of the American Dream.

Amir sees that racism and ethnic prejudice can be found in both his native land of Afghanistan as well as in his adopted home in America. Before the Russians gained control, Baba was one of Kabul's wealthiest and most powerful men--a Pashtun who loved the modern extravagances that could be found in the West. He drove a Mustang and loved all things American. But Baba's reduced social status with the rise of USSR domination forced him to flee to America. There, he was near the bottom of the California social ladder--an immigrant who worked at a gas station for minimum wage--and he finds that America is not all that he had expected. Amir and Baba were most at home in the tight-knit Afghan community around Santa Clara where Baba still maintained his highly-prized reputation, and it is no surprise that Amir turns to a native Afghan when he looks for a bride. Amir is better able to deal with his new life in California, learning the language and getting an education before settling down and achieving his goal of becoming a writer. For Amir, the American Dream is a reality, yet he proudly maintains ties to his homeland through the Afghans living in California.

But while Amir adjusted to his new life in California, Afghanistan continued to change as different ruling parties gained control. For the lowly Hazara, things actually improved a bit under Russian control, but they soon became targeted for ethnic cleansing once the Taliban took over. The Hazaras still bring out different responses from Afghans: General Taheri is insulted that Amir and Soraya would consider making Sohrab a part of the family. Assef uses the Hazaras for sodomy and target practice. Yet, Farid is impressed enough by Amir's loyalty to his lost nephew to join him on his dangerous journey.

While it is not hard to draw parallels between the racial prejudice found against the Hazaras in Afghanistan and that against African Americans in America, the terrorist bombings in New York City on 9/11 created a negative backlash for Muslims and other immigrants in America. Amir and his Afghan friends now faced a new threat--the knee-jerk reactions by many Americans who feared that behind every thobe and burqa lurked a terrorist awaiting the chance to bring death and destruction to this country.