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Examples Of Irony In The Kite Runner

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Oh, irony, how you never cease to amuse! Irony in literature is often used, rather effectively, to invoke an intellectual humor on otherwise serious writings. Irony is often clever, but is rarely important beyond the ironic idea itself. Could it be that irony can actually deepen the themes within a novel? In "The Kite Runner", Khaled Hosseini uses irony to emphasize ideas, to connect characters, and to show transformation. As a result, the novel is incredibly gripping and leaves a lasting impact.

In simpler literature, writers build to an event by growing tension, presenting the event, and resolving the conflict. Hosseini instead uses irony and foreshadowing to emphasize ideas far before they take place. On page 225, Amir thinks to himself "One of the balls had come unscrewed. I stopped and tightened it. I wish I could fix my own life as easily." While an interesting thought, the reader's world is not turned upside down. When the ball comes back on page 290, however, it marks a defining moment. "I blinked the blood from my eyes and saw it was one of the brass balls from the ring in the table base. Sohrab had the slingshot pointed to Assef's face." Not only does this ironic parallel emphasize the ball, but it connects to Hassan calling Assef "One-eyed Assef" in the beginning of the novel. As a result, the reader sees …show more content…

At times the fuel behind jokes, but at others the driving force of lasting themes. Hosseini chooses the latter, bringing irony to the story and making it incredibly interconnected. Ironic ideas, character connections, and ironic metaphors result in "The Kite Runner", a novel filled with crucial lessons and themes. Kite Runner teaches a reader to dig deeper, to search for parallels to the story or even to their own life. By making these connections, readers think critically. Novels in which the reader takes a driving role in their interpritation leave the longet impact, and this impact is richened by artful use of

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