The Kite Runner PG 1 – Khaled Hosseini
“December 2001
I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975. I remember the precise moment, crouching behind a crumbling mud wall, peeking into the alley near the frozen creek. That was a long time ago, but it’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years.
One day last summer, my friend Rahim Khan called from Pakistan. He asked me to come see him. Standing in the kitchen with the receiver to my ear, I knew it wasn’t just Rahim Khan on the line. It was my past of unatoned sins. After I hung up, I went for a walk along Spreckels Lake on the northern edge of Golden Gate Park. The early-afternoon sun sparkled on the water where dozens of miniature boats sailed, propelled by a crisp breeze. Then I glanced up and saw a pair of kites, red with long blue tails, soaring in the sky. They danced high above the trees on the west end of the park, over the windmills, floating side by side like a pair of eyes looking down on San Francisco, the city I now call home. And suddenly Hassan’s voice whispered in my head: For you, a thousand times over. Hassan the harelipped kite runner.” – 245 words, pg.1
This extract is taken from the opening chapter of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini 2003. The novel itself is a father-son story that emphasizes the familial aspects of the narrative, it tells the story of a friendship between two boys growing up in Afghanistan. In this essay, I will be carrying out a close-reading of the extract and discuss my feelings and interpretations of the piece. I will consider elements such as plot, structure, character, point of view and language techniques. I will also discuss possible themes of time and place and the narration used.
When reading the piece, the first thing I noticed was how personal it felt. The use of the first-person narrative can be effective because it gives a sense of closeness to the character. We, as the audience, witness what the character sees through their point of view. However, as I read further into the novel, I realized that the narrative changes when the letters are being read and sent. The novel is temporarily being told through the letters from someone else’s point of view. I think its essential for the point of view to be correct as it contributes to a deeper understanding of the plot.
Khaled Hosseini opens the novel with a nameless main character remembering something from his past, an event that happened in 1975. Opening the novel with a flashback provides critical information to the characters history and how the past can effect the present. This event is unknown to the reader at this point, which pulls us in to read more. The details are vague but we know that this memory is significant to the novel as it’s the first thing that is mentioned. An event that has haunted this character for twenty-six years, despite his attempt to redeem himself. He receives a phone call from his “past of unatoned sins”; this helps to emphasize the guilt that he has felt all these years because it means he has sins that he needs to make amends for. The “pair of kites, red with long blue tails” is mentioned in the beginning to emphasize the significance of these throughout the novel but it also highlights the guilt that lies behind them. He refers to the kites as “a pair of eyes” and then he hears Hassan’s voice. This could imply that someone or something is always watching over him. The narrator also calls Hassan the “kite runner” in the extract. This suggests that Hassan plays an important role in the novel. Further into Chapter 1, Rahim Khan’s words echo in the narrators head… “There is a way to be good again”. This quote is significant throughout the rest of the novel; where redemption comes into play. The quote may be implying Rahim Khan could assist the narrator to redeem himself and be forgiven if he was to help him out in Afghanistan. This is possibly the narrator’s opportunity to come to a closure and forget about the event from the past.
The extract has many different themes that continue throughout the novel. The main one being friendship. As we have read in the extract, his friend “Rahim Khan” is mentioned. The name “Hassan” is also mentioned but it doesn’t state the relationship between the two, however, we get the impression that he could be a family member or friend due to the main character hearing Hassan’s voice in his head from the past. Another theme I could pick out would be guilt. It is strongly shown within the extract and the reader begins to feel the same emotions. The way the narrator describes his past, it sounds like he is guilty of something he may have done. I found a review by Hill, 2003 at the Guardian and she quotes “Amir’s story is simultaneously devastating and inspiring”. When the readers read this novel they begin to recognize the character’s emotional state so they are devastated that this event could happen but feel inspired to raise awareness of common issues of identity. You could say the novel explores themes of time as it refers to the past and the present like a flashback: “one-day last summer” and “in the winter of 1975”. Likewise, it explores themes of place. The narrator stated Pakistan, which we could assume, would be from his childhood and San Francisco where he lives now as an adult in a new life. The juxtaposition of the place is key; both Afghanistan and the US are mentioned, not only to build suspense but to establish the power of the past and how it affects the present.
I noticed that the extract raises more questions than answers and I believe its because nothing is identified in this short text which creates suspense for the audience. It makes you feel intrigued to read on and find the answers to the questions. The first question to be asked is who is the narrator? Does he have a name? By using a nameless character it prevents the readers from getting emotionally attached but it also keeps it vague which allows the reader to experiment. Are they male or female? I know the brief summary of the novel so I know that he is a male. What past problem is he talking about? How does it involve him? Who is Rahim Khan? What is in Pakistan? How are San Francisco and Pakistan related? Who is Hassan? What is kite running? There are many questions to be asked about this extract because it is so vague. The answers will come further into the novel.
The imagery that Hosseini has used creates a sense of peace: “floating” “danced” and “sparkled”. This makes me question why he has used this imagery here as he refers to the past being so negative. He has tried to redeem himself in the past so maybe he is trying to stay positive. But no matter how hard he tries to bury it, “the past claws its way out”. This highlights the constant reminders of the secret he’s kept hidden all these years. The language of the extract paints a picture of how the rest of the novel will look. Hosseini has used quite a descriptive language and visual imagery to help underline the importance of the plot. A variety of poetic devices are used within the extract. For example, the author has used alliteration “sun sparkled”; this creates rhythm in the extract. I believe symbolism is used when the narrator mentions the kites. The name of the novel is The Kite Runner so mentioning the kites in the beginning, is a symbol. The author has also used a simile in the extract: “like a pair of eyes,” this is useful as it creates vivid imagery for the reader. Hosseini has used foreshadowing in this extract and during the remainder of the novel. It is narrated by an older version of the character reflecting on his life in which the events that are being foreshadowed connect both his childhood and adulthood together.
In conclusion, my close reading of Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner, has underlined the themes of time and place and how the narration used effects the text. The first chapter brings a focus to some of the main characters and
introduces the plot. Hosseini efficiently creates uncertainty within the opening chapter by keeping the details ambiguous. The extract effectively portrays themes of time through the flashbacks and themes of place through the two
settings introduced.
Word Count: 1246
References:
The Kite Runner Extract. At: https://blue-novels.com/the-kite-runner/page-1-2819/ [accessed 29/07/19]
Hill, A. (2003) ‘An Afghan hounded by his past’. In: The Guardian [online]. At: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2003/sep/07/fiction.features1 [accessed 07/08/19]
Reflection
At the beginning of Part 2, I struggled to get going because the writing was never my strong suit in school. I always tried to get out of doing it so it was hard for me to get motivated but once I started it, I learned a few new things. I pushed myself to keep completing the tasks in this section. I compared the difference between reading and writing, and how changing the narrator can effect the perspective on the text. I also researched and recorded Aristotle, Volger’s The Hero’s Journey which was new to me. I knew most of the character archetypes from GCSE Media in school, however, learning the 12 stages of the Hero’s Journey was new and exciting.
When it comes to the poetic devices, I’d say I did well as it’s a basic topic we learn in early secondary. However, the close reading of the poem is what I struggled with because I was never a big fan of poetry. Then the assignment was a close reading as well, I have to admit that I found it difficult so I put it off a bit. In my assignment, I struggled to find an extract that I could study effectively. With hours of scrolling through the internet, I found the novel by Khalid Hosseini. Whilst studying the extract from the novel, I realized that it doesn’t explore themes of time and place as much as I imagined so it made me doubt if I had picked the wrong novel. But I believe I’ve managed to discuss some parts that may include time and place and successfully carried out a close reading of The Kite Runner.
The Road extract in Part 4 really helped me to understand what close reading is by giving me questions to think about the deeper meaning of the text. I believe the saying goes “reading between the lines”. It’s how the author structures the text, how narration is significant, whether it’s punctuated or not and so on. So this exercise helped me when I was writing my assignment and analysing the extract. I could refer back to this if I ever got stuck and think of the questions that could be raised from the text.
Overall, Part 2 of this course was definitely a difficult one for me personally. I feel quite proud of myself for actually completing it and I believe that I will use creative writing for future projects. I felt like I learnt a lot through the exercises. In my assignment, I effectively discussed my interpretations and feelings about the extract, and mentioned the plot, character, narrator and point of view as well as the minimal themes of time and place that I found.
A Journey Through a Creative Arts Degree 