Hi, everybody!
Our AP English Language Course asks us to write a Précis and analyze an episode about a book.
I chose the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini but I'm not sure whether my essay is alright.
We have to write our Précis in a "general introduction, characters, conflict, plot, climax, outcome,thematic statement" order in 7 sentences.
If you don't understand the content or have any questions after reading the Précis, please let me know.
Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner is a semi-autobiographic novel set on Afghan and America ranging from 1960s to 2002. The main characters are two people: Amir, the narrator and Hassan. The conflict occurs because Amir is afflicted by guilty yet is too cowardly to atone. Amir and the servant's son Hassan are friends while Amir envies his fathers' affection for Hassan. Witnessing Hassan being raped for him, Hassan feels guilty and drives Hassan away. 26 years later, Amir is told that Hassan is his half-brother and goes back from America to rescue Hassan's son. Hosseini's novel explores human's psychology towards guilt and self-redemption.
2. Episode
I flinched, like I'd been slapped. My heart sank and I almost blurt out the truth. Then I understood: this was Hassan's final sacrifice for me. If he'd said no, Baba would have believed him because we all knew Hassan never lied. And if Baba believed him, then I'd be the accused; I would have to explain and I would be revealed for what I really was. Baba would never, ever forgive me. And that led to another understanding: Hassan knew. He knew I'd seen everything in that alley, that I'd stood there and done nothing. He knew I had betrayed him and yet he was rescuing me once again, maybe for the last time. I loved him in that moment, loved him more than I'd loved anyone, and I wanted to tell them all that I was the snake in the grass, the monster in the lake. I wasn't worthy of this sacrifice; I was a liar, a cheat, and a thief. And I would have told, except that a part of me was glad. Glad that this would all be over soon. Baba would dismiss them, there would be some pain, but life would move on. I wanted that, to move on, to forget, to start with a clean slate. I wanted to be able to breathe again.
--Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner
Analysis
In this piece, the author uses logical reasoning to introduce a realization and uses rational assumption to imagine alternative results if Hassan answers differently. On the other hand, the description of Amir's complicated psychology makes this piece very emotional.
The first sentence of the paragraph "I flinched, like I'd been slapped" is terse but very strong, using simile to make his feeling vivid. Such shock leads to an epiphany and the realization makes Amir do several assumptions, during which the parallelisms in "I would be the accused, I would have to explain and I would be revealed for what I really was" and the emphasis of "never, ever forgive me" reveal the severity of the result. In such situation, Hassan's confession causes Amir to look back on a former event. The juxtaposition in "He knew I had betrayed him and yet he was rescuing me once again" shows Hassan's loyalty, in some way contrast with Amir's recreance. Then to make emotional appeal, the author uses repetition in "I loved him in that moment, loved him more than I'd loved anyone", uses metaphor in "I was the snake in the grass, the monster in the lake", and uses parallelisms in "I was a liar, a cheat, and a thief". Such intense regret and fear encountered a sudden twist when the next sentence says "And I would have told, except that a part of me was glad". The author uses parallelism again in "I wanted that, to move on, to forget, to start with a clean slate" to show Amir's desire to forget. Amir assumes that driving Hassan away can eliminate his guilty feeling, which, given his torture in the following 26 years, creates a dramatic irony.
Our AP English Language Course asks us to write a Précis and analyze an episode about a book.
I chose the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini but I'm not sure whether my essay is alright.
We have to write our Précis in a "general introduction, characters, conflict, plot, climax, outcome,thematic statement" order in 7 sentences.
If you don't understand the content or have any questions after reading the Précis, please let me know.
Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner is a semi-autobiographic novel set on Afghan and America ranging from 1960s to 2002. The main characters are two people: Amir, the narrator and Hassan. The conflict occurs because Amir is afflicted by guilty yet is too cowardly to atone. Amir and the servant's son Hassan are friends while Amir envies his fathers' affection for Hassan. Witnessing Hassan being raped for him, Hassan feels guilty and drives Hassan away. 26 years later, Amir is told that Hassan is his half-brother and goes back from America to rescue Hassan's son. Hosseini's novel explores human's psychology towards guilt and self-redemption.
2. Episode
I flinched, like I'd been slapped. My heart sank and I almost blurt out the truth. Then I understood: this was Hassan's final sacrifice for me. If he'd said no, Baba would have believed him because we all knew Hassan never lied. And if Baba believed him, then I'd be the accused; I would have to explain and I would be revealed for what I really was. Baba would never, ever forgive me. And that led to another understanding: Hassan knew. He knew I'd seen everything in that alley, that I'd stood there and done nothing. He knew I had betrayed him and yet he was rescuing me once again, maybe for the last time. I loved him in that moment, loved him more than I'd loved anyone, and I wanted to tell them all that I was the snake in the grass, the monster in the lake. I wasn't worthy of this sacrifice; I was a liar, a cheat, and a thief. And I would have told, except that a part of me was glad. Glad that this would all be over soon. Baba would dismiss them, there would be some pain, but life would move on. I wanted that, to move on, to forget, to start with a clean slate. I wanted to be able to breathe again.
--Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner
Analysis
In this piece, the author uses logical reasoning to introduce a realization and uses rational assumption to imagine alternative results if Hassan answers differently. On the other hand, the description of Amir's complicated psychology makes this piece very emotional.
The first sentence of the paragraph "I flinched, like I'd been slapped" is terse but very strong, using simile to make his feeling vivid. Such shock leads to an epiphany and the realization makes Amir do several assumptions, during which the parallelisms in "I would be the accused, I would have to explain and I would be revealed for what I really was" and the emphasis of "never, ever forgive me" reveal the severity of the result. In such situation, Hassan's confession causes Amir to look back on a former event. The juxtaposition in "He knew I had betrayed him and yet he was rescuing me once again" shows Hassan's loyalty, in some way contrast with Amir's recreance. Then to make emotional appeal, the author uses repetition in "I loved him in that moment, loved him more than I'd loved anyone", uses metaphor in "I was the snake in the grass, the monster in the lake", and uses parallelisms in "I was a liar, a cheat, and a thief". Such intense regret and fear encountered a sudden twist when the next sentence says "And I would have told, except that a part of me was glad". The author uses parallelism again in "I wanted that, to move on, to forget, to start with a clean slate" to show Amir's desire to forget. Amir assumes that driving Hassan away can eliminate his guilty feeling, which, given his torture in the following 26 years, creates a dramatic irony.