Assef wants to rid afghanistan of the hazaras, and he will do whatever he can to do so. Assef first appears with his companions to taunt and bully amir. The theme of violence and rape in the kite runner from. His selfless acts live with amir long after he has moved to. Plot summary the kite runner is an inspiring book about the life of a young pashtun boy named amir as he copes with his childhood decisions 26 years prior. Rape occurs several times in the kite runner as the ultimate act of violence and violation short of murder that drastically changes the lives of both the characters and the country. Amir finds this out pretty early on in their courtship and, perhaps, finds it attractive. Describe the character of baba physically, socially and. He tries to make amir and hassans lives miserable as his own childhood creates the monster he is in the future.
Assefassef is a very mean man and does horrible things to hassan and sohrab. Teach your students to analyze literature like litcharts does. The kite runner characters from litcharts the creators of. With khalid abdalla, ahmad khan mahmoodzada, atossa leoni, shaun toub. He is a violent sociopath who is driven to assert dominance over others in ways that include violating, harming and killing other people. Assef assef is a very mean man and does horrible things to hassan and sohrab. What are character traits for baba in the kite runner answers. Assef becomes a member of the taliban who idolizes adolf hitler and abuses his position of power in order to demonstrate the political muscle of the men in charge. Khaled hosseini biography critical essays themes in the kite runner.
He is the leader of the taliban, so he was the one that turned afghanistan into a very different country than it used to be. Published in 2003 by riverhead books, it tells the story of amir, a young boy from the wazir akbar khan district of kabul, whose closest friend is hassan. The characters in the kite runner that show problems of mental illnesses are amir, sohrab, and assef. Because the story is told at a time before the war on terror, it brings the reader back to an afghanistan the average american never knew existed and presents the current socioeconomic reality of a united states one may choose to ignore. Character sketches of amir and hassan the kite runner. Amir and his fathers servants son, hassan, develop a. This novel portrays two children growing up in the country afghanistan. The symbolism and themes of the book are evident in the movie also. Hassan, amirs closest childhood friend, is described as having a china doll face, green eyes, and a harelip. Mocked ali and hassan for their physical deformities. A very clear descriptin of hassan is given on in the first 3 pages of the second chapter of the kite runner. The story is ridden with strife, betrayal, corruption and deceit, and the central character, amir, is forced to reconcile his haunting and troublesome past. What does amir in the kite runner look like answers. Like his father, sohrab is excellent with a slingshot.
His hands were so large that they seemed capable of uprooting a willow tree. Instant downloads of all 1291 litchart pdfs including the kite runner. Then assef offered amir his gift, a book he picked out himself. The kite runner study guide contains a biography of khaled hosseini, 100 quiz questions, a list of major themes, characters, and a full summary and an. And while at a first glance most would assume that the book is just showing how violent afghanistan was, it was actually hosseni trying to. A racist who wishes to rid afghanistan of hazaras, he is incapable of remorse and enjoys inflicting violence and sexual abuse on those who are powerless. He taunts both amir and hassan, and ultimately he corners hassan in an alleyway and rapes him. The main characters in the kite runner are amir, baba, hassan, assef, and soraya amir is the protagonist. The kite runner study guide heanor gate science college. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on litcharts. Analysis of the character of assef in the kite runner khaled. The kite runner, is set against a backdrop filled with hostility and commotion. In the book, the kite runner, hassan is seen to have many different characteristics. The mood created by housseinis description of the crowd watching the.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Mental illness in the kite runner the kite runner written by khaled hosseini a dramatic and emotional life story of life in afghanistan. Oct 28, 2008 amirs courageous and violent encounter with assef to save sohrab ultimately enables him to transcend the inadequacy of character that was of such concern to his father. The reader eventually discovers that hassan is actually the son of baba and sanaubar, although hassan never discovers this during his lifetime. Mar 30, 2011 journal one khaled hosseini marvelously captivated me with the opening pages of his international bestseller the kite runner. Shes like hassan, because of the harelip and the being nice stuff.
The kite runner became an international bestseller, with more than eight million copies in print. Assef is an antagonist from khaled hosseinis 2003 novel the kite runner, and its. Assef is a kabul bully who ends up joining the taliban. As amir fights assef to save sohrab, he is ultimately fighting the darkest part of himself that betrayed hassan. The kite runner characters from litcharts the creators. The kite runner is the first novel by afghanamerican author khaled hosseini. Sohrab is the bait that rahim khan uses to lure amir back to the middle east. He becomes an official in the taliban and takes hassans son from an orphanage. The mood created by housseinis description of the crowd watching the kite fighting can be best. Mar 21, 2011 hassan is in the beggining amir boy of the house servant. There are three central characters in the kite runner amir, hassan and baba amirs father. If hassan represents all that is good and kind, assef represents all that is evil and cruel. What is the physical description, role, and characteristics of hassan from the book the kite runner.
Sep 12, 2010 because he is the narrator, it doesnt look like there is a physical description of him. The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his fathers servant, caught in the tragic sweep of history, the kite runner transports readers to afghanistan at a tense and crucial moment of change and destruction. This is an analysis of the character of assef in the kite runner which uses many quotes from throughout the novel. These traits help us to understand why the reader admires hassan throughout the novel. The kite runner by khaled hosseini was published in 2003, and though it initially didnt make a huge splash upon its publication, it soon gained prestige as the first afghan book originally written. From the fall of the monarchy is afghanistan, the soviet invasion, the flood of pakistani refugees into the united states, to the rise if the taliban, the reader travels through the history of afghanistan and is exposed to the eye opening events that took place. Hosseini chose to create sympathy for amir through circumstances rather than the personality he was given until the last third of the book. Even as an adult, assef uses a pair of brass knuckles to. Hassan refuses to give up the kite, and assef severely beats him and rapes him. This essay will discuss the central themes of the book the kite runner, by khaled hosseini.
He endures the loss of his parents, the loneliness and insecurity of the orphanage, and the daily abuse under the atrocious pedophile, assef. Assef is also a racist against all hazaras so he wants to do anything in his power to get rid of them. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of afghanistans monarchy through the soviet military intervention, the exodus of refugees. Amir and his fathers servants son, hassan, develop a strong.
Amir relates to holden caulfield from the catcher in the rye through speech, action and internal suffering. The kite runner, 2003, khaled hosseini the kite runner is the first novel by afghanamerican author khaled hosseini. Amir struggles to win his fathers love and feels jealous. The kite runner cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. The antagonist of the book, assef is a fundamental muslim who believes that all hazaras should be eradicated from afghanistan. The kite runner analysis assef by zachary white on prezi. Overall, the movie and book differences for the kite runner do not affect the poignancy of the story. He gives a biography of hitler to amir for a gift, he rapes hassan, and thinks god wanted him to live for a reason. Not only is assef a villain, but he also symbolizes all villainy. A conflicted character, amir struggles between the logical and emotional sides of his being.
Hassan overcomes a number of obstacles to become a positive influence in the life of amir, the main protagonist in the kite runner. What are character traits for baba in the kite runner. Describe the physical characteristics of each character. Because he is the narrator, it doesnt look like there is a physical description of him. The kite runner movie vs book differences and analysis. Both children grow up with a measure of privilege, and both children hurt hassana socially and economically disadvantaged hazarawhen they abuse this privilege. Jan 20, 2014 journal one khaled hosseini marvelously captivated me with the opening pages of his international bestseller the kite runner. And while at a first glance most would assume that the book is just showing how violent afghanistan was, it was actually hosseni trying to show something entirely different. Historical background is slightly more detailed in the novel, but either the book or movie make an excellent supplement to a modern history curriculum. As well as the political conflict, private conflicts also grew worse. Just the simple way he refers to hassan as prince or the way he chooses to lie about. For each of the three characters answer the following questions. May 29, 2003 the kite runner, 2003, khaled hosseini the kite runner is the first novel by afghanamerican author khaled hosseini. As a child, he rapes hassan, a member of the hazara minority whom he looks down.
After spending years in california, amir returns to his homeland in afghanistan to help his old friend hassan, whose son is in trouble. The mystery of what occurred on the frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975 and the first person narration creates an enticing first chapter. Amirs laughter at the time assef was assaulting him signals that he is transcending the physical pain with emotional release. An analysis of the setting of the kite runner synonym. Living in a lavish house in the richest district of kabul, afghanistan, amir has everything he could ever wish for, except the loving attention and acceptance of his father, baba. Assef was a teenager, probably about 16 or 17 when he raped hassan. Amir amir is the narrator and protagonist of the novel and is a pashtun and sunni muslim. Journal one khaled hosseini marvelously captivated me with the opening pages of his international bestseller the kite runner. Character analysis assef is assef dynamic or static.
Unlike amir, though, soraya actually fesses up to her checkered past ok, amir eventually does, but its very late in the book. Hassan is in the beggining amir boy of the house servant. The kite runner by khaled hosseini tells the story of love and friendship between two half brothers. The kite runner assessment yazmine, shealeigh, dreana, alyssa 1 when amir is explaining the importance of sohrab smiling, what metaphor does he use. In the kite runner how does the development of assefs character throughout the novel compare to that of hassan and amir assef is portrayed as a true antagonist to hassan and amir, and his actions are cruel and evil. Whats odd is that amir often identifies himself with assef, or with a talib executioner. Assef hassans and sohrabs rapist and the novels antagonist. The central act of the novel is amir watching hassan s rape by assef.
When spring comes, it melts the snow one flake at a time. What instances of irony are in the story the kite runner. Near the end of the novel we find that hassan is actually amirs half brother. The kite runner by khaled hosseini freebooksummary. Even if we thought really, really hard, were not sure we could come up with a single good quality in assef. The kite runner is a story written by violence, from hassans rape to amirs beating, almost every major point in the story is about a violent act. It is clear from the book that he has a sexual preference towards young boys and violence in general. There are more peripheral instances of rape as well it is implied that kamal, one of. When we are first introduced to assef, he is very childish. Assef is an antagonist from khaled hosseinis 2003 novel the kite runner, and its 2007 live action film adaptation of the same name. After awkwardly excusing himself, he unwrapped the present alone. Sexual deviance often starts to show itself at a younger age. She resembles amir because she also has a checkered past.
Assef also showed off regarding his fathers relation to daoud khan. Amirs courageous and violent encounter with assef to save sohrab ultimately enables him to transcend the inadequacy of character that was of such concern to his father. Baba was a physically imposing man, standing 65 with a thick beard and unruly brown hair. Film education resources the kite runner characters.
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