What is the impact of different narrative viewpoints

What is the impact of different narrative viewpoints? Consider the definitions of… First person narration – Third person narration – Unreliable narration – Omniscient narration –

Learning Intention To begin to recognise the significance of choice in narration and naming in The Kite Runner

Active reading Listen carefully and consider the following question… What narrative hooks does Hosseini use to intrigue the reader in Chapter 1 ?

Reflective tone Short opening chapter – outlines the timeline to come Told in Dec 2001 Phone call previous summer Events happened in 1975

Naming Amir (not mentioned explicitly - I) – masculine name, to give orders, prince Hassan – to be beautiful, to be good Ali (Hassan’s father) – high, elevated, Shi’a Muslim belief that Ali was the true inheritor of Islamic faith Baba (Amir’s father) – father in Arabic Rahim Khan - compassionate

The narrator First person – personal narrative Events and recollection coloured by his own reactions and emotions Not objective Unreliable narration – no verification his word is truth

The image of kites Reoccurring image – sees them in San Francisco Symbol of freedom and fun – question seriousness of narrator Identifies Hassan as “hare-lipped kite runner” Gives significance to Hassan

Imagery Pathetic fallacy – weather used to reflect emotion in 1975 “frigid overcast day” Emotive language – past as animal or demon, rising from its grave Implication of the need to atone – “there is a way to be good again” Foreshadowing of significant event in Kabul in 1975 – “peeking in an alley”

Impact of the opening?

Impact of the opening The novel opens by placing Amir’s memories of Afghanistan against his current life in San Francisco Postmodern text which aims to unsettle the reader and examine the true meaning of what Amir is saying Leave the reader with more questions than answers