Sunday, May 5, 2013
Juxtaposition
It is to place two things near each other for comparison or contrast. On the day of the kite tournament, the tournament itself happens alongside Hassan's rape, emphasizing the good in one situation with the bad in the other. Amir is juxtaposed with Hassan in their childhood; in Hassan, there is courage, and loyalty, and in Amir there is jealousy, and cowardice. The image of past and present Kabul is presented near each other to show the vibrance of the city in Amir's childhood, and the darkness of the city Kabul had become after being torn apart.
The Day of the Kite Tournament
Photo used under Creative Commons from energychain
"Remember, Amir agha. There's no monster, just a beautiful day."
- Hassan (P.65)
Amir and Hassan
Photo used under Creative Commons from pixellorac
"Amir, the socially legitimate half, the half that represented the riches he had inherited and the sin-with-impunity privileges that came with them."
- Rahim (P.316)
Kabul
Photo used under Creative Commons from John T Pilot
"Kabul is not the way you remember it."
- Farid (P.256)
Symbols
The pomegranate tree, slingshot, and harelip are what I see to be symbols in the "Kite Runner".
The tree represents Amir and Hassan's relationship; in the beginning of their childhood, the tree is fruitful, and healthy much like their relationship. Before the rape, Amir and Hassan were like brothers, though Amir wouldn't do everything for Hassan, and teased him on occasion, Hassan was very loyal to Amir. They were raised side by side and were like brothers. After the rape, they are at the pomegranate tree, with Amir trying to get Hassan to hit him back. Instead, Hassan endures the hits, before smashing a pomegranate against his own head. This shows the growing instability of their relationship, the fruit being smashed was to show Amir and Hassan's relationship falling apart. In the future, when Amir returns to Kabul, he finds the tree looking lifeless, and without fruit, to show how the relationship between Amir and Hassan was dead, how they would never be able to reconnect.
The slingshot is a symbol of strength and courage. When Hassan uses the slingshot to defend Amir from Assef, it showed the strength and courage that Amir didn't have because when it came time for Amir to defend Hassan, he didn't have the courage or strength to do anything about it. In a similar situation with Sohrab, and Assef, it is Sohrab with his slingshot pointed at Assef, protecting Amir. Up until this point, Amir was allowing himself to be beaten, when Sohrab steps in to defend him, it again shows strength and courage, which Amir didn't possess to protect Sohrab in this situation.
The harelip symbolizes Hassan. It is his identifier being his most striking feature, as well as being a representation of the Hazaras who were poor without the money to fix deformities. When Amir splits his lip after the fight with Assef, it leaves him with a scar similar to the one Hassan had after the surgery repairing the harelip. This is to show how Amir has become like Hassan, in that he's no longer cowardly, but stands up for himself, and his loved ones.
The tree represents Amir and Hassan's relationship; in the beginning of their childhood, the tree is fruitful, and healthy much like their relationship. Before the rape, Amir and Hassan were like brothers, though Amir wouldn't do everything for Hassan, and teased him on occasion, Hassan was very loyal to Amir. They were raised side by side and were like brothers. After the rape, they are at the pomegranate tree, with Amir trying to get Hassan to hit him back. Instead, Hassan endures the hits, before smashing a pomegranate against his own head. This shows the growing instability of their relationship, the fruit being smashed was to show Amir and Hassan's relationship falling apart. In the future, when Amir returns to Kabul, he finds the tree looking lifeless, and without fruit, to show how the relationship between Amir and Hassan was dead, how they would never be able to reconnect.
The slingshot is a symbol of strength and courage. When Hassan uses the slingshot to defend Amir from Assef, it showed the strength and courage that Amir didn't have because when it came time for Amir to defend Hassan, he didn't have the courage or strength to do anything about it. In a similar situation with Sohrab, and Assef, it is Sohrab with his slingshot pointed at Assef, protecting Amir. Up until this point, Amir was allowing himself to be beaten, when Sohrab steps in to defend him, it again shows strength and courage, which Amir didn't possess to protect Sohrab in this situation.
The harelip symbolizes Hassan. It is his identifier being his most striking feature, as well as being a representation of the Hazaras who were poor without the money to fix deformities. When Amir splits his lip after the fight with Assef, it leaves him with a scar similar to the one Hassan had after the surgery repairing the harelip. This is to show how Amir has become like Hassan, in that he's no longer cowardly, but stands up for himself, and his loved ones.
The Pomegranate Tree
Photo used under Creative Commons from julietteculver
"The pomegranate tree hadn't borne fruit in years. Looking at the wilted, leafless tree, I doubted it ever would again."
- Amir (P. 276)
Slingshots
Photo used under Creative Commons from Thamizhpparithi Maari
"I turned and came face to face with Hassan's slingshot. Hassan had pulled the elastic band all the way back. In the cup was a rock the size of a walnut. Hassan held the sling-shot pointed directly at Assef's face."
- Amir (P. 45)
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