Lit Circle 1, Setting Assignment

1. At the beginning of Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, we are immediately introduced into the mindset of the narrator/principle character by a recollection of his childhood, which sets the scene for which he bases his historical story on. "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."(Chapter 1. Although the war is just beginning to become an issue in the novel, we know that this will create a suspenseful, emotional, and exciting journey throughout the book. “We stayed huddled that way until the early hours of the morning. The shootings and explosions had lasted less than an hour, but they had frightened us badly, because none of us had ever heard gunshots in the streets. They were foreign sounds to us then. The generation of Afghan children whose ears would know nothing but the sounds of bombs and gunfire was not yet born.”(Chapter 5, paragraph 5). The quotation clearly portrays that the setting of the novel is in Afghanistan, where a war is taking place. Since the setting is in Afghanistan, it’s almost assumed that the novel is going to include the struggles of living in a warzone, and the effects it has on its citizens. The novel, however, is set in the past, as the main character/narrator currently lives in the United States. The entire novel is a recollection of his childhood in Afghanistan. When we learn that Baba, Amir’s father drives a "Black Ford Mustang – a car that drew envious looks everywhere because it was the same car Steve McQueen had driven in Bullitt, a film that played in one theater for six months", a little research shows that this movie played in the early 1970s. It should also be noted that this car is a showpiece, and helps portray Baba as a very wealthy businessman. 

2. 
a) The Kite: this symbolizes the friendship between Amir and Hassan. Flying Kites is something that the two children’s lives revolve around, as they are preparing for the major kite tournament that year. It is how they occupy their time, and it’s a manner of living in their lives. The kite is the last fond memory between Amir and Hassan, quickly followed by the attacking of Hassan.

b) Brass-Knuckles: Owned by Assef, which I believe to be in fear. Whenever Assef would meet with Hassan and Amir, he would be wearing the brass knuckles, ready to fight! The fear could be associated with the fact that they are living in a warzone, however, I think its related to a much deeper problem that we haven’t been shared yet.

C) The Slingshot: Used by Hassan to stand up to Assef (The man with the brass knuckles). This represents courage and devotion, as it isn’t easy for Hassan to go up against and fight Assef. Hassan also stands up for his friend Amir when he is picked on while walking home from school, a fight in which he gets a scratch on his face.

D) The Lamb: In Islamic culture lambs are a cultural significance and represent the sacrifice of an innoce.t Amir describes both Hassan and Sohrab as looking like lambs waiting to be slaughtered. Both Hassan and Sohrab are innocents who are figuratively sacrificed by being raped. The meanings may be different, but the core theme is disturbingly similar.