Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini's Semi-Autobiographical Novel

KITE RUNNER, SAC ESSAY!

Khaled Hosseini's semi-autobiographical novel The kite runner demonstrates that a person who lacks sympathy of what he/she is doing, and shows no remorse and care towards the world around them does not suffer. Assef being the neighbourhood bully shows no remorse upon his actions at the age of 11 and continues to do so as he gets older. He shows no regret and shame when he rapes a lower class Afghan just to show him who's boss. The rise of the Taliban continued to demonstrate a man who isn't aware of right and wrong will not suffer as no one from the Taliban suffered. When the Russians invaded Afghanistan, they treated the people appallingly and without a care in the world. On the other hand though, a man who has an understanding of the difference between right and wrong does suffer. That glides through in the novel when Amir witnesses Hassan being rapped. He suffers every day of his life regretting not helping his childhood friend, but in the end eventually redeems himself.

Assef growing up as a bully and continuing to follow his childhood footsteps, growing into an adult bully shows no remorse within the novel. Assef was an upper class Afghan, a Pashtun who was part German. His admiration of Hitler casts Assef in the role of fascist maniac. Even as a child, when he terrorises Hazaras such as Hassan and Ali (Hassan's father) with racial abuse and physical violence, he proves to be the prime example of pure evil, one who shows no regret. Assef dealt with situations by sexually abusing people. At the age of eleven Assef rapped Hassan to show him whose boss, although it didn't stop there. Assef matures into a "sociopath", and gained political power by the rise of the Taliban in the mid 1990s. "Ethnic cleansing. I like it. I like the sound of it" supports that Assef is built with pure evil and has no shame in what he does. He brainwashed other men that sexually abusing children who were not a part of the same ethnic group was okay. He wanted to get rid of all the lower class afghans because he believed that the Pashtun's where the true and only afghans. Assef actions confirm him as being constantly evil and symbolises the destructive relationship between the Taliban and vulnerable, disempowered people such as women and Hazaras.

The Russians showed no remorse and care throughout the novel during their invasion. They treated the afghan people as if they where nothing, especially the women. When the Russians invaded the afghan people had no chose but to evacuate. Amir, Baba and a couple of the other characters packed what they could and got into a truck to evacuate to Pakistan. On their journey to Pakistan a Russian guard stoped them. "I'll only let the truck carry Afghan refugees into Pakistan if I can have sex with one of the women". The Russian guard proved to be careless and not care about how the women would

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