How would you critically analyze the following passage from "The Kite Runner": "I never thought of Hassan and me as friends either... 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."?
a) It emphasizes the theme of friendship in the novel.
b) It highlights the importance of overcoming historical and religious divisions.
c) It suggests that the protagonist's identity is shaped by cultural and religious factors.
d) It portrays the protagonist's indifference towards his relationship with Hassan.