Situational Irony In The Kite Runner

Situational ironies occur when the outcome of a situation contradicts the expectations of the audience, which incorporates excitement and tension within the story. An example of situational irony would be the day of the kite competition, which is also known as Hassan’s turning point. Hosseini gives the illusion of tranquility by calling it “a beautiful day” with the sky being a “blameless blue.” He denies his audience the language of foreshadowing, which puts greater emphasis on irony because it defeats his reader’s expectations. The day Hosseini calls beautiful turns out to be Hussan’s most miserable. The imagery Hosseini presents during this scene is an irony because he portrays a clear blue sky above a dark alleyway. Another example of situational

Amir’s actions of betraying Hassan capsize because his wrongdoings backfire onto himself. In an attempt to diminish his guilt, he drives Hassan out of his home. The disapproving act returns to him when he is driven out of his own home by the Soviets. Throughout the story, the roles become reversed and Amir lives Hassan’s life through his own eyes. The glorious life they lived in Afghanistan was just a distorted reality caused by injustice, but this mirage becomes the truth when Baba and Amir arrive in America, and they live a life deprived of the wealth and privilege they had in the Middle East. Amir describes the difference by saying that in America, there are “homes that made Baba’s house in Wazir Akbar Khan look like a servant’s hut.” They live similarly to how Ali and Hassan had to live, which makes it seem like a punishment for betraying those who were loyal to them. Amir ultimately pays for his sins because he acquires Hassan’s unfortunate aspects while envying his superior ones. Another irony regarding his mistake would be in one of the stories that he writes. After Hassan hears this story, he asks Amir, "Why did the man kill his wife? In fact, why did he ever have to feel sad to shed tears? Couldn't he have just smelled an onion?" What makes this an irony would be that the man in the story is a metaphor for Amir’s own disposition. The man acts selfishly as he puts his own needs first,

It’s expected that it would impact Hassan, who endured the pain, but instead it was Amir, who endured the guilt, and whom the tragedy wrecked emotionally the most. The transformation from this guilt is what wins Baba’s approval instead of the kite. This is expressed through the quote, “I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me. I was afraid of getting hurt. That's what I told myself as I turned my back to the alley, to Hassan. That's what I made myself believe. I actually aspired to cowardice, because the alternative, the real reason I was running, was that Assef was right: Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba.” The meaning of this quote changed from the beginning to the end of the story because at first it was a reference to bringing Baba the kite, which then changed to winning Baba over through redemption. He was motivated by his guilt to right all the wrongs, and he does this by rescuing Sohrab from the taliban, which also portrays irony given it makes up for him not rescuing Hassan at the beginning of the story. Sohrab’s character is a reflection of his father, Hassan, because Sohrab carries on the same duty Hassan did, which is to protect Amir no matter the cost. Sohrab does this by shooting Assef in the eye using his slingshot. This is ironic because he