Discrimination has a lot of layers that make it tough for minorities to get a leg up (Bill Gates). This quote is extremely applicable to Khaled Hossenis The Kite Runner. In this novel, there are two notable groups that marginalize each other: the Pashtuns (majority) and the Hazaras (minority). Each of these groups displays different tactics of oppression towards one another.These methods ultimately allow the groups to achieve their own redemption. Hosseinis description of the conflict between the Pashtuns and the Hazaras in his novel reminds us of the oppression of other minority groups in history such as Indias Untouchable class and Canadas First Nation people. The interactions of these groups and their subjugation in The Kite Runner teach the reader that victims of oppression can emerge as victors over their oppressors.

Hosseni uses the exploitation of prejudice to display the oppression of ethnic Hazaras in his novel. The Pashtuns marginalize the Hazaras significantly. They degrade their identity by talking down to them. Hazaras are given derogatory names that degrade their identity. For example, a Pashtun soldier in Chapter Two addresses Hassan and says, You! The Hazara! Look at me when Im talking to you (Hosseni 21). The word You! The Hazara in this quote removes Hassans humanity. Hosseni also tells us that Pashtuns call Hazaras derogatory names: People called Hazaras mice-eating, flat-nosed, load carrying donkeys (Hosseni 26). These names dehumanize the Hazaras by reducing their status to animals. In addition, Amir (a Pashtun) oppresses his Hazara friend Hassan, by lowering his intelligence: after all what use did a servant have for the written word What does he know, that illiterate Hazara? Hell never be anything but a cook (Hosseni 61-62). Amir does not want to educate Hassan because he does not want his servant to achieve a` higher social status. Amir prefers to take advantage of Hassans lack of knowledge of English to oppress him without Hassan knowing it: Imbecile. It means, smart, intelligent. Ill use it in a sentence for you. When it comes to words, Hassan is an imbecile. (Hosseni 62). Like all Pashtuns, Amir views Hazaras as second-class citizens.

Like the Hazaras, the Untouchables of India have faced a great deal of oppression. Both groups are treated like servants, however the Untouchables are treated far worse than the Hazara people in Hossenis book. This is because the Untouchables or the Dalit are excluded from meaningful social life and the Hindu social hierarchy also known as the caste system (Wikipedia). The Hazaras, on the other hand, are recognized as being a part of Afghan society. For instance, Amir travels with Hassan to many events such as kite fighting. (Hosseni, 40). This shows us that Hazaras can have a meaningful place in the social hierarchy of Afghanistan and are allowed to socialize with Pashtuns in The Kite Runner. Comparatively, the Untouchables have been barred from meaningful social interaction in India. Before the 1950s, they were forbidden from some towns and villages, temples, schools and wells in which the higher Hindu classes collected water. The Pashtuns in The Kite Runner and the Brahmin ruling class of India are therefore responsible for preventing marginalized ethnic groups from achieving equality with them in order to keep the status quo. The Pashtuns keep Hazaras illiterate and the Brahmins have been known to give Untouchables substandard professions, which are regarded as ritually impure. These include: leatherwork, butchering and/or removal of garbage, disposal of animal carcasses and human waste (Wikipedia). Additionally, if an Untouchable comes in contact with a higher-class Hindu citizen, this citizen will conduct rituals in order to purify him/herself of the touch. Even though it is unlawful to discriminate against Untouchables today, this discrimination still continues to occur. Therefore, the Brahmins hold similar views to the Pashtuns about the mediocre status of Hazaras and Untouchables.

Khaled Hosseni uses the sensitivities of guilt in order to display Hazara oppression of a Pashtun. Hassan unknowingly creates guilt in Amir when his Pashtun friend does not jump in to defend him when he is being raped in an alley-way: I was weeping I could hear Assefs quick, rhythmic grunts. (Hosseni 154) Then what would I see if I did look in his eyes? Blame? Indignation? Or, God forbid what I feared most: guiltless devotion? That, most of all, I couldnt bear to see. (Hosseni 156)Amir feels immense guilt over not helping his friend when he witnesses Hassan being sexually assaulted. Hassan makes Amir relive this guilt and oppresses the conscious of his Pashtun friend even more by refusing to hit Amir: Get up Hit me back Hit me back goddamn you I wished he would. I wished hed give me the punishment I craved, so maybe Id finally sleep at night (Hosseni 181). Amir believes if Hassan attacked him in retaliation, he would be redeemed of being a bystander of Hassans rape. Amir starts to target Hassan with pomegranates in order to cause him (Hassan) to hit him (Amir) back. This would cause Amir to lose a portion of his guilt. In retrospect, Hassan did pick up a pomegranate. He walked towards me. He opened it and crushed it against his own forehead There red dripping down his face like blood Are you satisfied? Do you feel better? I let the tears break free, rocked back and forth on my eyes (Hosseni 182). Hassan disregards Amirs request and instead hits himself with the pomegranate. This defiant act causes Amir to feel more guilt and prevents the boys from a ...return to how they used to be between us (Hosseni 181). Therefore, the Hazarasutilize guilt in order to gainequality.

Similar to the Hazaras, the First Nations people encounter the same type of oppression. Both groups are conquered by the larger one, however the First Nations have it worse. This is because the Native Americans prefer self-governance, however the Canadian government did ignore this request and nonetheless wereable to conquer the First Nationswith methods such as: the residential school programandlandallotments. (Wolf 64-69). The residential school systemwas created in the mid-nineteenth centuryin order to assimilate the First Nationsinto European culture. This was accomplished by: Natives being forced to tradetheir clothing for European receive Euro-American haircutsand separate from families. However, if there weresigns ofAboriginal culture, the students would be beaten, raped, and subject to neglect(Wolf 72). The Hazaras have faced similar treatment in the method of thePashtuns forcing them to be illiterate.Additionally, the First Nations are forced to give up much of their land to the "white man" in the Dominion Lands Act. Following this act, the Natives are sent on reserves, losing them much of their homeland.Comparatively, after the Hazara conquer, they were forced to live in mud huts. Therefore, the Canadian government view themselves assuperior to the First Nations.

In summary, there are two major groups which oppress and are being oppressed in The Kite Runner: Hazara's and Pashtuns. These tales of oppression are similar to the First Nations people of Canada and the Untouchables in India. Hence, these victims of oppression are victors over the oppressors. Works Cited"Dalit." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead, 2003. Print.Wolff, Ariana. Bands, Tribes & First Peoples and Nations. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.