The Kite Runner ~ epanalepsis

"And so it was that, about a week later, we crossed a strip of warm, black tarmac and I brought Hassan's son from Afghanistan to America, lifting him from the certainty of turmoil and dropping him in a turmoil of uncertainty" (page 356).

This sentence repeats turmoil making the beginning and ending of the phrase opposites. In Afghanistan, Sohrab lived a life of turmoil and chaos. By remaining in that life, he was sure to continue living in chaos. America presented the opportunity for a new life that was free of all the problems of Afghanistan. Sohrab would be freed from the Taliban and the land where his parents were killed. However, his life in America was uncertain. There was no way of knowing what lied ahead there or what path his life would take. He would be leaving the certainty of turmoil and entering a turmoil of uncertainty. At first, this sentence seems contradicting, but it is simply reversed in meaning. This reversal emphasizes the difference between Afghanistan and America. The two places are significantly different and present two diverse lifestyles.