The Best of the Week: Assef and Why?

Having to think of a time this week when I was truly interested in a conversation in class didn't take me a long time. After all, Friday's conversation of Assef was not that easy to forget. I specifically remember our class talking about how we agreed with Amir that Assef falls into the category of a sociopath. This was about the time Roman argued that Assef was not a sociopath because he was aware of the pain his actions gave others. The more I thought, the more I agreed with Roman.

Sociopathic: Unconcerned about the adverse consequences for others of one's actions.

Frankly, that is not Assef. Assef clearly means to hurt others when he says things. "I'll let you keep [the kite] so it will always remind you of what I'm about to do. "I'll ask the president to do what the king didn't have the quwat to do. To rid Afghanistan of all the dirty, kasseef Hazaras." These quotes from Assef may show hatred and confused views on race and equality but they obviously don't show signs of a sociopath. Hatred, especially, is the emotion that has ruled Assef and has made him into the source of others pain. But how and why did this source of hate come to materialize in Assef's life?

This is where another argument took place about "Nature vs. Nurture". Was it the environment that shaped Assef or was it his DNA that made him what he was? Though genes may help decide who you are, I believe that it is the environment that shapes you. Assef is obviously a bully that knows no limits. Searching for the "Why" we go back to the section of the book when Amir meets Assef with his parents. In the conversation, it's apparent that Assef both physically and emotionally dominates over his parents. This lack of control over Assef allows him to have no limits and gives him the sense of power that he craves. Nature can also explain Assef's particular strong dislike for Hazarans and his affection for Hitler. During Assef's life, Afghanistan is constantly in a state of conflict between the Pashtuns Hazarans and other ethnic groups. The fighting must have had a negative impact in Assef's life causing him to resent Hazarans and wanting to eliminate them from Afghanistan. This is similar to what happens to Baba during the Soviet invasion. When the Russians invade Afghanistan, Baba and Amir are forced to flee and live the next years of their lives in filthy conditions. There, Baba sees children and people he knows raped or dead. After this experience, Baba maintains his hate against all Russians throughout his life, and when he is referred to a partly Russian doctor, he refuses to cooperate. Something similar also happens to Hitler during World War One. During the war, the conditions and the economy in Germany were extremely bad. Many people starved to death. Hitler, however, observed that the Jews in his town were still succeeding during this depression and he hated them for it. You know what happens next. Many times, it is the environment that decides who you become. In Assef's, Baba's, and Hitler's life the environment creates extreme racism. The environment in which you live and the people that surround you are the key contributing factor in what you become.