Write about the way the significance of the way in which Hosseini uses setting in ‘The Kite Runner’. Focus on two or three. Hosseini uses setting in the kite runner in various ways. It is a tool in showcasing the social division between Hazara and Pashtuns in Kabul and is also used to dramatise and add tension to the story. An example of Hosseini adding tension through setting is Amir and Baba’s car journey from Kabul to Jalalabad. It is narrated by Amir in the present tense, as if he is there telling us what’s happening at that moment as opposed to the past tense narrative style that the remainder of the book is told in. The scene begins with ‘ We pulled up to the check point’ we are only limited to Amir’s view at the time, whilst Amir …show more content…
The two houses are also used to show the different father-son relationship between Hassan and Ali and Baba and Amir. Baba’s house is described as being very grand; the entire paragraph dedicated to it oozes wealth and prosperity. Hosseini uses superlative adjectives to describe the house ‘prettiest house in all of Kabul…’ Everything about the house is luxurious and beautiful, there are great descriptions of tapestries and ‘marble floors and wide windows’. Even the smells in the house are rich ‘perpetually smelled of tobacco and cinnamon’, the word ‘perpetually’ hints that Baba’s wealth was continuous, it would never end, as if Amir believed that he would always live in this luxury. The house is very formal ‘poplar trees lined the driveway’ and ‘rosebushes’ flanked the entryway. However throughout this beautiful description there are some cracks and some uneasiness. In particular the ‘wrought- iron gates’ that give the house a prison like feel, and also the mention of Rahim Khan ‘ I’m in his arms, but it’s Rahim Khan’s pinky my fingers are curled around’ this suggests that within the opulence there are some badly hidden issues. In contrast Ali’s hut is introduced to the reader by the heading ‘the Wall of Ailing Corn’ the corn that ‘never really took’ as if there is also something wrong with the hut. Whilst Baba’s house is given a detailed description Amir’s description of Ali’s hut is brief, perhaps because he doesn’t think its
Baba’s high expectation influences Amir 's fixed mindset because Baba feels that his son should be more courageous and follow the values that make up a Pashtun man. Throughout Amir 's childhood Baba always sets these high expectations for Amir that leads Amir to believe that one cannot be weak at things. Throughout the story, Amir is a shy insecure boy while Baba is a confident and proud man. Due to Amir 's introverted self, he spends most of his time reading books and poetry; while Baba tries to force his interest onto his son Amir for the purpose that Baba wants Amir to be the great example of what a Pushtun man should be. An example that shows Baba has a fixed mindset was when Amir states, "With me as the glaring exception, my father molded the world around him to his liking. The problem, of course, was that Baba saw the world in black and white. And he got to decide what was black and what was white. You can 't love a person who lives that way without fearing him too. Maybe even hating him a little" (Hossieni15). This quote shows that Baba was a man with a strong personality, and it was his way or the highway. This instills so much fear in Amir that he is afraid of committing mistakes around his
This research project is focused on understanding a book, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. In addition, the project objective is to understand choices, actions, and processes of characters and what factors led them to arrive to such consequences.
Amir and Baba do not try to involve themselves with Hassan and Ali. Just like when Amir starts to understand the low social status Hassan has and accept the status quo. He says “That Hassan would grow up illiterate like Ali
Since many people who saw how hard he had worked to finish this project were there listening to his speech, Amir’s father gains this feeling of pride that all Afghans strive to attain, one which comes publicly and through the strong approval of peers. Since the “people stood up and cheered”, “clapped for a long time”, and “shook his [Baba’s] hand”, it is clear that they recognize the hard work that Baba has put into making the orphanage. Even though Baba may have partially wanted to build the orphanage to provide a safe haven for children who needed help and shelter, he also wanted to do it to show how well-rounded he was. After all, Baba wasn’t a proficient architect, or even a normal architect; he wanted to show to his peers that he could accomplish whatever he set his mind to. Baba makes a big deal out of the grand opening so everyone can see this great deed that he’s done while showcasing his talents and ability to succeed in things that are new and unfamiliar to him. He achieves this spectacularly, evident through all of the people who sat in chairs and even a “lot of people [who] had to stand to watch the opening ceremony” (14). After the speech, his whole audience congratulates him, boosting his self esteem and sense of pride. Another example of Afghan pride can be seen when Baba is being doubted by those surrounding him. When the “...people were always
However, his constant burden of having to pay for his adulterous act, considered one of the ultimate sins in his conservative Sunni Islamic environment, coupled with the tragedy of his wife’s death leads Baba to also be portrayed as a less of a father and more of having an immature personality in the way he deals with his son. Hosseini’s purpose in this complex relationship with Amir was to highlight how different the circumstances were in Afghanistan given more extreme social conditions Americans are unfamiliar with. This conflict leads Hosseini to somewhat reconcile Baba’s bad parenting as being a product of the trade-offs necessary to living in context of that particular belief system. His preoccupation with relieving his guilt prevented him from being the father Amir secretly desired him to be.
Thought it was the prettiest house in all Kabul. A broad entryway flanked by rosebushes led to the sprawling house of marble floors and wide windows. Intricate mosaic tiles, handpicked by Baba in Isfahan, covered the floor of four bathrooms. Gold-stitched tapestries ,which Baba had bought in Calcutta, lined the walls a crystal chandelier hung from the vaulted ceiling.” This quote states that Amir's estate is believed to be the most beautiful in all Kabul because of they way his father
In this moment, Amir is very excited with Baba because he is calling the general about Soraya. Amir has a little thing for Soraya, by which later in the novel, she becomes his wife. The text in this novel was pretty straightforward, you just have to identify the figurative language that the author uses, because he uses a lot of it to make the book more challenging. He also uses a lot of dialogue. My personal favorite is a passage from the end of the novel.
The Kite Runner is a film based on the first novel of Khaled Hosseini, which was published in 2003 and became a bestseller, thus was translated to many different languages and spread around the world, becoming a discussion topic for quite a while. One of the reasons why this book is so rich and attractive is the variety of characters, which are all born in Afghanistan and spent at least most of their childhood there, but at the same time have different views, virtues and experience. And those characters, depending on the generation they belong to, are shaped by particular circumstances, political and historical events.
And even so, if the reader didn’t know anything before reading The Kite Runner they would still learn something, such as the way people treat each other there as they do in America, or the time period when the Russians came in, or as the Taliban took over. After all this the reader could go on to learn more if they want but Hosseini choose to write a story that would enchant the reader and keep him at the edge of their seats.
Amir and his father’s weak relationship in Afghanistan changes when Amir finally accomplishes something Baba can be proud about, spreading light of a possible close relationship in the future. At the beginning of the novel, Baba is talking with his friend, Rahim Khan, about his worries for Amir not standing up for himself, when he is being bullied. Khan responds to Baba saying, ““Children aren’t coloring books. You don’t get to fill them in with your favorite colors””(Hosseini 21). This quote illustrates the difficult relationship Amir and his father have with each other because Baba wants to mold him into the ‘perfect’ son, but Amir does not find appreciation in the same things as Baba, causing this ‘mold’ to be ruined. Amir and Baba being polar opposites causes them to naturally separate from each other because Baba likes building luxury to fit his ego, but Amir values the smaller gestures people do in life. Once Amir finally does something that makes Baba proud and improves ‘their’ ego, Baba starts to appreciate Amir more and tries to do more things with him. This is depicted when Hosseini writes, “Baba and I were finally friends” (Hosseini 85). Although Amir thinks they are close, they are not as close as they could be because Baba usually invites friends and family to join them on their outings. Also, when they are alone it is very awkward for the two of them because they do not know each other very well. The reason Amir feels like he is gaining his father’s acceptance is because he is taking him places, rather than ignoring his existence completely, which is a significant step compared to their relationship before. This step in their relationship illustrates they have a chance at becoming even closer in the future.
4. We begin to understand early in the novel that Amir is constantly vying for Baba's attention and often feels like an outsider in his father's life, as seen in the following passage: "He'd close the door, leave me to wonder why it was always grown-ups time with him. I'd sit by the door, knees drawn to my chest. Sometimes I sat there for an hour, sometimes two, listening to their laughter, their chatter." Discuss Amir's relationship with Baba.
The Kite Runner focuses on the journey of Amir as he struggles both mentally and physically to make up for a horrible wrong that he committed in his past that continues to haunt him to this day. He encounters many difficulty, fear, and happiness. Hosseini teaches his readers that it is necessary to channel one’s guilt into a means of redemption because although forgiveness may not be granted right away, as long as moral actions are taken, atonement will eventually ensue.
Harvey Freedenberg in an online article titled “The Kite Runner,” says that Hosseini “demonstrates striking skill at melding a page-turning story with intensely involving characters and conflicts.” He says what makes people love the book so much is, “ that it wrestles with themes… [Of] friendship, betrayal, the relationship between fathers and sons, the quest for redemption and the power of forgiveness.” Erin Miller in an online article titled “Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini” complements Freedenberg’s analysis by saying that another reason why so many people love this book is that “The core story could be set in any culture because it deals with issues that are universal,” so readers can relate to the familiar themes.
How does Hosseini use symbolism in ‘The Kite Runner’ to present key relationships? You should consider different reader responses and the extent to which your critical approach assists your interpretation.
Khaled Hosseini writes the novel, The Kite Runner to make readers think of how his use of symbolism and other