THE KITE RUNNERBackground Information

KHALED HOSSEINI – THE AUTHOR

Afghan born American novelist

Born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1965

Father – Diplomat with Afghan Foreign Ministry, Mother – Teacher in a high school

Family relocated to Paris in 1976 and hoped to return to Kabul, but country had been wrought with war because of the Soviet invasion

Hosseini family was granted political asylum and moved to San Jose, CA in 1980

KHALED HOSSEINI – THE AUTHOR

Hosseini earned his medical degree

Practicing doctor (internist) from 1996 to today

While practicing medicine, Hosseini wrote The Kite Runner (2003) and A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007)

THE KITE RUNNER – BOOK BASICS

The story of a boy, Amir, coming of age in Kabul and growing into adulthood in America

Also a story of relationships – father/son, boyhood friendships

THE KITE RUNNER - SETTING

There are three settings in The Kite Runner-Afghanistan from late 1970’s to 1981 and start of the Soviet occupation

-Afghan community in Fremont, CA from 1980’s to early 2000’s

-Contemporary Afghanistan during Taliban regime

THE KITE RUNNER – AUTHOR TECHNIQUES

Writing Style Use of flashbacks (book begins in 2001 with Amir

thinking back on childhood)

Hosseini uses mirroring (event mirror themselves from first half to second half)

First person limited, point of view

Use of dreams (in italics), connect to plot events

THE KITE RUNNER – KEY IDEAS

Power (gender, social classes, nationality, etc.)

Immigration Experience – Adapting to new culture

Guilt/Sin/Redemption – Atoning for past sins

Identity – Becoming who you are despite and because of flaws

THE KITE RUNNER – AFGHAN TERMS

Agha – Sign of respect

Jan – Word of endearment

Khan – Used like “mister” when placed after the name of a person

Sahib – A friend

Pashtun – A wealthier, more respected class of Afghan citizens

Hazara – Lower class, servants to Pashtun’s

THE KITE RUNNER - CHARACTERS

Amir – Narrator, Pashtun

Hassan – Amir’s childhood friend, Hazara

Baba – Amir’s father

Ali – Hassan’s father, Baba’s servant and childhood friend

Rahim Khan – Business friend of Baba, mentor to Amir

Assef – Acquaintance of Amir, Pashtun

THE KITE RUNNER - CHARACTERS

Steps author uses to create a character-Author’s description-What character says-What character does-What other’s say about the character

THE KITE RUNNER - CHARACTERS

Use of static and dynamic characters-Static – Minor characters, don’t undergo significant growth or change in a story

-Dynamic – Major characters, changes and transforms in a story because of experience with major conflict

Brainstorm a list of static and dynamic characters in literature.

THE KITE RUNNER - CHARACTERS Use of foils

-A character who contrasts with another character in order to highlight particular qualities of another character

-Foils are not always opposites and they are not always obvious

-Example: Harry Potter & Drako Malfoy George Milton & Slim