Juxtaposition

1. Beating of Amir

"He got mad and hit me harder and the harder he kicked me, the harder I laughed." (pg. 297)

2. The Pomegranate Tree 

"Then Hassan did pick up a pomegranate. He walked towards me. He opened it and  crushed it against his own forehead. (pg. 98)

3. Infertility

"He sat across from us, tapped his desk with his fingers, and used the word "adoption" for the first time. Soraya cried all the way home." (pg. 196)

The use of the element of juxtaposition that Khaled Hosseini uses is very strong and effective through the novel. The first juxtaposition to focus on would be the pomegranate tree. Its surrounding a cemetery which supports the crypts and tombs of the dead which they have no essence of life whatsoever yet there is a lively and strong pomegranate tree in the centre of all dead things. This tree focuses the start and end of Amir and Hassan's relationship. Amir carves into the tree his name and Hassan's as the declaration of true friendship and loyalty among one another. However as the novel progresses, Amir meets Hassan at the tree once more striking and pelting Hassan which pomegranates in hopes that Hassan would hit him back. But Hassan keeps his loyalty and even goes to the extent of hurting himself with a pomegranate instead of attacking Amir back and walks away. This creates distance between the two children. The beating of Amir is juxtaposed very strong by Khaled Hosseini. While Amir is getting torn and beaten very badly by Assef, very strangely Amir does not let out a mourn or a cry of pain but rather a laughter. The harder Assef had hit him, the harder and louder Amir had laughed. This was so strong of an image which clearly showed that while he was getting hit by Assef, he was satisfied with himself that he had stood up for himself, and had redeem himself from the guilt he had towards Hassan, salvation by Sohrab. Another juxtaposition in this story would be the infertility of Amir and Soraya. Due to this infertility, the novel is able to progress into Amir saving Hassan's son Sohrab and take him back to America, raising him as his own. This would be just like Baba's father taking in Ali and treating him like his own son, Ali taking Hassan like his own, Baba who takes both Ali and Hassan and treats them like family, and finally the cycle starts anew by Amir taking in Hassan's son Sohrab and raising him like his own.