Extra Credit

Sadeed Bayat is the joint protagonist of Extra Credit. Sadeed lives with his parents and sister Amira in Bahar-Lan, Afghanistan, a fictional village which is 120 kilometers north of Kabul, at the foot of the Hindu Kush mountains. The author characterizes Sadeed as a serious and studious sixth-grade student who is very intelligent and hardworking. Sadeed is skilled in English, and hopes to earn a scholarship to study at a better school in Kabul. As the eldest sibling in his family, Sadeed has many responsibilities at home and helps his father with his shop at the bazaar.

Sadeed’s character grows through the narrative. At first, Sadeed does not want to work with his sister on the pen pal project, but as the novel progresses, Sadeed’s attitude toward Abby changes dramatically. At the beginning of their correspondence, he dismisses Abby as a potential friend because she is a girl, showing that he has assimilated some of his society’s gender-based discrimination. Over time, however, he comes to regard her as an interesting and intelligent person, showing that he is able to change his opinion in the face of evidence. Over the course of Sadeed’s correspondence with Abby he changes for the better: He becomes humbler and more self-reflective, and is more open to new experiences and perspectives.