Class discussion questions

Level 1.

1. What was one thing Sohrab liked to do every night before bed?
2. Who told Amir that Hassan was his brother?

Level 2.

1. Why did they keep the secret of Hassan being Baba's son for so long?
2. Did you believe the setting of the story has a hand in the plot and meaning of the work as a whole?

Level 3.
1. Can relate to a time when you felt rejected or someone was ashamed of you? How did you feel?
2.  Is there any time in your life that you have done something wrong and wish you could take back? Did you make a mends with the situation by redeeming yourself? or walk away cowardly?

LRB 7

17. Your opinion of the work, good or bad, supported by specific references from the work

The novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hasseini is an amazing book that teaches a valuable lesson to all readers. While reading one learns the importance of morals and the sins in life that one should recognize. The characters in the novel all believe in different ways therefore, one can see each ones point of view and their wrong doings. Without the variety and deepness of each character, the story would be nowhere near as pleasant to read. The morality of the story is tested several times in the novel when the author mentions the raping of Hassan, the lying of Baba and Amir and the stoning. One can see the unmoral stature within certain characters, and the fact that almost all of them redeemed for their mistakes eases a sense of joy for all readers. A quote that stands out the most throughout the novel would be when Rahim Khan says “there is a way to be good again”. The whole story revolves around that one particular quote, therefore one can see the thought the author put into his words while writing. Another reason this novel was written exceptionally well is the lesson behind the novel. One does not know how strongly their actions affect other people’s lives. When one misses out on their chance to stand up for what they believe in, they miss out on the opportunity to prove what kind of person they are trying to be. When Amir turns his back to Hassan, his opportunity to be a good person was demolished, however after many years he is blessed with another chance and takes it right away. Without all the real life events that take place during the novel, one could not open their eyes and relate as well to the story. There are happy time and bad time, but in the end the book was wonderful!

LRB 6

a detailed response to a specific word, phrase, line, sentence, passage, or scene

In the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, there are many lines that have a significant meaning within the story. One of the most important would be the line by Baba when he states “When you kill a man, you steal a life,” and “You steal his wife’s right to a husband, rob his children of a farther. When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. Do you see?” The following statement is brought into discussion several times throughout the story. When Amir lied about Hassan stealing his money and watch, he knew Baba would never forgive him if he found out, due to the fact he stole his right to the truth. One instance occurs in the novel that causes Amir to question his father’s true morals and the man he really was. After preaching to Amir that the only sin was stealing, such as stealing the truth, he finds out that Baba had lied about many things. Baba had another son, which was Hassan. Baba lied to Amir, Hassan, and Ali for many years and did not ever make up for it before passing away. Amir became angry with his father because it showed that he was a hypocrite for almost his entire life. After realizing the sins made from each character, it helped Amir grow and make amends with all the wrong doings. He made up for stealing Hassan’s right to a good life by giving his son an even better one. When one realizes all the things they steal from each other and from themselves, they can begin to fix them. Without this line many would not understand the depth and hurt that comes to each character when they commit an act of thievery.  

LRB 5

A discussion of the role(s) played by minor character(s)

Between chapters sixteen and twenty one of The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, a middle aged Afghan man is introduced to Amir. Farid is placed into Amir’s path by being his driver to Kabul. Near the beginning of their meeting, Farid was very harsh and cold towards Amir. After staying in his brother’s home for the night; Farid discovered the good intentions behind Amir’s visit and changed his attitude. Farid promised to help Amir find his nephew and return him safely to the orphanage. Fair is not only Amir’s tour guide however, he also helps guide him into facing his past and what is going on currently in Afghanistan. Farid shows Amir all the places he used to know, as well as showing him the new truth behind his home county. Farid states “Kabul is not the way you remember it”, as a way to prepare Amir for what he is about to see. Farid’s relevance to the work is simple. He is Amir’s voice of reason and is there to keep him motivated in order to complete his final task by finding the little boy. Without Farid, Amir would not have the back bone to face his fears. Everyone needs a friend to help them through rough times; therefore Amir relies on Farid for his company as well. Another minor character that is brought up in these chapters is an elderly man that uses to teach at the University. He was begging on the side of the road and just so happens to give Amir a piece of advice on not looking directly at the Taliban. After talking to the man, Amir discovered that he knew his mother a long time ago. They both taught at the same place and had a talk right before she died giving birth to Amir. She was incredibly happy and was worried something might ruin it shortly. By talking to this man, Amir was able to learn things about his mother that were never known before. The man provides Amir a sense of closure that he could never fill due to the fact anyone would discuss his mother. Amir may not be completely satisfied with the quantity of information; however some was more than nothing at all.

LRB 4

14. A discussion of the writer’s life and its relevance to the work

While writing the novel The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini reflects his own life story into the plot. Hosseini is originally from Afghanistan; however he now resides in America. Although he was an American citizen, he wanted to give his audience an outlook as to what his culture is all about. The readers would be able to understand the customs from his home land, such as weddings and funerals. When Soraya and Amir were wed, the author goes into great detail about the traditions one must do before getting married and during the ceremony. Amir states “We did Ayena Masshaf, where they gave us a mirror and threw a veil over our heads, so we’d be alone to gaze at each other’s reflection.” The Ayena Masshaf was only one of many behaviors the Afghan community practiced. Another impact the author’s life has on the story is the fact he wants the world to know how his people were punished simply by living in their own lands. He discusses the hardships an Afghan faced while under the command of foreigners. They were forced out of their own homes due to the lack of safety for their families. The author makes his main character, Amir, a writer due to his own interest and ability to write. Amir is probably a mirror image of what Khaled imagines he would be like in those circumstances. Hosseini also mentions the beauty of America and the opportunities it possess. Khaled is most likely thankful for what he has achieved in life and reminds himself it would not be possible without living in this new country. This is very relevant to the work because it shows how deeply the author cares about this topic and the more a writer is passionate, the better the story will be. One could not relate to more to this novel than the author himself, therefore he is able to reach down into the audience and pull out the ability to be empathetic with the characters.

LRB 3

a general statement of the literary work’s content, a summary or a paraphrase (only allowed once)

 

As I read the chapters ten through thirteen of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, many important events take place. Baba and Amir are now being smuggled through Russian troops, in order to find a land of freedom and safety. They spent many weeks in trucks and in basements. The Russians had taken over their land and turned the Afghan country into a massacre. Brother turned on brother, husband turned on wife and father turned on their own son. The refuge to get away had overwhelmed Baba and Amir, therefore after getting their visa; they quickly moved to United States, California. Baba struggled with his new life in American and did not understand all the customs. Amir knew his father only wanted to live in this country to provide him a new start and the education he needed to be successful. Amir graduated high school and began Junior college to major in English. Baba and Amir picked up a new hobby by gathering items at yard sales to sell at the flea market for a higher price. This was one way to make extra money and spend time with other Afghans. Amir meets a young Afghan woman by the name of Soraya. Amir quickly falls for the maiden just by watching her as she works. He even states “Soraya. Swap meet princess.”  The following statement shows how crazy Amir was over this Afghan girl. The happiness soon ended when her father respectably told Amir to stay away from his daughter and Baba was diagnosed with Cancer. His sickness grew as time went on and hope was gone of Baba ever returning back to health. Soraya’s family visited Baba and Amir at the hospital when Baba was admitted for a seizure. It was not long after Baba’s return home from the hospital that Amir asked Baba to consult Soraya’s father and ask for her hand in marriage to his son. This was Baba’s last fatherly duty to Amir. Her family said yes, but before it would be finalized Soraya wanted to confide her deepest regret to Amir. Amir still wanted her after she admitted to sleeping with another man, because he knew he has made worse mistakes in his past.

LRB 2

9. A discussion of the title’s significance

 

Khaled Hosseini puts great thought into the title of his novel and the significance it will bring to the story. The Kite Runner is not just some random words to put on the front of the book; it gives one an insight to an important event in the story that will be the turning point to many more traumatic experiences.  Hassan and Amir shared a great relationship however; there was a distance between them due to their different points of religion. Many kids in the neighborhood picked on them both due to Hassan being a Hazara. As the kite fighting affair is coming to an end, Hassan uses his athletic skills to run for the kite and capture it in order to give it to his dear friend Amir. This act means almost as much to Hassan as it does Amir, because Hassan lives to please Amir and show the loyalty of his friendship. Hassan states “For you a thousand times over.” In that particular moment the joy overwhelmed both boys. Amir’s friendship is soon tested when he walks into a back alley and sees Hassan being bullied by an older boy named Assef, Amir lurks in the background. Assef claims the Hazara people are donkeys and do not deserve to be treated with respect. Assef and other boys give Hassan the option to walk away without harm and give up the kite or be punished. Hassan stands by his loyalty and does not hand over the kite; he is then punished by rape and assault. Amir does nothing and acts as if the situation never happened. After that moment the story changes in dramatic way. In that very moment Amir chose the person he would be the rest of his life. The title is The Kite Runner because after Hassan ran for that kite, he also ran from his pride. Both boys were changed forever and the meaning behind the story would be more meaningful then it possibly could have before.

LRB 1

an analysis of a major character -- flat/round, static/dynamic, internal / external conflicts, dominant traits, significant actions, personal relationships...


In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, he creates a character by the name of Amir. One can see right away that Amir is going to be a very dynamic character throughout the story; however from the first seven chapters Amir is very static. He repeats his actions of being a coward, selfish, and ignorant to his surroundings. Amir is a very round character because the depth of his personality and inner thoughts. Internally, he deals with the struggle of getting love from his father. As well as dealing with the inner conflict of being nice to Hassan, or to be jealous of him. For instance, Assef downs Amir for being nice to Hassan considering he was a Hazara. Amir makes the statement within his mind "But he's not my friend!" and "He's my servant!" The Dominant traits Amir possesses would include the ability to write and be creative. The significant actions of Amir are typically selfish or ways of acting out in order to get his father's attention. His personal relationships differ person to person. He has a brotherhood with Hassan, although at times he treats him as a servant and takes his problems out on him. Amir and his father have a broken connection due to the fact his mother was killed while giving birth. Amir is also very close to Rahim Khan because he provides him with the attention he needs and fills the void of his father. Ali and Amir have a smiliar relationship as the one he shares with Hassan. He feels as if Ali is part of the family, however he also treats him as if he is a servant. Assef and Amir do not technically have a relationship, but if they did it would consist of fear and hate. I am looking forward to see how Amir grows and changes throughout the story, considering the regret he works through in present day.