2. A. Historical Background – Afghanistan 1. military takeovers – British, Russian 2. the Taliban 3. 9/11 – American invasion

3. Using Literary Theories to find themes A. Psychological Themes 1. Sin – Guilt – Redemption 2. The price of Fear 3. Motivation—Love, Duty

4. B. Social Themes 1. Moral 2. Marxist 3. Feminist

5. C. The Universal Level 1. What is our relation to the universe, to God? 2. The Archetypal Level—What archetypes are found in the work and what understanding do they give?

7. A. Amir – the Hero? B. Hassan

8. C. Baba D. Rahim Khan

9. E. Assef

10. The Journey The Night Journey The Hero Loss of Innocence The Scapegoat The Crossroads The Mentor The Quest – The Task The Devil Figure

11. A. What is so great about Kite Runner? B. What is not so great about Kite Runner? C. The “Big Why”