Imagery In Golden Gate Park

On page 191, Hosseini uses imagery to appeal to the reader’s senses and create a more realistic setting. Baba’s study is described, and it’s mentioned that Amir can smell the sweetbrier-scented breeze. This, along with description of the “twin columns of smoke” that are coming from Baba and Rahim Khan, creates a calm and pleasant setting for the audience to imagine. Further down on the page, a different setting is introduced. Golden Gate Park is described with imagery that appeals to the reader’s visual senses, such as the sun sparkling on the water or the miniature boats on the lake. There is also a crisp breeze (192), which appeals to the audience’s sense of touch. When Amir arrives in Peshawar, a large amount of imagery is used to describe the setting. First, the taxi cab Amir is in is described as being “smoke-filled” with “shredded

Amir sees a sign that is bullet-riddled which immediately notifies the readers what kind of setting the characters are in now. The description of the cold midafternoon air and the mountains (229) create a somewhat soothing setting and visual image, which contrasts with Amir’s nausea. The type of setting is emphasized again a little later when Amir sees huts that consist of “little more than four wooden poles and a tattered cloth as a roof” (231). This detailed description can appeal to the sense of sight. The last setting described in chapter 19 is outside of place Amir stayed the night with Farid. The imagery used here creates a very calm and serine setting. The sky has a “half-moon” and is “riddled with stars”, while “crickets chirped” and the wind “wafted through the trees”. Amir also says that ground was “cool under his bare feet” (240). All of these descriptions either appeal to the senses of sight, touch, or hearing and these in turn create a vivid picture for the audience to think of. This is a great example of how much imagery can affect