Assef In Kite Runner

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Assef is the main antagonist of the novel, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and its 2007 film adaptation. A sadistic, depraved sociopath, as a child he was a vicious bully who liked to dominate, harass, and sexually abuse others. As an adult, he is a member of the Taliban and the head of a child sex trafficking ring.

Hassan is Amirs playmate and servant and is a Hazara and Shia Muslim. Hes also the son of Ali. Hassan considers Amir his friend, although Amir never consciously considers Hassan as such. Hassan epitomizes the perfect servant who is loyal to his master, even after the master betrays him. Many critics consider Hassans character “too good to be true,” for even after he is betrayed by Amir, Hassan continues to lie for the person he considers his friend.

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. Even as an adult, Assef uses a pair of brass knuckles to demonstrate both his power and cruelty.

Amir is the narrator and protagonist of the novel and is a Pashtun and Sunni Muslim. Although not a completely sympathetic character, Amir is one for whom most readers feel compassion. Amir has conflicted feelings about his father, Baba, and his playmate, Hassan. Often, Amir is jealous of the way Baba treats Hassan, although Amir realizes that Hassan socially has a lower place in society. A conflicted character, Amir struggles between the logical and emotional sides of his being. His obsession and guilty conscience, along with his adult perspective looking back on childhood events, render him a usually reliable — yet simultaneously potentially suspect — storyteller.

Baba is Amirs father, who is considered a hero and leader in Kabul. Baba and Amir never quite seem to connect, especially in Afghanistan. Baba is always doing things for others and always seems to expect more from his son. Baba appears to exemplify a man who lives by his own moral code, yet he is carrying a secret that if revealed, may undermine everything he stands for.

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After Amir and Hassan win a kite-fighting competition, Hassan gets lost and ends up in an alley, where Assef and his friends corner him and demand he gives them the kite. When Hassan refuses, Assef decides to “teach him a lesson” by beating up and raping Hassan while his cronies hold him down. Amir witnesses the whole thing, but instead of helping, he runs away and avoids the guilt by forsaking Hassans friendship.

As a teenager, Assef is a bully who terrorizes other children, especially those of the Hazara minority. He comes from a wealthy family, with a politically connected father who gets him out of trouble. As an adult, he uses those connections to become a high-ranking member of the Taliban – not out of any particular religious devotion, but simply as a way to have power over other people and commit acts of cruelty and violence.

Evil-doer

Adult
Youth

Full Name

Assef

Alias

Ear-Eater

Origin

The Kite Runner

Occupation

Bully (teenager)

Taliban member (adult)

Powers / Skills

Manipulation

Brute strength Endurance

Hobby

Making Amir and Hassan miserable.

Wiping out Hazaras.

Goals

Eradicate the Hazara population.

Kill Amir (both failed).

Crimes

Attempted genocide

Rape (including pedophilia) Child sex trafficking Enslavement Abuse Kidnapping Harassment Terrorism Mass murder

Type of Villain

Genocidal Abuser

He also takes sadistic pleasure in hurting people, and is especially keen on sexual violence, raping those weaker than him to keep them under his control. He is also a bigot who admires Adolf Hitler and sees the Hazara minority as inferior, and wants to exterminate them, much as his hero Hitler had tried to exterminate all of the Jews in Germany. Assef sees absolutely nothing shameful about his open bigotry, even accepting the term “ethnic cleansing” as one he likes.

When Assef first appears, he stones a man to death for no reason. When Amir confronts Assef and demands he release Sohrab, to which Assef refuses, which results in a physical altercation. Ultimately, Assef loses the fight, and Sohrab fires a marble with the slingshot into his eye, blinding him and giving Sohrab and Amir a chance to escape.

FAQ

What does Assef symbolize 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.

Who does Assef represent?

Political Work. ASLEF is a craft union representing train drivers in England, Scotland and Wales. Over its 140-year history, the union has brought together train drivers to organise as one against oppression and abuses by railway owners, governments and management.

How does Assef feel about Amir?

He thinks that Amir is a Hazara sympathizer, a Pashtun who wants to live in harmony with the Hazaras. Assef cannot tolerate this betrayal and takes it out on Amir.

What did Assef do to Hassan in The Kite Runner?

What happened to Hassan in the alley? When Hassan refuses to hand over the kite he ran for Amir, Assef pins Hassan to the ground and rapes him. While Hassan’s rape is in many ways the center of the entire novel, the word “rape” appears only once.