Open Prompt 2 #2 (I think...?)

1979

Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of recognized literary merit who might on the basis of the character’s actions alone be considered evil or immoral. In a well-organized essay, explain both how and why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary.

As it is often said, our actions do not always define who we are as a person, but at what point do those action reflects who we are? In The Kite Runner, The main character Amir is put into several circumstances where he is in between a rock and a hard place, causing his actions to reflect that internal struggle. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, uses themes of betrayal and forgiveness to show that no matter how bad an action is, it does not have to define you as a person.


In the first half of The Kite Runner, Amir is faced with the the judgement of the other boys over his best friend, Hassan, being a Hazara in a community of Pashtuns. The boys, although different in race, were inseparable until Amir started listening to the hurtful words of the other boys. The apex of the betrayal was when Amir pretended not to see the rape of Hassan, even though he could of helped the situation. Such a serious moment is nearly impossible to process as a child, hence the hesitation and fear that Amir felt in the moment. Without any other context, it would seem that Amir left his friend to suffer without any second though; whereas in reality, he was nothing more than a confused child that was scared to tell anyone or do anything. The innocence of the situation cuts the malevolence tenfold, hence not making this one act of betrayal reflective of Amir’s personality as a whole. Furthermore, Amir let the burden of watching his childhood friend’s rape weigh on him throughout his adult life. The guilt that Amir bore also reflects on his personality showing how even though he made a horrible mistake he held himself credible for it.


On the flipside of the situation, Hassan used the power of forgiveness to rise above the evil that Amir committed. Beyond ignoring Hassan’s rape, Amir also falsely accused Hassan of stealing and furthermore got him and his father kicked out/ moved out of Baba’s home that they shared. The action on Amir’s behalf was done out of anger and frustration that he could not find his father’s love. Although not an excuse, Hassan understood and followed Amir’s will, like he always would and left the safehaven that was Baba’s home. From the point of moving out on, Hassan never held it against Amir because he understood and choose to forgive Amir for feeling the way he did. Although the evil was committed and the pain was felt, Hassan chose to forgive Amir and chose to see him still as the wonderful friend he had been. That forgiveness allowed Hassan to not let Amir’s actions define him and chose to see past the pain and hurt to remember who Amir once was to him.


Amir is that of a tragic hero, it took him falling apart and doing so much wrong to see that he could do good in the world. Although it took time and consideration, Amir learned to not let his acts of betrayal towards Hassan define him. With the cure of forgiveness, Amir was able to free himself from the actions that once defined his childhood.

Open Prompt 2

1975. Although literary critics have tended to praise the unique in literary characterizations, many authors have employed the stereotyped character successfully. Select one work of acknowledged literary merit and in a well-written essay, show how the conventional or stereotyped character or characters function to achieve the author’s purpose.

In The Color Purple by Alice Walker, Walker uses African American stereotypes like the Mammy and the Jezebel archetypes to foil each other in the story. The foiling of the characters and their stereotypical roles is used to explain the misfortune of the characters and how they prevailed through their hardship.

Celie, the main character is that of the Mammy stereotype due to her servile behavior and supine nature. This can be seen throughout the story such as when Celie was expected to care for her siblings due to her mother’s death and her fathers abusive and old fashioned nature. Or when celie’s husband abuses her and she simply takes it and does what she is told- but throughout the whole thing she remains kind and shares that kindness with those who accept it. Celie’s character is the Mammy stereotype because of her servile attitude towards her “superiors” and how she remains kind and love to those who deserve it, in spite of her miserable circumstances. Shug, on the other hand, is the jezabel. The impact that Shug makes is due to her headstrong and openly sexual behavior. This type of impact can be seen when Shug is initially introduced into the story as the mistress, and not as the singer that we was. Secondarily, it was Shug that confronted and stopped the abuse that Mr._____ inflicted upon Celie.

The foiling of Shug and Celie was shown slowly throughout the story. When the characters first interacted with one another it was not present due to their glaring differences. One one hand there is passive and servile Celie and on the other there is aggressive and promiscuous Shug. From the get-go of the story the reader knows that these characters’ purposes are to evolve each other, due to their polar vantage points on life. Through the contrast and growth that the character show throughout the story, Walker was able to show how the separate stereotypes were able to play off each other and help each other.

Through the base of stereotypes, Walker was able to foil Celie and Shug and have them act off of one another in the pursuit of freedom from oppression. The strong African American stereotypes provided a good platform for contrast to be shown throughout the story. Walker through stereotypes was able to show the true depth of the character and not just their offensive and stereotyped outsides.