Central High School Twelfth Grade Study Guide for Discussion and Assessment

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

TheKite Runner is a story of fathers and sons, friendship and betrayal,set in modern Afghanistan from the last years of the monarchy in 1975to the present. The narrator, Amir, the son of a wealthy businessman,makes a choice that haunts him for decades. It is the unraveling of hisstory that leads the reader into a world that many Americans have neverexperienced. This is actually the first Afghan novel written in English.

Toprepare for discussion of this book in September, you should keep ajournal. This could be done on the computer or written in a notebook.The following categories should help you organize your thoughts aboutthe literary elements of the book.

1. History: Do some research on modern day Afghanistan. Questions to ask are:

a. What was the Monarchy like? Who was in charge? Why were they

deposed? By who?

b. What happened when the Soviets invaded the country?

c. Although we hear about the Taliban in the news, what facts

do you know. Do some research on who they are. What do they believe?

2. Religion/Ethnicity:

a. On page 9 Hosseini gives a short history of the conflict between

the Hazaras and the Pashtuns as well as Sunni and

Shi’a Muslims. What information can you add to explain or

challenge those conflicts as Hosseini portrays them?

3. Characterization: Are these characters fully developed or are they one-dimensional?

-consider Amir and Hessian, Baba, Ali and Rahim Khan, Assef, General Taheri,

Khanum Taheri, Soraya Taheri, Farid and Sohrab.

-What impressed, or irritated you about the characterizations. Believable or not?

Explain your answer with details from the novel.

4.Symbols and other literary devices: Examine how the following symbols are used in the novel—how are they connected to the themes. Does thewriter use Irony? Explain.

a. The Kites

b. The Pomegranate tree

c. The sacrifice of the sheep

d. The sling shot (Hassan and Sohrab)

e. The wrestling of the Bear (Baba)

f. Amir and Soraya's "Unexplained Infertility"

g. Amir and Hassan's favorite book Shahnamah-what does the choice of

a favorite character indicate about them.

5. Themes: Consider how these themes are developed in the novel.

a. Guilt and Redemption – This is connected to Rahim Khan's statement

"There is a way to be good again"

b. The struggle of immigrants in the United States – Why does Baba

get an ulcer when he comes to America? Is his experience common?

c. The permutations of love – Love of fathers and sons, Amir and Hassan,

Amir and Soraya

d. The Role of Women in Afghanistan – consider Amir’s mother,

Sanaubar, Khanum and Soraya Taheri

6. Terms – What is "yelda" and "jadi" "nang" "Namoos" "Mojarad" "Shorawi" "watan"