Hassan and Pearl - Fogel

        No two people are exactly alike; everyone is unique in their own way. But both physical traits and personality traits between two people can be quite similar. Having personality traits that compare to your own allow you to understand that person on a higher level than those whose traits do not match with yours. When I read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the characters Hassan and Pearl really spoke to me and I connected with them with our parallel personality traits throughout the books. This allowed me to identify and sympathize with the characters during events both Hassan and Pearl go through in the books in a more in depth way.

            When Pearl’s personality is first described as a young girl, immediately I was drawn to her character because it closely resembled me as a little girl and even parts of my personality from present day. Her personality is described as imaginative, inquisitive, determined and full of life. She is a baffling mixture of strong moods, given to uncontrolled laughter at one moment and sullen silence the next. Hawthorne’s description of Pearl in The Scarlet Letter is exactly how I was when I was young and how I still am today. When I was a kid, my imagination was always running wild no matter what I was doing, and there was never a dull moment in my house. Pearl’s character allowed me to go back into my childhood while reading the book, which, in a way, made me see myself as Pearl and understand her character better than others might.

            Loyal, forgiving, and good-natured is how I would describe Hassan’s character in The Kite Runner. And although I have my days where I am peevish and irascible, these words describe me as well for the majority of the time. I have always considered myself as a selfless person; I will give anything it takes for the needs or wants of my friends or family. Hassan is the same way to an even greater extent. No matter what the situation is, Hassan will always stay by Amir’s side and do whatever it takes to maintain Amir’s happiness and satisfaction. I try to do the same thing to the best of my ability. Making other people happy is what makes me happy. Although I may not be quite as loyal as Hassan, considering the fact that he was raped and never told anyone in order to get the kite to Amir, when reading The Kite Runner and discovering Hassan’s character I found many of my characteristics shared with his. Not only did I find many of my childhood traits within Pearl’s character, but I found many parallels between myself and Hassan with how I am and act today. Because of this, I am able to see Hassan’s world through his eyes in a way not many readers are able to do.

            Although there are multiple similarities between me and both Pearl and Hassan that allow me to really understand the characters’ personalities better, there are also some parts of their personalities that don’t match with mine. One trait that I immediately noticed with Hassan is that he is extremely shy.  I, on the other hand, am on the other end of the spectrum. To be like Hassan and never speak up for myself or voice my own opinion would be nearly impossible for me. In some circumstances where Hassan’s shyness truly shows, I tend to disagree with how he handles the situations because of him being shy. If I was a more timid and introverted person, I would be able to see this trait in a completely different way. But because I am not that way, I am not able to connect with Hassan’s character in that aspect. One of Pearl’s traits that differ from mine is that she is very fixated on society’s view on her and her mother. I am not like this. I live my life and choose how to go on with my life based on what I want; I do not base my life decisions on what other people will think of me. Yes, there are times where I do conform to society. But for the most part, I do what makes me happy. Pearl is very different from me on this point of view, for she is very conscious of what others think of her and her mother. These differences Hassan and Pearl have between me and them makes it harder for me to comprehend their thoughts and behaviors. At the same time, it lets me learn and appreciate different personality traits.

            In conclusion, sharing similarities with both Pearl from The Scarlet Letter and Hassan from The Kite Runner was quite a benefit for me to have. It made me understand and sympathize with them more, therefore allowing me to get more out the book than most. Finding the similarities also made both books even more enjoyable to read.