What is significant about how Hosseini opens 'The Kite Runner'?

Hosseini conveys many emotions and themes to the reader in the first chapter of his novel ‘The Kite Runner’.

One way the author gets messages across is through literary techniques. Firstly Hosseini alerts the reader that the novel will be a recollection of events and also that guilt and regret will be key themes. He does this by personifying the past, he says that it “claws it’s way back”. This powerful technique gives an alive, frightening image to the narrator’s past. Hosseini also conveys the idea that the first chapter is a still before the storm. He does this by saying that it is a “day last summer” and also previously mentioning “winter”. Also the “crisp breeze” suggests that change is in the air as cold breezes are commonly associated with the end of summer and the beginning of autumn and then Winter. This braces the reader and prepares them for what is to come. The narrator also sits on a bench “near a willow tree”. This is relevant as it conveys sadness. This is because the willow tree, or the weeping willow as it is often known, is usually a symbol for a character’s unhappiness. This gives the reader an idea of the state of mind of the narrator. Another interesting thing is that Hosseini suggests that Amir feels very guilty. He does this with the application of the simile “like a pair of eyes staring down on San Francisco”. This simile conveys Amirs guilt as he feels as though the kites are staring at him, judging him. This allows the reader to see the less attractive side of the narrator and allows the reader to decide whether or not Amor Khan is a reliable narrator or not.

In terms of structure the first chapter is abundant with powerful structural devices which help the telling of the story. The shortness of the chapter suggests that it isn’t a chapter at all, especially compared