When I thought about this for a few minutes I realized that The Kite Runner directly applies to this idea. The first scene that came to mind was when Hassan was raped. The author was very descriptive during this section of the book (hence I do not want to include any quotes) and I think there was a reason for the author's decision. By including so much detail the reader will mostly likely remember this part of the book more. This makes sense since Hassan being abused was the turning point in the novel and the rest of the story revolved around that event. Another violent vivid scene that sticks out is when Amir fights Assef. "My ribs snapping like the tree branches Hassan used to break to sword fight" (Hosseini 288). It would make sense that the author would want the reader to remember this scene as well since it is when Amir comes to peace with himself. Amir finally sticks up for Hassan by sticking up for Sohrab, Hassan's son. Without these scenes being so violent, I don't think they would have been as memorable.
So I
guess in the author's case, violence was for once the answer.
Violence does tend to be more memorable in novels, especially well detailed ones. I couldn't imagine how detailed that passage was and I know I will not seek it out. Was violence a reoccurring theme in your novel, and if so, what did it represent?
ReplyDeleteThose two violent scenes really stuck out to me as well! So much brutality, but both scenes play a major role in the development of the story. It was interesting to me that the only two memorable violent scenes were ones that displayed completely different reactions from the main character Amir. What do you think this contrast of action meant for the development of Amir as well as the major themes of the book?
ReplyDeleteSounds really gruesome! I completely agree that the more violent an event is, the more memorable it is. You mentioned the rape scene was a turning point. Does the character ever look back and reflect on that scene? Does it directly influence the actions of the character affected? Also, the two scenes you described seemed completely different. Although both were very violent, they affected the character in a different way. Do you think this was an important detail? Is the author using the violence to convey completely different ideas or is he connecting ideas?
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