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Kite Runner
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Contents
1. Introduction
2. Stylistic prose techniques
3. Reader response
4. Prose analysis
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography
Introduction
“The Kite Runner” is one of the most popular and
well-known literary works by Khaled Hosseini. The popularity
of this work can be easily understood when the novel is analyzed
profoundly since the book represents a variety of characters
that are close to the real life, their problems are really
disturbing and themes raised by the author are really important
in the modern world. At the same time, the book provides an
excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the traditional
culture of Afghanistan as well as it fully reveals the tragedy
of Afghani people and depict the fates of those who were forced
to leave the country.
In such a situation, it is particularly noteworthy that the
author attempts to show the life of the immigrants in a new
country and their adaptation to the new lifestyle. On the
other hand, Khaled Hosseini manages to perfectly show the
extent to which the links with the motherland are strong and
the great impact the origin of people can have on their life.
This work is also quite noteworthy from the stylistic and
artistic point of view since it is quite rich in different
stylistic details and artistic devices which make the reading
of the book really interesting and aesthetically pleasant.
This is why it is necessary to analyze this book in order
to fully reveal its richness and artistic power.
Stylistic prose techniques
1. On analyzing stylistic prose techniques of “The Kite
Runner” it would be logical to start with the title
of the novel which is actually the first element of the literary
work which meaning is reveled retrospectively in the process
of reading and evaluation of the work. In the case of Khaled
Hosseini’s work, the author obviously intentionally
conveys the title throughout the book underlying the significance
and symbolism of the kite runner. In fact, it should be said
that the kite runner allegorically represents the fate of
the main character that is revealed in the book. To put it
more precisely, the main character remains a kite runner from
his early childhood till the end of the novel but this image
is obviously quite allegorical since the kite in the hands
of the main character rather resembles himself in the hands
of his fate. Moreover, it seems as if his motherland, where
he has to return even after his emigration, holds him as he
holds the kite in his hand.
2. Furthermore, the author successfully employs the language
of the novel which targets at the presentation of the characters
and which actually characterize them. What is meant here is
the power the language used by the author to fully depict
characters and involve readers in the atmosphere of Afghani
life and culture. For instance, he uses some Afghani words,
such as Baba meaning father, to make readers closer to Afghani
culture by means of using the borrowings from the local language.
In such a way, the novel seems to be more realistic and true
to life helping readers better understand main characters
and their actions.
3. Khaled Hosseini is also quite successful in the creation
of a clear imagery of the novel. In this respect, it should
be said that the main character, Amir, is obviously the protagonist
of the novel since he is the character that dominates in the
book from its beginning till its end and basically he incorporates
positive qualities or at least he is perceived positively.
In stark contrast to him, there is a kind of villain, Assef
who is an incorporation of evil powers, and commits terrible
acts that are crimes as the matter of fact. This character
also permanently appears in the novel that makes it possible
to define him as the antagonist of the novel.
4. The author also uses flashbacks in his novel that may be
seen from the beginning of the book. Basically, flashbacks,
the scenes of the past inserted into the narrative, are represented
by Amir’s recollection about his past and his childhood
in Afghanistan in 1970s when he was a little boy living with
his family in Kabul.
5. Furthermore, Khaled Hosseini uses forshadowing in his work,
though it does not mean that he constantly makes the reader
to guess about the future events but, nonetheless, he often
provides hints or remarks that prepare the reader for the
future. For instance, when Amir made his first efforts in
literature he was obviously discouraged by his father who
did not believe in his potential as a writer but, at the same
time, the main character was constantly encouraged by Rahim
Khan who, in contrast to Baba, sincerely believed in the talent
of Amir as a writer.
6. However, the realization of the events that are foreshadowed
in the novel do not occur immediately. This is why it is possible
to speak about the use of retardation by the author which
actually provides the holding of information or development
of events until the appropriate time. In this respect, it
is worthy of mention the first encounter of Amir and his friend,
Hassan, with Assef and the warning of the latter to shoot
out his left eye with the slingshot but, this promise was
realized only much later in the novel by Amir that was rather
a kind of revenge on Hassan and his son’s abuse by Assef.
Similarly. Assef also promissed to revenge on the friends
in a while he fulfilled his promise.
7. By the way, it is worthy of mention that the use of retardation
by the author sometimes is very close to suspense. Even when
the denouement of the novel, i.e. the unwinding of the action,
is analyzed, it is obvious that it is rather in suspense or
that there is even to clear denouement at all but, instead
the author rather prefers to live the further development
of the life of the characters open to the reader since Sohrab
probably starts to recover from a profound psychological trauma
he suffers from, while Amir proves that he is the real kite
runner.
8. Also, it should be said that the author skillfully uses
such stylistic device as irony, which is traditionally identified
as the double sense which arises from contrast and it can
be achieved by linguistic as well as extra-linguistic means.
For instance, it seems to be quite ironic when Amir tells
the reader that Baba paid to have plastic surgery done on
Hassan’s harelip and now he can smile. However, something
will happen next winter that makes Hassan stop smiling, notably,
it is the encounter with Assef and the following fighint and
abuse of the boy by Assef that has changed his entire life.
9. Furthermore, it is also possible to find a lot of symbols
within the novel. Probably the most interesting and noteworthy
one is the image of Assef, or to put it more precisely, that
he has eventually become a ‘one-eyed Assef’. In
this respect, it is possible to find parallels between the
image of ‘one-eyed’ Assef and Cyclops that traditionally
symbolize the negative power, or even evil. In such a way,
similarly to Cyclops, Assef also causes the harm to innocent
people and similarly to Cyclops he losses his eye. In such
a way, it is possible to speak about this fact as about a
symbolic punishment of a cruel man and the victory of good.
10. Finally, it should be said a few words about the tone
of the story which, being basically stable, undergoes certain
shifts throughout the novel. In fact, basically the tone,
which serves to depict the light in which characters and events
are depicted, is a bit dark because of the author’s
attempt to create the novel that could be close to the real
life. This is why the episodes, when the main character remembers
his childhood in Afghanistan, or when he returns to this country
to save Sohrab, are characterized by quite a dark tone, while
the episodes in the US and when the main character enjoys
his life while communicating with his relatives and friends,
are characterized by optimistic tone.
Reader response
Basically, the novel can be clearly divided into four major
parts: the first part is the recollection of Amir about his
childhood in Kabul; the second part is the life of the main
character in the US; the third part is his forced return to
Afghanistan; and finally, the fourth part is his final return
to the US with Sohrab.
On analyzing the first part, it is possible to estimate that
the author attempts to convey to the reader the story of the
main character, Amir in order to fully understand the tragedy
of his life and his current position. In fact, this part provides
the insight on his entire life since he has been “peeking
into that deserted alley for the last twenty six years”
(1). It should be said that his childhood was quite difficult
and since his early life he has faced misunderstanding of
his surrounding, including his father is quite skeptical about
his son when he says that “there is something missing
in that boy” (22).
Basically, this period of life is quite contradictive since
Amir just starts to learn the major lessons from life. This
is why he equally enjoys and suffers from the life. To put
it more precisely, he really enjoys the communication with
his friends, such as Hassan, but, on the other hand, he learns
the extent to which the life can be unjust and cruel when
his friend is beaten and raped by Assef. In such a situation,
it is quite natural that he cannot fully understand all the
cruelty of life and his childish idealism tends to gradually
disappear. However, his idealism has never vanished since
he keeps writing and it is literature that probably saves
him from the cruel life and prevents him from the total ruin
and downcast that Hassan has undergone being unable to find
some escape from the reality which Amir has found in literature.
Probably, it is due to the fact that Amir remained convinced
that “there was brotherhood between people who had fed
from the same breast, the kinship that not even time could
not break” (11) and he remains faithful to this principle
all the rest of his life.
In general, this period of his life may be viewed as the period
of maturing and acquisition of the essential experience that
influenced the identity of the main character. It is beyond
a doubt that it is during this period Amir has learned both
positive and negative sides of the life.
In such a situation, the second part of the book may be viewed
as an attempt to escape from the cruelty of life Amir has
learned at the beginning in Afghanistan. However, the expectations
to discover a Paradise or a kind of a Promised Land are doomed
to fail since the author remains devoted to the principle
of realism of the depiction of the life of the main character
and the events of the novel fully meet this goal of Khaled
Hosseini.
In actuality, the life of Amir and his family has really changed
in the US but it has not become significantly easier. In fact,
he and his relatives have to adapt to the new conditions of
life and new lifestyle. They live in a different cultural
environment. Nonetheless, it does not necessarily mean that
this period is rather dark, instead, optimistic tone prevail
in this part. It is in this country, Amir find his wife and
marries her, moreover, he becomes a famous novelist and realizes
his dream in such a way.
Nonetheless, it is worthy of mention that even this period
of his life is accompanied by numerous difficulties which
constantly return the reader to the reality. For instance,
at the beginning he lives in a humble apartment instead of
an expensive mansion he used to live in Afghanistan, the family
practically lives from hand to mouth, and, what is more, Amir
is forced to watch as Baba slowly dies being unable to help
his father.
Unfortunately, as the life of the main character gets more
stable as he marries and gains public recognition as a novelist,
he faces new challenges which seem to arrive from the past
and which mark the third part of the novel. To put it more
precisely, he receives a call from Rahim Khan and goes to
Pakistan where he learns that Hassan and his wife are killed
by Taliban and, what is more, that his friend was his illegitimate
half-brother. Moreover, he has to return to Afghanistan to
save Sohbar, the sun of Hassan. It is important to underline
that he returns to his motherland but he is alien here. No
wonder that Farid says “You’ve always been a tourist
here, you just didn’t now it” (232). Symbolically,
his mission, being successful enough, rather resembles the
revenge or even the final victory of good power over evil
since in the fight he shoots out the left eye of Assef who
abused Sohrab and saves the boy.
The successful escape from Afghanistan opens the final part
of the book which is supposed to be the most optimistic one
as the main character returns to the US to his family and
remains faithful to the principle of brotherhood as he brings
Sohrab up. Actually, in this part the author attempts to show
how difficult it is to recover from the horrors the main character
and Sorhab had to pass through in Afghanistan. No wonder that
Sohrab has a profound psychological trauma which practically
leads him to an attempt of suicide that, fortunately, has
failed. At the same time, it should be said that the ending
of the novel is quite optimistic and the author probably attempts
to show that, regardless all the problems and cruelty of life,
there still remains some room for happy life.
Prose analysis
Probably the most memorable and interesting episode in the
book is the episode where the author actually sets the basic
principle Amir, the main character of the novel will follow
all the rest of his life. As it has been already mentioned
above, this was the principle of brotherhood (p.11) which
Amir has learned probably unconsciously. In this respect,
it is possible to say that the author attempts to convey the
traditions of Afghanistan, its cultural norms and moral standards
and to emphasize this he is even using the language typical
for Afghani people, for instance Baba, instead of father.
At the same time, the kinship of Amir and Hassan also underlines
the theme of brotherhood that is one of the central themes
of the entire novel. No wonder that Amir always supported
his friend-brother, Hasan and even after his death, the main
character saves and adopts his son that fully corresponds
to the principle of brotherhood.
Conclusion
Thus, it is possible to conclude that “The Kite Runer”
is the novel written by Khaled Hosseini which rises an extremely
important problems and which, at the same time, remains extremely
realistic. Due to the skillful use of stylistic devices the
author makes the novel really interesting to readers and,
what is more, the book is really thought provoking.
Bibliography:
1. Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Random House,
2005.
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