How Hosseini Portrays Tension During the Kite Runner Rape Scene
How does Hosseini portray tension in Pages 62-65
In Chapter Seven, Hosseini uses a significant amount of imagery to portray the violence taking place in the alley. He uses animal imagery to depict the rivalry between Hassan and Assef and his cronies. The alley has been described as 'blind', to show that there is no end to it and Hassan is trapped, just like prey being trapped by its predator, in this case Assef. Assef is reminiscent of the head of a pack of wild animals, leading his group and being the first to pounce on the prey.
Hosseini also uses war imagery to describe the tense atmosphere, with Hassan 'cock[ing] the arm that held the rock', as if it were a gun. This imagery has also been used to describe the setting as 'a havoc of scrap and rubble', or in other words, the aftermath of war.
Furthermore, Hosseini uses animal imagery to compare Hassan's loyalty to Amir, which is like a 'dog', as they are known for being extremely loyal to their owner. This leads on to the idea that Amir is Hassan's owner, as Hassan is a Hazara and Amir is a Pashtun, however Hassan has resigned himself to the fact that social statuses in Afghanistan will never change, and part of the reason for him being so loyal to Amir could be because even though he is of a higher status than him, he actually acknowledges his existence. This social aspect is part of Assesment Objective 4.
However, Hosseini has cleverly embodied Amir's thoughts in Assef's dialogue, as Amir has always slightly resented himself for taking Hassan somewhat for granted. For example, he would tease him whenever he did not know a word, or give him a broken toy whenever he felt guilty about being mean to him, showing that he did not even think his 'friend' was worth a fully functioning toy. There have been examples of Hassan realising this fact up until now, like the point where he questioned Amir, asking him if he would really ask him to eat dirt for him. Assef asks him if 'before [he should] sacrifice himself
In Chapter Seven, Hosseini uses a significant amount of imagery to portray the violence taking place in the alley. He uses animal imagery to depict the rivalry between Hassan and Assef and his cronies. The alley has been described as 'blind', to show that there is no end to it and Hassan is trapped, just like prey being trapped by its predator, in this case Assef. Assef is reminiscent of the head of a pack of wild animals, leading his group and being the first to pounce on the prey.
Hosseini also uses war imagery to describe the tense atmosphere, with Hassan 'cock[ing] the arm that held the rock', as if it were a gun. This imagery has also been used to describe the setting as 'a havoc of scrap and rubble', or in other words, the aftermath of war.
Furthermore, Hosseini uses animal imagery to compare Hassan's loyalty to Amir, which is like a 'dog', as they are known for being extremely loyal to their owner. This leads on to the idea that Amir is Hassan's owner, as Hassan is a Hazara and Amir is a Pashtun, however Hassan has resigned himself to the fact that social statuses in Afghanistan will never change, and part of the reason for him being so loyal to Amir could be because even though he is of a higher status than him, he actually acknowledges his existence. This social aspect is part of Assesment Objective 4.
However, Hosseini has cleverly embodied Amir's thoughts in Assef's dialogue, as Amir has always slightly resented himself for taking Hassan somewhat for granted. For example, he would tease him whenever he did not know a word, or give him a broken toy whenever he felt guilty about being mean to him, showing that he did not even think his 'friend' was worth a fully functioning toy. There have been examples of Hassan realising this fact up until now, like the point where he questioned Amir, asking him if he would really ask him to eat dirt for him. Assef asks him if 'before [he should] sacrifice himself