The Kite Runner symbols Flashcards
1
Q
what is Bildungsroman?
A
- growth of protagonist
- maturity
- emotional experience sends them on a journey for answers
2
Q
what are the 3 main sections of TKR?
A
- memories of pre-conflict Afghanistan
- life in America
- Taliban controlled Afghanistan
3
Q
what are kites symbolic of?
A
- evokes both painful and happy memories for Amir
- only sport Amir was good at and had in common with his father
- winning the tournament was a way of gaining Baba’s approval
- cyclical symbol. Starts +, then -, then + again
- connected to his guilt and betrayal and the journey towards redemption
4
Q
what is the bear symbolic of?
A
- all evil Baba tries to win out over as well as the intimidation Amir feels when he believes himself incapable of standing up for himself
- cancer was the bear that Baba couldn’t defeat (in America where he didn’t have the same power)
- his power dynamic shifts from buyer to seller in America due to the society’s capitalist nature
5
Q
what is The Sacrificial Lamb symbolic of?
A
- In Islam, lambs are slaughtered during times of festivity as a sacrifice
- Hassan becomes the sacrificial lamb in Amir’s quest to please his father
- Hassan doesn’t have a voice, voice of those with authority responsible for giving lower class a voice
- sacrifice is portrayed as the exploitation of the innocent
6
Q
what is the Pomegranate tree symbolic of?
A
- returned to throughout the novel- a place of refuge
- they are momentarily equal as “sultans of Kabul” symbolising a common ground despite ethnic divisions
- when Amir returns to the tree it is dead, symbolising the death of an old way of life
- the tree is barren after their relationship broke down
7
Q
what is the monster in the lake symbolic of?
A
- ## the monster is a metaphor for the rape and the destruction of their relationship
8
Q
what is the slingshot symbolic of?
A
- Assef is blinded by the brass ball= poetic justice
- standing up for what is right
9
Q
what is the harelip symbolic of?
A
- Hassan’s position in society and his poverty stricken life
- his family is too poor to afford the treatment without the help of Baba
- Assef ends up with a split lip at the end symbolising Amir’s redemption
10
Q
what is Sohrab symbolic of?
A
- symbol of Amir’s journey to redemption
