THE KITE RUNNER
Background Information
KHALED HOSSEINI – THE AUTHOR
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Afghan born American novelist
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Born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1965
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Father – Diplomat with Afghan Foreign Ministry,
Mother – Teacher in a high school
Family relocated to Paris in 1976 and hoped to return
to Kabul, but country had been wrought with war
because of the Soviet invasion
Hosseini family was granted political asylum and
moved to San Jose, CA in 1980
KHALED HOSSEINI – THE AUTHOR
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Hosseini earned his medical degree
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Practicing doctor (internist) from 1996 to today
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While practicing medicine, Hosseini wrote The
Kite Runner (2003) and A Thousand Splendid
Suns (2007)
THE KITE RUNNER – BOOK BASICS
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The story of a boy, Amir, coming of age in Kabul
and growing into adulthood in America
Also a story of relationships – father/son, boyhood
friendships
THE KITE RUNNER - SETTING
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There are three settings in The Kite Runner
-Afghanistan from late 1970’s to 1981 and start
of the Soviet occupation
-Afghan community in Fremont, CA from 1980’s
to early 2000’s
-Contemporary Afghanistan during Taliban
regime
THE KITE RUNNER – AUTHOR TECHNIQUES
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Writing Style
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Use of flashbacks (book begins in 2001 with Amir
thinking back on childhood)
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Hosseini uses mirroring (event mirror themselves
from first half to second half)
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First person limited, point of view
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Use of dreams (in italics), connect to plot events
THE KITE RUNNER – KEY IDEAS
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Power (gender, social classes, nationality, etc.)
Immigration Experience – Adapting to new
culture
Guilt/Sin/Redemption – Atoning for past sins
Identity – Becoming who you are despite and
because of flaws
THE KITE RUNNER – AFGHAN TERMS
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Agha – Sign of respect
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Jan – Word of endearment
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Khan – Used like “mister” when placed after the
name of a person
Sahib – A friend
Pashtun – A wealthier, more respected class of
Afghan citizens
Hazara – Lower class, servants to Pashtun’s
THE KITE RUNNER - CHARACTERS
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Amir – Narrator, Pashtun
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Hassan – Amir’s childhood friend, Hazara
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Baba – Amir’s father
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Ali – Hassan’s father, Baba’s servant and childhood
friend
Rahim Khan – Business friend of Baba, mentor to
Amir
Assef – Acquaintance of Amir, Pashtun
THE KITE RUNNER - CHARACTERS
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Steps author uses to create a character
-Author’s description
-What character says
-What character does
-What other’s say about the character
THE KITE RUNNER - CHARACTERS
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Use of static and dynamic characters
-Static – Minor characters, don’t undergo
significant growth or change in a story
-Dynamic – Major characters, changes and
transforms in a story because of experience with
major conflict
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Brainstorm a list of static and dynamic
characters in literature.
THE KITE RUNNER - CHARACTERS
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Use of foils
-A character who contrasts with another
character in order to highlight particular
qualities of another character
-Foils are not always opposites and they are not
always obvious
-Example: Harry Potter & Drako Malfoy
George Milton & Slim