Halfway Post

1.    Identify and list examples of flashback and/or foreshadowing in the book. What purpose does flashback play in the book? Is it effective? What purpose does the foreshadowing play in the book? Is it effective? Did you ''guess'' what the foreshadowing was pointing to?

2.    Would you recommend this book to another reader? Why/Why not? What kind of person would you recommend it to? What would you tell the person about the book?

The first  and second chapters of this novel contain two very profound examples of flashback and foreshadowing that, with hindsight, grip my heartstrings very tightly. The first paragraph of the novel has Amir reflecting on the day the turning point of the story occurs: “I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975. I remember the precise moment, crouching behind a crumbling mud wall, peaking into the alley near the frozen creek. Pg1”  Initially, the reader has absolutely no clue what it is he’s peaking at from behind that crumbling mud wall, but it successfully grasps your interest. The moment a boy realizes what he is to be for the rest of his life is momentous and monumental, something to be celebrated. I recall fervently awaiting that moment to arise in the novel so I could  discover what type of man Amir becomes, the events that lead up to it give you a very good indication of what type of man he will become however. This type of flashback was incredibly effective at constructing the foundation for the novel; the reader learns that this moment is pivotal in the protagonist’s life and it must be a moment where he witnesses something either horrendous or glorifying. The example of foreshadowing from the second chapter which was incredibly ominous is when Amir discloses what his and Hassans first words were. "And under the same roof, we spoke our  first words. Mine was Baba. His was Amir. My name." pg 12. Immediately, I knew this was an indication of where the two characters loyalties would be. Despite being easy to decipher, this use of foreshadowing is very powerful on a deep level; first words are an extraordinary and memorable moment.  

I would definitely recommend this novel to a select few people; particularly, people who don’t mind a conceited, envious and hypersensitive character who betrays the most loyal companion and then proceeds to act like an arrogant, spoiled child. In short, someone who doesn’t mind resenting the protagonist for more than half the novel. I can recall several moments where I was actually so frustrated with Amir that I had to put the novel down and take a breather. A lot of teenage readers that I know would prefer their protagonist have sound morals and be a character from which you could extract positive attributes in order to better yourself. Amir is the opposite, Amir exposes the fragile, timid, and hubristic ape inside all of us that is secretly jealous of others when they experience things we do not or best us at our hobby, or when they earn the favor of someone which we would like to earn the favor of, most importantly, he exposes how we would respond to the ultimate test of our spirit if that test involved a daunting gang of stronger, perhaps superior, apes which were abusing our ally.