Role of the Narrator

The narrative point of view in this book is first person, and we get to see everything through Amir's eyes. We get to know his thoughts, his past and his fears. At the same time we get to know how things looks, we get to see what Amir can see. All through the book he has been speaking about his past, and things that has happened to him earlier in his life. Now it's changed to present tense, and he doesn't talk or speak so much of the past anymore. But suddenly he gets contacted by Rahim Kahn, and there is a whole chapter, chapter 16, where the whole narrative point of view still is first person, but this time it's seen from Rahim Kahn's side of the case.

The role of the first person is written different when Rahim is the first person. The whole chapter is one long monologue by Rahim, and already in his second sentence he says "Allah forgive me...", which is something Amir would never almost start a sentence with, as he doesn't believe very much in God. There isn't any descriptions of what Rahim can see or what he does, all through the chapter. It's only one long "speech". If Amir where the first person in this chapter, we would probably get to know more about what he felt when Rahim told him everything, but we don't get any reactions from him before the next chapter.

As I've written in earlier texts, I feel like I am Amir sometimes. This is because of the first person narrative where we get to know and see everything he does. When I got to chapter 16 where Rahim tells this long story to Amir, I think it was very clever of the author to change the narrative from Amir as first person, and rather have Rahim as the first person while telling. In this way, I still have the feeling of being Amir because it feels like everything Rahim says, he says to me. It's written in a way that makes the reader feel he or she is the one Rahim is telling the story to, and in this way we know Amir's feelings. It's not written. It's not written how he feels, what he says or if i moves. But so far in the book, I know Amir. I know how he looks when Rahim tells this to him, I know what he thinks and I know how he feels.

Amir doesn't give any response to Rahim about what he has said until chapter 17 where Amir is first person again, and everything is back to "normal". Instead of putting Rahim as the first person and give the information to us as a monologue, he could go back in time again, which is done many times before in the book, and show us what has happened. This would make the chapter longer, and more similar to the rest of the book. But i like the way it stands out, and how this makes me feel as I'm the one getting the story.

Chapter 4-9, summary

In The Kite Runner, there are some special relationships between some of the characters. Amir has a relationship with Rahim which should be with Baba. Rahim seems like the present father Amir never had. Rahim listens to what Amir has to say in another way than Baba does. For instance Baba gives Amir expensive gifts for his birthday, a bicycle and watch, while Rahim gives him a book for him to write his stories in. This shows that Rahim listens to Amir, and gives him something that he appreciates. This makes him want to write even more, because he knows Rahim is found of him, and will keep pushing him forward. Baba doesn't ask many questions to Amir about what he likes to do, or wants to become. He's more obsessed with what Amir is NOT, rather than what he IS.

Because of this, Amir finds it very important to get Baba's attention in a more positive way, even for only a short period. He therefor decides to join the kite fighter tournament. Baba encourages him, and tells him often how god he is at this, and that he will win. I think Amir feels this as a pressure, at the same time as he enjoys to the fullest, to finally have his fathers full attention. After the tournament Amir sees Baba on the roof with his hands victorious up in the sky, and I think this gives Amir an extraordinary feeling of certification.

While Amir is watching what's going on in the street Hassan is, we get to look back in two of Amir's early memories. The first one is about Baba. He says "did you know Hassan and you fed from the same breast?".."there's a brotherhood between people who've fed from the same breast". That Amir thinks of this memory while Hassan's being raped, most have something to do with Amir not taking any action. He already there and then starts to feel guilty for not doing anything to stop them. After all, Hassan is his brother. They've fed from the same breast.

The next memory we get is when the two boys sees a fortune-teller man who offers to tell them their fortune for only one rupia. They both pay, and he starts with Hassan. After reading Hassan for a while, he gives him his coin back, rather than telling him what he saw. I think Amir now understands why the fortune-teller wouldn't say what will happen in Hassan's future, because it's to bad to live with. Hassan was already doomed. And when it actually happens, Amir is there. Amir can do something with it. But he chooses not to. Amir is Hassan's horrible future.

The next we get is a dream. A dream Amir had about himself being lost in a snowstorm. This is probably a picture of Amir's feelings at the time, and why he doesn't do anything. He feels alone in a way, just him and Hassan against those three big guys. In the dream he can't see through all the snow. For real, he's closing his eyes. In the dream he choses to take the hand that reaches out for him when he get's the chance. The snow disappears. The sky is again blue and filled with kites. But doesn't take the hand. He just runs away.

Amir get's to see in Hassan's eyes. They look just like the look of a lamb. We get the explanation in another memory. The memory of a lamb being killed for food. In the lamb's eyes it's like it understands. It understands that it's born for a higher purpose. This is the look he compares to Hassan's after the rape. Like Hassan is accepting he's not as good as Amir. As if raping Hassan is okay because that's what the kite is worth. But i feel this is wrong. It's so wrong for a kid to grow up with the impression of being worth less than someone else. That you're born to a higher purpose, that it's okay to get raped, because that's what you're here for. That's just so wrong.

Amir has some phases of guilt through the book. In his early years he does some stupid things to Hassan. It's not any big issues, but he bugs Hassan with big words he doesn't understand because he doesn't have the same chance as Amir to go to a school or learn to read and write. When Amir gets bad guilt for this "innocent joke" he gives Hassan some toys, or some of his clothes. He never says he's sorry. As if he doesn't need to because Hassan is a Hazara. Even though it hasn't been mentioned, I think Amir takes some of the things the other children say's about Hazaras and Hassan into him. Even though Hassan say's they're friends, Amir never admits to anyone that they are.

Later, when bigger problems occurs, Amir pretends that Hassan doesn't exist. After the rape, Amir never tells Hassan that he saw everything, or that he feels guilty. He just stays away. One time, i think he feels he gives Hassan a chance to get back on him, by tossing some blood-red fruit on him, begging him to throw back. Hassan never throws back, and it ends up with Amir throwing all of them on him, and Hassan in the end pressing one on his own forehead. After this I think Hassan understands that Amir knows. Amir find's out that the only solution, for HIM, is that Hassan has to go. He therefor "plants" some of his own stuff under Hassan's bed, so Baba will think it's been stolen. Hassan understands why Amir does this, and tells his father, Ali, about everything, and they decides to leave. Baba begs Ali to stay, and Amir think's he should run out and stop them. But still, he doesn't. He's just watching. He still doesn't take the hand.

Chapter one, the first paragraph

"I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975. I remember the precise moment, crouching behind a crumbling mud wall, peeking into the alley near the frozen creek. That was a long time ago, but it's wrong what they say about the past, I've learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years. "

The first paragraph sums up the whole character of Amir as a person who've escaped his past, but still is haunted by it. That he remembers everything with such detail, must be because he's gone through it again and again in his mind. He says it's been on his mind for 26 years, which is a really long time, and for him saying he looks back "into that deserted alley" I get the impression it's not a good memory. The word "deserted" is in this sentence a negative loaded word, and gives thoughts about emptiness and loneliness. Maybe also a sign about him not knowing what to do. As if the desert is new to him, and he's on new land without anything to reach for, only sand.

That he says it's wrong what's said about the past, is a bit sad, and it's obvious that the thing he's talking about has really been bothering him for all these years. He has found a way to bury it down, but not to put it away. The beginning of this book is very interesting, and makes me want to read the rest to find out what he saw, and if he will get it out of his mind.

The Kite Runner, chapter 1-3

In the book The Kite Runner, we are in the year 2001, in San Francisco, but the plot is developing in the past, in the early 1970's Kabul. This gives a hint about the main character leaving his country, and makes me wonder why!


The whole book is written with a first person narrative. This makes me feel more close to the people in the book, as if I experience everything through the character.

Chapter one starts with “I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975.” It's clearly that the main character has escaped from something, which he had a problem with and just buried it down, deep in his mind.


Foreshadowing is the same as an indication, to give a hint of what is going to happen later. Examples of foreshadowing is in the beginning of the first chapter, when I get to know we're in year 2001 in San Francisco, but that he has changed and lived in Kabul before. This makes me wonder why, and is a foreshadow on him moving because something happened.


One day when Amir and Hassan takes a short cut home, they're passing a group of soldiers, and one of them called Hassan; “You! The Hazara!” They're telling him about the time one of them took his mother from behind. They doesn't say anything to Amir, which is probably because Amir is a Pashtun.
In chapter three, Amir finds one of his mothers books where it's a whole chapter about Hazaras, Hassans people. It says that the Pashtuns had persecuted and oppressed the Hazaras. The Hazaras had tried to stand up against the Pashtuns, but the Pashtuns had “quelled them wit unspeakable violence”. The Pashtuns had killed a lot of Hazaras, driven them from their country and sold their woman. A part of the reason the Pashtuns did this, was because the Pashtuns were Sunni Muslims, while the Hazaras were Shi'a Muslims.
Amir also tells about some of the kids in his street calling Hassan names, this shows how little respect the Pashtuns has for the Hazaras. We also get to know how pure Hassan lives compared to Amir, and it seems pretty special that Amir and Hassan are so good friends, I think Baba treats Ali and Hassan very good to be Hazaras.


Religion in this place, at least at this time, makes a difference between people in their social life. The ones with the dominating religion are the successful ones, while the ones who's religions are minor, ends up as “losers” in society .



I don't get the impression that Baba and Amir's relationship as father and son is the way it's “supposed to be”. I get the impression that Amir feels it's very important to be approved by Baba, while Baba says almost directly to Rahim Kahn that he's embarrassed over his son. Amir thinks the reason for this is that he murdered his mother because she died while giving birth to him. Baba also told Amir that the only sin is theft. And I think Amir feels that he sinned when he stole his mothers life, stole her from Baba.

Another theme in this first chapters is jealousy. Amir seems really jealous of Hassan getting Baba's attention, and sometimes he even lies to Baba so Hassan can't go with them. Amir thinks Baba see things in Hassan that's missing in him.

The relationship between Hassan, Amir, Baba and Ali is different from other families having Hazara slaves. I get this impression when some kids are yelling after Hassan, while they act just normal with Amir. They show Hassan no respect at all, while Amir plays with Hassan. This doesn't seem to be normal with in the community they're living in, and is probably a pretty special relationship. I haven't got to know why their relationship is like it is yet, but I'll might get to know it if I keep reading!

What blogs can be used for

Blogging could be used for so much more than just “15 minutes of fame”. I am myself reader of a blog called “caffelatte”. Before I started reading it, it was one of these superficial blogs where everything was about café visits, expensive clothes and headaches. This blogger, named Ida, got her 15 minutes of fame when she one day had pictures on her blog of herself and some friends taking a bath. This picture, with a text on the side, came in several newspapers and magazines, which led to her getting more fans (the point of the article in the magazines wasn't quite so positive..).
After a while, Ida got a certain influence on her readers, and she doesn't have a job, she's just writing her blog and getting money by sponsors she has ads for. One day plan (a Norwegian organ who gives help to kids in poor countries), started a campaign for girls being just as worthy as boys. They got a held of Ida, and she went with them to Kenya and met girls down there to tell their story trough her blog.
This actually got a lot of attention in media, and she's just getting more and more readers. I think this is a good way to use blogging. After her trip to Kenya, she has been writing a lot about it, and she has also done things to keep this in attention, and to get her readers “make the world a better place” with being plan-sponsors as well.
Even though this is a good blog, at least in my eyes, it took Ida some time before she found out what to write about, and what hit the readers. One thing Ida writes about is how her readers wonders how they can get their own blogs as popular. The problem today is that almost all the “bloggers”, at least the popular ones, are bad written “I have so many problems” blogs, where the readers are after tragedy, disaster or problems in other peoples lives.
If you want to read a good blog it's often a blog about a theme, for example photo blogs, training blogs or other themes that interests you. One of the good things with blogging, is that many people write about things you need to know, or things that's good to know. The bad ting is that it's many fake blogs, and some blogs might seem offensive to you, but there comes one of the best things – you can choose yourself what you want to read.