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The U-Shaped Narrative Structure: The Bible

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Ⅱ. The U-Shaped Narrative Structure The U-shaped structure, a typical narrative structure, is originally used in The Bible. With time goes by, this narrative structure has been widely accepted and used domestically and abroad, along with the distinguish development of the Christianity. There is no doubt that the U-shaped narrative structure is a good way to make the narration well organized, forming the colorful plots of the novel better and logical. This chapter aims to introduce the U-shaped narrative structure applied in The Bible at length and then adopt it to analyze the application in The Kite Runner.
2.1 The U-Shaped Narrative structure in The Bible The Bible, as Northrop Frye has claimed, is a myth. A series of stories in The Bible …show more content…

Adam and Eve live a carefree life in the Garden of Eden, enjoying God’s love. But everything gets off track because Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit. They violate God’s rule and commit the original sin. Punishment cannot be evaded, for sure. As a result, Adam and Eve are banished from the Garden of Eden, a comfortable living place, and sent to the earth. Unfortunately, the earth is full of disaster, evil and misery. Moreover, Adam and Eve have to strive hardly for living. The descendants of Adam and Eve declined gradually. The emotion of hatred, crimes, envy and rage occupy their hearts, getting them in endless troubles. The destruction of humankind provides God no choice but send Jesus to the earth to save and recover the bilateral relationship. Finally through the death of Jesus and rebirth, the suffering of human beings ends up with the last Judgement and the arrival of the new heaven and …show more content…

Amir chooses to ignore the crime of Assef and slanders Hassan as a theft, betraying Hassan’s loyalty and sincere compassion. Hassan’s departure drives him in the shadow of guilty and regret. Those days, Amir wins Baba but loses Hassan, the one who supported without any requirements. The shame of cowardice and selfishness make him sleepless at night and suffer the torment of guilty and conscience at daytime, having a hell of a life.
A few years later, Amir and Baba escape to America for wars. Poor living condition, strange living behavior and customs, unfair treatments, and the longing for motherland make him feel alive in the hell, even though he married a kind women and not bad living standard then. As Hosseini said: “Perhaps something, someone, somewhere, has decided to deny me fatherhood for the things I had done” (Hosseini. 2003:204). Amir still cannot forgive himself in deep, but has no idea to atone for sins he committed on Hassan.
2.2.3 The Way

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