… .A pair of Talib officials came to investigate and interrogated Hassan. They
accused him of lying when Hassan told them he was living with me even though many of the neighbors, including the one who called me, supported
Hassan’s story. The Talibs said he was a liar and a thief like all Hazaras and ordered him to get his family out of the house by sundown. Hassan protested.
But my neighbor said the Talibs were looking at the big house like-how did he say it?-yes, like ‘wolves looking at a flock of sheep.’ They told Hassan they
would be moving in to supposedly keep it safe until I return. Hassan protested again. So they took him to the street-“. Hosseini 2003, 192
From the description above, the writer concludes that Hassan is the protagonist character. He is a hero for Amir, such as accompanying Amir to play in
the backyard when Amir is alone, hearing Amir’s first story when Baba dislikes it, protecting Amir when Assef disturbs him, running the last cut kite for Amir’s victory
and it makes Hassan becomes a victim of sexual harassment, recognizing that Hassan steals Amir’s watch and money toward Baba and it makes Hassan to leave Amir’s
house, and protecting Amir’s house from the Talibans and it makes Hassan and his family died. Besides, this character is presented with a flat character; Hassan
undergoes no change or development in his attitude and tends to stay the same throughout a story. Hassan always protects helps and cares with Amir, for his
happiness in whatever situation.
B. The Issue of Cultural Identity
The issue of cultural identity in this story happened in both of the two main characters, Amir and Hassan. Their cultural identities come from histories in
Afghanistan where Afghanistan is ethnically a very diverse country, namely Pashtun,
Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Aimaq, Turkmen, Baluch, and other small group.
27
The culture of Afghanistan reflects its ancient roots and position as a crossroads for invading
ethnic groups and traditions.
28
The writer analyzes their cultural identities because they have conflict based on cultural identity eventhough they come from the same
country, Afghanistan. However, they come from different ethnics. In this analyzing the issue of cultural identity, the writer uses the concept of Cultural Identity by Stuart
Hall. Cultural Identity is in terms of one, shared culture, a sort of collective ‘one
true self’, hiding inside the many other, more superficial o artificial imposed ‘selves’, which people with a shared history and ancestry hold in common. It is called as
identity as being. This definition explains that Amir and Hassan’s characters reflect their
common historical experiences and shared cultural that show them as one people as
27
Afghanistans ethnically and linguistically mixed population reflects its location astride historic trade and invasion routes leading from Central Asia into South and Southwest Asia. While
population data is somewhat unreliable for Afghanistan, Pashtuns make up the largest ethnic group at 38-44 of the population, followed by Tajiks 25, Hazaras 10, Uzbek 6-8, Aimaq, Turkmen,
Baluch, and other small groups. Dari Afghan Farsi and Pashto are official languages. Dari is spoken by more than one-third of the population as a first language and serves as a lingua franca for most
Afghans, though Pashto is spoken throughout the Pashtun areas of eastern and southern Afghanistan. Tajik and Turkic languages are spoken widely in the north. Smaller groups throughout the country also
speak more than 70 other languages and numerous dialects.
Background Note: Afghanistan, http:www.state.govrpaeibgn5380.htm, p. 3. Accessed on May 24, 2008.
28
Culture in Afghanistan, Accessed on September 14, 2008. http:asia.msu.educentralasiaAfghanistanculture.html. p. 1
the Afghan; however they have different cultural identity in ethnic. Many cultures that they have as the Afghan even they have different ethnics, namely:
1. Language
The Afghans which lived in Kabul speak with Dari Afghan Farsi as their language to communicate to others. Amir and Hassan live in one house in Amir
house because Amir is a boss of Hassan. They usually speak with the language of Afghan Farsi as the official language to communicate in both of them even they come
from different ethnic. In this case that Language being use as one of the sign to describe them as one people Afghanistan.
“… a word for which a good Farsi equivalent does not exist: “sociopath.”
Hosseini 2003, 34
2. Literature
Although literacy levels are very low, classic Persian poetry plays a very important role in Afghan culture. Poetry has always been one of the major
educational pillars in both Iran and Afghanistan, to the level that it has integrated itself into culture. In this case, Amir and Hassan like the poetry and the other
literature work such as the epic Persian heroes at the tenth-century “Shahnamah” and “
Rostam and Sohrab”. Amir usually tells the story to Hassan because Hassan is illiterate that cannot read. However, Hassan understands what Amir tells to Hassan.
For Amir, Hassan is the perfect audience that can understand his first story and makes Amir can write his first story in thirty minutes. Hosseini 2003, 29
3. Traditions
Amir and Hassan have tradition according to Islam. In tenth day of Dhul- Hijjah, the last month of the Muslim calendar, and the first of three days of Eid Al-
Adha, or Eid-e-Qorban, as Afghans call it-a day to celebrate how the prophet Ibrahim almost sacrificed his own son for God. Usually Amir, Hassan and their fathers stand
in the backyard to see this ritual every year. Besides, there are some customs in Eid Al-Adha such as divide the meat in thirds, one for the family, one for friends, and one
for the poor. Then, the other custom is to not let the sheep see the knife and feed the animal a cube of sugar to make death sweeter. Hosseini 2003, 67.
Besides on Eid, three days of celebration after the holy month of Ramadhan, Kabuli dressed in their best and newest clothes and visted their families. People
hugged and kissed and greeted each other with “Eid Mubarak.” Happy Eid. Children opened gifts and played with dyed hard-boiled eggs. In this moment, Hassan gets the
gifts from Baba and he plays together with Amir. Hosseini 2003, 38. In Afghanistan, yelda is the first night of the month of Jadi, the first night of
winter, and the longest night of the year. As was the tradition, Amir and Hassan used to stay up late, their feet tucked under the kursi, while Ali Hassan’s father tossed
apple skin into the stove and told them ancient tales of sultans and thieves to pass that longest of nights. Besides, if the people ate watermelon in the night of yelda, they
wouldn’t get thirsty the coming summer. In addition, yelda was the starless night tormented lovers kept vigil, enduring the endless dark, waiting for the sun to rise and
bring with it their loved one. Hosseini 2003, 125 4.
Traditional Games In Afghanistan, Buzkashi is a national sport that is similar to polo and played
by the horsemen into two teams, each trying to grab and hold of a goat carcass. It takes place on the first day of spring, New Year’s Day. In this moment, Baba ever
took Amir to watch Buzkashi from the upper bleacher. “
Buzkashi was, and still is, Afghanistan’s national passion.” Hosseini 2003, 18
Besides, when they were children, they usually play the traditional games of
Afghanistan such as chasing each other between tangles of trees in Baba’s yard, playing hide-and-seek, cops and robbers, cowboys and Indian, insect torture, flying
kite and running the kite. Before the kite tournament, they sat under the kursi and played panjpar as wind-rattled tree branches tapped on the window. In this case,
Amir never thinks about Hassan’s cultural identity that comes from a Hazara. The kite-fighting tournament is an old winter tradition in Afghanistan. It is
started early in the morning on the day of the contest and does not end until only the winning kite fly in the sky. In this moment, all of the boys from different ethnic come
gather on sidewalks and roofs to cheer for them who follow competition. The streets are filled with kite fighters, jerking and tugging on their lines, squinting up to the sky,
trying to gain position to cut the opponent’s line. Besides, every kite fighter had assistant. In this case, Hassan is Amir’s assistant who held the spool and the fed line.
It shows that Hassan is inferior character that accepts everything for his boss, Amir.
For Amir, Hassan is the greatest kite runner in Afghanistan that always gets the spot the kite would land before the kite does, as if he had some sort of inner compass.
EVERY WINTER, districts in Kabul held a kite-fighting tournament. and if you were a boy living in Kabul, the day of the tournament was undeniably the
highlight of the cold season. Hosseini 2003, 43-44 However, in the winter of 1975, the internal conflict which Amir envies
toward Hassan happens in both of them that makes their cultural identity is different superior and inferior. Amir comes from the superior ethnic who always does
everything to wipe Hassan off his life like letting Hassan to become a victim of sexual harassment and accusing Hassan of stealing his watch and money. Besides,
Hassan comes from the inferior ethnic who always accept everything from the superior ethnic, Amir.
Baba came right out and asked. “Did you steal that money? Did you steal Amir’s watch, Hassan?” Hassan’s reply was a single word, delivered in a
thin, raspy voice: “yes.” I flinched, like I’d been slapped. My heart sank and I almost blurted out the truth. Then I understood: This was Hassan’s final
sacrifices for me. If he’d said no, Baba would have believed him because we all knew Hassan never lied. And if Baba believed him, then I’d the accused; I
would have to explain and I would be revealed for what I really was. Baba would never, ever forgive me. Hossein 2003, 91
Their cultural identity is very strong that cannot be changed by anything. It
can be seen when Hassan always gets the cruelty from superior ethnic, especially from Amir. He cannot against what Amir does toward him. Hassan only accepts it
and Hassan also recognizes that he is just a Hazara. He is a minority ethnic group in Afghanistan.
Hassan identity is like his father, Ali, as a Hazara and Shi’a Moslem. The Hazara kinship is organized in lineages; descent is traced through the male line. The
male in specific area consider themselves descendants of common ancestor.
29
A Hazara has physical appearances that are very different with a true Afghan, the
Pashtun. I can still see Hassan up on that tree, sunlight flickering through the leaves on
his almost perfectly round face, a face like a Chinese doll chiseled from hardwood: his flat, broad nose and slanting, narrow eyes like bamboo leaves,
eyes that looked, depending on the light, gold, green, even sapphire… Hosseini 2003, 3
Hassan has a round face, a face like a Chinese people. He has broad nose and
slanting, narrow eyes like bamboo leaves, eyes that looked, depending on the light, gold, green, even sapphire and tiny low-set ears. His characteristics are Mogul
descendants. The Hazara are thought to have several affinities with the Mongols, including physical appearance, language, and kinship system. In addition, the term
‘ Hazara’ is a Mongol-Persian blend.
30
Besides, the Hazaras has attribute completely negative, like: low social, poor, low class, has defect in body such as Hassan has harelip and Ali has leg polio, and
only move in low job area likes waitress, beggar, and servant like Ali and Hassan as servants. In addition, most Hazaras is illiterate like Hassan and Ali that cannot read
the books. Because they do not have money to attend school. So, most Hazaras had
29
John Middleton and Amal Rassam. “Hazara” Encyclopedia of World Cultures, Middle Africa and the East. Vol. IX. New York: G. K. Hall and Company, 1995, p. 1
30
Ibid.
been decided to illiterate the minute he had born. From that’s description, the people have stereotype for the Hazara “Poor and illiterate”. Because Hassan has negative
attribute, the other boys have epithet name to Hassan such as Flat-Nose, A loyal Hazara. Loyal as a dog. In this case shows that Hassan is inferior that always accepts
everything from the other. And on days when he felt particularly inspired, he spiced up his baddering a
little, Hey, you flat-nosed Babalu, who did you eat today? Tell us, you slanted-eyed donkey. Hosseini 2003, 34
Besides, Amir is a Pashtun boy and Sunni Moslem. His identity is inherited
by his father as Patriarchy. Never mind any of those things. Because history isn’t easy to overcome.
Neither is religion. In the end I [Amir] was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara, I [Amir] was Sunni and he was Shi’a, and nothing was ever going to change
that. Nothing. Hosseini 2003, 22
Amir recognizes his identity as a Pashtun and Sunni Muslim. His identity cannot be changed by anything, because history is not easy to overcome. Amir as a
Pashtun is different with the other boys especially his servant, Hassan, a Hazara in physical appearances, religion, ethnicity and personality. The differences make him
as superior, better class in Afghanistan. Besides, it can be seen from the different in his physical appearances with the other as in this quotation:
Never mind that to me, the face of Afghanistan is that a boy with a thin-boned frame, a shaved head, and low-set ears, a boy with a Chinese doll face
perpetually lit by hare lipped. Hosseini 2003, 22
Amir has a thin-boned frame, a shave head, and low set ears. His face shows that he is a true Afghan. The most of the Pashtun is the richest people and successful
man that has respected job, such as Amir can attend school and his father ‘Baba’ who is the famous businessperson in Kabul such as building carpet exporting business,
two pharmacies, and a restaurant and building an orphanage in Kabul. So Baba proved them all wrong by not only running his own business but
becoming one of the richest merchants in Kabul. Baba and Rahim Khan built a wildly successful carpet-exporting business, two pharmacies, and a
restaurant. Hosseini 2003, 13 Amir has the same vision to sweep the Hazaras from his homeland with the
other Pashtun, because the Hazaras are considered to have dirty blood. The similarity makes him one true self and show that they are Pashtun. They recognize that they are
the true Afghan because Afghanistan is the land of Pashtuns, not the flat-nose like Hassan.
Afghanistan is the land of Pashtuns. It always has been, always will be. We are the true Afghans, the pure Afghan, not this Flat-Nose here. His people
pollute our homeland, our watan. They dirty our blood. “He made a sweeping, grandiose gesture with his hand. “Afghanistan for Pashtuns, I say.
That’s my vision.” Hosseini 2003, 35 The term Afghanistan, meaning the Land of Afghans, was mentioned by
the sixteenth century Mughal Emperor Babur in his memoirs, referring to the territories south of Kabul that were inhabited by Pashtuns called Afghans by
Babur
31
.
31
Afghanistan 2008, op.cit. p. 4.
What they are done is like in the book written by an Iranian, Khorami tells that there is repression toward the Hazara that done by the Pashtuns in the nineteen
century. The Pashtun had persecuted and oppressed the Hazara. And the Pashtuns had killed the Hazaras, driven them from their lands, burned their homes, and sold
their women. The reason of Pashtuns had oppressed the Hazaras that Pashtun is Sunni Muslims, while Hazaras is Shi’a. Hosseini 2003, 8. It shows that the Pashtun
has stereotyped as “bellicose” eventhough he has done that intentionally. Moreover, Amir intends to bury his memory with Hassan and his sin toward
Hassan that comes is over. So, he wants to start a new life with his father, Baba in America when Russian invades to Afghanistan and to get his future as the famous
writer. For me [Amir], America was a place to bury his [Hassan] memories.
Hosseini 2003, 112
Besides, Hassan always becomes the target of the Pashtun ethnic who is dominant group in Afghanistan. It makes Hassan’s life frightened. He cannot live
free. Where he lives, he always undergoes discrimination such as from Amir, Assef and the Taliban which follow a radical Islam but this is also Pashtun-dominated. For
example in 1998, the Taliban massacred the Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif. Talibans who come from the Pashtun ethnic do the cruelty toward the Afghans that break the law or
shari’a law that their made. The Hazara become a target of the Taliban who hate the Hazara ethnic.
A few weeks later, the Taliban banned the kite fighting. And two years later, in 1998, they massacred the Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif. Hosseini 2003, 187
These internal conflicts also represent the ethnics and inter-religion conflict.
These conflicts appear in both of them that are based in ethnic and inter-religion. In this story, the inter-religion conflict has relation with the ethnic conflict, namely the
Pashtun is Sunni Moslem and the Hazara is Shi’a Moslem. The reason of Pashtuns had oppressed the Hazaras that Pashtun is Sunni
Muslims, while Hazaras is Shi’a. Hosseini 2003, 8 It also can be seen that the Pashtun is dominant in Afghanistan and as
majority group because Afghanistan is the land of Pashtun. Besides, the Hazaras is minorities group that always get discrimination from the Pashtuns. So, the civil war
happened in both of them and symbolizes the two opposite struggles in Afghanistan, one by the Pashtuns, and the second by the Hazara, minority’s ethnic group in
Afghanistan. When Russian invades to Afghanistan, most of the Pashtuns, especially Amir
and Baba flee to America to save them from several invasions from foreign countries. It shows that the Pashtun is the richest ethnic. It is very different with Hassan just
lives in Afghanistan with the dangerous situation that lives in small village in Afghanistan. For Amir, He flew to America to bury his past memories and to start a
new life in America. In America, Amir lives in California where the Afghans immigrants live there. Amir and Baba still keeps their tradition and their habits as the
Pashtun ethnic. They wants their culture still exist although they are in America. It is
suitable with the Diaspora defines by a conception of ‘identity’ are those which are constantly producing and reproducing themselves a new, through transformation and
difference. It means that when they are at the other country they still stick with their culture and try to develop through transformation constantly. It appears conflict in
both of them when they wants stick their culture identities as the Pashtuns but they face new culture and habit in there, such as they have to adopt the habits and
American culture. It happens, when Baba confronts on difference payment between Afghanistan
and America in grocery store until Baba gets conflict with the owner store in California.
It turned out that Baba had had no cash on him for the oranges. He’d written Mr. Nguyen a check and Mr. Nguyen had asked for an ID. He wants to see my
license, “Baba bellowed in Farsi. “Almost two years we’ve bought his damn fruits and put money in his pocket and the son of a dog wants to see my
license” Hosseini 2003, 111 The owner store asks for Baba’s ID card because they do not believe to
Baba’s check. This matter is common in America, but Baba feels offended with the owner store. In Kabul, if the Afghan wants to buy something, they just take the
wooden stick as credit card to the owner store and he carves notches on their stick with his knife. At the end of month, they pay him for the number of notches on the
stick. No ID. In this case, Baba never had undergone it in Kabul where all of the people recognize and know him. Baba can get anything easily because in
Afghanistan, the Pashtuns is the richest ethnic group in Afghanistan. This situation makes Baba missed Afghanistan.
Besides, Diaspora also happens when Amir wants to marry Soraya, he uses the Afghan’s wedding, and Amir does not adopt a son. In this case, Amir and Baba
still keep and use their cultural identity as the Pashtun, Sunni Moslem. Their identity is stable and unchanging.
When Amir likes the woman, Soraya from a Pashtun ethnic group. Baba reminds Amir not embarrass Baba, because Soraya’s father is a Pashtun to the root
that has tenets, nang and namoos, honor and pride, especially when it comes to the chastity of a wife or a daughter.
“ Remember this, “Baba said, pointing at me, “The man is a Pashtun to the
root. He has nang and namoos,” Nang. Namoos. Honor and Pride. The tenets of Pashtun men. Especially when it came to the chastity of a wife. Or a
daughter. Hosseini 2003, 126-127
In this point, Amir wants to chastity Soraya to avoid the gossip material. He also does not want to embarrass Baba from his attitude. Amir and Soraya are the
Pashtuns that have mistake in the past. Amir can accept the mistake of Soraya in the past when he ran away with the Afghan boy in Virginia but he cannot tell the truth
about his mistake toward Hassan to Soraya. In this case, Amir marries Soraya and wants to raise her honor as a Pashtun because many Afghan, especially those from
reputable families, were fickle creatures. A whisper here, an insinuation there, and they fled like startled bird after know the past of Soraya. Therefore, wedding had
come and gone and no one had sung ahesta boro for Soraya, no one had painted her palms with henna, no one had held a Koran over her headdress.
In addition, Amir uses his tradition wedding ceremony to marry with Soraya such as lafz “giving word”, nika the swearing ceremony and Ayena Mashaf.
According to Afghan tradition, the Soraya’s family should held “Shirini-Khori” or “
Eating of the Sweets” ceremony the engagement party, but their families forgo the Shirini-khori. It is caused by Baba does not have months to live. Hosseini 2003, 147-
148 In “lafz”, Amir and his father come to Soraya house. In this moment, Soraya
does not present when ‘lafz’ goes on. Soraya also wear a dress in a stunning wine- colored traditional Afghan dress with long sleeves and gold trimmings. Besides, in
nika the swearing ceremony Amir and Soraya signed the certificates. Then they do Ayena Masshaf, where their families give them a mirror and threw a veil over their
heads, so they had be alone to gaze at each other. Besides, Amir uses the tradition of Afghanistan where his father, Baba passed
away. The people dress in dark suits, the women clad in black dresses and their head covered with traditional white hijabs.Hosseini 2003, 152
When Amir’s wife does not get pregnant, Amir feels that this is punishment for him, so that he does not have a child. Amir betrayed Hassan for a long time. He
wants to adopt a child who is not his offspring but he cannot do that. He gets resistance from his father-in-law. For Afghan society, especially for the Pashtuns, if
they want to adopt a baby with unknowing breed clearly, it will evoke a problem in the future. Besides, according to society tradition of Afghan race, background and
somebody’s offspring is very important to detect from which they come and from ethnic breed, they are given. Blood is powerful thing. In addition, Islam law, Shari’a,
does not permit adoption even the more moderate Muslim nations “
For one thing, they grow up and want to know who their natural parents are,” he said. “Nor can you blame them. Sometimes, they leave the home in
which you labored for years to provide for them so they can find the people who gave them life. Blood is powerful thing, bachem, never forget that.”
Hosseini 2003, 163 It still may not permit this adoption. In fact, even the more moderate Muslim
nations nations are hesistant with adoptions because in many of those countries, Islamic law, shari’a, doesn’t recognize adoption. Hosseini 2003,
294 According to Soraya’s father, Amir’s father-in-law that it contraries with
American culture, adopt is not matter. Americans marry for love; family name and ancestry never even come into the equation. They adopt that excessively, as long as
the baby is healthy, everyone is happy. But, Amir is an Afghan. In this case, Amir still keeps and uses their tradition of Afghans. He cannot assimilate all American
culture, eventhough his life in not perfect. He does not have a child. However, He can adopt a son of Hassan. Sohrab is a half-nephew of Amir
because in the past, Baba slept with his Hassan mother. Amir departs for Afghanistan to bring a son of Hassan that lives in orphanage in Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, Amir
feels difficult to get his new identity because many foreign countries enter to Afghanistan. Besides, the situation in Afghanistan is very dangerous. Many people
died in the street because the Talibans massacre the minorities’ ethnic group in Afghanistan especially communist.
The Taliban is the students of Islamic knowledge movement ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001. They came to power during Afghanistans long
civil war. Although they managed to hold 90 of the countrys territory, their policies—including their treatment of women and support of terrorists—ostracized
them from the world community.
32
The Taliban has mission such as stoning adulterers, raping children, flogging women for wearing high heels, and massacring
Hazaras. “
What mission is that?” I heard my self. “Stoning adulterers? Raping children? Flogging women for wearing high heels? Massacring Hazaras? All
in the name of Islam?” The words spilled suddenly and unexpectedly, came out before I could yank the leash. I wished I could take them back. Hosseini
2003, 248 The character who represents as the Taliban is Assef, antagonist character.
Assef does ethnic cleansing as his mission. According to Assef, Afghanistan is like a beautiful mansion littered with garbage, and someone has to take out the garbage.
Assef does that toward Hassan by massacring Hassan’s family in Kabul. Besides, Sohrab, son of Hassan also becomes a victim of cruelty of Assef. Assef asked Sohrab
to wear woman dress and dance for him. After Amir fights Assef, Amir can bring Sohrab to America to live with Amir and his wife. He does not choose to live in
Afghanistan because the situation in Afghanistan is very dangerous and wants to lift
32
http:www.infoplease.comspottaliban.html take on 6 January 2008.
Sohrab from certainty of turmoil. Besides, he has everything that special in America such as a wife, a family and a carrier as famous writer. According to Amir there are
no discrimination and racialism in America. …
, a life in a country [America] where no one cared that he was a Hazara, where most people didn’t even know what Hazara was. Maybe not.
Hosseini 2003, 198 And so it was that, about a week later, we crossed a strip of warm, black
tarmac and I brought Hassan’s son from Afghanistan to America, lifting him from the certainty of turmoil and dropping him in a turmoil of uncertainty.
Hosseini 2003, 311
In this case, Amir also adopts Sohrab as his son. Nevertheless, his father-in- law disagrees with adoption. However, this matter is very different with he wants to
adopt a son without knowing breed clearly. He adopts Sohrab because Sohrab is his family. His wife also agrees with Amir that he wants to bring Sohrab and adopt
Sohrab as his son. “
Amir, he’s your qaom, your family, so he’s my qaom too. Of course I’m sure. You can’t leave him to the streets.” There was a short pause. Hosseini 2003,
284 When Sohrab lives with Amir in America, Amir always tells about the
kindness of Hassan to his son’s Sohrab and for Amir, Hassan is the greatest kite runner. Hosseini 2003, 321. The title of novel, The Kite Runner means someone
who runs to catch a kite. The kite is the source of struggle among Amir and Hassan as a trophy of honor. It is a symbol of victory for the Afghan boys in Afghanistan. When
they succeed to cut the last kite that fly in the air, their victory is incomplete yet
because they have to run and get the last kite. In this story, the boy who can run and get the last kite is Hassan. For Amir, Hassan is the best runner in every kite
tournament. Hosseini 2003, 46
CHAPTER IV CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
A. Conclusion
The Kite Runner is a novel written by Khaled Hosseini, one of famous Afghanistan American authors. The situation of Afghanistan American inspired him
to write The Kite Runner. It tells about someone who runs to catch a kite. The kite is struggle source among Amir, Hassan and Assef as a trophy of honor. It is a symbol of
victory for the Afghan boys in Afghanistan. When they succeed to cut the last kite that fly in the air, their victory is incomplete yet because they have to run and get the
last kite. In this story, the boy who can run and get the last kite is Hassan. For Amir, Hassan is the best runner in every kite tournament
The first thing, the writer analyzes in this research is the two main characters in the novel, Amir and Hassan. Their character have important role in development of
the story, because they are performed with the conflict through their dialogues and actions that build the story in this novel.
Besides, the writer also analyzes their cultural identity because they have different cultural identity even they come from the same country, Afghanistan. It has
the purpose to find out the issue of cultural identity in both of them. Their cultural
