How Does Hosseini Use Language to Present the Character of Assef in Chapter 5?
We first hear of the character of Assef, when he throws a rock at Hassan’s back, instantly showing us what the character of Assef is like. ‘We whirled round and my heart dropped’ shows us the fear and intimidation Assef carries around with him. The verb ‘dropped’ is very fitting to how Amir fears Assef. Straight away it makes the reader understand what Assef is like and foreshadows the trouble Amir is about to get himself in.
When Assef approaches Amir and Hassan, Hosseini writes ‘Flanked by his obeying friends’. Hosseini used the verb ‘flanked’ to show the intimidation and how Assef and his friends approach Amir. The word ‘obeying’ describes how Assef’s friends behave around him. These choices of words help to emphasise the power that Assef has on others, even his own friends. We also see how important he and other characters think he is. This is also suggested by the phrase ‘he walked the neighbourhood like a Khan’. The word Khan, is an Afghani word for someone of great importance. This could represent the importance of the character to Amir and possibly to the book, foreshadowing other events. ‘Pummelled the poor kid unconscious’, is an example of alliteration that Hosseini uses when talking about Assef using his brass knuckles. The ‘P’ sound is strong and aggressive and sounds similar punching in itself, which is very effective as it emphasises the violent nature of the character of Assef. This presents Assef with a sociopathic nature, which is then corroborated when he talks of his admiration for Adolf Hitler – ‘Hitler. Now there was a leader. A great leader. A man with vision.’ Hosseini uses short, sharp and declarative sentences here to show how Assef does not question his views. Also, with every sentence Assef seems to be verbally stabbing Amir, as the pauses create tension and the nature becoming more aggressive. The declaring sentences also show how there is no misinterpretation or doubtfulness and again shows his control and intimidation over
When Assef approaches Amir and Hassan, Hosseini writes ‘Flanked by his obeying friends’. Hosseini used the verb ‘flanked’ to show the intimidation and how Assef and his friends approach Amir. The word ‘obeying’ describes how Assef’s friends behave around him. These choices of words help to emphasise the power that Assef has on others, even his own friends. We also see how important he and other characters think he is. This is also suggested by the phrase ‘he walked the neighbourhood like a Khan’. The word Khan, is an Afghani word for someone of great importance. This could represent the importance of the character to Amir and possibly to the book, foreshadowing other events. ‘Pummelled the poor kid unconscious’, is an example of alliteration that Hosseini uses when talking about Assef using his brass knuckles. The ‘P’ sound is strong and aggressive and sounds similar punching in itself, which is very effective as it emphasises the violent nature of the character of Assef. This presents Assef with a sociopathic nature, which is then corroborated when he talks of his admiration for Adolf Hitler – ‘Hitler. Now there was a leader. A great leader. A man with vision.’ Hosseini uses short, sharp and declarative sentences here to show how Assef does not question his views. Also, with every sentence Assef seems to be verbally stabbing Amir, as the pauses create tension and the nature becoming more aggressive. The declaring sentences also show how there is no misinterpretation or doubtfulness and again shows his control and intimidation over