KITE RUNNER WRITING A LITERARY ESSAY STAGES IN THE PROCESS Analysis • Make sure you understand the question Planning • Construct your argument. • Organise your points • Supply evidence for the points Writing • Use your plan to write the essay Editing • Check your language and style Analysis of the topic: 1. Highlight the key words 2. 3. Define terms Answer the following question: “ What is this essay asking me to do?” Planning 1. Brainstorm, tabulate, or list all the important points on the topic. 2. Write out your argument in a sentence or two. 3. Now consider your introduction and conclusion Outline of essay Introduction Body Conclusion Introduce the topic. Frame an argument Elaborate on the argument Remember to paragraph The argument must build up logically Reinforce what you have proved. DO NOT INTRODUCE ANYTHING NEW INTO THE CONCLUSION Do not end on a question. THERE MUST BE A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN YOUR INTRODUCTION AND YOUR CONCLUSION Paragraph practice P.E.E.R P = POINT Key sentence E = Explanation E = Evidence /Examples R = Refer to argument. IF YOU FOLLOW THIS FORMAT YOU WILL SUCCEED IN WRITING A GOOD ESSAY! Writing the essay Follow your plan. 2. Make sure you follow the correct paragraph construction. 3. DO NOT TELL THE STORY! The content you relate must be used as evidence. 4. Style must be: Formal No slang, abbreviations, colloquialisms Write in the present tense Link your paragraphs Remember the title of the novel – “ Life of Pi”, or Life of Pi or italics. Life of Pi 1. Note: Plays – audience Novels – reader Not in first person Spell characters’ names correctly! Edit your essay 1. 2. 3. Read through the essay and check your language and spelling. Make sure your paragraphs are linked. Check your word limit. NOW LET’S DO AN ESSAY TOGETHER! How do the relationships between fathers and sons affect the events in the novel, Kite Runner What is the question asking me to discuss? What are the relationships between father and son in the novel? SOME QUESTIONS / IDEAS TO CONSIDER Describe these relationships. How do they affect events in the novel? RELATIONSHIPS? Amir and Baba Some effects? Hassan and Baba Amir spends his life trying to please his father / no consequences to the rape Ali and Hassan Jealousy between Amir and Hassan Hassan and Sohrab Amir and Sohrab Outline of the essay Introduction • A major theme in the novel Kite runner is the relationship between fathers and sons. In most cases these relationships determine the lives of the characters in the book Outline the various relationships Amir and Baba Ali and Hassan Hassan/ Amir and Sohrab Must link back to the introduction Conclusion A major theme in the novel Kite runner is the relationship between fathers and sons. In most cases these relationships determine the lives of the characters in the book. The most extensive and far reaching effects is the relationship Baba has with his son Amir and his son Hassan., Amir has a very complex relationship with Baba, and as much as Amir loves Baba, he rarely feels Baba fully loves him back. Amir’s desire to win Baba’s love makes him jealous of the affection Baba shows to Hassan. Consequently, this motivates Amir not to intervene in Hassan’s rape. Baba has his own difficulty connecting with Amir. He feels guilty treating Amir well when he can’t acknowledge Hassan as his son. As a result, he is hard on Amir, and he can only show his love for Hassan indirectly, by bringing Hassan along when he takes Amir out, for instance, or paying for Hassan’s lip surgery. Another reason Baba treats Amir so badly is he, as a character, is so different from Amir. He longs for a son who is tougher and more like him. Amir realises this and spends his whole life trying to make amends for who he is. In contrast with this, the most loving relationship between father and son we see is that of Hassan and Sohrab. Hassan, however, is killed, and toward the end of the novel we watch Amir trying to become a substitute father to Sohrab. Their relationship experiences its own strains as Sohrab, who is recovering from the loss of his parents and the abuse he suffered, has trouble opening up to Amir. Finally though, we see a trust developing and the novel ends on a note of hope. The relationship between father and son is an important one and in Kite Runner we see the effects that such a relationship can have.
