The Kite Runner Theme

Topic A general idea that a piece of literature addresses. Topics are usually universal and allow the reader to relate to. Topics can be one word A novel may address several topics.

Topics in the Kite Runner Friendship Brotherhood Loyalty Fathers and sons Lies and Secrets Guilt and Redemption Courage Atonement Choices Faith Human Nature Class differences The roles of women Good Vs Evil Inhumanity Value and morals The role of a Mother Honour

Theme A message the literature provides the reader Usually relates to the topics presented Must look at the piece of literature as a whole to determine the theme Cannot be one word Theme must be a concept that is fully developed Themes are often universal Themes allow the reader to have greater understanding of the text

Determining Theme To determine theme look at the literature in it’s entirety Ask questions about the specific topics Find evidence that supports the idea Phrase the theme in a sentence or series of sentence Look for:  Contrast between characters  Important quotes from the narrator  Climax, resolution of story  Setting  Subplots  Minor characters  Symbolism  Change in characters

Determining Theme Topic Question Evidence Theme Example: Lies How do lies impact the lives of the characters? Amir does not know Hassan is his brother and treats him badly throughout his youth. He greatly regrets this and his guilt over this treatment of Hassan. This guilt shapes his life Theme– Lies told by others can shape a person’s decisions and life.

Questions to Consider (determining theme in the Kite Runner) Topic: Guilt How does Amir demonstrate his guilt? How does guilt shape Amir’s life? How does Baba demonstrate his guilt? How does guilt shape Baba’s life? What impact can guilt have?

Questions to Consider (determining theme in the Kite Runner) Topic: Choice How do the choices of others influence Amir? How do the choices of others influence Hassan? Can one choice shape a person’s life? (Amir, Baba, Soraya)

Questions to Consider (determining theme in the Kite Runner) Topic: Father and Son Relationships Rahim Khan and Baba both act as father figures to Amir. How do each of these men influence Amir? How do fathers influence sons? Which of these men are better father figures? Why?

Questions to Consider (determining theme in the Kite Runner) Topic: Honour What makes a man honourable? Who is more honourable: Baba, Amir, Hassan? Why? How does honour shape a persons choices?

Theme Remember when determining theme ask yourself questions about the topic Dig deep Theme should demonstrate depth, understanding and express a complex idea!

Comparing and Contrasting Compare: to look for the similarities between two things (objects, characters, ideas, places, etc) and find similar meaning or arrive at a specific conclusion. Contrast: to look for the differences between two things (objects, characters, ideas, places, etc) and find similar meaning or arrive at a specific conclusion.

Comparing and Contrasting When look at two things determine what they have in common and how they differ Then select a conclusion Phrase that conclusion as an overarching point– not as a statement of evaluation or comparison.

Comparing and Contrasting Dogs Needs constant care (feeding, walking, cleaning, etc) Very social animal Sheds Expenses No independence Cats Needs care (feeding), but has some self reliance (no need to walk. Cleaning) Less social, likes to be self Sheds Expenses Independence

Comparing and Contrasting Not an Overarching point: Cats are better than dogs because they allow for the owner to have an easier lifestyle. Overarching point: A pet owner must select the appropriate pet based on his/her lifestyle.

Identity and Self-discovery Spends his entire life trying to be the son who will not disappoint his father and making up for the death of his mother. Many of the sins he commits are in the hopes that his father will believe in him, and embrace him. It is only when Amir grows up that he realizes that his father had always loved him and was proud of him. Men find it difficult to show their love to their sons for fear of somehow being less of a man. Thematic statement:

Family, Fathers, and Fatherhood Family relationships play a great part, but mothers are strikingly absent. Although Soraya is a loving mother to Sohrab, Amir and Hassan grow up without their mothers. Meanwhile, the tension of father-son relationships is exemplified by Baba's treatment of his sons, Amir and Hassan. While Baba is disappointed in Amir's bookish, introverted personality, to protect his social standing, he does not publicly acknowledge his illegitimate son Hassan whose mother is a Hazara. Thematic statement:

Journey and Quest A novel of immigration and political unrest, The Kite Runner is punctuated by Amir's departure from Afghanistan as a teenager and his return to his war-ravaged home country as an adult. At the same time, it is a novel of symbolic quest. Amir makes great sacrifices to pursue his quest to atone for past sins by rescuing his half nephew. Thematic statement:

Heritage and Ancestry Before leaving Afghanistan, Baba fills a snuff box with soil from his homeland. As refugees in the United States, Baba and Amir live in an Afghan immigrant community in the San Francisco Bay Area. Most of the characters in America are Afghan, emphasizing how Amir and Baba thrive in and contribute to an immigrant community that reminds them of home. Although Baba dies without ever seeing his home country again, Amir maintains his ties to the Afghan community in Northern California, partly through his wife's family. Thematic statement: