Parallel Structure In the kite runner

PARALLEL STRUCTURE IN THE KITE RUNNER INCIDENT EXAMPLE #1 EXAMPLE #2 1) One-eyed Assef Hassan is great with the sling shot and uses it to defend Amir; he threatened to make Assef “one-eyed” is he didn’t back off (p. 45) Sohrab is also great with the slingshot; he keeps it on him all the time; he uses it to fulfill his father’s threat by putting the ball in Assef’s eye; he too saves Amir (p. 305) 2) Watch and Money Amir hides birthday money and a watch under Hassan’s mattress to frame him so that Baba would have no choice but to ask them to leave (p. 110) 26 years later, Amir thinks Wahid’s boys are looking at his watch so he gives it to them as a gift, even though he later realizes they were looking at his food; he also puts money under the mattress as he leaves– this time to help Wahid’s family (p. 254) 3) Kite running Hassan runs the kite for Amir (p. 71) Amir runs the kite for Hassan’s son, Sohrab (p. 391) 4) Quotation: “For you, a thousand times over.” Hassan says this to Amir when he is about to get the blue kite for Amir (p. 71) Amir says this to Sohrab at the end of the novel when he is justa about to retrieve the kite for Sohrab (p. 391)

PARALLEL STRUCTURE IN THE KITE RUNNER INCIDENT EXAMPLE #1 EXAMPLE #2 5) Shahnamah (the story of Rostam and Sohrab, a 10th Century Persian Epic: Rostam is a great warrior who mortally wounds his nemisis, Sohrab, only to find out he is his long lost son – see any similarities here?) Amir reads this story to Hassan when they are young, under the pomegranate tree (p. 31) Amir reads this story to Hassan’s son, Sohrab while he is in the hospital 6) Rape Assef rapes Hassan because he hates Hazaras and because he wants to seek revenge on Hassan for threatening him with the slingshot (p. 81) Kamal watches Hassan get raped by Assef Assef presumably rapes Sohrab because he is Hassan’s son and because he is his “dancing boy” (p. 293) Kamal is later raped by 4 boys (Amir finds this out at the bday party) 7) Hassan and Ali’s home Hassan and his father, Ali, live in a mud hut on Baba’s property (p. 6) Hassan returns as an adult with his wife and (eventually son) to live in the same house to help Rahim Khan; he feels it is a matter of respect not to live in Baba’s house (p. 219) 8) Assef’s promise Assef promises to get back at both Hassan and Amir for the initial slingshot incident (p. 46); he gets back at Hassan by raping him He gets back at Amir later by beating him up using the same brass knuckles he used as a boy (p. 302)

PARALLEL STRUCTURE IN THE KITE RUNNER INCIDENT EXAMPLE #1 EXAMPLE #2 9) Irrational laughter Assef tells Amir about his experience in jail, laughing while being beaten because his kidney stone passed and he read it as a sign from God (p. 297) Amir laughs while being beaten by Assef because he finally feels redemption for what he did to Hassan (p. 303) 10) Redemption Amir watches while Hassan is raped; he doesn’t help or step in to save Hassan (p. 82) Amir returns to Afghanistan to save Sohrab from his similar fate with Assef; he does for Sohrab what he was unable to do for Hassan (p. 305) 11) Harelip Hassan is born with a harelip (p. 3) Amir’s lip is smashed during the fight with Assef; the doctor describes it as being split “clean down the middle”; Amir recognizes this as being similar to a harelip (p. 312) 12) Special gifts (presents) Baba gives Hassan the unique gift of having his harelip fixed (p. 49) Amir gives Sohrab the photograph of Sohrab and Hassan outside the mosque (p. 333)

PARALLEL STRUCTURE IN THE KITE RUNNER INCIDENT EXAMPLE #1 EXAMPLE #2 13) Relationships (Ali and Baba; Hassan and Amir) Ali’s parents were killed and Baba’s father adopted Ali into his household; Ali and Baba grew up as childhood playmates (p. 26) The sons of these two men grow up together, both without their mothers, “a generation later” (p. 27) 14) Praying Amir prays for Baba (cancer) Amir prays for Sohrab in the hospital (p. 363-4) 15) Look of lamb When Hassan is raped, Amir describes him as having the face of a lamb (with no struggle) Sohrab has the same look of the lamb when he is dancing for Assef 16) Hazara Amir does not defend Hassan being called Hazara Amir defends Hassan’s son