Point 17: Character

In the novel, what is white and pure tended to fade in the obsidian abyss of disdain. Innocence fell flat on its face as white was succumbed by black’s violence, joining the two to create a hazy grey veil around nearly every character. To elaborate, this veil of uncertainty questions every character’s intentions and purity, making the most righteous of characters quasi-innocent, with the possible exclusion of Hassan. If one were not convinced already, he or she would only need to examine the principal characters that shape the novel. Baba is a convincing example seeing that he gave to his community for the sake of the prosperity of the collective population, yet even he had his shame in his second, hidden son, Hassan. Another example of the internal moral ambiguity is the protagonist of the story, Amir. Amir, part anti-hero, part standard-hero, lacked the courage and strength to battle any form of hate until the end of the novel. Hosseini does this with a purpose in mind: to reinforce his messages of the human condition. Amir’s substantial flaws and internal strife allow for the emotional expansion of Hosseini’s messages of guilt and redemption. One of his flaws is that he lacks the audacity to faces his demons, like Assef. In addition, these flaws are the pillars of the story; there is not much of a story without Amir’s atrocious mistakes and somebody who can capitalize on his weaknesses to create havoc, the antagonist. The antagonist of this novel, Assef, is the chief force responsible for the guilt (and, in an abstract way, redemption) of Amir. The author uses Assef in a very efficient manner, for Assef represents hate as he accesses the themes of friendship, guilt, and redemption. Assef plays his role with perfection as he manages to spread the chaos and suffering to all. Take the rape of Hassan, where Assef, filled with his superiority-complex, committed a sin against innocence; this caused anguish to not only Hassan, but everyone who cares for his health. Overall, the protagonist, Amir, and the antagonist, Assef, experiences fuel the themes and motifs as they create the atmosphere and also represent the perpetuating terror of Afghanistan’s intolerance.