Controversy Surrounding Alienated Characters in Literary Works

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Recommended: Character analysis of Amir the kite runner

Authors often times include a character(s) in their novel who they have alienated from the society that they have created for their narrative. These characters could be anyone from the foil character(s) to the protagonist him/herself. Authors incorporate these characters as they give substance and genuineness to their work. In the novel, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, such characters are presented in similar but different ways. These differences are crucial however, because they are what make each novel unique. More importantly, they play a key role in the development of the protagonist. Alienated characters, depending on how close they are to the protagonist, in essence, determine their outcome.

The novel, The Kite Runner, and its protagonist, Amir, present an archetypical example of the relation alienated characters have with the works they are in. There are several alienated characters in this novel, one of which is Assef. Assef is sociopathic and violent older boy who is also the antagonist. He always scorned Amir for associating with Hassan, a Hazara, which is, according to Assef, an inferior race that should only live in Hazarajat. He is a devout supporter of Adolf Hitler and his ideologies. On page 35 he says “It’s too late for Hitler, but not for us” (Hosseini), suggesting that he wanted to follow in his footsteps and annihilate who he believed was a substandard race from his country. Assef contributes extensively towards Amir’s development. Firstly, he killed Hassan. If this would not have occurred, then no circumstance would have unearthed itself for Amir to redeem himself. Secondly, and most importantly, according to Baba, Assef presented a perfect example of what a...

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...uineness and authenticity to the work which makes it easier to follow and more enjoyable to the reader.

Works Cited

Dumas, Alexandre. The Count of Monte Cristo. New York: Tor, 1998. Print.

Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead, 2003. Print.

"SparkNotes: The Count of Monte Cristo: Character List." SparkNotes: Today's Most

Popular Study Guides. Web. 30 Dec. 2010.

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"SparkNotes: The Count of Monte Cristo: Important Quotations Explained." SparkNotes:

Today's Most Popular Study Guides. Web. 30 Dec. 2010.

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"SparkNotes: The Kite Runner: Character List." SparkNotes: Today's Most Popular Study

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