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How does Hosseini use symbolism to develop key themes in the kite runner?

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In this presentation I will be analysing the way in which Khaled Hosseini uses symbolism throughout the novel to develop the key themes. He uses symbolism several times throughout the book to foreshadow significant events and represent the past or the way a character is feeling. The symbols he uses communicate a deeper idea than he actually writes, they open doors of meaning and he often uses objects, actions and characters to give more meaning to the thing itself.
Firstly, one can tell kites are central to the novel just by reading its title, "The Kite Runner." I found that the most significant use of symbolism Hosseini used in the novel was the ‘kite running’. The Kite Running tournament near the beginning of the novel represents freedom and happiness in Afghanistan before the Soviet invasion. Soon after the kite running tournament in the winter of 1974, the Soviet Army banned the event in Afghanistan. As you can see from the image, the annual event united the Afghans together; it became an equalizer of class, religion and background, and brought happiness and bonding to the people of Afghanistan. The eviction of this event symbolises the banishing of overall happiness and freedom in Afghanistan because even though they are not permitted to do a considerable amount of things after the invasion, kite running was one of the most uniting of traditions in Afghanistan at the time. Although the kite running is a positive element of the novel as the Afghans are still free to ki...

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Submitted by: Jodie17
Date Submitted: 01-02-2012
Category: English
Words: 1728
Pages: 6.91