Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner “I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of I remember the precise moment, crouching behind a crumbling mud wall, peeking into the alley near the frozen creek. That was a long time ago, but it’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years.”

The Kite Runner I became what I am at the age of ….

The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan in Eldest of five children. Father was a diplomat in the Afghan Foreign Ministry. Mother taught Farsi and history at a high school in Kabul.

The Kite Runner Family lived in three different countries During Soviet invasion, family was given asylum in the United States. Settled in California, but difficulty assimilating in the culture. Hosseini has a medical degree and has been a practicing physician in San Francisco since An Afghan Hazara who lived with his family when he was a child inspired the writing of the book.

The Kite Runner This story is about two friends who symbolize opposite ends o a sociopolitical hierarchy. Amir is Pashtun, Sunni, wealthy, and literate; whereas his servant’s son, Hassan, is Hazara, Shia, poor, and illiterate.

The Kite Runner The Kite Runner can be read as a three-part novel. In the first part, Hosseini engages in nostalgic childhood recreation of a lost Afghanistan during the last days of the monarchy.

The Kite Runner The second part explores emigration during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan; the tragedies of a displaced and tired people living in cultural bubbles of the past. The last part explores the Taliban’s Afghanistan. It deals with the horror humans can inflict on other humans and stresses the underlying tone of standing up to repression.

The Kite Runner The book derives its name from an ancient Afghan hobby of dueling with kites. Similar to Afghanistan’s tumultuous history, Afghan kite flying involves mid- air duels between rivals. Kite flyers attempt to down their adversary’s kites analogous to the fighting between the Afghan government and mujahidin guerilla factions whose hands are cut and bloodied, as is the hand of the kite flyer when the ground glass coating of the string sears through the hands. Courtesy of Afghan Magazine

The Kite Runner When the opponent’s kite has been downed, then the real battle turns into a race, the kite run, to see who retrieves the fallen kite. This is symbolic to the 1992 event in Afghanistan when ethno-religion warlords looted and pillaged Kabul. Interestingly enough, in 1994 the emerging Taliban regime banned kite flying and an assortment of other activities.

Types of Characters Confidante – someone in whom the central character confides, thus revealing the main character’s personality, thoughts, and intentions. The confidante does not need to be a person. Dynamic Character - a character who changes during the course of a story or novel. The change in outlook or character is permanent. Sometimes a dynamic character is called a developing character.

Types of Characters Flat Character – a character who reveals only one, maybe two, personality traits in a story or novel, and the trait(s) do not change. Foil – a character that is used to enhance another character through contrast. Cinderella’s grace and beauty as opposed to her nasty, self-centered stepsisters is one clear illustration of a foil many may recall from childhood.

Types of Characters Round Character – a well developed character who demonstrates varied and sometimes contradictory traits. Round characters are usually dynamic (change in some way over the course of a story.). Static Character – a character that remains primarily the same throughout the story or novel. Events in the story do not alter a static character’s outlook, personality, motivation, perception, habits, etc.

Types of Characters A special kind of flat character who is instantly recognizable to most readers. Possible examples include the “ruthless businessman”, “shushing old librarian”, or “dumb jock”. They are not the focus nor developed in the story.