Joelle Engler AP English Literature Rose August 7, 2015 Kite Runner and Antigone Chart Term Excerpt Analysis Situational Irony “My body was broken—just how badly I wouldn’t find out until later—but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed.” (p.289) In this scene, Amir is being beaten up mercilessly by Assef. Though he is physically being abused and broken, he finally feels his conscience being cleansed from not helping Hassan when he was being raped. Hassan, time after time, had protected Amir from Assef in their childhood and the one time Amir could have protected Hassan, he did not. For years, Amir wished Hassan had hurt him so he could feel better about not defending him and now, many years later Amir feels he is getting what he …show more content…
One summer day, I used one of Ali's kitchen knives to carve our names on it: 'Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul'. Those words made it formal: The tree was ours." (p.27) The pomegranate tree symbolizes Amir and Hassan’s relationship. When they were children, Amir and Hassan played by the tree and even carved their names into its bark naming it their own. However, after Hassan’s rape, Amir uses the fruit of the tree to pelt Hassan in the way he feels he should hurt for not preventing the rape. This is where the beginning of the rift in their friendship starts to be prevalent. Additionally, at the end of the novel after Hassan was murdered, Amir visits the tree and finds it wilting and …show more content…
Hassan would literally do anything to protect Amir and make him happy, including getting raped so Amir could have the blue flag to show to Baba. It highlights the unreciprocated devotion Hassan had to Amir. At the end of the novel, Amir says the same phrase to Sohrab which is reflective of Amir’s newfound devotion to make Sohrab happy in the way Hassan had to him. Simile “At parties, when all six-foot-five of him thundered into the room, attention shifted to him like sunflowers turning to the sun.” (p.13) Amir uses simile to describe his father’s compelling personality and how all he had to do was walk into a room and he would have everyone’s attention and interest effortlessly. Personification “No wedding hymn shall ever be sung, for I shall be Acheron’s bride.” (p.191) Achron is a river in the underworld. Antigone saying she will be the bride of a river personifies the river as only people get married. Allusion “I have heard that the daughter of Tantalus, the stranger from Phrygia, perished most sorrowfully on the peak of Mount Sipylus.” (p.192) Antigone alludes to the ancient Greek myth of Niobe, the wife of the Theban Amphion and her punishment by Apollo’s mother
Antigone, in Greek legend, was the daughter of Oedipus. When her brothers Eteocles and Polynices killed one another, Creon, king of Thebes, forbade the rebel Polynices’ burial. Antigone disobeyed him, performed the rites, and was condemned to death for what she had done.
The Kite Runner is a novel of a Sunni Muslim, Amir, and a Hazara boy, Hassan. Hassan is the son of Amir’s father’s servant. Amir and Hassan spend their childhood days playing with one another in the streets of Kabul. Amir’s father, Baba, as referred to in the novel, loves both of the boys equally. Although, Amir believes that Baba loves Hassan more than himself. Amir struggles to find understanding from Baba for killing his wife during childbirth. Amir strives to make him proud. The Hazara boy, Hassan, finds himself often in trouble protecting Amir, and questioning whether Amir would do the same for him. Over twenty years after Amir left Kabul, and his childhood friend, Hassan, Amir returns to Kabul to find his brother dead by the Taliban, and his son residing in a local orphanage. Amir ventures on to find a way to be good again, while trying to save his childhood friend, Hassan’s son. The motif changes to show how their relationship is growing and evolving thus helping Hosseini, the author of, The Kite Runner, develop his theme in the novel. Friendship does not require physical connection.. The Pomegranate tree is used as a motif and changes throughout the novel. Amir often returns to the motif of the Pomegranate tree. In the beginning of The Kite Runner, Amir and Hassan’s friendship is flourishing as they share stories and laugh by the pomegranate tree. Hassan and Amir bond over stories such as, “Shahnameh,” (Hosseini, pg. 103). As the novel continues, Amir throws pomegranates from the tree at Hassan, breaking the physical relationship between himself and Hassan. At the end of the novel, Amir returns to find the tree dead, and their physical relationship is gone, but they both think of themselves as friends.
This embarrasses and frustrates Amir. This frustration is one reason for Amir to slowly but surely push Hassan out of his life. Although it is not the most obvious reason, it is an underlying one. This is a mistake on Amir’s part because Hassan does so much for Amir, being the loyal friend that he is, and for Amir to push someone of such good moral and character out of his life, is a tremendous mistake on his behalf. It is quite obvious that Hassan would give his life for Amir, but, because of where Hassan comes from, Amir struggles throughout his childhood, to find a way to accept the friendship Hassan gives him.
For the longest time, Amir is plagued with having a heart full of guilt. It seems hopeless for him, like a shadow following him around, lingering, and sometimes making itself so oblivious, eradicating any ounce of serenity he could have. “How could I, of all people, chastise someone for their past?… I envied her. Her secret was out. Spoken. Dealt with. I opened my
Antigone and her family have suffered many things. It all began with her father, Oedipus. Oedipus has a very confused life. He ends up killing his father, the king of Thebes, while he believes his father is someone else. He ends up as the king of Thebes and married to his mother, Jocasta.
Amir had mistreated Hassan in some ways, for example, when he threw pomegranates at the latter, in hopes to receive the same treatment back. He had always thought that since Hassan was a Hazara, he should be looked down upon because he is of a lower class. After the kite running event and when Hassan was raped, Amir spoke to Ali about Hassan’s condition. He did not mention how Hassan was raped, but rather said that he was sick instead. From the way he spoke to Ali, it was noticeable that he was pushing the blame onto Hassan, freeing himself from all castigations he would receive. ““Like I said, how should I know what’s wrong with him?” I snapped. “Maybe he’s sick. People get sick all the time, Ali. Now, am I going to freeze to death or are you planning on lighting the stove today?”” (Hosseini 86) This line displays how Amir used excuses to maneuver his way from the topic of Hassan that day, in order to keep his image and mind clean. In addition to this idea of keeping the image clean towards society and believing in delusions, Baba had taught himself to think that he was a good man. When Amir and Baba were on the truck ride from Kabul, there was a part where a Russian soldier had threatened to kill Baba for protecting the woman. ““Tell him I’ll take a thousand of his bullets before I let this indecency take place,” Baba said” (Hosseini 122). It was apparent from this line, and
Hassan would do anything for his friends and treat everyone, even bullies, with respect because his respectful dad, Ali, taught him to always be loyal to all, and never hurt anyone. Ali was Baba’s servant and long-time friend, and stayed close to him throughout their childhood and adulthood. Amir's actions showed how much of a coward he was. Amir suffered his whole life living with the guilt of knowing that Hassan was raped, much like Baba lived his whole life in guilt knowing that he stole the truth from Ali by committing adultery.
Antigone also shows her viewpoint early in the play when admonishing her sister Ismene for not sharing in her conviction about burying their brother Polynices, saying:
The pomegranate tree represents a very important symbol in the novel that supports many aspects of Hassan and Amir’s relationship. Amir and Hassan became close friends, and created their special connection in the novel at
In Antigone, Sophocles illustrates Antigone to rise above her gender stereotype and do what is forbidden. Antigone is expected to sit in her room and wait for a man to tell her what move to make next throughout her life. After her brothers battle to the death, one is buried and one is not. Antigone does not stand for this at all and expects both of her brothers to be buried. When she is forbidden to leave her room and bury her brother, she does not agree. Antigone sneaks out of her room during the night to bury her brother. The next morning, Creon, who is the King of Thebes,
When Amir is feeling bad about the guilt of not helping Hassan, Amir writes, “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” (Hosseini 92). Amir wants to make himself feel better by allowing Hassan to hurt. This is when Amir and Hassan’s really begins to change, and it is important that it takes place by the pomegranate tree. Since a pomegranate is a symbol of generosity it’s ironic that such a betrayal takes place by Amir and Hassan’s friendship tree. Many years after Amir’s betrayal towards Hassan, Amir returns to the pomegranate tree. When Amir sees the tree he says, “[...] the pomegranate tree hadn’t born fruit in years. Looking at the wilted, leafless tree, I doubted that it ever would again” (Hosseini 264). This quote is a symbol that Amir and Hassan’s relationship has changed drastically, and Amir still holds that relationship with him because the tree is still there. Amir also writes, “The carving had dulled [...] but it was still there. I traced the curve of each letter with my fingers” (Hosseini 264). Amir retraces the carving because he misses the good relationship he once had with Amir. The pomegranate tree changes throughout the years, just like Amir and Hassan’s relationship
Antigone is Sophocles Greek tragedy where we see a woman as the main character. Antigone is part of the “saga of Thebes” that deals with Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus. Produced around 442 B.C., we see the children of Oedipus deal with what fate has brought them. Antigone deals with the conflict of her burying her brother which would be in defiance of an order given by an egotistical ruler, Creon. In Antigone, one s...
Amir’s sense of guilt and wanting redemption was a huge part of his life when he was younger. Amir knew that as soon after he betrayed Hassan, that this would change their relationship forever. Amir let his friendship go in order to release himself from guilt. Amir finds out that because he was able to get away with his sin, he needs to find some way to
In the beginning, the author introduced Antigone and her sister, Ismene, and their argument about their recently deceased brother. The argument involved Antigone wanting to bury her brother and Ismene encouraging her to obey the King's orders. Antigone ignored her sister's advice and chose to disobey the King by burying her brother. The King learned of Antigone's actions and sentenced her to death. After listening to his people he lessened her sentence to spend the rest of her life in an isolated cave. With the advice of a trusted prophet, he once again changes his perspective and decides to set Antigone free. However, he arrived at the cave and was shocked to see that Antigone had hanged herself. The situation caused chaos among the people in Thebes.
Amir overhears this and is very troubled that Baba doesn’t approve of him. To Amir, this is a realization that he is a coward and his father notices it. Later in the book, Amir sees Hassan being raped and he is contemplating jumping in and being courageous because he says, “I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be” (Hosseini, 77). Amir realizes that he has to decide “who I am”....