The Kite Runner Halfway post

1. Identify and list examples of flashback and/or foreshadowing in the book. What purpose does flashback play in the book? Is it effective? What purpose does the foreshadowing play in the book? Is it effective? Did you ''guess'' what the foreshadowing was pointing to?

In Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner, there are several examples of foreshadowing. Foreshadowing shows what will happen later on in the novel. One example is when Baba doubts Amir’s ability to stand up for himself and to stand up for what he believes is right. When Baba mentions that “a boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything” (p. 18), he views Amir as a coward. In other words, Baba and Amir seem to not get along that well, which can affect their relationship later on. Another situation of foreshadowing when Baba fears that Islam will control Afghanistan. Since Baba has lived in Afghanistan for most of his life, he feels that the political situation is not that great.

Another disturbing scene is when Hassan is raped by Assef and his gang. Since Amir did not do anything but just watch, it shows how torn apart the family is compared to the others. I sincerely hope that Amir and Hassan will be able to resolve their differences later on, and that Baba would start to value Amir more than he did before.

What is the setting of the novel? Is the setting important or could the novel happen anywhere? Why? Would it change the plot? In what way?

The setting is important because Amir and Hassan that they came from different cultures. This novel cannot happen anywhere because it is mainly people live in Kabul despise the Hazaras. It is also an important setting because as I learned from the “Symbols and Heroes” assignment, kite running is an important aspect of Persian literature. If it took place in North America, the setting wouldn’t match as much and the storyline would not be as believable. Since the story is after all called The Kite Runner, it only makes sense that the story could take place in the Middle East. In Afghanistan, there are a lot of wars and conflicts happening, so this can actually make the tension a lot worse, especially for Amir and Baba. The story does also take place in the United States, specifically in California, when Amir and Baba return. Thus, they leave Hassan behind in order to fight the war. I just hope that Amir will learn to apologize to Hassan for making him feel guilty.

The Kite Runner intro

Published in 2003 by  Riverhead Books

This novel is called The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. It contains 372 pages and it is published by Riverhead Books in 2003.

Here is a synopsis of the novel, from the Shmoop website:

“The early years in Kabul are charmed. Our protagonist, Amir, lives in a fairly posh house with his father, whom he calls Baba, and their servants, Ali and Hassan. (Who, if you're keeping score, are also a father and son duo.) Amir's mother died giving birth to him, and Hassan's mom ran off soon after he was born – so the two young boys both grow up without mothers. As the book likes to point out, they also share the same wet nurse (a woman who nursed them as babies). This apparently makes people very close.

There's some tension, though, in the household. Ali and Hassan are Hazaras, which means they're from an ethnic minority. They don't have the same status as Amir and Baba. Though Amir and Baba rarely toss off ethnic slurs at them, Ali gets some abuse from the neighborhood boys. To make things a bit more uncomfortable, Amir doesn't get nearly enough attention from his father. Baba seems to dislike Amir – he's weak and likes poetry instead of bloodthirsty sports, etc. In fact, it sometimes seems like Baba has more affection for his servant boy, Hassan” (Shmoop.com, 2016).

Here is a link to a book review that I found online:

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/the-kite-runner

Reading this book review provides me with the background knowledge for understanding the book better.

https://www.amazon.com/The-Kite-Runner-Khaled-Hosseini/dp/1594480001

Why did I choose The Kite Runner?

There are several reasons why I chose to read Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner. First of all, I need to read this book because it is part of the course curriculum. When I read though the book intro, it makes me feel I have seen this plot before, and then I realized when I was younger, I actually watched the movie. Now, it is my chance to read the novel and compare the difference between the two. Because in my Grade 10 class, I read To Kill a Mockingbird, and in Grade 11, I read Lord of the Flies, this year I can explore a new genre and improve my knowledge of literature. Because of this, I want to engage in my reading and learn in the process.