What is the role of an effective introduction?

1. What is the role of an effective introduction? • establish character • introduce setting • establish potential theme(s) • establish narrative voice • provide a hook

2. Chapter 5 • Chapter 5 is where we meet Assef, the book’s antagonist for the first time. Read from p33 to 37 and make notes on your first impressions of Assef. Think about how this initial encounter foreshadows the conclusion. • Symbolism – The hair-lip becomes a key symbol in the book. Explain the significance of Hassan’s birthday gift. (40-41)

3. Chapter 1 Use the following questions to explore the effectiveness of the novel’s opening chapter: • What is the effect of the phrase “the past claws its way out”? 2. What impression of setting is given in chapter 1? Use words and phrases to back up your ideas. 3. What theme is introduced and how is it conveyed? 4. How can kites be seen as symbolic even at this early stage? 5. Comment on the narrative style of the opening 6. What do we learn about character from the first chapter? 7. What is the “hook” of this introduction?

4. Q1. What is the effect of the phrase “the past claws its way out”? • The novel opens by personifying the past – “the past claws its way out”. This suggests that the past is powerful, almost tangible and hard to repress. The past is almost seen as a character in its own right, stressing its importance on the whole novel. The word claws also has sinister connotations suggesting that a focus on the past can be harmful as well as haunting.

5. Q2. What impression of setting is given in chapter 1? Use words and phrases to back up your ideas. • The setting of present day San Francisco is bright and pleasant. Words such as “sparkled”, “crisp”, “soaring”, “floating” and “danced” all have lively connotations which suggest freedom, hope and optimism. This when contrasted with the description of the past and the alleyway in Afghanistan, which uses words such as “crumbling” and “overcast” with negative connotations, allows the reader to see that the story will have a happy ending and that Amir will one day be free in America, both physically and emotionally.

6. Q3. What theme is introduced and how is it conveyed? • Several themes are introduced in this short opening section (friendship, the importance of the past) but the main one is that of Guilt and Atonement. • The phrase “unatoned sins” and the call “to be good again” reveal that this story will entail a quest for redemption. • We do not, at this stage, know the nature of the guilt but we are led to believe that whatever the sin was, it was so bad as to have affected the narrator for the rest of his life and impacted upon the person that he has become: “I became what I am today” and “made me what I am today”.

7. Q4. How can kites be seen as symbolic even at this early stage? • Kites can be seen to represent childhood innocence and freedom. The fact that the introduction refers to a “pair of kites”, floating “side by side” could remind us of Amir and Hassan’s childhood friendship as it is after seeing them that Amir recalls Hassan’s words on the day of the kite competition, the day when their innocence was lost forever. • The colours of the kites could also be seen as symbolic – red and blue are the main colours of the American flag. Soaring above the land, they could be seen to represent Amir’s new found freedom in America. Of course, the fact that kites are tethered to the ground by a string could further tell us that Amir’s true freedom is restricted by the past which he cannot let go of.

8. Q 5. Comment on the narrative style of the opening • Narrative Style – The book begins in the present (2001) before moving to 1975. The use of flashback allows us to see the effect of the past on the present. The use of a 1st person narrative allows us to understand the character’s motivations. It gives us a one sided perspective and as such increases our emotional engagement with Amir. Of course, the information we are given is biased as a result. In this case, unusually, Amir gives us a largely negative view of his character and events, reflecting the way he sees himself.

9. Q6. What do we learn about character from the first chapter? • We learn more about the character of Hassan than the narrator himself – we do not learn the narrator’s name in this chapter which is significant in underscoring the importance of Hassan to the story. • We learn that the narrator has been deeply affected by an incident from his childhood, so much so that he recognises that this has influenced his own development and self-view “made me what I am”

10. Q7. What is the “hook” of this introduction? • We are left wanting to know what could be so bad that a person what want to “bury” it from their consciousness, that would go on to haunt them and essentially define who they are. • We also want to know how a phone call could provide someone with a way to redeem themselves.

11. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 introduces character in setting. Compile a table listing the characteristics of Amir and Hassan outlined in the chapter.

12. Chapter 2 • What initial impression are we given of Amir and Hassan’s early childhood? • What is suggested about the relationship between Baba and Amir? • How are the fates of Amir and Hassan shown to be linked? • How is the ill-treatment of the Hazara race revealed in this chapter? • What phrase on p9 sums up Hassan’s nature? • What is the significance of each boy’s first word?

13. Chapter 3 • Chapter 2 ended by revealing each boy’s respective role model or idol. Hassan longed for approval from Amir, whereas the object of Amir’s affection was his father, Baba. These names were in fact the boys’ first words. This revelation provides a link between chapters 2 and 3. • Chapter 3 introduces the second theme of the novel: the father / son relationship and all the mixed emotions which accompany such a relationship.

14. Questions • What do the word choice and imagery on p.11 reveal about Amir’s attitude to Baba? 2. What does Baba’s endeavour to build an orphanage tell us about him? 3. Amir reveals that with admiration for Baba, comes fear and a sense of inadequacy. How is this sense of inadequacy shown throughout the chapter? List as many examples as you can. 4. Write down what Baba’s view of sin is. (p.16) How does this influence Amir’s actions later in the story? 5. “The least I could have done was to have had the decency to have turned out a little more like him. But I hadn’t turned out like him. Not at all.” (p.19) In what way can this statement be seen as ironic? 6. “A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything.” (p.20) How does this become an important quotation in the book?

15. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 deals with the concept of friendship. Consider your views on friendship: • What makes a friendship? • Do you get different types of friendship? • What can make a friendship stronger? • What can break a friendship? N.B. These ideas in themselves could form the basis of a good reflective essay. This time I want you to identify the pertinent points in the chapter. Here’s a starter: • Pages 22 (two things), 23, 24, 25, 27 and 30.

16. Chapter 8 • How has the relationship between Amir and Hassan changed in this chapter? 2. Who else does a chasm develop between in this chapter? 3. What is unexpected about Rahim Khan’s reaction to the re-telling of the kite fighting victory? 4. What does Amir ask his father? What does this question tell us about Amir, and the response tell us about his father? 5. What is an insomniac and why is this significant? 6. Why does Rahim Khan tell the story about Homaira? 7. Consider how Hosseini ends this chapter. What is the significance of the final sentence?

17. Chapter 9 • Chapter 9 (end of section 1) • p.91 – Amir compounds his sin Hassan makes his last sacrifice • p.94 – Pathetic Fallacy

18. Chapter 10 The action moves away both in place and time as Amir and his father flee the Soviet occupation in Afghanistan and head to America via Pakistan. Ten years have passed since the kite fighting competition. • p.96 – The relationship between Amir and Baba seems much the same as it was. • p.99 – Amir is still living with guilt • p.100-101 – Baba demonstrates his courage in contrast to Amir • p.105 – The family’s fortunes have shifted dramatically

19. Chapter 11 The theme of sacrifice returns in this chapter as we see how much Baba has sacrificed in order to secure Amir’s future. • p.112 – Amir and Baba’s different views of America • p.116 – Graduation day tainted by guilt (Amir and Baba) • p.117 – Amir takes a small stand against Baba in his chosen course of study – no more sacrifice. • p.119 – Amir’s growing freedom in America (Why might Baba like him more here?) • p.122 – Amir meets Soraya • p.124 – Irony of Baba’s words.

20. Chapter 12 The next few chapters are mostly concerned with moving the plot forward and as such need to be read but don’t require too much analysis. • Amir’s life seems to move forward (just as America had promised). He falls in love with an Afghani girl, Soraya, who like him, is from a good background now reduced to poverty. Like Amir, she shares his love of literature. • Happiness is short-lived as Baba gets ill with cancer. • As Baba’s body weakens, we see a tenderness grow between him and Amir. • Baba’s final act as a father is to arrange the marriage between Amir and Soraya. • Soraya reveals her secret past to Amir but he is not yet ready to reveal his “there were many ways in which SorayaTaheri was a better person than me. Courage was just one of them.” (144)

21. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 is the structural midpoint of the novel. • We see the new-found closeness between father and son as Baba reads Amir’s stories and is proud (150). There is obvious tenderness and affection before he dies. Amir at last gets the father-son relationship that he longed for. • After the death of his father Amir begins to realise the impact that his father had on him “I realised how much of who I was, what I was, had been defined by Baba” (152). He is finally forced to break the spell and act for himself. • Amir begins to heal with Soraya but his past comes back to haunt him when he begins to contemplate becoming a father himself. • When Soraya cannot have children, Amir interprets this as a punishment for his sins: “perhaps somebody somewhere had decided to deny me fatherhood for the things I had done”. (164)

22. Chapter 14 • The story moves forward 10 years to 2001 and the point where the novel began: the phone call from Rahim Khan calling him back to Pakistan and providing him with “A way to be good again”. • Structurally, this point in the book marks Amir’s entry into the final phase of his MORAL QUEST – REDEMPTION. • N.B. A quest is an adventurous journey undergone by the main character or protagonist of a story. The protagonist usually meets with and overcomes a series of obstacles, returning in the end with the benefits of knowledge and experience.

23. Chapters 15-17 Read chapters 15 to 17 and make notes on the following: 1. What has been happening in Afghanistan since Amir and his father left? 2. What happened to Hassan? 3. What does Amir learn about his father? 4. How does this revelation raise the stakes for the protagonist?

24. Chapter 17 • Hassan remained loyal to Amir and his family to the very end. • The quest is laid down by Rahim Khan – to bring Hassan’s son Sohrab home and in doing so make amends for both his own sins against Hassan and Baba’s. • In order to do this, Amir must show real courage and leave the old cowardly Amir behind. At first he is too frightened but Rahim Khan reminds him that this is his only chance to make things right. He also challenges him by reminding him of his father’s words “a boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up for anything”. In saying this, we realise that Rahim Khan knew about what he did all along.

25. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 marks a turning point as Amir faces up to his moral responsibilities. He faces his sin as he realises that his father actually shared this moral weakness. In facing the challenge, Amir moves from being a flawed character (albeit one for whom we can partially sympathise) to a more admirable character. In redeeming himself he will also redeem his father and in some sense become the true ‘hero’ of the story. • Baba’s hypocrisy regarding theft / sin (197) • Amir realises that he was more like his father than he realised (197) • The theme of atonement is mentioned explicitly (198) • Amir finally takes on the challenge – rather than running as he usually does (198)

26. Chapter 19 • Amir faces his first challenge as the ‘new’ Amir – this time when he is asked about his relationship with Hassan, he acknowledges him as his illegitimate brother. He does not attempt to conceal the truth. (208)

27. Chapters 21 and 22 In these chapters, the author paints a devastating picture of Kabul under the Taliban regime – reduced to “rubble and beggars” (214). • Violence and corruption • University lecturers begging • The abuse of innocents at the orphanage • Violence and hypocrisy of the Talib officials at the game.

28. Chapter 22 The re-appearance of Assef adds even more dramatic impact to this chapter (pre-established ‘monster’. His identity is well-concealed within the narrative. Assef’s character is a devastating comment on Taliban officialdom (hypocrisy and savagery). • We see Amir transform as he physically faces up to his worst fear. • It takes the beating from Assef for Amir to start feeling better: “for the first time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace” (252-3) • “My body was broken…but I felt healed” (253)

29. Chapter 23 Themes are tied up somewhat in this chapter via Rahim Khan, who is to some extent Amir’s spiritual father / guide. • The theme of atonement is summed up by Rahim Khan in his letter: true redemption is when “guilt leads to good” (263) • The father / son divide is also explained in part by Rahim Khan: • “I saw how you suffered and yearned for his affections” (263) • “He loved you both, but he could not love Hassan the way he longed to openly, and as a father. So he took it out on you instead – Amir, the socially legitimate half, the half that represented the riches he had inherited and the sin with impunity privileges that come with them. When he saw you, he saw himself. And his guilt.” (263)

30. Chapter 24 • Eventually (with a push from Rahim Khan) Amir resolves to take Sohrab back to America to live with him. • We see how deeply scarred Sohrab is – so much so that he is willing to die than go back to an orphanage. It serves to underscore how strong Hassan must have been to put aside his ordeal in order to remain faithful to Amir.