First Literary Response Journal 3/11 Page 80

During the first forty pages of The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, the author introduces the main characters of the story. Their names are Amir and Hassan. They are two boys that are closet to each other in not only just their ages, but also their personalities. As you approach page 80 in the book, you come to gain a little insight to the name of the book. In Afghanistan kite flying is a hobby. Amir and Hassan always fly kites every year in the competition, and the fallen kites are always prizes. The children who chases after the falling kites are referred to as kite runners, and Hassan is known as the best kite runner of them all. Amir himself even acknowledges Hassan's talent on page 52 when he says, "But Hassan was by far the greatest kite runner I'd ever seen. It was downright eerie the way he always got to the spot the kite would land before the kite did, as if he had some sort of inner compass." Amir is a privileged kid. He comes from a wealthy family, and for him to say the this about Hassan, I believe it must be true. Plus he tells the story of Hassan running a kite, and he sat down and waited. Then he saw the kite start to fall, and he took a few steps and opened his arms, and the kite fell into them. This story seems to be revolving around the two boys, but I believe that it is going to focus on Hassan. Maybe not directly on him, but indirectly. I feel like after reading about Hassan being raped by Assef, that's going to be the central conflict through the story. Amir struggles with his guilt. He knows that he should have stepped in, or at least when and got help. Instead he done nothing, and the guilt of his decision is causing internal conflict. So, that's why I feel like this story is going to indirectly revolve around Hassan. I think that because the author grew up in Afghanistan, he is able to easily write about it. It's not that it is easy for him. He is just so knowledgable about the culture and the people, that he is able to write in detail. He writes in such great detail that it makes it seem so much more real to me than most books normally do. This book makes me realize how real everything is that goes on over there, and that even though this is a fictional story the events that take place are real. I struggle with the names of food or other household items. I don't know if I am pronouncing them correctly, and there are times when I question what they are. However I like that they are in the story because it relates to the author's heritage. So far, I am loving this book. I just want to keep reading it.