Prose Passage Kite Runner

Prompt

The following is an excerpt from Chapter 8 of The Kite Runner. In this passage, the conflict established in Chapter 7 between Hassan and Amir grows deeper. Read the passage carefully. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze how Hosseini uses literary elements and techniques to develop contrasts that indicate a conflict of values

Chapter 8 - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

We sat against the low cemetery wall under the shade thrown by the pomegranate tree. In another month or two, crops of scorched yellow weeds would blanket the hillside, but that year the spring showers had lasted longer than usual, nudging their way into early summer, and the grass was still green, peppered with tangles of wildflowers. Below us, Wazir Akbar Khan's white walled, flatEtopped houses gleamed in the sunshine, the laundry hanging on clotheslines in their yards stirred by the breeze to dance like butterflies.

We had picked a dozen pomegranates from the tree. I unfolded the story I'd brought along, turned to the first page, then put it down. I stood up and picked up an overripe pomegranate that had fallen to the ground.

"What would you do if I hit you with this?" I said, tossing the fruit up and down.

Hassan's smile wilted. He looked older than I'd remembered. No, not older, old. Was that possible? Lines had etched into his tanned face and creases framed his eyes, his mouth. I might as well have taken a knife and carved those lines myself.

"What would you do?" I repeated.

The color fell from his face. Next to him, the stapled pages of the story I'd promised to read him fluttered in the breeze. I hurled the pomegranate at him. It struck him in the chest, exploded in a spray of red pulp. Hassan's cry was pregnant with surprise and pain.

"Hit me back!" I snapped. Hassan looked from the stain on his chest to me.

"Get up! Hit me!" I said. Hassan did get up, but he just stood there, looking dazed like a man dragged into the ocean by a riptide when, just a moment ago, he was enjoying a nice stroll on the beach.

I hit him with another pomegranate, in the shoulder this time. The juice splattered his face. "Hit me back!" I spat. "Hit me back, goddamn you!" I wished he would. I wished he'd give me the punishment I craved, so maybe I'd finally sleep at night. Maybe then things could return to how they used to be between us. But Hassan did nothing as I pelted him again and again. "You're a coward!" I said. "Nothing but a goddamn coward!"

I don't know how many times I hit him. All I know is that, when I finally stopped, exhausted and panting, Hassan was smeared in red like he'd been shot by a firing squad. I fell to my knees, tired, spent, frustrated.

Then Hassan did pick up a pomegranate. He walked toward me. He opened it and crushed it against his own forehead. "There," he croaked, red dripping down his face like blood. "Are you satisfied? Do you feel better?" He turned around and started down the hill.

I let the tears break free, rocked back and forth on my knees.

"What am I going to do with you, Hassan? What am I going to do with you?" But by the time the tears dried up and I trudged down the hill, I knew the answer to that question.

Response

In Chapter 8 of The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini utilizes literary elements such as setting, juxtaposition, and train of thought to develop contrasts between innocence and guilt.

The narrative unfolds in a peaceful cemetery, Amir and Hassan were "under the shade thrown by a pomegranate tree", amidst lush green grass and vibrant wildflowers, overlooking the sunlit, white-walled houses of Wazir Akbar Khan. This serene and natural setting, starkly juxtaposes with the internal turmoil and guilt plaguing the protagonist, Amir. While the external world remains undisturbed and full of innocence, Amir is engulfed in a storm of moral corruption and remorse. This contrast is further highlighted when Amir uses the fruit of the pomegranate tree - a symbol of life and fertility - as a weapon against Hassan, transforming an element of the innocent setting into an instrument of aggression. Moreover, the setting of the cemetery, a place for reflection and the final rest, becomes the backdrop for a significant loss of innocence, mirroring Amir’s own transition from a carefree childhood to a reality tainted by guilt and betrayal. Through this setting, Hosseini not only establishes a physical space for the unfolding events but also symbolically accentuates the themes of innocence and guilt, making the setting an integral element in illustrating the emotional and moral landscape of the narrative.

Additionally, Hosseini uses Amir's train of thought to further explore the themes of innocence and guilt, particularly evident in the pomegranate scene. Amir's train of thought during this episode reveals his complex emotional state: a mix of guilt, anger, and a desperate craving for punishment. His repeated urging for Hassan to "Hit me back!" is less about seeking physical retaliation and more about his longing for forgiveness. This internal struggle signifies Amir's transition from innocence to a burdensome acknowledgment of his guilt. Initially, his reflections are nostalgic, recalling a time of unspoiled friendship, but they soon become overshadowed by his overwhelming sense of guilt and self-awareness of moral shortcomings. Through this passage, Hosseini not only deepens our understanding of Amir's character but also highlights how guilt can profoundly affect an individual's actions and perceptions, adding a crucial layer to the narrative's exploration of innocence and guilt.

In conclusion, Khaled Hosseini carefully literary elements such as setting, juxtaposition, and train of thought to develop contrasts between innocence and guilt. Through the use of what elements within the setting symbolize (such as the pomegranate tree or cemetery), Hosseini sets up the background for the conflict of values between Amir and Hassan. Additionally, Hosseini uses Amir's train of thought to further support the themes of innocence and guilt, particularly evident in the pomegranate scene. Hosseini successfully utilizes these literary elements to depict Amir's and Hassan's deepening conflict of innocence and guilt.