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Definition of Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the story. Foreshadowing can be achieved directly or indirectly, by making... read full definition
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the story. Foreshadowing can be achieved... read full definition
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don't actually occur until later in the... read full definition
Chapter 4
Explanation and Analysis—Never Mind :
As an adult, Amir thinks back to the many limiting external factors that surrounded his relationship with Hassan. He uses foreshadowing and repetition to show that he felt their bond was doomed to fail from the beginning:
Never mind any of those things. Because history isn’t easy to overcome. Neither is religion. In the end, I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara, I was Sunni and he was Shi’a, and nothing was ever going to change that. Nothing.
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Chapter 5
Explanation and Analysis—Assef Khan:
As Amir describes his schoolmate Assef, he uses a simile and an allusion comparing the other boy to a Khan to highlight his dominance and sense of self-importance:
Unlock with LitCharts A+Born to a German mother and Afghan father, the blond, blue-eyed Assef towered over the other kids. His well-earned reputation for savagery preceded him on the streets. Flanked by his obeying friends, he walked the neighborhood like a Khan strolling through his land with his eager-to-please entourage.
Related Themes:
Chapter 20
Explanation and Analysis—Profoundly Happy:
When Amir speaks with an old beggar who once knew his mother, he learns about Sofia's somewhat fatalistic approach to things. As the old man tells a story about her to Amir, he uses situational irony and foreshadowing to illustrate her mixed feelings about happiness. As he recounts it, Amir’s mother once said:
Unlock with LitCharts A+I'm so afraid. Because I'm so profoundly happy. Happiness like this is frightening [...] They only let you be this happy if they're preparing to take something from you.
Related Themes:
