The Kite Runner
Khaled Hosseini
How can a flawed hero seek redemption?
Khaled Hosseini
• Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965, the
son of a diplomat and a teacher.
• Lived in Tehran, Iran, and Paris, France, for
parts of his childhood. In 1980, granted political
asylum and moved to California.
• Graduated from high school, college and
medical school in California.
• Practiced medicine and now a writer. The Kite
Runner was his first novel, published 2003.
• Works with the United Nations Refugee
Agency, as a goodwill envoy.
Inspiration…
• Relationship: Khaled taught Hossein Khan,
the family’s racial Hazara cook to read and
write despite the social
injustice and
racial bias imposed by their society.
• Memories: Fond recollections of pre-Soviet
era childhood in Afghanistan.
• Literature: Persian stories and poems,
characters and themes presented in John
Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath.
Afghanistan is:
Before The Kite Runner
• A landlocked country located in central Asia, focal
point of regional trade and migration.
• 1800-1900s: Buffer state in rivalry between British
Indian Empire and Russia.
• 1919, 1924: Declared full independence and first
constitution is established.
• Through 1970s: Ruled by monarchy then
constitutional monarchy.
• 1933 – 1973: King Mohammad Zahir Shah reigned
during the longest period of stability.
Afghanistan during The Kite Runner
• 1973: King’s brother-in-law waged a coup and
declared a republic.
• 1978: People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
organized an coup d’état, promoted freedom of
religion and women’s rights.
• 1979: USSR invaded, killed the president and up to
2 million civilians. Over 5 million fled the country.
• 1989: U.S. sent aid to the mujahideen to stop
communist expansion, Soviets withdrew.
Historical perspective:
• Since 1979, Afghanistan has been in a continuous
state of open warfare.
• There are various ethnic groups: Pashtuns,
Tajiks, Hazaras and others. Pashtu and Dari
are considered the official languages.
• Approximately 99% of the population is Muslim; of
those 84% are of the Sunni sect.
• There has been a long history of an ethnic
hierarchy. Traditionally, Pashtuns have dominated
the country.
Sunnis Muslims
• The largest denomination in Islam is Sunni Islam, which makes
up over 75% to 90% of all Muslims
• Sunni Muslims also go by the name Ahl as-Sunnah which
means "people of the tradition of Muhammad“
• In Arabic language, as-Sunnah literally means "tradition" or
"path".
• Muslims are encouraged to emulate Muhammad's actions in
their daily lives.
• Sunnis believe that the first four caliphs were the rightful
successors to Muhammad; since God did not specify any
particular leaders to succeed him, those leaders had to be
elected. Sunnis believe that a caliph should be chosen by the
whole community.
Shi’a Muslims
• The Shi’as constitute 10–20% of Islam and are its secondlargest branch.
• They believe in the political and religious leadership of Imams
from the progeny of Ali ion Abi Talib, who Shia's believe was
the true successor after Muhammad.
• They believe that Ali ibn Abi Talib was the first Imam (leader),
rejecting the legitimacy of the previous Muslim caliphs.
• To most Shias, an Imam rules by right of divine appointment
and holds "absolute spiritual authority" among Muslims,
having final say in matters of doctrine and revelation.
• Shias regard Ali as the prophet's true successor and believe
that a caliph is appointed by divine will.
• Although the Shi'as share many core practices with the Sunni,
the two branches disagree over validity of specific collections
of hadith, with Shias preferring hadiths attributed to the Ahl
al-Bayt.
Ethnic groups
Pashtun boy
• Hazara boy
Cleft Palate
• Cleft lip and cleft palate , which
can also occur together as cleft
lip and palate, are variations of a
type of clefting, congenital
deformity caused by abnormal
facial development during
gestation.
• A cleft is a fissure or opening—a
gap. It is the non-fusion of the
body's natural structures that
form before birth.
• Approximately 1 in 700 children
born have a cleft lip and/or a cleft
palate. An older term is harelip,
based on the similarity to the
cleft in the lip of a hare.
• Clefts can also affect other parts
of the face, such as the eyes,
ears, nose, cheeks, and forehead.
BUZKASHI
• The national passion of
Afghanistan
• Reflects the boldness and
fierce competitive spirit of
the Afghan people.
• The great equestrian
tradition out of which
Buzkashi developed goes
back as far as the time of
Alexander the Great.
Buzkashi
• Expert horsemen, the nomads of northern Afghanistan fought
Alexander's triumphant army to a standstill.
• When the ancient Greeks first saw these formidable and
accomplished horsemen of Central Asia, they believed the
legend of the centaur (half horse, half man) had materialized.
• Many people associate Buzkashi with the infamous Genghis
Khan.
• The Mongol horsemen were adept at advancing swiftly on
enemy campsites and, without dismounting, swooping up
sheep, goats, and other pillage at a full gallop.
• One theory is that in retaliation, the inhabitants of northern
Afghanistan established a mounted defense against the raids,
and this practice might be the direct forbearer of today's
Buzkashi.
THE CHAPANDAZ AND HIS HORSE
• Buzkashi produces many of Afghanistan's
sports heroes. "Chapandaz" (master players)
are legendary figures.
• Demands the highest degree of
horsemanship, courage, physical strength, and
competitive spirit from its participants.
• Experience is vital - the better chapandaz
must be at least forty years old.
The Horses
• Horses are also classified for the purpose of Buzkashi from the stand point
of color. There are nine types of colors commonly referred to by
"Chapandaz" and Sayez (trainer). These are: Jerand (red), Toroq (dark red),
Mushki (black), Kahar (yellowish), Gul Badam (dotted), Ablaq (Mixed) and
Kabood (gray).
• Years of patient instruction are needed to prepare a stallion for the big
matches. A "Chapandaz" or "mehtar" or "Sayez" (trainer) teaches a
prospective horse never to trample a fallen rider and to swerve away from
collisions without a gesture from their rider.
• To enable the chapandaz to pick the calf from the ground, the best
Buzkashi horses will push and ram their opponents, forcing their way into
the middle of the fray around the starting circle. But when a rider makes
the perilous reach down to grab the calf, his horse will stand perfectly still,
waiting for the real action to begin.
The Rules
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•
•
•
•
•
•
Seldom played according to "official" rules.
Two rules which apply to every Buzkashi contest: rider may never hit an opponent
intentionally with his whip, and he may never deliberately knock an opponent off
his horse.
Means "goat dragging," but a decapitated calf is now used; it is stronger and
heavier, and able to withstand the game.
The object of the game is to drop the calf into the scoring circle.
For championship Buzkashi in Kabul, teams are limited to ten riders each. Five
players take the field during the first 45 minutes of play; the other five compete
during the second period.
The teams approach the headless carcass which has been placed in the starting
circle. The horses try to gain an advantageous position so their player can pick up
the calf.
The game appears to be absolute chaos. The simplicity of the rules is lost in the
furious action of the contest, but the highpoint in the game for comes when one
chapandaz has bested the rest and gallops to the scoring circle alone.
"It is better to be
in chains with friends,
than to be
in a garden with strangers."
-Persian Proverb
Chapters 1-9 Essay Quiz
• Define friendship in your own words. Do NOT copy a
dictionary definition or use a quote.
• Evaluate the relationship between Amir and Hassan
from the standpoint of your definition of friendship.
• Consider how both of the boys would characterize
their relationship. Are they friends? Why/why not?
• Cite textual examples (quotes& paraphrases w/ page
numbers) to back up your position.
• Send essay to turnitin.com by 11:59 p.m. 12/21.
Quiz continued
• Cite textual examples (quotes& paraphrases
w/ page numbers) to back up your position.
• Keep response under two typed pages; use
MLA format w/ works cited page for TKR.
• Send essay to turnitin.com by 11:59 p.m.
12/21.
Lesson 2: Agenda
What is the role of friendship in the novel?
1) Discuss characters
we have met
2)Look at dynamics
and relationships
between
characters with
Venn Diagrams
3)Textual Evidence
4)Exit Slip
What FRIENDS
have we met so far?
____________ & ____________
____________ & ____________
____________ & ____________
____________ & ____________
Protagonist: AMIR
• Born 1963 in Kabul
• Son of
(majority)
• Educated, graduated from high school at
age 20 in 1983
• Migrates to America
• Narrator of the novel.
• Do all writers include some of their own
in their books?
• Can our
persuade us to tell
our stories?
• What do we take from
and
incorporate into our own writing?
• How does
effect the
perspective we have?
HASSAN
• Born 1964 in Kabul, in
property.
• Son of Ali
on Baba’s
(ethnic minority)
• Not educated,
to Baba and Amir, friend (?) to Amir
• Has a “China doll face” and green eyes
Core characters are
&
In groups, discuss the similarities/ differences
between the core characters in the novel:
• Amir & Hassan (sons) – Group 1 & 4
• Baba & Ali (fathers) – Group 2 & 5
• Baba & Amir – Group 3 & 6
Then, share your main ideas with the class.
AMIR
HASSAN
BABA
ALI
BABA
AMIR
Anticipation
What can we see about
characters early on based on
* how they act
* things they say?
Textual evidence helps us
support ideas we form about
characters.
AMIR & HASSAN
P. 4 – Amir about Hassan: “Hassan never
wanted to, but if I asked, really asked, he
wouldn’t deny me. Hassan never denied me
anything.
P. 29 – Amir to Hassan: “You don’t know what
it means?.. Everyone in my school knows
what (that word) means… ‘Imbecile.’ It
means smart, intelligent.”
P. 34 – Hassan to Amir: “No. You will be great
and famous”
BABA & ALI
P. 8 – Amir about Ali: “Ali turned around, caught
me aping him. He didn’t say anything. Not
then, not ever. He just kept walking.”
P. 15 – Amir about Baba: “People were always
doubting him… so Baba proved them all
wrong by not only running his own business
but becoming one of the richest merchants in
Kabul.”
BABA & AMIR
• P. 17 – Baba to Amir: “I mean to speak to you
man to man. Do you think you can handle
that for once?”
• P. 22 - Baba to friend Rahim Khan: “There is
something missing in that boy.”
• P. 14 – Amir about Baba: “Baba was there,
watching, and he patted Hassan on the back.
Even put his arm around his shoulder.”
SLIP
• What qualities do I appreciate in a friend?
• Do any of the characters in the novel
have those qualities?
• Which characters (if any) do I see as
someone I could befriend?
Lesson 3:
Who is a kite runner?
What is it like to be a refugee?
One that flees to a
foreign country or
nation to escape
danger or
persecution
Lesson 4: Agenda
What does it mean to be a refugee?
• Discuss: what it’s like to be a refugee,
who is a refugee.
• Read:
– quotes from Afghan refugees who fleed as
teenagers.
– poem from Huang Xiang and look at
• Compare: With experience of Baba and Amir
• Write: How would you feel?
Refugee Experiences
• 10.3 million refugees worldwide in 2003 which
means one new refugee every 21 seconds.
• The United States resettles more of these refugees
than any other country in the world. In 2001, the
majority of refugees came from Afghanistan, the
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Angola,
Sudan and Congo.
• Many refugees see America as a haven, but fleeing
from their own country can be dangerous and
strenuous.
I am from Afghanistan. It's a very beautiful
country in the heart of Asia. It has very nice,
peaceful, hospitable, brave, innocent, warthreatened and poor people.
I am from Ningarhar, the border province of
Afghanistan and Pakistan. We were living a
peaceful life. Everyone was happy, everything
was OK. Suddenly a plan was made by the
Russians and they invaded our homeland. A
war started, a holy war against the
Russians.
-Farid Ahmad, 16, Afghan refugee who
fled to London leaving family behind
When we were in Afghanistan my father always wished that
we were educated. I wasn’t in school for very long in
Afghanistan. After the conditions got worse, all the schools
closed and there was nowhere that you could go to every day.
It wasn’t safe, there were so many risks, you wouldn’t just go
outside, you
might get shot.
-Waheed Safi,
18, Afghan refugee,
admitted to Oxford
University
Comparing to the book
• How do these refugees’ perspectives compare
to that of Baba and Amir?
• What does being from a privileged
background mean for them in this
experience?
• How are they treated? How do they treat
fellow refugees?
• What differences between father and son are
presented as they flee their country, as they
acclimate to the U.S.?
How would you feel?
Write in your journal on ONE topic:
• If you were moving to Afghanistan today,
what would you look forward to? What
would you not look forward to?
• How have you felt when you have moved
homes or cities? What did you do?
• What did you think when you first spent
time in an uncomfortable setting (away
from family or your home)?
References:
http://www.afghanmagazine.com/2004_06/articles/hsadat.shtml
http://www.bookbrowse.com/author_interviews/full/index.cfm?author_number=900
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/1607320.stm
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/21/us/21fugees.html?scp=5&sq=refugees&st=cse
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/writers/writerdetails.asp?cid=1145572
http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/kiterunner.jpg
http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov1999/wellfoundedfear/questions/char_poet.php3