Assef's Interaction With Baba at Amir's Thirteenth Birthday Party

We believe that this picture best represents Assef, specifically his interaction with Baba at Amir's thirteenth birthday party. We see that although water is something that someone can easily drown in, in this photo it is covered, symbolizing how Assef easily covers his true personality with a facade that deceives Baba. Yet, Amir is not fooled by how Assef "was the embodiment of every parent's dream, a strong, tall, well-dressed and well-mannered boy... But to me, his eyes betrayed him. When I looked into them, the facade faltered, revealed a glimpse of the madness hiding behind them" (96-97). Here, Assef's eyes are symbolized by the strips of water that we can see, since the pool covers don't completely cover them. Baba only sees the pool covers, but Amir sees the terrifying depths of the water underneath them, and so he is correctly justified in his fear of Assef. One last thing that this picture has is flags above the pool pointing down. Very clearly, there are no red flags at all, similar to how to Baba and many other Afghan parents, Assef is a flawless child who everyone should aspire to be.