Conflict

CONFLICT

Protagonist

Amir is the protagonist, because it is his story - a story that details his childhood in Afghanistan and the terrible sin he commits against Hassan, a Hazara boy who also happens to be his half-brother. It also details how he eventually returns to his homeland to atone for that sin by finding Hassan's son, Sohrab, and bringing him home.

Antagonist

The antagonist is, on the surface, the man named Assef, who is a bigoted childhood acquaintance of Amir and Hassan. He torments them both, but actually attacks and rapes Hassan. Later, when the Taliban gains control of Afghanistan, he becomes one of them so he can continue to torture others he finds inferior to himself. He also takes Sohrab as his sexual plaything and Amir must defeat Assef to bring Sohrab home and to the family he deserves. the other antagonist is Amir's sin which he mmust expiate before he can find redemption.

Climax

Amir meets Assef, now a Talib, in hand-to-hand combat and Sohrab, like his father before him, saves Amir with a slingshot.

Outcome

Amir recovers from his terrible beating and they get out of Afghanistan and flee to Pakistan. There, he tries to find a way to take Sohrab to the United States. However, he runs into many bureaucratic walls and snafus. He is finally told that if he places Sohrab into an orphanage temporarily, he might have an easier time getting the necessary paperwork. Sohrab tries to commit suicide at this news and even though he is saved and they find a way to get him to America, he retreats from any trust in Amir or anyone else. It is only when they participate in a kite flying contest in America that Sohrab comes