"Another bus ride with Rasheed. Snowing again. Falling thick this time. It was piling in heaps on sidewalks, on roofs, fathering in patches on the bark of straggly trees. Mariam watched the merchants plowing snow from their storefronts. A group of boys was chasing a black dog. They waved sportively at the bus. Mariam looked over to Rasheed. His eyes were closed...Mariam reclined her head and closed her eyes too...she wanted away from this bus"(90).
The voice of Khaled Hosseini that runs through this passage is subtle yet consistent. From sentence to sentence Hosseini uses a rhythmic, repetitive, "straight to the point" writing style. Hosseini's diction is quite distinct, his descriptions are vivid and lengthy, often using a sequence of descriptions strung together with commas. However, he also uses many short, incomplete sentences that say exactly the message he is trying to convey. This passage starts off with three blunt incomplete sentences. Hosseini is writing about a young girl forced into an arranged marriage. Having a father who abandoned her, and a mother who committed suicide, she is left with no control of her life, just an abusive husband. Through every horrendous event Mariam is put through, the story is told through a serious tone. These short sentences help set the tone as dark and depressing by not displaying any emotion, almost as if it's monotone. This particular passage shows Mariam's lack of control of her life and feelings. The only direct action Mariam can do for herself to cope with the pain of her life is to close her eyes. At the end of the passage it bluntly states what Mariam wants..."She wanted away from this bus." This is a clear example of Hosseini's voice, he presents the reader with his message on a silver platter. The tone of this passage represents the voice of the book as a whole as well as providing an example of the prevelent diction and sentence structure Hosseini uses.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Interview with Khaled Hosseini
WINFREY: Hello again, we are sitting here exclusively with Khaled Hosseini, the author of two compelling best-seller novels, The Kite Runner, and A Thousand Splendid Suns. This interview is focused primarily on Hosseini's latest novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns. Before the break I asked Hosseini to consider his voice throught the story.
With the novel in her hands, she turns slightly in her chair to focus her attention and address Hosseini with her following questions
WINFREY: I have here highlighted one of my favorite passages in the novel; I'd love for you to read it to the audience.
Hosseini nodded politely taking the book from Winfrey
HOSSEINI: "Mariam kept thinking of his face in the upstairs window. He let her sleep on the street. On the street. Mariam cried lying down. She didn't sit up, didn't want to be seen. She imagined all of Herat knew this morning how she'd disgraced herself. She wished Mullah Faizullah were her so she could put her head on his lap and let him comfort her. "(35)
WINFREY: Stunning. Truly stunning. Now something that was brought to my attention in this passage was your diction. I can't help but notice your use of repetition throughout the story, particularly in this passage. The last three sentences in this quote start similarly, each opening with "She". Also, there is a clear emphasis on the sentence "On the street" stressed by repeating the sentence fragment. Is there an intentional reason behind this?
HOSSEINI: Yes...yes, I'm glad you brought this up. I do use this type of diction to express-like you said, emphasis. Some of the passages are more subtle, but it is very common throughout the whole novel. Repetition also helps set a cadence of the Farsi language. Since the novel is set in Afghanistan, I want the words, even though they’re in English, to carry a certain rhythm that emulates Farsi. In other parts of the book, I used the same rhythmic language but through the voice of one of the characters. I can present another example of this from the novel, if that’s alright.
WINFREY: Of course, absolutely.
HOSSEINI: “Jalil Khan says that I need to take you back now. Right now. Do you understand? Jalil Khan says so.” Once again I used repetition intentionally to help represent the Farsi language, and to articulate the importance.
WINFREY: Thank you so much Khaled. It’s such a pleasure to be able to learn first hand everything that went into this novel.
Turns back to the audience
When we return, we’ll join Khaled Hosseini again and hear his story of how he got the idea to write the best seller novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns.
With the novel in her hands, she turns slightly in her chair to focus her attention and address Hosseini with her following questions
WINFREY: I have here highlighted one of my favorite passages in the novel; I'd love for you to read it to the audience.
Hosseini nodded politely taking the book from Winfrey
HOSSEINI: "Mariam kept thinking of his face in the upstairs window. He let her sleep on the street. On the street. Mariam cried lying down. She didn't sit up, didn't want to be seen. She imagined all of Herat knew this morning how she'd disgraced herself. She wished Mullah Faizullah were her so she could put her head on his lap and let him comfort her. "(35)
WINFREY: Stunning. Truly stunning. Now something that was brought to my attention in this passage was your diction. I can't help but notice your use of repetition throughout the story, particularly in this passage. The last three sentences in this quote start similarly, each opening with "She". Also, there is a clear emphasis on the sentence "On the street" stressed by repeating the sentence fragment. Is there an intentional reason behind this?
HOSSEINI: Yes...yes, I'm glad you brought this up. I do use this type of diction to express-like you said, emphasis. Some of the passages are more subtle, but it is very common throughout the whole novel. Repetition also helps set a cadence of the Farsi language. Since the novel is set in Afghanistan, I want the words, even though they’re in English, to carry a certain rhythm that emulates Farsi. In other parts of the book, I used the same rhythmic language but through the voice of one of the characters. I can present another example of this from the novel, if that’s alright.
WINFREY: Of course, absolutely.
HOSSEINI: “Jalil Khan says that I need to take you back now. Right now. Do you understand? Jalil Khan says so.” Once again I used repetition intentionally to help represent the Farsi language, and to articulate the importance.
WINFREY: Thank you so much Khaled. It’s such a pleasure to be able to learn first hand everything that went into this novel.
Turns back to the audience
When we return, we’ll join Khaled Hosseini again and hear his story of how he got the idea to write the best seller novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns.
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