You are being asked to do two related tasks, and your
ability to discern the themes of the novel will help you think
critically about how Hosseini crafts his opening chapter to help
the reader see where this novel is heading and what is going to be
about.
The first chapter is only about one page long, but
it accomplishes a lot. As you start reading there are certain words on the page that
strike you, and those words are suggestive of themes: burying the "past,"
"unatoned sins," "'for you a thousands times over,'" "kite runner" (title of the novel),
and that a past event "made me who I am
today."
A theme statement would be a
complete sentence about one or a combination of the above topics. For example, a theme
statement could be: Human beings are shaped by the events of their past and make them
into the people they are in the present.
A thesis statement
would be more specific. You would want to talk about the character specifically and
discuss how Hosseini draws the reader into the story. He uses foreshadowing and vague
references to past events that make the reader want to read more to find out what
exactly happened in that dark alley. You want to find out what it means to be a kite
runner, and why the kites seem important to the speaker. You want to find out what the
unatoned sins are and find out if the main character can "be good
again." It is a very intriguing start, but Hosseini is laying out many details to give
the reader a glimpse into the events and emotions of this powerful
novel.
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