pg.2 "For you, a thousand times over." -Hassan
At this point in the novel, this line is stated only as a memory in Amir's mind. The precise context from which this quote is taken is not yet revealed, but knowing that Hassan and Amir are good friends, this quote gives a window into the depth and significance of their friendship. The amount of devotion implied by the thought of doing something a thousand times for one person could only be present in a deep and true friendship of a unique and unparalleled quality.
pg. 39 "They were foreign sounds to us then. The generation of Afghan children whose ears would know nothing but the sounds of bombs and gunfire was not yet born." -Amir (narrator)
This quote is stated by Amir as the narrator, in retrospect, referring to the environment of Afghanistan in the early 1980's, into which children were born and raised in a war-torn environment and hard-wired for simple survival. This concept has a modern application, in that there will be another generation of such children, as a result of US military action against the Taliban in post-9/11 Afghanistan, twenty years later. That first generation's children, who would spend their lives rebuilding a broken nation would, themselves, give birth to a generation that would be cursed to face the very same nightmare as their grandparents.
p. 45 "He'd [Hassan] referred to Assef as "Agha" [a term of reverence/respect], and I wondered briefly what it must be like to live with such an ingrained sense of place in one's hierarchy." -Amir(narrator).
This quote captures the essence of Hassan's nature as known to Amir. Hassan would even address his enemy with honour and respect as society demanded. The quote represents the reoccurring concept/fact that inevitably separates the two friends: they are of different classes. Because of this, society expects different interests and loyalties from each, and therefore, expects that they would not be friends. Other than Assef's direct opposition to their friendship, this truth remains as the only other major obstacle throughout the course of their friendship.
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Bryan, I find this to be a very true peice of writing. When the book stated; the generation that knew nothing but gunfire was not yet born" it rang in my ears. It made me realize how blessed I am. How blessed I am to have been born in such a rich and peaceful country. I love the amount of knowledge you have on this particular topic. The topic of Afghanistan hasn't really affected me until reading this particular book. I have thought about the pain that this country is going through, but I have never thought about the separation of friendship, and the pain that people go through when this happens. Although Afghanistan seems so distant from us, it is amazing to see the similarities of our societies and how much we value the same things as the people of this war torn country.
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