Student Question
In The Kite Runner, why does Hassan choose to move back into the hut instead of Baba's house with Rahim Kahn?
Quick answer:
Hassan chooses to live in the hut instead of Baba's house due to his understanding of societal norms and his comfort with his role. He recognizes that living in the large house would be seen as improper, despite having permission, and he is content supporting Rahim Khan from the small house where he grew up. Additionally, Hassan moves back to help Rahim Khan after learning of Baba's death, feeling a sense of duty and connection.
Given that Hassan is a very, very intelligent man and one with a relatively wide experience at the time he returns to Kabul to live with Rahim Kahn, it makes sense for a number of reasons that he live in the small house rather than the large one.
He understands his place in the society of Afghanistan and knows that it won't be seen as proper for him to be living in his former master's house regardless of whether or not he has permission. He is comfortable and proud of the role that he plays in supporting his former master and his former master's friend and the household and he doesn't need the comforts of the big nice home to add to that.
He also likely feels comfortable there, having grown up there. The bigger house may have presented an uncomfortable circumstance for him, one he'd rather avoid.
In The Kite Runner, why did Rahim Khan invite Hassan to live at Baba's house?
Rahim Khan seeks out Hassan, who now lives in another city with his pregnant wife, because he is getting older, still living alone in Baba’s house, and has trouble taking care of it on his own. He seeks Hassan to com live with him and initially Hassan refuses but after Rahim Khan tells Hassan about Baba’s death in America, Hassan becomes emotional and eventually grants Rahim Khan’s request. Hassan picks up and moves, perhaps because he himself really has no other family besides his wife. We learn in this passage that Ali, Hassan’s father, has been killed.