In many societies, differences in religion and history can cause a social rift and create a structure of classes. This separation between people can affect the circumstances they are subject to and essentially how they live their life. However an individual’s outlook on life and the positive and negative thoughts he or she acquires are dependant solely on his or her decisions and outside forces. In the novel, The Kite Runner, the author Khaled Hosseini tells the story of an Afgan boy who struggles with the emotional consequences of a childhood decision that set him on a search for redemption. The author shows that classism determines the quality of one’s lifestyle but not the emotional state of mind one possesses. This is established through the social setting in the novel which enforces classist ideals that rigidly cast individuals into certain roles and determine the way they are treated. Next, the character of Amir’s childhood friend and servant, Hassan, undergoes a grim change as a result of a traumatic incident rather then a consequence of his social standing and material worth. Finally, Amir consistently battles with an internal conflict and guilt after betraying Hassan despite living a privileged and financially-comfortable life.

The religious segregation of the Afghan people creates a classist social setting which shapes the lifestyle and expectations of those within it. One of the most evident cases of division based on social class in the novel is the difference in roles between Amir and his childhood friend Hassan. Due to the fact that they originate from different religious backgrounds, they are plunged into vastly opposite social classes ever since birth and despite forming a strong friendship, this division was a continuous reality that society would not let them dismiss: “Never mind any of those things. Because history isn’t easy to overcome.