News Report - an Act of Betrayal

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           An Act of Betrayal

Amir, Hassan, Assef and his two friends (Wali and Kamal).          

After the kite fighting tournament which Amir had won.

In an alley where Assef and his two friends trapped Hassan.

   A sad event, a moment of betrayal. Hassan was being beaten and raped by Assef and his two friends, Amir saw what was happening and didn’t come to help him.

   Assef who was standing over them said, “There’s nothing sinful about teaching a lesson to a disrespectful donkey. It’s just a Hazara. All I need you weaklings to do is to hold him down.”

[pic 1]                            [pic 2]

   The morning of the tournament, Hassan describes his dream to Amir. Amir won the tournament. Hassan took off to find the blue kite and bring it to Amir. Amir finds Hassan facing Assef and his two friends (Wali and Kamal) who were trying to steal the kite from him.

    Assef tells him that Amir considers him worthless, but he defends himself and Amir, saying there are friends. The fight starts and Amir stands there gazing at them. Amir turns away weeping, still hearing Assef’s grunts from the alley. Instead of go to help Hassan, who has stood up for him so many times, he fled and tries to convince himself he ran out of fear. He felt Hassan had to be his sacrificial lamb so he could live happily, and thought to himself “He’s just a Hazara, wasn’t he?” Amir later found Hassan walking down the street, holding the blue kite. He pretended he had not seen the rape, he was terrified that Hassan would know and still be devoted to him. Hassan said nothing about the rape even though he was bleeding through his pants. Eventually, they returned home and Amir was so overjoyed that he forgot he had just betrayed Hassan.