Hosseini writing style

Question 1

6 key aspects of his writing style

Answer 1

•emotional intensity and honesty
•simple, lyrical prose
•the use of foreshadowing and symbolism
•cultural and historical context
•themes of redemption and forgiveness
•non-linear narrative

Question 2

example of emotional intensity and honesty

Answer 2

•opening line of the book
•establishes a tone of personal confession and emotional gravity, foreshadowing emotional turmoil within the novel

Question 3

example of simple, lyrical prose

Answer 3

•’for you, a thousand times over’
•lyrical in rhythm but uses simple language, carrying a powerful message of loyalty which carries throughout the novel. Amirs redemption is foregrounded by the repetition of this at the end of the novel to Sohrab.

Question 4

an example of foreshadowing and symbolism

Answer 4

•foreshadowing- ‘there is a way to be good again’
•the pomegranate tree was once a symbol of Hassan and Amir’s friendship, it later becomes a place of lost innocence
•kites symbolise innocence and betrayal

Question 5

examples of cultural and historical context

Answer 5

•untranslated farsi lexis, immersive experience
•’Kabul had become a city of ghosts’, turmoil within the environment is also reflected within the family dynamics. symbolically, the ghost of Amir and Hassan’s innocence stayed in Kabul

Question 6

example of themes of redemption and forgiveness

Answer 6

•’there is a way to be good again’
•’true redemption is when guilt leads to good’
•the ‘thorny old barbs of guilt bore into me’
the past was ‘clawing it’s way out’

Question 7

examples of the non- linear narrative

Answer 7

•the novel starts in 2001, then flashes back to 1975, then returns to the present.
•this mirrors Amir’s journey of confronting the past

Question 8

homodiagetic, first person narration. conscious nature of his recollections.

Answer 8

•’he was just a Hazara, wasn’t he?’
•self- reflective line reveals Amir’s shameful internalisation of Afghani prejudices