The Kite Runner
By: Khaled Hosseini
PowerPoint By: Jarad Held and
Gabe Adorni
Author’s Date of Birth and Cultural
Perspective
• Khaled was born in Kabul, Afghanistan on
March 4, 1965.
• In 1975 he moved to Tehran, Iran for 3
years, and then moved back to
Afghanistan. They moved again in 1976,
this time to Paris. In 1978 the Afghan
Government was overthrown and the
family moved to America and applied for
political asylum.
Opposing Forces in the Conflict
• Amir must reconcile himself with his past
after he lets his best friend, Hassan, get
raped and then betrays him soon after.
Important Places
• Kabul, Afghanistan-Amir grew up here and
it was the first influence on him.
• San Francisco, America-The area that
Amir moved to when he left Afghanistan.
This is where he attempts to drown himself
in the American culture to forget his past.
Symbols
• The stories of Rostan and Sohrab in the
Shahnamah represent Hassan.
• The Blue Kite-It represents Hassan’s loyalty to
Amir, as he holds onto the kite even when he is
getting raped by Assef.
• Sohrab- Hassan’s son, he is an example of the
story of David and Goliath. Also, by using the
slingshot just as his father had to protect Amir,
he represents how his father is reborn through
him.
Conflict With Self
• He must reconcile himself with his past
and atone for his sins. Letting Hassan get
raped as he watched and then betraying
him immediately afterwards are his two
major inner conflicts.
Conflict With Society
• Amir must attempt to retain his Afghan
heritage even when he is in America. In
the process though, he must Americanize
some in order to become successful. He
must also come to terms with the new
culture of Afghanistan.
Setting Influence Anyone?
• Kabul, Afghanistan was where Amir grew
up. As a result he is very used to the
Afghanistan culture and its traditions.
However, he must become used to the
American culture once he moves there
and find a balance between the two
cultures. Baba has a hard time adjusting
to America, however, because he was too
used to the culture of Afghanistan.
Anyone Under an Illusion?
• Amir is under the illusion that he can drown
himself in the American culture to forget his
transgressions in Afghanistan. He later comes
to realize that this is not possible, though.
• Assef is under an illusion, or delusion, that Hitler
was great and should be imitated. He believes
that he has absolute power in the new
Afghanistan and can abuse whoever he wants.
Anyone Idealistic?
• Rahim Khan-He is the one who tells Amir
that “there is a way to be good again.”
Even after all the years that Amir has
spent running from his past, Rahim still
believes that Amir can save himself.
• Hassan-He remains loyal to Amir no
matter what ways Amir abuses or neglects
him.
Anyone Make an Important
Mistake?
• Amir makes two huge mistakes. The first
is when he lets Hassan get raped, while
he watches. The second is when he
betrays Hassan to try and get him out of
his life by framing Hassan for stealing his
possessions.
Anyone Change?
• Amir changed a lot throughout the story. Originally he
was a young boy in Afghanistan who was primarily
focused on protecting himself at the expense of others.
He was fairly selfish. At the end of the story he is able to
make some great sacrifices, even going to the length of
saving Sohrab in Afghanistan even though it could
possibly take his life.
• Baba’s relationship with Amir changed as well. Baba
originally was not proud of Amir, however, after they
moved to America and Amir began to succeed there,
Baba began to be proud of Amir and their relationship
improved.
Is There a Villain?
• Assef is the villain in the story. He is a
sadistic boy who lives in Amir’s
neighborhood during Amir’s early
childhood in Afghanistan. He believes that
Hitler was a great man and that his
policies should be followed. He loves to
abuse people, and is one of the new
corrupt leaders of the Afghan people after
the revolution.
Is Friendship Important
• Amir and Hassan are the primary example
of how friendship can be important. The
two are fast friends, although Hassan is
more loyal to Amir than Amir is to Hassan.
Hassan will repeatedly defend Amir no
matter what it takes, giving everything to
their friendship. Even after Amir betrays
him Hassan still remains loyal to him.
Is the Narrator Important?
• The narrator is Amir, so the story is told
from his point of view. As a result you can
see his inner feelings and thoughts. A
more personal view of the situation and
the world is allowed through Amir being
the narrator.
Are Family Relationships
Important?
• Baba and Amir- A typical father son relationship where
the son is trying to gain the approval of his father. Amir
seeks to live up to Baba’s standards in order to make
him proud, and it is a constant struggle for him.
However, he does manage to succeed with time and the
two build a strong relationship.
• Amir and Hassan- Although not known at the beginning
of the story, the two are actually half brothers, with
Hassan being illegitimate. There is a sense even at the
beginning of the story that the two are closer than
friends, that they are more like siblings, showing how
strong their familial bond was even if it was not known.
Some Human Value Asserted?
• Forgiveness and Reconciliation are two
human values that are constant
throughout the book. Hassan is able to
forgive Amir for his betrayal, but Amir must
find a way to reconcile his betrayal with
himself. Rahim Khan is the character who
brings this struggle with reconciliation
within Amir into the light when he tells Amir
that “there is a way to be good again.”
Anyone Lost or Alienated?
• The Afghan refugees are lost and alienated to a
certain extent because they were forced to leave
their homeland. However, they are able to form
communities in America, reducing this feeling of
loss and alienation.
• Sohrab- Hassan’s son, who is currently and
orphan. His father is dead, and so is all of his
family. He is abused by Assef, and is severely
depressed. Without a family and with a
horrifying history of abuse, he is incredibly lost
and alienated from society.
Cultures at Odds?
• The best example of this would be the
immigration of the Afghan refugees to America.
Afghan and American cultures are very different,
and in some cases the culture did not mix well.
For example, Baba was never able to adjust to
American society very well, retaining his Afghan
heritage. Most Afghans reacted by forming their
own communities in America as well. Amir on
the other hand adjusts very well to American
society.
Parallels or Contrasts to Other
Works?
• This is similar to Things Fall Apart with the
clash of cultures. As in Things Fall Apart,
the culture of the Afghans in The Kite
Runner does not mix well with the new
culture that they encounter.
• It is also similar to Owen Meany in that the
main characters of each book were
strongly influenced by their best friend and
end up changing because of them.
Tone? Diction? Genre? Irony?
• Tone- It is thoughtful with a twinge of regret.
• Diction-It is written in American English, however, there
is a large amount of Arabic in the story as well.
• Genre-Manipulative Fiction/Historical Fiction
• Irony- Baba always said that it was wrong to steal
anything from anybody else, however, he committed this
sin himself by stealing another man’s wife. Also, Hassan
had a cleft lip when he was born, which was later
surgically fixed. When Amir goes to save Hassan’s son,
he also gets a cleft lip, which is once again surgically
corrected.