How significant is the symbol of the pomegrante tree throughout the book "The Kite Runner?"I have an oral presentation that needs to be 15 minutes...

The pomegranate tree is significant throughout "The Kite Runner," because it symbolizes the friendship between Amir and Hassan.  In chapter 4, page 27, Amir tells us that he and Hassan would grab a book and run to an old cemetery. "There was a pomegranate tree near the entrance to the cemetery.  One summer day, I used one of Ali's kitchen knives to carve our names on it:"Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul.  Those words made it formal the tree was ours."  It was under this tree, full of fruit that the friendship was also full.  The boys shared stories and dreams. In chapter 8, it is winter.  After Hassan is raped and Amir is beginning to be sick with guilt, the two boys climb up the hill again but Amir can't stand to see the carving in the tree so he refuses to read and they leave.  Later in the same chapter on pages 91-92, Amier talks of the boys being back near the tree.  He says they picked a dozen pomegranates from the tree.  Amir begins to throw the fruit at Hassan and tells him to "Get up! Hit me!.  Hassan takes one of the over-ripe pomegranates and smashes it into his own face, turns and walks away.  Here ends the friendship.  Later when Amir goes back to Kabul as an adult he goes to the tree and realizes that the tree has not "born fruit in many years."  Just as his friendship with Hassan had died and not born the fruit of friendship, so the tree had died and not born any fruit.