The Kite Runner Chapter 1-2

Thus far the first two chapter has given background information about the main character Amir. In the first chapter the reader is introduced to the main character who is reminiscing about his past. He states that ".... 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." page 1. This one quote sets the mood for the remaining of the chapter and alludes to the fact there is some dark secret in Amir's past. Amir relates the encounter he had with his friend Rahim Khan that had called him the previous summer. This situation provides another clue that there is possibly something dark and dangerous hidden in Amir's past.The fact that Amir decides to sit underneath a willow in order to reflect about  his past is extremely symbolic.

Chapter two goes back to Amir's childhood. He discusses how he use to spend his days with his friend Hassan. Amir uses a multitude of similes in order to describe Hassan's physical appearance. For example "...on his almost perfectly round face, a face like a a Chinese doll chiseled from hardwood: his flat , broad nose and slanting , narrow eyes like bamboo leaves." page 3. It can be seen that Hassan is a loyal friend, this is due to the fact that when Amir and Hassan got caught shining mirrors on the neighbors or shooting walnuts at the neighbors dog, he would always take the blame. He would never mention that it was in fact Amir's idea. Amir is very well off this can be seen from where he lives. On page 4 it states "Everyone agreed that my father, my Baba, had built the most beautiful house in the Wazir Akbar Khan district," this shows that Amir had a lot of money and was very affluent. Hassan and his father Ali live in the servants house behind Amir's house. So this shows that Amir and Hassan belong to two different social classes but are still friends.

The relationship between Amir and his father is strained. Whenever Amir would ask if he could sit with his father and his friends in his study, his father would tell him that it was "grown-ups' time."It can be seen that Amir is sadden by this because he states "He'd close the door, leaving me to wonder why it was always grown-ups' time with him." page 5. This shows that Amir's dad rarely, if at all, spends time with him. Amir tells of a picture of his father holding him as a baby "looking tired and grim" but although Amir's Baba is the one holding him, Amir is holding on to Rahim Khan's ( his father's best friend) finger. This shows that the distancing between father and son began at birth. This chapter also goes into a detailed account of how the Hazaras are treated and have been treated. This might possibly mean that at some point during the novel this conflict might come to an unfortunate ending.