Parallel Structure

IN THE KITE RUNNER

 PARALLEL STRUCTURE IN THE KITE
RUNNER
INCIDENT EXAMPLE #1
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 didnt
back off (p. 45)
Amir hides birthday money and a
2) Watch and Money watch under Hassans mattress to
frame him so that Baba would have no
choice but to ask them to leave (p.
110)
3) Kite running Hassan runs the kite for Amir (p. 71)
4) Quotation: For you, a thousand times Hassan says this to Amir when he is
over. about to get the blue kite for Amir (p.
71)
EXAMPLE #2
Sohrab is also great with the slingshot;
he keeps it on him all the time; he uses
it to fulfill his fathers threat by
putting the ball in Assefs eye; he too
saves Amir (p. 305)
26 years later, Amir thinks Wahids
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 Wahids family (p. 254)
Amir runs the kite for Hassans son,
Sohrab (p. 391)
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
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?)
6) Rape
7) Hassan and Alis home
8) Assefs promise
EXAMPLE #1
Amir reads this story to Hassan when they
are young, under the pomegranate tree (p.
31)
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
Hassan and his father, Ali, live in a mud hut
on Babas property (p. 6)
Assef promises to get back at both Hassan
and Amir for the initial slingshot incident
(p. 46); he gets back at Hassan by raping
EXAMPLE #2
Amir reads this story to Hassans
son, Sohrab while he is in the
hospital
Assef presumably rapes Sohrab
because he is Hassans 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)
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 Babas house
(p. 219)
He gets back at Amir later by
beating him up using the same
brass knuckles he used as a boy (p.
 PARALLEL STRUCTURE IN THE KITE
RUNNER

INCIDENT EXAMPLE #1 EXAMPLE #2

9) Irrational laughter Assef tells Amir about his experience Amir laughs while being beaten by
in jail, laughing while being beaten Assef because he finally feels
because his kidney stone passed and redemption for what he did to Hassan
he read it as a sign from God (p. 297) (p. 303)

10) Redemption Amir watches while Hassan is raped; Amir returns to Afghanistan to save
he doesnt help or step in to save Sohrab from his similar fate with
Hassan (p. 82) 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) Amirs 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 Amir gives Sohrab the photograph of
having his harelip fixed (p. 49) 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 Alis parents were killed and Babas The sons of these two men grow up
and Amir) father adopted Ali into his household; together, both without their mothers,
Ali and Baba grew up as childhood a generation later (p. 27)
playmates (p. 26)

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 Sohrab has the same look of the lamb
him as having the face of a lamb (with when he is dancing for Assef
no struggle)

16) Hazara Amir does not defend Hassan being Amir defends Hassans son
called Hazara