1. Historical and Social Context of Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner Historical/Social Context of Time Period Shared Content Information or Concepts Unique to the Novel - Severe long-term drought in the center and north of Afghanistan - Motifs: war, devastation, economy, poverty, helplessness, guilt - Characters: Amir, Hassan, Baba, Ali, Rahim Khan, Sohrab, Assef - The attempts of Westernization by Amanullah provoked opposition that led to his deposition in 1929 - Afghanistan was neutral until the late 1970s, receiving aid from both the United States and the Soviet Union - By 1979 guerrilla opposition forces, were active in much of the country, fighting both Soviet forces and the Soviet- backed Afghan government - The Taliban took over the country and destroyed people’s lives in Kabul - The war caused thousands of people to flee to other countries - Rape was a major motif in the novel which is the source of Amir’s guilt - The primary conflict was an internal conflict of the main character that began in his childhood; this was a burden on him for more than 30 years - First person narration

2. Historical and Social Context of Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner Historical/Social Context of Time Period Shared Content Information or Concepts Unique to the Novel - Both the main character and the autho fled from Afghanistan to the U.S. - In 1992, Kabul was captured, and the guerrilla alliance set up a new government consisting of a 50-member ruling council - In 1999, the United Nations imposed economic sanctions on Afghanistan - In 2001 the Taliban militia destroyed all statues in the nation, including two ancient giant Buddhas in Bamian, outside Kabul - The warfare between Russia and the mujaheddin devastates an the poor country and depopulates it. - The Taliban restored law and order but through rigorous enforcement of Islamic punishment - Despite differences between physical features and religious views, friendship can overcome the discrimination of a minority. - Focuses on the bonds between fathers and sons, and the power of fathers over sons - The kite symbolizes happiness as well as guilt - Irony was a motif which relates to the main character’s internal conflict

3. List of Works Cited "Afghanistan: History | Infoplease.com." Infoplease. Pearson Education, 2000-2013. Web. 4 Oct. 2013..http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/afghanistan-history.html "Comparing Plant And Animal Cells VENN Diagram." Teach-nology. Teachnology, n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2013.. Gascoigne, Bamber. "History of Afghanistan." History World. HistoryWorld, 2001-ongoing. Web. 4 Oct. 2013.. Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead, 2003. Print.