The Outsider
By Shannon, Jasmine and Kelvin
The Outsider

Definition:
 Someone who does not belong to a particular society or group
 Someone who is isolated from the activities or concerns of a
community

Examples in The Kite Runner:
 Amir
 Hassan
 Baba
 Soraya
 Sohrab
Amir
“But he’s always buried in those books or shuffling around the
house like he’s lost in some dream. I wasn’t like that.”
 “There is something missing in that boy.”
 “If I hadn’t seen the doctor pull him out of my wife with my
own eyes, I’d never believe he’s my son.”
- Baba (pg 19-20)

 This shows that Amir was considered an outsider due to his behaviour
and personality
 His nature contrasted with Baba’s, which made him an outsider in his
eyes
Amir (continued)

“You’ve always been a tourist here, you just didn’t know it.”
- Farid (pg 204)
 Amir still thinks of Afghanistan as his home country
 However, he lived a luxurious life compared to the rest of Afghanistan
 Seeing a poor beggar on the street makes Amir feel like an outsider in
his own country
Hassan

“They call him “flat-nosed” because of Ali and Hassan’s
characteristic Hazara Mongoloid features.”
- Amir (pg 8)
 Both Hassan and Ali are considered outsiders due to their physical
appearance which labels them as Hazaras

“What does he know, that illiterate Hazara? He’ll never be
anything but a cook. How dare he criticise you?”
- Amir’s conscience (pg 30)
 This shows the bloom of Amir’s betrayal
 Amir begins to consider Hassan as an outsider who does not deserve
to be his friend
Baba

“For me, America was a place to bury my memories. For Baba,
a place to mourn his.”
- Amir (pg 112)
 While Amir finds solace in forgetting his sins, Baba becomes lost
without his old friends and life
 This makes Baba feel like an outsider in America
Soraya

“But no ‘khastegars’, no suitors, have knocked on the
general’s door since.”
- Baba (pg 123)
 Soraya was generally avoided by other men due to the fact that she
had left her home to live with another man before
 Amir was also portrayed as an outsider
 Getting together has allowed the two of them to feel less like
outsiders because they have each other’s company
Sohrab
“People stopped asking why he never spoke. Why he didn’t
play with the other kids.”
 “Like dull wallpaper, Sohrab had blended into the
background.”
- Amir (pg 318)

 Sohrab is still mourning his old life and refuses to let go of his feelings
 As a result, he becomes mute and almost invisible to others
 He is labeled as an outsider by other Afghan people in the community
Conclusion

Why does Hosseini emphasise the position of an outsider?
 It shows us how important friendships and relationships are
 We see the impact on a character when they are isolated
 This is a way of showing a character’s vulnerability