Although Amir and Hassan grew up together playing in the same fields and climbing the same trees, a huge cultural history separated them. Something much bigger erected an invisible barrier between the two of them. The division of separation was not limited to the fact that each of them slept in two different houses or ate breakfast at different tables. Amir and Hassan were born just a year apart. They each knew that they had different mothers and fathers. However, in one way or another, they were both nursed as infants at the breast of a woman who was not their mother. In their culture, the care and nourishment they received from the same woman bound them in an immutable way. Hassan almost always knew Amir's thoughts. Nonetheless, despite their friendship and unshakable food bond, the fact remains that both boys belonged to their own unique class within Afghan society. The two unique classes among the Afghan population are Shia Muslims and Sunni Muslims. Shia Muslims are also known as Hazara and Sunni Muslims are known as Pashtuns. Amir discovered a book on the subject: “The book said that part of the reason the Pashtuns oppressed the Hazaras was that the Pashtuns were Sunni Muslims, while the Hazaras were Shiites” (Hosseini 9). The factors that determine which class an individual belongs to are their ethnicity and facial features. “They called him “flat-nosed” because of the characteristic features of Ali and Hassan, the Hazara Mongoloids” (Hosseini 9). In other words, if your parents were Hazaras, then children are automatically born Shia Muslims. The same logic applies to Sunni Muslims. Therefore, if the parents were Pashtuns, then the children... middle of paper ... the person he loved most on earth was not only his best friend, but also his half-brother. Perhaps Hassan knew Amir's thoughts so well because he also shared Amir's blood. Amir finally developed a little courage and a little boldness. He developed this bravery not for himself, but for the sake and salvation of his nephew, Sohrab, Hassan's only son. “I don’t know if I gave Assef a good fight. I don't think I did. How could I? It was the first time I fought someone” (Hosseini 288). Perhaps Amir had noticed his half-brother's courage in the past and actually learned something from it. “I remember how envious I had been of Hassan’s courage” (Hosseini 286). Maybe this time was Amir’s way of “becoming good again” (Hosseini 2). Works Cited Hosseini, Khaled. The kite runner. Ed. 10th anniversary. New York: Riverhead Books, 2003. Print.