The Kite Runner: Central Characters and Their Journeys

Amir: The Narrator's Path to Redemption

Amir is the narrator of the book, a wealthy and initially selfish individual who embarks on a profound journey to redeem himself for past wrongdoings. He is a Sunni Muslim and a Pashtun.

Key Relationships and Interactions:

• Son of Baba and Sofia Akrami
• Close family friend of Rahim Khan
• Half-brother of Hassan
• Uncle of Sohrab
• Brother-in-law of Farzana
• Husband of Soraya Taheri
• Son-in-law of General Taheri and Khala Jamila
• Victim of Assef
• Nursed by Sakina
• Stayed at Wahid's home before returning to Kabul
• Driven by Farid

Significant Actions and Life Events:

• Failed to help Hassan during his assault and later tried to get him dismissed
• Desperate for his father's love and approval
• Won a pivotal kite fighting tournament
• Immigrated from Kabul, Afghanistan, to California, USA
• Married Soraya Taheri
• Rescued Sohrab from Afghanistan
• Adopted Sohrab

Baba: The Complex Patriarch

Baba is a wealthy, generous, and highly respected figure among his Afghan peers. While not overtly religious, he is a Sunni Muslim and a Pashtun.

Family and Relationships:

• Father of Amir and Hassan
• Best friend of Rahim Khan
• Husband of Sofia Akrami
• Father-in-law of Soraya Taheri and Farzana

Life and Challenges:

• A successful businessman in Kabul, he later worked at a gas station after immigrating to America.
• Had an affair with Sanaubar (Hassan's mother) shortly after his wife's death.
• Famed for his strength, including a story of fighting a bear.
• Diagnosed with and ultimately died of cancer.
• Proudly refused food stamps and chemotherapy.
• Initiated the khastegari (traditional marriage proposal) for Amir and Soraya by speaking with General Taheri.

Assef: The Embodiment of Cruelty and Extremism

Assef is introduced as Amir's childhood bully. He is wealthy, similar to Amir, and holds extreme beliefs, admiring Adolf Hitler and his ideologies. He firmly believes that only Pashtuns are true Afghans.

Later in life, Assef becomes a prominent figure within the Taliban, actively spreading his radical beliefs and perpetuating violence.

Ali: Hassan's Devoted Father

Ali was Hassan's father, a gentle soul who rarely expressed anger. He lived with Baba for most of his life, serving as the loyal caretaker of Baba's house.

Ali suffered from a physical disability that caused him to limp and left him partially paralyzed in his face. Due to his appearance, neighborhood children cruelly mocked him, calling him the"boogeyman"