How is Assef portrayed in The Kite Runner?
Assef encompasses all that is evil in Afghanistan. The reader first meets Assef as a violent, racist child who draws his social power from his economic and ethnic identity, and wants to rid his country of all Hazaras.
What does Assef look like?
In the book, he had blond hair and blue eyes, while in the film, he had black hair and brown eyes. His battle with Amir is much more violent in the book and Amir laughed as he finally found redemption, much to Assef's annoyance.
What type of person is Assef?
Assef is an example of a complete devil person in the text. He is a racist, rapist, murderer, and also he sees all Hazaras as inferior. This character is evil, cruel, sociopath, having no conscience at all. Even a word bully is very kind in response to him.
Who does Assef represent in The Kite Runner?
Assef is a Kabul bully who ends up joining the Taliban. Not only is Assef a villain, but he also symbolizes all villainy. 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.
Is Assef a sociopath or psychopath?
Often with a closed circle of suspects. Assef is pretty much the textbook sociopath.
What English word does Amir use to describe Assef?
During the coup d'etat? What English word does Amir learn later in his life that best explains Assef? Sociopath.
How is Assef a bully?
Assef isn't a nice person. He's the boy who will shake you down for lunch money, push your books to the ground because he thinks it's funny, and make sure every moment of your school day is miserable. Assef takes this typical bully act a bit farther. He physically intimidates the other children; he wants to hurt them.
Who is the villain in The Kite Runner?
AssefAssef – The novel's primary antagonist. Assef is the rapist of Hassan and Sohrab and symbolizes all of the troubles plaguing Afghanistan.
What is Assef's nickname?
One-Eyed AssefDuring the confrontation, Hassan states that if Assef makes one wrong move, his new nickname will be "One-Eyed Assef." This is an important incident and line, for Assef responds, "This doesn't end today." The violence in Afghanistan is only beginning, and the violence inflicted upon Hassan and Amir is only just ...
What is Assef famous for?
Assef was born by a German mother and an afghan father. He is famous for his stainless steel knuckles. He thinks all Pashtuns are the real Afghans and wants to get rid of all of the hazaras.
Why does Amir laugh when Assef beats him?
Before he challenges Amir to a fight, Assef tells a story about the time he was imprisoned. He says he began to laugh as a guard kicked him because it ended the pain he suffered from his kidney stone.
What does Assef call Hassan?
Assef is a notorious bully. He is one of the children who mocks Ali's limp and calls him names. He also carries a set of brass knuckles. Assef calls Hassan a flat-nose and asks if they heard about the new republic.
How does Assef influence Amir?
Assef's intimidating nature and threatening approach, causes Amir to reject his own views and adapt the opinions of society being thrusted upon him by Assef. Amir's lack of confidence prevents him from voicing what is right and due to assef's influence his conformity is made obvious.
What does Assef threaten foreshadow )?
What does Assef threaten? Threatens to use his brass knuckles in order to fight Amir, because he is annoyed that Amir has a Hazara servant. Threatens that this is not the end for Amir and Hassan, and someday he will face Amir one on none.
What was Assef's epiphany?
Assef then tells the story of his 'epiphany' which led to his joining the Taliban. Apparently he was jailed by the Communists in the 1980s and was regularly beaten. During one of these beatings, the guard kicked him so hard it helped him pass a kidney stone that had been causing him agonizing pain.
What does Assef do when Amir comes to him?
Now Assef inflicts pain and death on those who have been accused of crimes. Assef enjoys where he is and what he does, and when Amir comes to him to get Hassan's son, Sohrab, Assef gets what he has been waiting years for: an opportunity to inflict pain on Amir. Physical Encounter with Amir.
What did Assef describe to Amir?
Assef describes to Amir that he was part of the massacre that took people from their homes and shot them in the street. Anyone who tried to remove a body was shot and killed. They left the bodies in the street untouched for days. Now Assef inflicts pain and death on those who have been accused of crimes.
What does Assef say about Afghanistan?
Assef idolizes Hitler. He tells Amir that Afghanistan belongs to the Pashtuns. He believes that Hazaras such as Hassan 'pollute our homeland… (and) dirty our blood'. He wants to rid Afghanistan of the Hazaras by any means necessary, and with his continual references to Hitler, it's clear Assef would prefer genocide. These comments raise concern in Amir, and he almost blurts out that Hassan is 'not my friend… He's my servant'. Amir is afraid that with this thought, he begins to become more like Assef, when in actuality, Amir is simply parroting society's attitude toward the Hazaras. Amir has no hatred for Hassan or the Hazaras, so he is not of the same ilk as Assef.
Why does Assef tell Amir to hate?
He tells this to Amir because he knows that Amir shares some of these thoughts.
How does Sohrab rescue Amir?
Sohrab rescues Amir, just as Hassan had done all those years ago. The boy holds a large brass ball in his slingshot. It's aimed at Assef's head. If Assef doesn't stop, Sohrab will fire. Assef approaches Sohrab, and the brass ball strikes Assef in the face, embedding itself in his eye socket. With that, Sohrab and Amir are free from the torment of Assef. It's during this battle that Amir feels freedom and peace--not only from the guilt he felt over abandoning Hassan, but also freedom from the hatred Assef personifies. Although the threat of Assef seems to have come to an end, there will always be an abundance of people like Assef.
Why does Amir face off against Assef?
Amir is forced to face off against Assef to save Sohrab, the son of his best friend Hassan. This is a moment that the bully Assef has been waiting for since childhood. He thinks that Amir is a Hazara sympathizer, a Pashtun who wants to live in harmony with the Hazaras.
What degree did Joe have in Kite Runner?
Joe has taught college English courses for several years, has a Bachelor's degree in Russian Studies and a Master's degree in English literature. Assef is one of the more horrifying characters in 'The Kite Runner'. He spouts hatred, instills fear, and carries out his aggression with great joy, yet still stands as a reflection ...
What does Assef symbolize in the book The Kite Runner?
Hosseini conveys in his novel “the kite runner” that some people have a natural tendency to express their bad side. Assef, one of Hosseini’s charachter symbolizes those people. He carries a kind of madness, and is violent.
What does Assef mean by "I'll let you keep it so it will always remind you of what?
I’ll let you keep it so it will always remind you of what i’m about to do” This is a significant quote. Assef shows his cruelty by intending to hurt deeply, and leave a reminder of the pain. It also foreshadows all the horrors he is going to cause because his madness his going to last. Assef’ is seen differently by other adults, those don’t fear him, because his real personality is hidden from them. Hosseini uses the parents as a symbol for control, and justice. Assef therefore bypasses justice, he is still controlled as he has to hide his madness. On the surface, he was the embodiment of every parent’s dream, a strong, tall, well-dressed and well-mannered boy with talent and striking looks, not to mention to wit joke with an adult. But to me, his eyes betrayed him. When i looked into them, the facade faltered, revealed a glimpse of the madness hiding behind them. ” The author personificaties Assef’s eyes who “betrayed” him by revealing his madness. The Betrayal has a religious connotation, to the evil. As if he was hiding behind the appearance of an attractive boy.
Who is Assef in The Kite Runner?
In this lesson, we will examine the sociopathic bully, Assef, who grows up to be a Taliban official in Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner by looking at some quotes from the novel. Updated: 08/13/2021
What does Assef do when he catches Hassan?
When he catches Hassan alone without his slingshot, he wants revenge. However, in this exact moment, he wants the kite Hassan is carrying even more.
What does Assef do when he attacks Sohrab?
When it appears that Assef will attack Sohrab, he puts out Assef's left eye. Amir and Sohrab leave as Assef screams. Lesson Summary. Assef is a Pashtun bully who idolizes Hitler and wishes to rid Afghanistan of Hazaras. He makes fun of Ali's handicapping condition and rules the streets with his brass knuckles.
What does Assef say to Amir?
Assef says, 'I heard your father died. Tsk-tsk. I always did want to take him on. Looks like I'll have to settle for his weakling of a son.'. When Amir offers to pay for Sohrab, Assef is amused. He explains, '…I didn't join the Taliban for money '…there are things traitors like you don't understand….
What does Assef say to the President of the Afghan Republic?
Claiming to know the new president of the Afghan Republic, Assef says, ''I'll ask the president to. . . rid Afghanistan of all the dirty, Kasseef Hazaras.'' Assef puts on his brass knuckles with the intention of beating Amir because he is friends with a Hazara, but Hassan saves Amir with his slingshot. Later, Assef attends Amir's birthday party where he gives Amir a copy of a book about Hitler.
Why did Amir return to Afghanistan?
Amir returns to Afghanistan to try to find Sohrab and take him to safety in Pakistan, but when he arrives at the orphanage, Sohrab is gone. He has been sold to a Taliban official as a sex slave. It turns out Assef is the Taliban official that purchased him. Assef recognizes Amir before Amir recognizes Assef.
Did you have a school bully in The Kite Runner?
Did you have a school bully? In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, the neighborhood bully is Assef. Assef lives for the power he extracts from bullying other kids in Kabul with his sidekicks and his brass knuckles. Let's find out more about Assef by examining some of the quotes in the novel.
What did Assef say to his friends?
‘Friends?’ Assef said, laughing. ‘You pathetic fool! Someday you'll wake up from your little fantasy and learn just how good of a friend he is. Now, bas! Enough of this. Give us that kite.’
What did Assef tell the Taliban?
Later, he tells of how his imprisonment by the Taliban led to a revelation that God was on his side, and that prompted him to join their cause of ethnic cleansing in Kabul.
What did Assef laugh about?
Assef laughed. Assef recounts to Amir the abuse he endured while imprisoned by the Taliban. At the time, Assef suffered from kidney stones, and at one point the blunt force of the guard’s kicks was so hard, it caused a kidney stone to pass. Surprisingly, Assef laughs at this moment.
What does Assef demand of Hassan?
Assef and his gang demand Hassan give him the blue kite he has retrieved for Amir. Hassan refuses. Assef calls him a “pathetic fool” for being loyal to Amir, a Pashtun, but Hassan asserts they are true friends.
