Kite Runner

By
Khaled Hosseini
 Who is Khaled Hosseini?
• Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in
1965
• Father a diplomat
• Sought asylum in U.S. in1980
• Attended California universities
• A physician
• Kite Runner, first novel.
• First book written in English by
an Afghan
• A Thousand Splendid Suns, his
newer book, is a big hit.
.
 Short summary
• In the 70's in Afghanistan, the Pushtun boy Amir and the Hazara boy
Hassan, who is his loyal friend and son of their Hazaraservant Ali, are
raised together in Amir's father house, playing and kiting on the streets of a
peaceful Kabul. Amir feels that hiswise and good father Baba blames him
for the death of his mother in the delivery, and also that his father loves and
prefersHassan to him. In return, Amir feels a great respect for his father's
best friend Rahim Khan, who supports his intention to becomea writer. After
Amir winning a competition of kiting, Hassan runs to bring a kite to Amir, but
he is beaten and raped by the brutalAssef in an empty street to protect
Amir's kite; the coward Amir witness the assault but does not help the loyal
Hassam. On theday after his birthday party, Amir hides his new watch in
Hassam's bed to frame the boy as a thief and force his father to fire
Ali,releasing his conscience from recalling his cowardice and betrayal. In
1979, the Russians invade Afghanistan and Baba and Amirescape to
Pakistan. In 1988, they have a simple life in Fremont, California, when Amir
graduates in a public college for the prideand joy of Baba. Later Amir meets
his countrywoman Soraya and they get married. In 2000, after the death of
Baba, Amir is afamous novelist and receives a phone call from the terminal
Rahim Khan, who discloses secrets about his family, forcing Amir toreturn
to Peshawar, in Pakistan, in a journey of redemption
• Amir tells us about the unique relationship he has with Hassan, a
Hazara boy who is the victim ofdiscrimination, but ironically is the
half-brother ofAmir, a Pashtun. Amir is overwhelmed with guilt
whenhe allows Hassan to be beaten and raped on the dayAmir wins
the kite flying tournament. He lies to haveHassan accused of theft
so he will leave their homeand Amir can try to forget his guilt.
Eventually, Amirand his father flee Afghanistan after the
Russiansinvade and Amir takes his tragic memories to Americato
start a new life.
• Unfortunately, his debt to Hassan must bepaid and he returns to his
country to find Hassan’s orphaned son and rescue him.There, he
discovers that Sohrab has becomethe sexual plaything of Assef, the
harass whohad tormented both Amir and Hassan whenthey were
young. Ultimately, Amir mustdefeat Assef in a raging physical battle,
takethe damaged Sohrab out of Afghanistan andtry to help him
repair his spirit.
 The Setting

• Afghanistan
• Kabul 1960s-1970s
• Wealthy suburb of Kabul
• California 1980-1990s
• Afghanistan and 2001
Pakistan
KABUL
 Historical Perspective
• Ancient tribal and religious jockeying for position
with the Hazara tribe and Shia religious sect losing
out and, in effect, becoming slaves or virtual slaves to
the Pashtun tribe and/or Sunnis (religious sect) or the
royal tribal clan
• Country was a monarchy until the Soviets took over
in the 1980s
• Taliban ousted the Soviets, took over in 1996
• 2001-2, Taliban regime toppled by U.S. and other
friendly forces.
Who Are the Taliban?
 Taliban
• A Sunni Islamist and Pashtun nationalist
movement
• Highly conservative and strict
• Banned wide variety of activities
• 1996-2001 ruled
• Notorious for their treatment of women
• Public executions for violations of law
 Kite Running?
• A popular sport-
“fighter kites”-Some
Afghan men compete
in this. Kites are
made with tissue
paper and elaborate
designs, with wing-
spans of 1.5 meters!
 Kite-flying line
(called tar) is coated
with glass and
usually homemade.
Flyers attempt to cut
down each other’s
kites.

Kites and the sport

of kite fighting were
forbidden by the
Taliban. But they
were popular before
that and have been
resurrected again.
Kite flying can be dangerous;
people fall from roofs, etc.
 Men lay wagers
on fighting kites.
There are
neighborhood
championships.
It is a great
spectator sport.

When a kite is cut

free, the real battle
turns into a race,
the kite run, to see
who retrieves the
fallen kite
CHARACTERS
In
Kite Runner
 Amir

• A privileged youth
(Pashtun)
• Mother deceased
• Father (Baba) a
wealthy merchant
• Best friends with his
“servant,” Hassan
• Narrator of story as
an adult
 Hassan
• Father, Ali (Hazara
tribe), is loyal
servant to Amir’s
father
• He (Hassan) is
physically disabled
• Very courageous
and loyal
• Amir’s a little jealous
 Baba
• Amir’s father
• Advantaged,
sociable, strong
• A leader
• A widower
• Emigrates to
America
because of
Soviets
 Rahim Khan

• Best friend of Baba

• Confidante for Amir
• Father figure
• Seems to have a
perspective that no
one else has
• Seems to understand
everyone
 Assef
• A childhood bully
• An adult Taliban
“enforcer”
• Half German and a
Hitler admirer
 Structure of Kite Runner
• Part One: a nostalgic, childhood recreation of a lost
Afghanistan during the last days of the monarchy of
Zahir Shah and the regime that overthrew him.
• Part Two: the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and
the forced emigration of some and the tragedies of
displaced and tired people
• Part Three: the Taliban’s Afghanistan along with the
horror humans can inflict and the need to stand up to
repression.
 Book’s Value
• Against the back-drop of 9/11,
this novel gives us an
understanding of a culture and a
country that, out of nowhere,
turned out to be a threat to the
United States.
• Readers can identify very easily
with some of the themes and
issues with an amazement at
how universal these things are.