Many non-Western literary texts of the 20th century have a hero that everyone admires. These heroes tend to display extreme bravery and courage and are willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of someone other than themselves. A typical hero is selfless and never compromises his principles or beliefs, even if it means staying alone sometimes. There is Hassan in The Kite Runner who is loyal, selfless and full of integrity to the point of self-sacrifice; the Child Bride, who fights to the end to survive her harsh ordeal; and Tita in Like Water For Chocolate, who must sacrifice her own happiness in the name of family traditions. However, many characters in these stories do not receive as much credit or attention from the audience. They are unsung heroes, “people who make substantial but unrecognized contributions and whose courage is unknown or unrecognized” (dictionary.com). Although these characters may arouse our disapproval or dismay from the start, they are able to overcome adversity or rejection and reveal an unexpected integrity and depth of character. The hero of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is Hassan, a boy who demonstrates sincere but unrecognized love. and respect for his friend Amir, whose unthinkable betrayal he is able to forgive. In his letter to Amir, he writes: “And I dreamed that one day you would return to Kabul to revisit the land of our childhood. If you do, you will find an old faithful friend waiting for you. (Khaled Hosseni, 218). These words show that Hassan has no resentment towards Amir. Amir, on the other hand, starts off as a weak and unsympathetic character. He is not willing to sacrifice himself for Hassan when he urgently needs help, even though he knows his friend would... middle of paper... this is in no way case a perfect hero but he earns our admiration through his countless demonstrations of restraint and self-sacrifice. As we can see, there are many examples of atypical heroism in non-Western texts of the 20th century. These characters are often ordinary people with complicated lives. They went through some difficulties and overcame them; they emerge ready to follow a more positive direction and thus gain our respect and admiration. As readers, we can relate to these characters more easily than typical heroes whose standards we cannot live up to. We all encounter challenges at some point in our lives and we are not always able to meet them with grace. It is those who do not succumb to defeat who are the object of our admiration. These people symbolize the depth of human capabilities and perhaps leave a shadow of hope and belief in a better society..