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!