Stephanie Parker AP English 12 9/8/11

The Kite Runner By: Khaled Hosseini Time Period Published in 2003 The time frame is between the 1970s- 2000s in Kabul, Afghanistan and later in the United States o War in Afghanistan o Russian Invasion o Taliban

Major Characters Amir o Narrator of the story for the majority of the book o Friend and master of Hassans, yet he treats Hassan harshly when he received more attention from Baba o Strives for Babas affection and respect, especially in his childhood o Talented storyteller o Betrays Hassan by fleeing the situation in the alleyway, and is haunted with the decision for the rest of his life o Moves to America with his Father and marries Soraya o Eventually, he returns to Afghanistan to learn the truth of his past and to retrieve Hassans son, Sohrab o Intelligent character, and learns to accept and overcome his mistakes Hassan o Loyal servant to Baba and friend to Amir o Hazara, making him inferior to Pashtuns o Excellent kite runner o Raped by Assef and betrayed by Amir o Brave, instinctual, and self-less o Real son to Baba and half-brother to Amir, but he was never told o Raised by Ali, who he believed was his true father o Killed by the Taliban for defending his home, his wife Farzara, and his son Sohrab Baba o Father of Amir and Hassan o Successful and respected businessman o Strong follower of honor and tradition

o Distant to Amir during his sons childhood o Moves to America with Amir, and ultimately dies of cancer Rahim Khan o Close friend to Baba and Amir o Advices Baba in difficult situations o Serves as a father figure to Amir during his childhood Ali o Diligent servant to Baba and the acting father of Hassan o Has a partially paralyzed face, making his eyes emote his feelings o Hard-working Hazara, and dear friend to Baba for many years o Betrayed by Baba when he slept with Alis wife Sohrab o Son of Hassan and Farzana o After his parents deaths, he is sent to an orphanage o A Hazara who is taken by the Taliban, more specifically Assef, and is repeatedly raped and abused o Superior skill with a slingshot, which helps when Amir saves him from Assef o Quiet and intelligent o Serves as a substitute for Hassan in Amirs life in several ways in the second half of the novel Assef o Harasser to Amir and Hassan, but especially all Hazaras o Hitler supporter o Rapes Hassan in the alleyway o Later works for the Taliban and takes Sohrab from the orphanage o Fights Amir and is blinded by Sohrab and his slingshot Farid o Driver for Amir when he returns to Afghanistan o Former soldier in the war o At first, he is bitter and rude to Amir, but later becomes a useful friend and supporter to him in his search for Sohrab Sanubar o Hassans mother and Alis wife for a portion of the book o Known for her astonishing good looks and seductive nature o Abandons Hassan right after he is born, but later returns to care for her grandson, Sohrab, and is caring and nurturing. Soraya o Amirs wife and daughter of General Taheri o Earlier in life, had an informal relationship with a man in Virginia o Strong-minded and dependable o Unable to have children with Amir General Taheri o Father of Soraya and a friend of Babas o Upholds Afghan traditions, sometimes making him uncouth o Stereotypical male from Afghanistan

Plot Summary Amir recalls a memory from 26 years before, when he was only a boy, claiming that this event defines him presently. He flashes back to before the event, where he lived in Kabul, Afghanistan with his father, Baba, and his two Hazara servants, Ali and Hassan. After Afghanistans king is overthrown and the cities are bombed and attacked, the ways of life begin to change. While Amir and Hassan are out, they run into Assef and two other boys. They threaten to hurt Amir for befriending a Hazara, but Hassan saves them from conflict by using his slingshot. Amir and Hassan enter into the kite flying contest, and Amir desperately wants to win the tournament so he can win the affections of his father. Amir wins the contest, and Hassan goes to retrieve the kite that he had cut from the sky. When Amir searches for Hassan afterwards, he finds him in an alleyway being hassled and raped by Assef. Instead of helping Hassan, he runs, and pretends he did not see of the incident. After the tragic event, the two friends drift apart. Tormented by his guilt, Amir places money and a watch under Hassans pillow to frame him purposely and make him leave the house. Amir cannot live with him in the house any longer. Hassan took responsibility for it, and he and his father left the household. The story jumps to 1981, where Amir and Baba escape Afghanistan, under control of the Soviets, and make it to Pakistan. Later, the two move to California and Amir attends college to get a degree in writing Baba and Amir work at a flea market, and Baba sees an old friend, General Taheri. Amir, however, notices the mans daughter, Soraya. Baba is diagnosed with lung cancer, and Amir asks if he could visit General Taheri for his permission for him to marry his daughter. He accepts, and the two marry shortly after, due to Babas condition. A month later, Baba dies. Soraya and Amir try to conceive a child, but are unsuccessful. Amir starts his career as a writer. Amir receives a call from Rahim Khan from Pakistan who is deathly ill and tells him to come visit him. He arrives a week later, and Rahim Khan describes how Afghanistan has deteriorated tremendously. The Taliban rule the country. He tells him about Hassan and how a few before, he had asked Hassan and his wife to move in with him. The couple eventually had a son, Sohrab, and Rahim moved to Pakistan for medical reasons. The Taliban came to their house and killed Hassan and his wife, and they also sent Sohrab to an orphanage. Rahim Khan wants Amir to find Sohrab and bring him back to a family in Pakistan. After Rahim Khan informs him that Baba was Hassans true father, Amir agrees to find the boy.

Amir finds the orphanage, but is disappointed to find out that the Taliban has taken him. He goes to the soccer stadium, hoping to find the man who took him. He witnesses the stoning of a young couple in the middle of the ring killed by the wanted man. Amir eventually has a meeting with the official, and the man calls in Sohrab, who is dressed femininely. After a few minutes, Amir realizes that the man is Assef. Assef attacks Amir by punching him with brass knuckles and cracking his ribs, but Sohrab shoots Assef in the eye with his slingshot, giving him and Amir a chance to escape. Recovering from all his injuries, Amir stayed in a hospital. He finds out there was never a couple in Pakistan that was going to care for Sohrab, so Amir and Sohrab agree to both return to America. The adoption agency informs Amir and Sohrab that the adoption process is nearly impossible, for there is no evidence that his parents are dead. Amir tells Sohrab he might have to return to the orphanage for a little while, but soon afterwards, Amir and Soraya figure out a way to let him go to America. Unfortunately, because of the tormented memories of the orphanage, Sohrab tries to kill himself. He survives, but he hardly talks to anyone and isolates himself from the world. One day of hope arrives for the young boy when he is given his first kite and they fight the others in the neighborhood. Amir and Sohrab win, and Amir runs to get the losing kite for Sohrab.

Archetypes The Hero- Hassan and Amir o For the first section of the novel, Hassan supports Amir with every ounce of his being. He is loyal, loving, and sacrificing. His bravery especially shines through during his conflict with Assef after the kite competition. Hassan could have easily given that kite to him and avoided the consequences, but he commits to his promise and is raped for his heroism. His death also contributes to his fearlessness, for he stood up for his family and his home, and thus was shot to death by the Taliban. o Although Amir is selfish and terrified as a child, he shows a growth in courage as he matures into an adult. His decision to fight against Assef for Sohrabs custody exemplifies true heroic strength and determination. He does not back down from pain or weakness in mind or heart; he does what he believes is right. He may not be the ideal specimen, but he has his heroic moments. The Villain- Assef o Assef constantly strives to drive physical and emotional pain into the younger boys in Kabul, especially Hassan. He calls the Hazaras names that attributes to their different demeanor, like slant-eyed donkeys and flat-nosed (38). His brutal presence, like his thick arms on his chest and a savage sort of grin also adds another part to his role as a villain (39). His rape to Hassan proves how his mind is sick and perverse. When he becomes an officer for the Taliban, his ways only multiply in intensity, like his continuing abuse to Sohrab and to the deeds performed on the public just by being a part of the Taliban. The Mentor- Rahim Khan

o Amir and Babas relationship in the beginning of the novel is fragile and barely existent, and that is where Rahim Khan fits into the story. He serves as a father figure to Amir, guiding him through his lifes troubles and supporting him for his triumphs when Baba failed to do so in Amirs eyes. Rahim Khan reads Amirs stories gives him the motivation to keep writing, gives him his first journal, and encourages him to come back to Afghanistan, assuring him that there is a way to be good again (192). He also aids Baba as being a reliable friend for advice, like when he believes that Amir is too weak, yet Rahim Khan guides him by saying you just need to let him find his way (22). Literary Techniques Tone o This novel is diversified in its tone. There are moments with a hopeful tone, like when the kite flying is occurring. The national feeling of enjoyment and unity shows the hope for change in the country. Yet the tone can be rather disturbing and shocking in the scenes of rape (Hassan and Sohrab) and battle (the bombings). The somber moments of death, like with Baba, and loss add to the diverse list of emotions that Hosseini brings to this story. Overall, I believe the novel has a confessional tone, for all of these memories are from Amir, who cannot escape his past, and he admits to his mistakes. Theme o The novels main theme would have to be the persistence of the past. Amir states in the first page of the novel, I became who I am at the age of twelve, which is when Hassan was raped in front of him, and he ran instead of helping his friend. He is defined through his past, and he carries it with him throughout the entire book. His guilt leads him to believe that he is responsible for the Taliban killing Hassan because he made him and Ali leave his house all those years ago. Sohrabs behavior is influenced by his abuse and loss of his parents, making his past a part of him too. He is unable to trust anyone, not even Amir, because he is afraid of the harassment that might be inflicted onto him or that, if he became too close, the person might die and he would lose another loved one. Foreshadowing o The novel contains many tiny hints throughout that clue the reader in with the ending results. For example, Amir explains that Hassan and himself were both breast fed from the same woman, creating a brotherhood that not even time could break (11). Amir is not informed of their true relation until after Hassan and Babas deaths. No matter how many years of separation and lies, nothing could stop them from being brothers. Symbolism o Several subjects reoccur in the story, but they always represent the same thought or purpose for the character. One important symbol is the kites, which, at first, signify Amirs happiness, like when he wins the tournament and gains his fathers approval. However, after the rape, the kites only remind him of his guilt for not helping Hassan. The kite is a sign of his betrayal to his loyal friend. He does not fly another kite until the end of the novel, but this experience shows hope for the future and with Sohrab in his emotional recovery.

Allusion o The lamb serves as not only another example of symbolism, but is directly influenced by the Bible. In Christianity, as well as Islam, the lamb represents a sacrifice of the innocent. When Amir witnesses Hassan getting raped, he describes his face as having the look of the lamb (76). This illustrates that Hassan is sacrificing his childhood and his desires to protect Amir. The same happened with Jesus Christ, who was crucified on the cross for the betterment of mankind. Also, Amir is sacrificing his friendship with Hassan for the kite and for Babas approval.

Quote That was a long time ago, but its wrong about what they say about the past, Ive learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. (1) o From the first page, Hosseini draws the readers in by placing this sentence in the first paragraph of the whole novel. This passage matches perfectly with the theme. The past defines many of the characters and controls every moment of their lives. Amir references his critical moment in the alleyway in this passage and in many more to come. His anguish over his decision leads him to forcibly make Hassan leave his home, but yet, it leads him to gain the courage to revisit Afghanistan and find Sohrab. The past can be harsh, and dealing with it might have its challenges, but remembering the mistakes made in ones life can help them make better choices in the future. The persistence of the past attributes greatly to this quote, and to the entire novel.

Universality The consistency of the personal stories intertwined with the actual war events that occurred in Afghanistan makes this book realistic and intriguing. The inclusion of times such as the bombing when the king was overthrown and the childrens reactions to what was happening, makes the reader understand the thoughts of the people who went through the terrors of war. The book balances the emotional and the brutal elements perfectly to create an innovative story that people enjoy.

I pledge, on my honor, that I did not give nor receive any help on this work.