1. The Kite Runner KHALED HOSSEINI

2.  It is through literature that we most intimately enter the hearts and minds and spirits of other people. And what we value in this is the difference as well as the human similarities of others: that way, as C. S. Lewis put it, we become a thousand different people and yet remain ourselves. -Aidan Chambers

3. Introduction  First Afghan novel to be written in English  Over 9 million copies sold worldwide  Translated into over 25 languages  Is on the list of “Banned and Challenged Books”  Kite Running is a popular Afghan pastime.

4. About the Author  Born in 1965 in Kabul, Afghanistan  Moved to the US in 1980  Graduated from Med school in 1996  The Kite Runner is Hosseini’s first novel, followed by A Thousand Splendid Suns and And The Mountains Echoed

5. Synopsis  The Kite Runner opens in Kabul in the mid-1970s.  Raised in the same household but separated by class, Amir and his best friend Hassan are inseparable until a tragic event changes their relationship forever.  Their intertwined lives and their fates reflect the eventual tragedy of the world in which they live.

6. Time & Place The story takes place in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and America. Early 1970s to early 2000’s A “modern” Bildungsroman novel waging it’s own valiant war to emergence as a classic

7. Bildungsroman Bildungsroman is the combination of two German words: Bildung, meaning "education," and Roman, meaning "novel." Fittingly, a "bildungsroman" is a novel that deals with the formative years of the main character - in particular, his or her psychological development and moral education. The bildungsroman usually ends on a positive note with the hero's foolish mistakes and painful disappointments over and a life of usefulness ahead. "Bildungsroman." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 27 Aug. 2016.

8. The Setting Terrain: rocky and dry, mountainous in the central part of the country. Climate: hot summers and cold winters. Geography: borders Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikstan.

9. Afghanistan and the World

10. Afghanistan and Surroundings

11. Landscape

12. Political Background  In the 19th century, Afghanistan ceded many territories to Great Britain.  In 1919, the Anglo-Afghan wars returned the ruling power to the Afghani monarchy.  In 1973, the king’s brother staged a coup to create a Republic.  In 1978, communists overthrew the ruler and took over the government.

13. Political Background  In 1979, the Soviet Union sent troops to Afghanistan to bolster the communist regime.  The Soviet occupation resulted in a mass exodus from Afghanistan. Over 5 million people left the country and settled mainly in Pakistan.

14. Political Background  However, the world-wide push against communism was considerable, and the Soviet Union finally left the country in 1989 after much opposition from rebel groups inside Afghanistan.  The chaos that was left by the Soviet withdrawal spawned the rise of the Taliban, and it seized Kabul in 1996.

15. The Taliban  Under the Taliban’s rule, human rights and civil liberties were slowly peeled away.  The Taliban instituted cruel and inhumane treatment of those who opposed them in order to solidify their power over Afghanistan’s citizens.

16. How does it Relate  In the beginning of The Kite Runner, the monarchy is still in place and the country is relatively calm. However, chaos starts to erupt as the king is overthrown by his brother.  In the second half of The Kite Runner, the Taliban is in a power, creating a much more volatile and dangerous Afghanistan.

17. Islam  A religion based on the interpretations of God’s word by the prophet Muhammad found in the Qu’ran (sometimes spelled Koran)  Followers of Islam, Muslims, are devoted to daily prayer (five times a day facing Mecca, the holy city)

18. The Tenets of Islam  There are several tenets of Islam, but there are three mentioned early on in the book:  Zakat – charitable giving  Hadj – pilgrimage to Mecca  Namaz – five daily prayers facing Mecca

19. Division of Islam  Islam is divided into two denominations, Shia and Sunni. Because of the differing views of these two groups, they maintain a rather tense and hostile relationship.  The Pashtun (majority) are typically Sunni, and the Hazara (minority) are typically Shia.  Thus, the racial differences are compounded by the religious differences.

20. Racial Conflict  The distinct racial division in Afghanistan occurs between the Hazara and the Pashtun. The Pashtun are the majority race, and discrimination against the Hazara is widespread.

21. Hazaras  The Hazaras are most easily identified by their tendency to have light- colored and almond shaped eyes and round faces.  They are possibly direct descendants of Genghis Khan, who invaded Afghanistan in the 13th century.  Thus, they are seen as “invaders” and not true Afghanis.  The Hazaras typically function as the servant class and partake in few of the freedoms enjoyed by the Pashtun upper- class.

22. Recent History  Could not agree on how to share the power  Civil war broke out among them dividing Afghanistan into several independent zones  This civil war resulted in over 10,000 casualties in Kabul alone

23. 9/11 to Today  Taliban admitted to harbouring Osama Bin Laden and his radical Islamist group called Al- Qaeda  After the 9/11 attacks, the US and its allies went into Afghanistan and quickly overthrew the Taliban  Unfortunately, due to lack of successful reconstruction, the Taliban have reappeared  Afghanistan is slowly and painfully trying to rebuild itself.

26. The Kite Runner  Genre: Historical fiction, drama  Setting: Kabul, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and San Francisco Bay Area.  Climax: Amir’s fight with Assef  Protagonist: Amir  Antagonist: Assef  Point of View: First Person limited, from Amir’s point of view.

27. The Kite Runner  Historical Fiction: Historical fiction novels create a realistic historical setting by relying on an authentic sense of place. Historical novels are brought to life by detailed, factual portrayals of the setting’s geography, culture, society, and customs.

28. Main Characters  Amir – The protagonist and narrator, a wealthy boy who grows up in Kabul, Afghanistan along with his father, Baba.  Baba – Amir's Father; wealthy Afghani. A larger than life figure who works hard and succeeds at all of his endeavours, but stands by his strict moral principles.  Greatest sin is committing adultery with Ali’s wife, and he is Hassan’s real father.  Baba’s many works of charity and the orphanage he builds are part of his attempts to redeem himself.

29. Main Characters  Hassan – Amir’s childhood playmate and companion, a Hazara boy with a cleft lip. Hassan is an excellent kite runner, and is naturally intelligent, but illiterate because of his social class.  His is loyal to Amir, even when Amir betrays him.

30. Main Characters  Sohrab – Hassan’s son, a boy who is sent to an orphanage when Hassan and Farzana are killed.  He is taken from the orphanage and sexually abused by Assef.  Amir brings him back to America  Sohrab is a symbol of all the terrible things that have happened to both the characters and the country of Afghanistan, he he is also a symbol of hope and redemption.

31. Main Characters  Assef – The antagonist, a sadistic boy who idolizes Hitler, torment children with his brass knuckles and later rapes Hassan.  As an adult Assef joins the Taliban, where he is given free reign to exercise his violent nature.

32. Theme  Betrayal:  The betrayal of a loyal friend by a wealthier, more corrupt “master” is a recurring motif.  Amir and Bab’s feelings of guilt for their betrayals drive much of the novel’s fiction.  The central betrayal comes when Amir watches and does nothing as Hassan is violated by Assef.  Later in the book, Amir learns that Baba also betrayed his own best friend and servant – Ali, Hassan’s father – by having an affair with Ali’s wife.  Hassan if Baba’s son.

33. Theme  Redemption:  The quest for redemption makes up much of the novel’s plot, and expands as a theme to include both the personal and the political.  Amir’s greatest struggle is to redeem himself in Baba’s eyes.  Amir feels guilty that his mother died in childbirth.

34. Theme  Redemption:  Amir feels guilty for betraying Hassan.  Amir spends the rest of his life trying to redeem himself for his betrayal of his loyal friend.  This is what drives Amir to return to Afghanistan to save Hassan’s son Sohrab

35. Theme  Love and Tension Between Father and Sons.  Amir has a very complex relationship with Baba, and as much as Amir loves Baba, he rarely feels Baba fully loves him back.  Amir struggles to win his father’s affection and Baba tries to love a son who is nothing like him.  Baba has his own difficulty connecting with Amir. Baba feels guilty treating Amir well when he can’t acknowledge Hassan as his son.  As a result Baba is hard on Amir.

36. Theme Politics and Society  The movements of history are constantly interfering with the private lives of characters.  The Soviet war in Afghanistan interrupts Amir’s peaceful, privileged life and forces him and Baba to flee to America  Taliban gains control of the country with violent religious laws.

37. Theme Memory and the Past  The entire book characters are haunted by their past.  Amir is constantly troubled by his memory of Hassan’s rape and his own cowardice, and it is this memory that leads Amir to his final quest for redemption.  Baba is also haunted by his past relations and the child he is unable to claim.

38. Symbols Kites –  For Amir kites act as symbols of both his childhood happiness and his betrayal of Hassan.  When he tries to remember something happy Amir immediately thinks “kite running” with Hassan.  Kites become a reminder of Amir’s betrayal and guilt.  Kites also stand for Afghanistan’s “glory days” of the monarchy.  The Taliban eventually bans kite running.

39. Essential Questions  Is it ever appropriate or necessary to remain a silent bystander when someone is being hurt (physically or emotionally)?  Is it possible to atone (make amends) for our wrong doings?  Do we have an obligation to be loyal and truthful to our friends and family members?