When amir and hassan are kids assef and two other boys bully them, especially hassan. Assef and other punks corner hassan in an alley and want the kite he possesses. There was no way the movie made the viewer hate assef as much the book did so assef s inhumanity wasnt clearly shown. It was a trophy of honor, something to be displayed on a mantle for guests to admire.
Cultural prejudice and the political power shifts as the russians invade and the taliban later take over strongly affect amirs relationships. The book the kite runner by khaled hossein has faced many challenges on the publishing front. Assef calls hassan a flatnose and asks if they heard about the new republic. While assefs father is a pashtun, like baba, his mother is a native german and follower of adolf. 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. A summary of chapters 2425 in khaled hosseinis the kite runner. Father son relations in the kite runner free students. His mother was sanaubar alis wife, who ran off to join a circus.
Although khaled hosseini has called his novel a love story, it is not only about romance. Aubry calls assef outlandishly evil and identifies assef as the books primary representation of the taliban. The evil assef is the son of parents who are friends of baba. The central relationship is between baba and amir, as amir struggles to win his fathers affections and baba tries. Both movie and novel were great additions to my classroom collection, as the movie closely follows the story line. Compare and contrast amir and assef in the kite runner cram.
What part does assef play in amirs life in the kite runner. Parents need to know that the kite runner by khaled hosseini tells the story of amir, who grows up in afghanistan during the 1970s and 80s, and eventually moves to the san francisco bay area. Assef throws a rock at one boy, with hassan then aiming his slingshot at him and other bullies, forcing them to back down. Later on in the novel he fulfils this name when sohrab flings a stone at him using a slingshot. Alis parents were killed and babas father, who judged the murder trial, took him in. As a teacher of ells, i especially enjoyed this movie version of the great book, the kite runner. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of afghanistans monarchy through the. Assef a kabul bully who ends up joining the taliban. He says his father knows daoud khan, and that next time daoud khan is over for.
Overall, the movie and book differences for the kite runner do not affect the poignancy of the story. He becomes an official in the taliban and takes hassans son from an orphanage. The author develops a wide range of social themes and analyzes painful issues in his book. The kite runner and comingofage stories sparknotes. Unfortunately, hassan came across assef, the infamous neighboorhood bully. The character of assef is further developed in this chapter. And while it has yet to be banned in the united states, his book is being challenged in schools even today. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the kite runner, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. With khalid abdalla, ahmad khan mahmoodzada, atossa leoni, shaun toub.
We think you can divide the book s principles into two categories. Assef wanted the kite but hassan refused to give it up. Published in 2002 by riverhead books, it tells the story of amir, a young boy from thewazir akbar khan district of kabul, whose closest friend is hassan, his fathers young hazara servant. Amir sees the rape take place, but is too afraid to interfere. The kite runner cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. It is only when grownup amir physically confronts assef, who has become a violent taliban official, that the climax of the story is completed.
Amir struggles to win his fathers love and feels jealous. The novel the kite runner written by khaled hosseini became a bestseller and for good reason. Amir amir is the narrator and protagonist of the novel and is a pashtun and sunni. Ali acted as a father figure for most of hassans life, but by blood, baba is hassans father. The kite runner by khaled hosseini english literature essay. He bonds with baba at last but deserts hassan when the latter is raped by assef. The most important relationships in the kite runner involve fathers and their children, usually sons. One of the themes developed in the book is divisions in afghan. There was no way the movie made the viewer hate assef as much the book did so assefs inhumanity wasnt clearly shown. Even if we thought really, really hard, were not sure we could come up with a single good quality in assef. He taunts both amir and hassan, and ultimately he corners hassan in an alleyway and rapes him. The kite runner analysis everything you need to know ask. 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.
Assef goshkhor assef the ear eater 38 tall, talib with black sunglasses wearing all white. At a closer reading of this part, it is seen that assef was brought up by his parents believing. Someone who retrieves the losing kite of a kite battle. Who are hassans parents in the kite runner answers. In that moment, rahim khan sit behind him and told him about how he almost married a hazara when he was 18. Hosseini developed an interest in the theme while in the process of writing. Historical background is slightly more detailed in the novel, but either the book or movie make an excellent supplement to a modern history curriculum. Assefs rape of hassan is a dramatic and explicit example of those with social privilege violating those without.
The day, in 1975, when 12yearold amir wins the annual kitefighting tournament is the best and worst of his young life. The novel was a new york times bestseller for over two years and sold over seven million copies in the united states alone. As a child, he rapes hassan, a member of the hazara minority whom he looks down. Assef, one of hosseinis charachter symbolizes those people. If hassan represents all that is good and kind, assef represents all that is evil and cruel. At the beginning of the novel, assef terrorizes other children with his brass knuckles, idolizes hitler, and eventually rapes hassan. One day three boys named assef, wali, and kamal threaten amir, but hassan scares them away with his slingshot.
He is a violent sociopath who is driven to assert dominance over others in ways that include violating, harming and killing other people. Amir has conflicted feelings about his father, baba, and his playmate, hassan. While assef s father is a pashtun, like baba, his mother is a native german and follower of adolf hitler. He spouts hatred, instills fear, and carries out his aggression with great joy, yet still stands as a reflection of our. We think you can divide the books principles into two categories. Assef instigates the rift in amir and hassans relationship and the intense guilt that haunts amir throughout the kite runner.
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. While assefs father is a pashtun, like baba, his mother is a native german and follower of adolf hitler. In 2017, it was the fourth most challenged book according to the american. It has made the american library associations list of most challenged books. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. The kite runner is obsessed with the practice of ones principles. Not only is his gift to amir a biography of hitler a direct connection between assef and the fuhrer, but assef also demonstrates that he knows how to play the polite, respectful, allaround good guy to parents and adults. One day, after amir won a famous kite fighting competition, hassan ran to bring the last defeated kite to amir. In the book, assef was so cruel that even his parents had a bit of fear towards him which let the readers know that this was a pure evil boy.
Jun 02, 2003 the day, in 1975, when 12yearold amir wins the annual kite fighting tournament is the best and worst of his young life. Assef and his parents showed up, and he was really kind with baba. The kite runner is the first novel by afghanamerican author khaled hosseini. Oct 22, 2018 the novel the kite runner written by khaled hosseini became a bestseller and for good reason. Baba amirs father, who is considered a hero and leader in kabul. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of afghanistans monarchy through the soviet military. 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.
The theme of fathers and children in the kite runner from. The kite runner summary from litcharts the creators of. Assef is one of the more horrifying characters in the kite runner. The kite runner was published in april 2004, yet it continues to cause controversy in schools and libraries nationwide. He is the son of a pashtun father and a german mother, and believes that pashtuns are superior to hazaras, although he. He spouts hatred, instills fear, and carries out his aggression with great. The kite runner by khaled hosseini is a novel that was published in 2003. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the kite runner and what it means. The antagonist of the book, assef is a fundamental muslim who believes that all hazaras should be eradicated from afghanistan. In the winter there is a big kitefighting tournament where boys try to cut each others kites with glasscovered strings, and then kite runners chase after the fallen kites. A similarity between these two is that the root of the events in the bookfilm is amir not saving hassan when he was being raped by assef. Assef claims that if hassan were to give up the kite, assef would let him go unharmed. Assef is a kabul bully who ends up joining the taliban. Jan 19, 2014 in the book, assef was so cruel that even his parents had a bit of fear towards him which let the readers know that this was a pure evil boy.
The kite runner, 2003, khaled hosseini the kite runner is the first novel by afghanamerican author khaled hosseini. Hosseini conveys in his novel the kite runner that some people have a natural tendency to express their bad side. The main characters in the kite runner are amir, baba, hassan, assef, and soraya amir is the protagonist. After spending years in california, amir returns to his homeland in afghanistan to help his old friend hassan, whose son is in trouble. The kite runner, by khaled hosseini, and the film, the authordirector showed a few similarities and differences of the plot of the story. At a closer reading of this part, it is seen that assef was brought up by his parents believing that the lower classes were meant for submission and.
In 2008, a school committee member in peabody, massachusetts denounced the novel as unfit for a high school summer reading list. The kite runner project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. The kite runner movie vs book differences and analysis. However, hassan remains loyal to amir and refuses this settlement. Here we see that hassan is raped by assef for the only reason that he does not belong to a lineage which assef considers appropriate. Assef is an antagonist from khaled hosseinis 2003 novel the kite runner, and its 2007 live action film adaptation of the same name. Assef rapes hassan in an alley the day of the kitefighting tournament and is seen by amir, though he does not know.
As with hosseinis subsequent novels, the kite runner covers a multigenerational period and focuses on the relationship between parents and their children. Hassan cries, amir agha won the kite tournament and i ran this kite for him. Whats odd is that amir often identifies himself with assef, or with a talib executioner. Aubry calls assef outlandishly evil and identifies assef as the book s primary representation of the taliban. For kite runners, the most coveted prize was the last fallen kite of a winter tournament. He wont give it up, as he says it belongs to amir, and thus the boys beat and kick the younger boy, followed by at least assef anally raping him. The kite runner draws on the tradition of comingofage novels, which follow a young protagonist who begins the story as a child, but comes of age as a result of the events of the story, ending as a fully mature and enlightened adult. When the sky cleared of kites and only the final two remained, every kite runner readied himself for the chance to land this prize. Khaled hosseinis acclaimed debut novel the kite runner has sold millions of copies and inspired a popular film, but the book has been met with several challenges since its 2003 release. You shouldnt betray your best friend and halfbrother is an ethical principle. Someone who is exceptionally skilled at flying kites. See more ideas about the kite runner, book quotes and khaled hosseini. Feb 04, 2019 assef then corners hassan and offers a compromise. The symbolism and themes of the book are evident in the movie also.
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