Examples Of Irony In The Kite Runner

Jaernel Patio

Mrs. Schauer

English IV, 4

February 13, 2017

The Impact Of Irony By definition, irony is the expression of one’s meaning that typically signifies the opposite. Authors have scribed irony in their literature since before pen and paper existed because even ancient bards such as Homer discovered the power irony can bring to a good story. Khaled Hosseini, the author of the novel The Kite Runner, masterfully weaves intricate and delicate examples of irony to enrich the story. Irony plays a pivotal role in the novel to develop the plot, by creating suspense, the themes, by informing the reader, and the characters, by showing their personalities and unconscious motives. Hosseini uses irony to progress the storyline by enveloping the readers in a thick cloud of suspense. An example of this appears before the reader in chapter seven because what was suppose to

The main theme or message Hosseini gives the reader is honor and pride motivate and guide people’s actions. Also, the the cultural divide between Hazaras and Pashtuns creates a black and white perception where Pashtuns are full of honor and pride and Hazaras lack one or sometimes both. In the form of a conversation, irony presents itself in chapter 12 when Amir and Baba talk about General Taheri’s ethnic background and expectations “The man is a Pashtun to the root. He has nang and namoos… Honor and pride. The tenets of Pashtun men”(157). In Hassan’s greatest hour of need, Amir, a Pashtun, catastrophically fails to reveal his “nangs and namoos” by not even attempting to save Hassan from Assef. On the other hand, Hassan, a Hazara, protects and shields Amir from the torment of bullies every single time. This ironic scene furthers the reader’s knowledge about the theme and the cultural divide in Afghanistan because Amir’s honor and pride represent more of a Hazara, whereas, Hassan’s honor and pride depicts that of a