How does Hosseini tell the story in Chapter 7 of The Kite Runner?

How does Hosseini tell the story in Chapter 7 of “The Kite Runner”?

Chapter 7 is a pivotal chapter in “The Kite Runner” as the harrowing rape incident shapes the rest of the novel and it is this chapter where Amir’s journey to redemption begins. Hosseini tells the story in chapter 7 by developing major themes that are evident throughout the novel. The symbolism of the kites, the state of Afghanistan, friendship, sin, dreams, violence and betrayal are all interwoven by Hosseini in this chapter in order to portray the incident in the most emotionally effective way possible.

As indicated by the title, Kites play a very symbolic role in the novel and are used by Hosseini as a tool to explore a variety of issues. The kite itself is used by the writer in chapter 7 as a visual depiction of the spiritual journey that Amir is going to take in order to find redemption within himself. Also, the kite competition reinforces an issue that is prevalent throughout the novel- which is the treatment of Hazaras in Afghanistan during the time the novel is set and also the suggestion that Amir and Hassan can never be true friends because of their differing positions is society. Instead of having an equal relationship, due to the discrimination that existed in Afghanistan against the Hazaras, Amir and Hassan’s friendship seems to have strong aspects of a servant-master relationship. This is proven by the fact that Amir flies the kite in the competition every year and Hassan acts as his assistant. When Hassan celebrates Amir’s victory, ‘You won Amir Agha’, Amir tries to hide from the obvious fact that he is the superior person in their relationship, ‘We won! We won!’ By portraying their relationship in this way, Hosseini is aiming to create a mixture of emotions within readers as they try and contemplate the reasons for Amir’s decision later in the chapter.

This is a preview of the whole essay

The friendship of Amir and Hassan is a key theme in “The Kite Runner” and Hosseini uses it in chapter 7 to show how the decisions we make can have an impact on the rest of our lives. Hosseini shows how close the two boys are in order to strengthen the understanding in readers of the bond they share with each other, thus making the sense of betrayal even stronger later in the chapter. ‘Hassan always understood about me’ portrays their relationship as almost brother-like and this is used to effect by Hosseini as readers are left feeling numb when Amir chooses not to try and prevent Hassan from being raped. Hassan’s sacrifice in order to win Amir’s kite for him is saddening because his loyalty only reinforces the fact that Assef is right, Amir would not do the same for Hassan. This conviction is made apparent to readers when Amir attempts to justify his actions, “He was just a Hazara wasn’t he?” extends the sense of betrayal to new heights as readers understand the implications of Amir’s actions. Although this line vilifies Amir, it is clear he does not believe his words and his actions were out of pure cowardice. This allows Hosseini to pave the way for Amir’s journey of redemption as there is still a shred of sympathy left in readers for Amir as they can relate to the fact he was young and frightened.

Another way that Hosseini tells the story in chapter 7 is through the use of foreshadowing in the build-up to the rape scene. A turning point in the chapter is when Amir reflects back to the aftermath of the kite competition, ‘The next time I saw (Hassan) smile unabashedly like that was twenty-six years later’. This evokes a variety of strong emotions from readers because after building up sympathy from readers in the direction of Hassan- Hosseini dramatically changes the mood of the chapter as he indicates something horrible is going to happen. The fact that it was in a photograph that Amir next saw Hassan smile is even more effective as readers feel that an event is going to happen which will negatively impact the relationship between Amir and Hassan for the rest of their lives.

In addition to language, Hosseini uses structural techniques in chapter 7 to develop the tone and atmosphere to the climatic point of the chapter. Amir’s flashbacks are implemented in between the rape incident and this allows Hosseini to slow down the pace, creating an almost surreal tone to the incident. The memories are italicised to break up the flow of the chapter because they have connotations to what is occurring in the present. The recollection of the lamb being sacrificed and the comparison of it to Hassan’s acceptance of his situation stuns readers as they come to terms with Amir’s betrayal. “I caught a glimpse of his face. It was the look of the lamb” is followed up by a memory of a lamb being slaughtered and this is used by Hosseini to show how this incident will forever trouble Amir as well as Hassan.

In conclusion, Hosseini tells the story in chapter 7 by exploring a variety of issues and developing existing themes in the novel in order to build up to the climatic point of the novel. The writer uses structural and language techniques in the chapter to create a tone and atmosphere that reflects the feelings of the characters and also to foreshadow events that are going to occur. By using these techniques to alter reader’s moods, Hosseini is intricately setting them up for the rest of the novel as this chapter is pivotal for the rest of the story.

Shahan Lake Page