The young man with the backpack

The young man with the backpack is an important character in the short story “Kiss” by Elizabeth Baines, as his actions might have devastating consequences for those around him. His outer characterization reveals that he comes from a family of Muslim immigrants (ll. ll. 87-91). He is younger than the couple as he was 12 when they were already adults (ll. 81-82). He is probably intelligent, as his parents expected him to pass his exams and become a doctor one day (ll. 83-84). 

His inner characterization shows that he was a confused teen: “…his future, mapped out by his parents, was a mystery to him, alien…” (ll. 89-90). This suggests that he did not want the future his parents planned for him. He also felt alienated from the society he lived in. He perceived his surroundings as threatening, seeing “acrid light leaking from mean squares of windows” (ll. 85-8...