The Kite

Runner
Seminar
 Relationships
• Respectful
• Loyal
• Trustworthy
• Special bonds
The Kite Runner
• Have you ever had a negative relationship with someone, or
had a negative experience with someone? How has this
relationship or experience affected you?
(You don’t have to be specific with who or how, you can be
vague.)
 Baba & Amir's Initial Relationship
Evidence
Info • "His glare made my throat feel dry. I cleared it and told him I'd written a story. Baba
nodded and gave a thin smile that conveyed little more than feigned interest. 'Well,
• Disregardful that's very good, isn't it?' He said. Then nothing more." (Hosseini 31)
• "'I'm telling you,' Baba said, 'I wasn't like that at all and neither were any of the kids I
grew up with...'You know what always happens when the neighborhood boys tease
him? Hassan steps in and fends them off... If I hadn't seen the doctor pull him out of
• Intolerant
my wife with my very own eyes, I'd never believe he's my son." (Hosseini 22)
• "-Real boys-played soccer just as Baba had when he had been young...I faked
interest for as long as possible...But Baba sensed my lack of genuine interest and
resigned himself to the bleak fact that his son was never going to either play or
• Self-Blame
watch soccer." (Hosseini 20)

• "Then I'd bring it home and show it to Baba. Show him once and for all that his son
was worthy...And maybe, just maybe, I would finally be pardoned for killing my
mother." (Hosseini 56)
 How have you attempted to change
yourself in order to gain someone else’s
approval?
You don't have to say who, just say how.
 Thesis
Amir's bad relationship with his father leads him to jealousy,
betrayal, and thoughtless and thus leads to his downfall.
• Amir has become more envious during the time of his
life with Hassan as his best friend.
 Amir does not like Hassan
receiving birthday
presents from Baba • ”I wished I too had some kind of scar
that would beget Baba’s sympathy.
- Hassan, Ali and Amir come home and sees an Indian Hassan hadn’t done nothing to earn
man in a brown suit, who talks to Baba Baba’s affections; he’d just been born
with a stupid harelip.”(Hosseini 46).
- This man, who is introduced as Dr. Kumar, explains to
Hassan that he is a plastic surgeon and Baba hires him to
fix his harelip
-Amir is jealous of Hassan's happiness and wishes that
happiness can be taken away from Hassan and should be
given to him
 Amir wants the bigger and
better kite and he wants it
all to himself

- Amir and Hassan get money from Baba to buy

kites • “If I changed my mind and asked for a bigger and
- They buy the kites from a man named fancier kite, Baba would buy it for me- but he’d buy it
Saifo who is the city's most famous kite maker.
for Hassan too. Sometimes I wished he hadn’t done
- Baba usually buys them three identical kites
each, but Amir wants to have a bigger and that. Wished he’d let me be the favorite.” (Hosseini 51)
better kit then Hassan
- If Amir asks Baba for a better kite, Baba will
buy the same kite for Hassan
-Amir’s envy causes him to wish that things like
the kite, that would benefit Hassan, should be
taken away from him so Amir would get the
best kite and be dominant over Hassan.

-
If Baba bought Amir the
bigger and fancier kite, and
left Hassan with the same
old identical kite, how do
you think this would make
Hassan feel? Explain why.
Amir's desperation to be accepted by Baba leads to
his display of betrayal and feelings of guilt towards
Hassan
 Amir chooses Baba's
acceptance over Hassan's
safety

-Amir and Hassan won the kite • "The real reason I was running, was that Assef was
runner tournament and Hassan was right: Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan
going to get the kite was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win
Baba. Was it a fair price?... He was just a Hazara, wasn't
-Amir found Hassan and the kite,
he?" (Hosseini, 77)
however he also found Assef and his
disciples holding Hassan down
-Amir decides to not say anything
because he wants his trophy (kite)
in one piece
- The results of Amir's decision leads
Hassan's safety in harm's way
Amir uses pomegranate as
a weapon and hurts
Hassan • “I hit him with another pomegranate, in the shoulder
- Amir asks Hassan if he wants to listen to this time. The juice splattered his face. ‘Hit me back!’ I
Amir reading at the hill, and Hassan spat. “Hit me back, goddamn you!’ I wished he’s give
accepts
-Hassan's intentions were to listen to Amir
me the punishment I craved, so maybe I’d finally sleep
read and go back home, but the intentions at night.” (Hosseini, 92).
changed
- Amir finds over-ripe pomegranates on
the ground and throws them at Hassan
-Hassan's clothes are all red, and he takes
a pomegranate and cracks it on his head
-Amir’s decision leads to his downfall
because the guilt has now piled up to even
a larger amount.
Do you think Amir's desperation
to be accepted by Baba justified
his betrayal of his loyal friend,
Hassan?

In order to be accepted by
others will you betray a
cherished relationship?
• Amir's bad relationship with his
father makes him thoughtless and
contributes to his downfall.
 Amir asks Baba to get new
servants and hurts Baba and • Amir wants Baba all to himself and tries to get Hassan
his relationship with him. out of the picture.
“'Baba, have you ever thought about getting • This hurts Baba because Ali and Hassan means a lot to
new servants?' He dropped the tulip bulb and Baba. (Baba stops what he's doing, threatens to hurt)
buried the trowel in the dirt. Took off his
gardening gloves. I’d startled him. ‘Chi? What • Amir doesn't consider how much Ali might mean to
did you just say?’...I' grew up with Ali...Forty Baba and Amir doesn't know how to talk about his
years Ali’s been with my family. Forty goddamn problems (effectively).
years. And you think I’m just going to throw
him out?... I’ve never laid a hand on you, Amir,
but if you ever say that again…'” (Hosseini 89)
 • Amir feels guilty for allowing Hassan's rape.
• Amir frames Hassan for theft, and Ali is mad..
Ali leaves with Hassan
• Ali is hurt by Amir's framing and leaves.
"'We are leaving, Agha sahib.' Ali said.
'What?' Baba said, the color draining from his
• Baba is hurt because Ali leaves.
face... • Amir doesn't think to communicate the issue.
'Life here is impossible for us now, Agha sahib.
We're leaving.' Ali drew Hassan to him, curled
• Amir doesn't think that if he stood up for Hassan, he
his arm around his son's shoulder. It was a could've gotten his father's approval and saved his
protective gesture and I knew whom Ali was friendship.
protecting him from." (Hosseini 106)
 If Ali and Hassan did not
leave, how might this affect
Amir and the plot?
 Conclusion
• Amir took a turn for the
worst when his relationship
with his father turned him
into an envious, guilty, and
tactless person.
 Who knows if Amir will make the same
mistakes he made as a child, or if his past
will come back to haunt him again....