Introduction

In the first few chapters of the novel, the major characters Ali, Hassan, Baba, Rahim Khan, and the narrator, Amir were introduced. The setting takes place in Afghanistan where Amir and Hassan grew up in their childhood. Baba and Ali were introduced as living in a previous generation, also as good friends. Baba is Amir's father and his wife died at birth. Rahim Khan praises Amir's first short story as a work of art and tells him to continue pursuing his gift. Baba is not open to Amir's intellectual curiosity and as a result does not percieve him to be his son. He does not believe in Amir's teacher who is Shi'a. In this time, it seems as though there is already separation taking form among the family. Amir feels negative towards Hasaan. A first example of this evolves from the following quote:

"Never mind any of those thins. Because history isn't easy to Overcome. Neither is religion. In the end, I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara, I was Sunni and he was Shi'a, and nothing was ever going to change that. Nothing." -(25)

Already we see that the Sunnis and Shi'a cannot feel a connection to one another because of their difficult differences from the history of their residence.

Do you think that these differences foreshadow the breakdown of Amir's family and friendship with Hasaan?
Why do you think this separation still remains within all Sunni and Shi'a?