The Kite Runner
Written by Khaled Hosseini
Supplemental Packet
Vocabulary, Background Information, Calendar, Homework
Assignments
Spring 2015
Honors English II
Ms. Curry
Valor Academy Charter High School
Character Information
Amir (Main character/narrator): A 12-year old Afghan boy from wealth and considerable influence. He deals
with the moral struggle of betrayal and trust throughout the novel. He tries very hard to win his father’s love
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and attention as a young boy and makes moral sacrifices to do this. Teased Hassan even though they were
close, but Hassan is a servant, and Amir hesitates to call him a friend.
Baba (father of Amir): “One of the richest merchants in Kabul.” Powerful and influential. He is a businessman
and owns one of the most beautiful mansions in Kabul. He is aloof towards his son and largely disappointed
in him since he doesn’t feel he stands up for himself. Baba tells Amir as a child that stealing is the worst of all
sins.
Hassan (servant boy to Amir and Baba): He lives with his father, Ali, in a mud hut in the garden of Bab’s
mansion. He and Amir play together as children. He is Hazara, which is the ethnic minority and lower class in
Afghanistan, while Amir is Pashtun, or the powerful and privileged class. Hassan has deep loyalty to his
friend, Amir.
Ali (servant to Baba and Amir): Ali and Baba grew up together. There are many similarities between the
relationship of Ali and Baba, Hassan and Amir.
Rahim Khan (close friend of Baba): He becomes Amir’s mentor and keeps Baba’s secrets. Amir thinks of him
as an uncle.
Assef (neighbor boy): He and the other neighborhood boys persecute Hassan because he is a Hazara. Amir
gets in the way of this and ends up being bullied by them as well. Assef idolizes Adolf Hitler.
Sofia (Baba’s wife/Amir’s mother) She dies in childbirth with Amir, so he never gets to know her. He has a
picture of her, but his father doesn’t ell him much about her.
Sanuabar (Hassan’s mother): She is described as “a notoriously unscrupulous woman who lived up to her
dishonorable reputation.” She leaves less than a week after Hassan is born, running off with a clan of
traveling singers and dancers.
Sohrab (Hassan’s son)
Farzana (Hassan’s wife)
Soraya (Amir’s wife)
General Taheri and Jamilia Taheri (Soraya’s parents)
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Chapters 1-3, pp. 1-23
Homework for January 13, 2015 (due 1/14)
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 Objective: SWBAT analyze the characterization of Amir, Hassan, and Baba, by making
inferences.
 Vocabulary:
o frigid: “I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of
1975” (1). Frigid means very cold in temperature.
o atone: “It was my past of unatoned sins” (1). To atone means to make amends or reparation for.
o harelipped: “For you, a thousand times over. Hassan the harelipped kite runner” (2). To be
harelipped means to have a cleft lip, which is a congenital split in the upper lip on one or both
sides of the center, often associated with a cleft palate. “Harelip” can cause offense.
o unscrupulous: “People had raised their eyebrows when Ali, a man who had memorized the
Koran, married Sanaubar, a woman nineteen years younger, a beautiful but notoriously
unscrupulous woman who lived up to her dishonorable reputation” (7-8). Unscrupulous means
having or showing no moral principles; not honest or fair.
o garrulous: “As confided to a neighbor’s servant by the garrulous midwife, who had then in turn
told anyone who would listen, Sanaubar had taken one glance at the baby in Ali’s arms, seen the
cleft lip, and barked a bitter laughter” (10). Garrulous means excessively talkative, especially on
trivial matters.
 Homework for January 13:
o Read pp. 1-23 of The Kite Runner.
o Create a graphic organizer that contains the characters Amir, Hassan, and Baba. List one
character trait for each of these characters and then a citation that defends the character
trait. Example:
Character
Character Trait
Evidence from text (pg. #)
Chapters 4-5, pp. 24-47
Homework for January 14, 2015 (due 1/15)
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 Objective: SWBAT evaluate the relationship between Amir and Hassan in the context of
the Afghani ethnic tensions.
 Vocabulary:
o trepidation: “Neither one of us said much of anything as we walked home in trepidation, certain
that Assef and his friends would ambush us every time we turned a corner” (43). Trepidation
means a feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen.
o grotesque: “It wasn’t easy, because Hassan’s upper lip was a grotesque mesh of swollen, raw
tissue” (46). Grotesque means comically or repulsively ugly or distorted.
 Homework for January 14:
o Read pp. 24-47 of The Kite Runner.
o Write one paragraph that explains the way that ethnic tensions are present within the
relationship between Amir and Hassan. Use at least two pieces of embedded textual evidence
with appropriate explanations.
Chapter 6, pp. 48-58
Homework for January 15, 2015 (due 1/16)
 Objective: SWBAT use the SIFT method to begin to analyze the symbolism of the kite.
 Vocabulary:
o viable: “I was going to win. There was no other viable option” (56). Viable means capable of
working successfully; feasible.
o indignation: “’I’d sooner eat dirt,’ he said with a look of indignation” (54). Indignation is anger or
annoyance provoked by what is perceived as unfair treatment.
o abhor: “Afghans cherish customs but abhor rules” (52). To abhor means to regard with disgust
and hatred.
 Homework for January 15:
o Read pp. 48-58 of The Kite Runner.
o Answer the following question: What do you believe the kite symbolizes to the characters in
the text? Use evidence from the text to defend your response.
Chapter 7, pp. 59-79
Homework for January 16, 2015 (due 1/20)
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**Trigger Warning** This chapter contains scenes of sexual abuse. If you are
uncomfortable with reading this, you may skip pages 75-76.
 Objective: SWBAT evaluate the character motivations in this chapter, by making
inferences.
 Vocabulary:
o austere: “The immensely popular Ahmad Zahir had revolutionized Afghan music and outraged
purists by adding electric guitars, drums, and horns to the traditional tabla and harmonium; on
stage or at parties, he shirked the austere and morose stance of older singers and actually smiled
when he sang—sometimes even at women” (61). Austere means severe or strict in manner,
attitude, or appearance.
o morose: “The immensely popular Ahmad Zahir had revolutionized Afghan music and outraged
purists by adding electric guitars, drums, and horns to the traditional tabla and harmonium; on
stage or at parties, he shirked the austere and morose stance of older singers and actually smiled
when he sang—sometimes even at women” (61). Morose means sullen and ill-tempered.
o taut: “The tension in the air was as taut as the glass string I was tugging with my blood hands”
(65). Taut means stretched or pulled tight; not slack.
o sallow: “A thin boy, a little sallow, and a tad short for his twelve years” (66). Sallow means an
unhealthy yellow or pale brown color.
o vindication: “Then the old warrior would walk to the young one, embrace him, acknowledge his
worthiness. Vindication. Salvation. Redemption” (67). To vindicate means to clear (someone) of
blame or suspicion or to show or prove to be right, reasonable, or justified.
 Homework for January 16:
o Read pp. 59-79 of The Kite Runner.
o Find and copy 2 quotes that show Assef’s interest in showing power over Hassan in this
section. Explain what you think the significance of each quote is. Find and copy 2 quotes that
show Amir’s guilt in this section. Explain what you think the significance of each quote is.
Chapter 8, pp. 80-100
Homework for January 20, 2015 (due 1/21)
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 Objective: SWBAT debate the essential question by building claims and deconstructing
counterclaims.
 Vocabulary:
o periphery: “Hassan milled about the periphery of my life after that. I made sure our paths
crossed as little as possible, planned my day that way” (88-89). Periphery means the outer limits
or edge of an area or object.
o amble: “Students with new notebooks and sharpened pencils in hand ambled about the
courtyard, kicking up dust, chatting in groups, waiting for the class captains’ whistles” (90). To
amble means to walk or move at a slow, relaxed pace.
o harried: “He was hanging clothes to dry in the yard and I saw his eagerness in the harried way he
finished the job” (91). Harried means feeling strained as a result of having demands persistently
made on one; harassed.
o interlude: “I regretted saying it—I really did—but I think even if I hadn’t, our happy little interlude
would have come to an end” (93). Interlude means an intervening period of time.
o façade: “But to me, his eyes betrayed him. When I looked into them, the façade faltered,
revealed a glimpse of the madness hiding behind them” (97). A façade is the outward appearance
that is maintained to conceal a less pleasant reality.
 Homework for January 20:
o Read pp. 80-100 of The Kite Runner.
o Write an Analytic Power Paragraph about answers the following question: Is Amir a coward or
a reasonable human child? Explain your response with at least two pieces of embedded
textual evidence.
Chapters 9-10, pp. 101-124
Homework for January 21, 2015 (due 1/22)
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 Objective: SWBAT analyze this section of text as a turning
point for the major characters, by summarizing.
 Background Information:
o In 1979, the USSR (the Soviet Union) invaded Afghanistan,
changing many things in Afghanistan and causing a civil war.
The United States supported the Afghanis during this time
period.
 Vocabulary:
o precipitous: “Mahipar—which means “Flying Fish”—was a
high summit with a precipitous drop overlooking the hydro plant the Germans had built for
Afghanistan back in 1967” (111). Precipitous means dangerously high or steep.
o shrouded: “I stumbled to the edge of the cliff overlooking the deep valley that was shrouded in
darkness” (112). Shrouded means covered or enveloped as to conceal from view.
o silhouette: “I saw shapes huddled around the room, their silhouettes thrown on the walls by the
dim light of a pair of kerosene lamps” (119). A silhouette is a dark shape and outline of someone
or something visible against a lighter background, especially in dim light.
o encapsulated: “I didn’t remember what month that was, or what year even. I only knew the
memory lived in me, a perfectly encapsulated morsel of good past, a brushstroke of color on the
gray, barren canvas that our lives had become” (123). Encapsulated means enclosed in or as if in a
capsule. ‘
 Homework for January 21:
o Read pp. 101-124 of The Kite Runner.
o Explain the way in which this section serves as a turning point for the characters in the story.
Make sure to mention Ali, Baba, Amir, and Hassan.
Chapter 11, pp. 125-142
Homework for January 22, 2015 (due 1/23)
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 Objective: SWBAT demonstrate mastery of objectives and key ideas of Chapters 1-11 of
The Kite Runner by taking a rigorous assessment.
 Vocabulary:
o loathe: “He loathed Jimmy Carter, whom he called a ‘big-toothed cretin’” (126). To loathe means
to feel intense dislike or disgust for.
o alleviate: “And that was how Baba ended those humiliating food stamp moments at the cash
register and alleviated one of his greatest fears: that an Afghan would see him buying food with
charity money” (131). To alleviate means to make (suffering, deficiency, or a problem) less severe.
o permeate: “The place was dim, and the acrid smell of beer I’d always disliked permeated the
walls” (132). To permeate means to spread throughout (something) or pervade.
o pungent: “I smelled tobacco on him and alcohol, sweet and pungent” (133). Pungent means
having a sharply strong taste or smell.
o luminous: “Lying awake in bed that night, I thought of Soraya Taheri’s sickle-shaped birthmark,
her gently hooked nose, and the way her luminous eyes had fleetingly held mine” (142).
Luminous means full of or shedding light; bright and shining, especially in the dark.
 Homework for January 22:
o Read pp. 125-142 of The Kite Runner.
o You do not need a journal entry tonight; study the key events, notes, themes, and major
character developments in Chapters 1-11 of The Kite Runner. You have a quiz tomorrow.
Chapter 12, pp. 143-165
Homework for January 23, 2015 (due 1/26)
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 Objective: SWBAT analyze the text for both the shifts and growth in Amir’s character and
the ways that he navigates a bicultural existence.
 Vocabulary:
o pulsating: “I nodded. I could feel the pulsating beat of my heart behind my eyes. ‘It’s a sad story’”
(147). Pulsating means producing a regular throbbing sensation or sound.
o fickle: “Afghan men, especially those from reputable families, were fickle creatures” (148). Fickle
means changing frequently, especially as regards to one’s loyalties, interests, or affections.
o adversary: “I could never read the thoughts in the general’s eyes, but I knew this much about his
wife: If I was going to have an adversary in this—whatever this was—it would not be her” (149).
An adversary is one’s opponent in a contest, conflict, or dispute.
o palliative: “’There’s chemotherapy, of course,’ he said. ‘But it would only be palliative’” (157).
Palliative means relieving pain or alleviating the problem without dealing with the underlying
cause.
o reticence: “But there was a new reticence to Khanum Taheri’s demeanor. A reticence broken only
by her secret, droopy smiles and the furtive, apologetic looks she cast my way when the general’s
attention was engaged elsewhere” (157). Reticence is a state in which one does not reveal one’s
thoughts or feelings readily.
 Homework for January 23:
o Read pp. 143-165
o List three plot events in this chapter that convey significant changes in Amir. As you connect
across these events, how do you think he has changed most significantly? Where did you
expect him to change, but instead he remained the same.
o As you look at this chapter, how does this section of the novel build upon Amir’s bicultural
experience? What is the most significant thing that you have been exposed to regarding
Afghani (or Afghan-American) culture?
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