What is the primary motivation behind Hassan's rape?

• A. To exert control and humiliation over Hassan
• B. To seek revenge for a past insult
• C. To punish Amir for standing up to him
• D. To test Hassan's loyalty

Answer: (A)

The main idea this question tests is understanding the motivation behind the assault as a display of power and humiliation. In The Kite Runner, the act is driven by a bully’s need to dominate someone weaker and to enforce a social hierarchy rooted in ethnic prejudice. Assef, the Pashtun bully who attacks Hassan, uses this violence to humiliate Hassan and assert his own control, underscoring the contempt and power dynamic felt toward Hazara characters. That’s why the best answer is that the act is about exerting control and humiliation over Hassan. It isn’t about seeking revenge for a past insult, punishing Amir, or testing Hassan’s loyalty—the act is fundamentally about power, dominance, and the corrosive impact of ethnic prejudice.