Supporting Cast

Assef- is a bully who constantly taunts Amir and Hassan as they are growing up.  He is feared for his ruthless use of brass knuckles.   Assef is of mixed race, half German and Middle Eastern.  His hero is Hitler and he dreams of an Afghanistan where there are no Harzaras.  Assef rapes Hassan when they are kids and this violent act is the catalyst for the deterioration of the friendship between the two main characters. He later joins the Taliban and quickly climbs the ranks.  As an adult this man becomes even more ruthless, stoning people to death at soccer games and taking a major part in the Hazara genocide.  As the story line progresses, Assef’s role as a villain builds up when he purchases Hassan’s son Sohrab from an orphanage.   He agrees to fight Amir to the death for ownership of the boy.   

Ali- is Baba’s lifelong friend and servant.   He is of Harzara decent and has multiple disabilities that include a limp and a paralyzed face which does not allow him to smile. This causes the neighbourhood children to make fun of him.  Even though this character copes with many physical challenges, he is also a man with a strong values and personal integrity.  He keeps the secret that Hassan is Baba’s son and raises him as his own.  When Amir tries to get him fired with false accusations made at Hassan, Ali quits his job and stays loyal to his son.  Ali takes his friends secret to his death and is eventually killed in a landmine explosion.

Soraya- is Amir’s wife.  She is a high a school teacher with a passion for teaching.  She cannot have children for unknown reasons.

Sohrab- is Hassan’s son and looks exactly like his father.  He becomes an orphan at a young age when Hassan is killed by the Taliban. He is purchased by Assef, and saves Amir’s life with a slingshot when they agree to fight to the death.  Sohrab ‘s greatest fear is orphanages and when Amir tells him  he might have to go back to one he tries to kill himself.  Eventually Sohrab goes to live with Amir and his wife in America but he remains distrustful of everyone.  Building a relationship with this boy becomes a priority for Amir as he tries to make up for the mistakes he has made in the past.  

General Taheri- is Soraya’s father.  He lives in America and collects welfare. He does not want to work at a menial job and expects to resume the esteemed position of a general when he eventually returns to Afghanistan.