The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini Storyboard by Kathleen Lewis

Introduction Follow Amir from his childhood home in Kabul, Afghanistan to Freemont, California and back again while he attempts to atone for the sins he committed as a young boy. The story centers around Amir, a Pashtun and Sunni Muslim, and Hassan, a Hazara and Shi’a Muslim. Because Hassan is a Hazara, Amir struggles with being associated with him in social situations; but Hassan’s unconditional love and never-ending loyalty force Amir to question himself. The Kite Runner is a coming-of-age story that features Amir as he attempts to “be good again” after committing the worst sin he could possibly commit. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kite_Runner

Chapter 1 – Fremont, California Source: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=347c6cf1-4f5e-4a88-aee8-a2bcec20fe25 Quote: “After I hung up, I went for a long walk along Spreckels Lake on the Northern edge of Golden Gate Park.” In this section, Rahim Khan suggests to Amir that “there is a way to be good again.” Amir comments, “I knew it wasn’t just Rahim Khan on the line. It was my past of unatoned sins.” What does Amir mean when he says that his past of unatoned sins is on the line? Is he speaking literally or figuratively? Predict: What sins might have Amir committed that have him feeling guilty so many years later? Spreckles Lake is home to the San Fransisco Model Yacht Club, so you often see this style of boat sailing along the water. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=VGDUy9ylkQ8 You can also see smaller, model boats being raced on the water. This video illustrates an example of that.

Chapter 3 – Wazir Akbar Khan (Kabul, Afghanistan) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wazir_Akbar_Kh%C4%81n The Wazir Akbar Khan district in Kabul, Afghanistan is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Afghanistan. Many embassies are included in Wazir Akbar Khan, including the United States Embassy. It’s also home to the Kabul International Airport. Baba’s house is described in great detail throughout the chapter. How would you describe Baba’s house in your own words? Provide evidence from the text to support your appraisal. http://www.flickr.com/photos/34394326@N04/3198139129/ http://www.flightstokabul.com/

Chapter 6 - Jadeh Maywand (Kabul, Afghanistan) http://www.lurvely.com/photo/779973751/Kabul_Jade_Maywand_1995/ This is what Jadeh Maywand looked like in 1995 after one of many wars began in Afghanistan. These boys are preparing for a kite fight. http://www.lurvely.com/photo/779973751/Kabul_Jade_Maywand_1995/ “Saifo was a nearly blind old man who was a moochi by profession – a shoe repairman. But he was also the city’s most famous kite maker, working out of a tiny hovel on Jadeh Maywand, the crowded street south of the muddy banks of the Kabul river.” Amir gives many reasons why he loves Winters in Kabul, but kite flying is among the top. Why is kite flying so important to Amir? What does Hassan have to do with the importance of kite flying to Amir? http://fourcontinents.blogspot.com/2010/09/kite-sellers.html This is an example of a bazaar – a place you might go to buy a kite in Kabul. You can see the kites and spools hanging in the tent to the left.

Chapter 7 – The Ravine “I opened my mouth and almost said something . . .almost. The rest of my life might have turned out differently if I had . . .” Assef molests Hassan and Amir does nothing to stop it. This sets the stage for a lifetime of shame and guilt for Amir. Put yourself in Amir’s shoes. You’re a Pashtun and Hassan is a Hazara. Would you have reacted the same way if you were Amir and had witnessed such a thing? Amir sees Hassan as being just like the sacrificial lamb that families eat on the first day of Eid Al-Adha, the day Afghans celebrated Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his only son to God. He says that in the final moment before the lamb’s throat is slit, it gets a look in its eyes of acceptance of its fate. In what way is Hassan like the sacrificial lamb that Amir describes? How is Hassan’s being a Hazara connected to his being a sacrificial lamb?

Chapter 18 – Kabul, Afghanistan (2001) A vehicle was approaching us. "Beard Patrol,” Farid murmured. That was the first time I saw the Taliban. I'd seen them on TV on the Internet, on the cover of magazines, and in newspapers. But here I was now, less than fifty feet from them, telling myself that the sudden taste in my mouth wasn't unadulterated, naked fear. Telling myself my flesh hadn't suddenly shrunk against my bones and my heart wasn't battering. Here they came. In all their glory. In many ways, Afghanistan has been victimized by the Taliban and their laws and interpretation of their religion. The United States offers its citizen the “separation of church and state,” the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the laws of the land. What are 3 reasons that the United States has chosen to separate church and state? What are the benefits to the separation of church and state? What are the downfalls? http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/taliban-ambush-afghan-forces-caught-tape-16721060 Video: American troops train Afghan soldiers when the Taliban ambushes. http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2009/09/the_talibans_shadow_government.php

Chapter 25 – San Fransisco “Soroya had turned the study upstairs into a bedroom for Sohrab. She led him in and he sat on the edge of the bed. The sheets showed brightly colored kites flying in indigo blues skies.” Why is it important to Amir that Sohrab learns to fly a kite with him? Why did Sohrab hesitate to fly with him at first? Chapter 25 – San Fransisco This picture shows a girl flying a kite in San Francisco Bay. http://fineartamerica.com/featured/girl-flying-kite-in-san-francisco-bay-jeff-lowe.html This picture shows children flying kites near the Golden Gate Bridge where the closing of the book takes place. http://www.ciaobambino.com/ciaobambinoblog/index.php/2012/05/golden-gate-bridge-75th-anniversary/kite-flying-chrissy-field-san-francisco/

Conclusion This Google Lit Trip of Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner has taken viewers on a journey from Fremont, California, where the main character, Amir, lives as an adult to Kabul, Afghanistan and back again. The Lit Trip and the novel both illustrate the hardships of living in a time where political and social unrest take precedence over loyalty and friendship. For more information on The Kite Runner or any of the places visited on this Google Lit Trip, visit the following websites: http://www.sanfrancisco.travel/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kite_Runner http://www.infoplease.com/spot/taliban.html/ http://kabul.usembassy.gov/ http://www.nationalkitemonth.org/kids/howtofly.php