Assef's Fate: From Bully to Taliban Leader to Blinded

Assef's evolution from a sociopathic child to a Taliban commander, and his eventual blinding by Sohrab.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Childhood Bully

The Childhood Bully The Sociopath Assef is the son of an Afghan father and German mother. He is blond, blue-eyed, and taller than other kids. He carries stainless-steel brass knuckles and uses them without mercy. He is a racist who believes Afghanistan should be for Pashtuns only. He torments Ali and Hassan, calling them Babalu. The Confrontation with Hassan After the 1973 coup, Assef confronts Amir and Hassan on a hill. He threatens them, but Hassan aims a slingshot at his eye and forces him to back down. Assef vows revenge. He gets it two years later when he rapes Hassan in the alley while Amir watches. The Birthday Party At Amir's thirteenth birthday party, Assef attends with his parents. He gives Amir a biography of Hitler. He taunts Hassan, who is serving drinks. The encounter reinforces Assef's cruelty and his obsession with power.

The Taliban Commander

The Taliban Commander The Jail Epiphany Assef is imprisoned by the communists in Poleh-Charkhi. He is beaten by a commandant who kicks him in the kidney, passing a kidney stone. Assef interprets this as a message from God. He becomes a religious fanatic and joins the jihad. Later, he kills that commandant on the battlefield. The Taliban Years Assef rises in the Taliban ranks. He participates in the massacre of Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif in 1998. He becomes a commander in Kabul. He takes Sohrab as a dancing boy and abuses him. He is the embodiment of evil, using religion to justify his cruelty. The Final Confrontation When Amir comes for Sohrab, Assef beats him nearly to death. But Sohrab shoots out his eye with a slingshot. Assef is blinded in one eye, fulfilling Hassan's threat from years ago. He is left screaming in agony. His fate is a poetic justice, but he remains alive, a symbol of the ongoing evil in the world.

1973 to 1975

1980 to 2001