The Kite Runner revision

Themes: Religion and ethnicity

Amir, like his father, is not a devout Muslim. The only times he reverts to prayer are during moments of fear and distress. However, his nominal religion and his ethnicity form key parts of the narrative for him and for all the other characters. Although Amir's journey is mostly a journey of redemption, this is tied in with the idea of what it is like to be an Afghan. Part of the problem in Amir's relationship with his father results from Baba's idea of what an Afghan man should be like. The suggestion that Amir does not fit in as an Afghan is reinforced by the ease with which he slots into American society. When Amir returns to Afghanistan, he tells Farid that he feels like a tourist in his own country, and Farid replies that Amir has always been a tourist. The tensions between the Pashtuns and the Hazaras form a thread throughout the novel. The teasing and bullying of Ali and Hassan occur because of their ethnicity. Farid demonstrates the same discriminatory views as were present in Amir's childhood, showing that this is still a problem in Afghanistan. Hosseini seems to be suggesting that the lack of respect for different people underlines the problems in Afghanistan. Hassan, Ali and Sohrab, as Hazaras, are shown as being much more spiritual and devout than Amir and his father. However, this devotion does not save them from the Taliban because the Taliban follow the Sunni branch of Islam, while Ali and Hassan are Shi'a Muslims. As Hazaras and Shi'a muslims, Hassan and his family face both religious and ethnic persecution. TO SUMMARISE: -Part of the problem in Amir's relationship with his father results from Baba's idea of what an Afghan man should be like. -The tensions between the Pashtuns and the Hazaras form a thread throughout the novel. Hosseini seems to be suggesting that the lack of respect for different people underlines the problems in Afghanistan. -Hassan, Ali and Sohrab, as Hazaras, are shown as being much more spiritual and devout than Amir and his father.

Soraya

Soraya is Amir's wife. Amir describes Soraya vividly, using colorful and poetic imagery. She acts as a reflection of Amir's inability to do things. She has a guilty past, but unlike Amir can move on with her life. "Soraya," was the name of the wife of King Amanullah Khan, the reforming king of Afghanistan who was the first ruler of the country following the final Anglo-Afghan war. By using her name, Hosseini connects the story back to a more hopeful and peaceful time in Afghanistan's history.

Themes of the book: Gender

-Amir's childhood in Afghanistan was completely void of women. -There are only small mentions of Hassan and Amir's mothers. This demonstrates how women in Afghanistan are meant to be unobstructive background noise. This put's emphasis on the insignificance of women.

The Kite Runner introduction

-The book was published in 2003 -The book is set in Afghanistan from the 1970's onward -It is a coming of age story; a redemption story (a bildungsroman) -The tone is confessional, expressing profound remorse -The book is past tense with extended flashbacks -The book is set from 1975 through to 2001 -There is a lot of scene setting, past tense, anecdotes, foreshadowing and simile's used throughout the book. Remember these techniques can be used in the creative writing, as the re-creative writing needs to feel as if it could belong in the book itself.

Themes: Redemption

A major theme in the novel is the search for redemption. It is the desire to make up for the events of his childhood, and the fear of what this might cost him to achieve this, which drive all of Amir's decisions in the novel and form the basis for his character. Amir's return to Afghanistan is a key part of this search for redemption, because by going to the USA, and fitting in so well there, he has effectively run away from the events of his childhood, and also from his heritage and all the things which should form the person he is. He returns and rescues Sohrab from the Taliban, and in doing so symbolically rescues Hassan from the bullies, thus finally making up for his lack of action all those years ago. Amir is not the only character searching for redemption. His father, both in public activities such as building an orphanage and in the private ways in which he interacts with his two sons, is searching for a way to atone for his infidelity with Sanaubar and his inability to acknowledge Hassan. He also feels a need to improve his relationship with Amir, which has been damaged by his guilt. Soraya is guilty and is seeking redemption. Rahim Khan is also seeking redemption. He carries guilt over his failure to speak up at a time when it could have made a difference, regarding both Hassan's rape and his parentage. Unable to seek atonement for himself, his request that Amir rescues Sohrab from Kabul is his way of achieving this redemption. TO SUMMARISE: -A major theme in the novel is Amir's search for redemption. It is redemption that drives all of Amir's decisions in the novel and forms the basis for his character. -Amir returns and rescues Sohrab from the Taliban, and in doing so symbolically rescues Hassan from the bullies, thus finally making up for his lack of action all those years ago. -Baba, Soraya and Rahim Khan also seek atonement.

Ali

Ali is the servant in Baba's household. He was Baba's childhood friend and raised Hassan as his son. Ali's relationship with Baba is a direct reflection of Hassan's relationship with Amir. Ali was left as a servant at a young age, and was brought up by Baba's father's servants, and was a servant to Baba in the same way that Hassan was brought up as a servant to Amir. Having suffered from polio as a child, Ali has one withered leg and walks with a profound limp. This makes him an object of fun for the neighbourhood children who are happy to bully and tease him. Although we later find out that Hassan is not his son, Ali does not seem upset by this and treats Hassan with all the love and respect that we can imagine he would have given his biological son. This shows a man who is kind and compassionate as well as loyal. Ali is a strong character, and much more of an equal to Baba than Amir is to Hassan.

Amir

Amir comes from a family who are part of the Pashtun, the ethnic group which has the most power and influence in Afghanistan. AMIR'S NARRATIVE VOICE IS FAIRLY CONSISTENT ACROSS MOST OF THE NOVEL. However, the vocabulary and sentence structure develop as he moves from talking about his childhood years to talking about his adult life. His style of writing starts to show signs of maturity as the narrative reaches the point of Hassan's rape; the trauma of this moment is accompanied by a dropping away of the childlike tone. Amir's voice also changes at times of stress and anxiety, such as during his fight with Assef and while recovering afterwards. For example the sentence structure becomes hesitant and broken to reflect the fragmentation of Amir's mind. Following Sohrab's suicide attempt, the narration enters the present tense, resulting in a more urgent and immediate voice. "They won't let me in. I see them wheel him through a set of double doors and I follow." The whole story is told by Amir during a period between December 2001 and March 2002, but covers events from his childhood in the early 1970's to his present. Unlike other characters we are never given a description of Amir, so our picture of him comes from his voice. AMIR IS AN UNRELIABLE NARRATOR, as his own emotional involvement in the story plays a big part. Near the beginning of the novel Amir tells us "I never thought of me and Hassan as friends," suggesting that he felt distanced from Hassan, probably due to their different ethnicity and status. This is an early sign that we can not always rely on the things Amir decides to tell us, as it is clear from the tales that he tells that Hassan was his closest friend. The desire to distance himself from Hassan is a result of his childhood jealousy and also of his later guilt colouring earlier events. The major influence in Amir's life is Hassan, and it is made clear throughout the novel that this is the defining relationship in his life. This is for reasons such as the book itself being named after Hassan, the way Amir relates everything back to Hassan, and Amir's obvious guilt over his betrayal of that friendship. The source of identity for Amir's character as a whole is Hassan's rape. Everything that Amir describes before and after the incident is tinged with anger, guilt and sorrow emerging from it. Amir's identity was essentially formed in that alleyway. Despite all this, Hassan has had a positive influence on Amir's life. For instance Amir's success as a writer can be seen to emerge from a desire to assuage his guilt by doing something which he knows Hassan would enjoy and approve of, thanks to the stories they shared as children. By standing up to Assef and literally fighting for possession of Sohrab, who is Baba's grandson, Amir finds a way to become the man his father always wanted him to be. This is demonstrated further when Amir returns to the USA when he becomes involved in building a hospital in Afghanistan just as his father had built an orphanage. Amir essentially becomes more and more like his father as the novel progresses. Amir overlooks Soraya's past because of his own past where he feels guilty. Amir considers his own past worse, which is why he overlooks it. Amir is a storyteller in the novel. This interest in stories and writing runs contrary to his father's wishes. This is an inherited trait from his mother who was a teacher of literature. Amir sees writing as a retreat and upon his return to Afghanistan, he admits that he is not currently writing about the country. "The Kite Runner," can be seen as Amir's attempt to write a book about Afghanistan, and in doing so to place himself back in context. Amir makes his life into a narrative in an attempt to make sense of his actions and to understand his anxieties. This arrangement of the events of his life into a coherent story can be seen as an act of catharsis.

Assef

Assef's language is hostile and unfriendly. He is far right politically which he relates to Hitler. His viewpoint is different to Amir's and Hassan's, as he supports Hitler and his totalitarianism views. He is representative of the violent, uncaring and self destructive country which Afghanistan is in the process of becoming, and can be seen as representing the Taliban. Assef's relationship with both Ali and Hassan is representative of the victimisation of the Hazaras.

Themes: Fathers and sons

BABA AND AMIR The Kite Runner largely focuses on the relationships between men in the absence of women, and in particular the relationships between fathers and their sons. The most prominent relationship is the problematic one between Baba and Amir. Baba has mixed feelings about Amir, because of Sofia's death and because he is the father of Hassan. Amir's attempts to close the distance between him and his father have a great influence over his personality and the events of his life. When Baba sees his son grow into a man and get married, he admits to the fact that he wanted to hear Amir's stories that he had previously dismissed, and seeks his son's forgiveness. "I put her up to it. I hope you don't mind." HASSAN Baba never acknowledges the fact that he is Hassan's father and therefore always carries the guilt for this and his betrayal of Ali. Ali fulfills the role of father for Hassan. He, too, carries the secret of Hassan's parentage, but as he is able to pretend that Hassan is actually his son, it does not seem to affect him in the same way as it does Baba. From Amir's descriptions, it seems that Ali has a closer relationship with Hassan than Baba has with Amir. SOHRAB The relationship between Hassan and Sohrab mirrors the one between Ali and Hassan. RAHIM KHAN Rahim Khan acts as a surrogate father to Amir. When the relationship between Amir and Baba is strained, Rahim Khan provides support and comfort. He does and says things that Baba may have wished to do and say, and finds a way for Amir to reconcile both himself and Hassan with their father. We understand from Rahim Khan that the actions which had made Baba such a legend in Amir's eyes were driven in large part by his remorse over Hassan's parentage. This allows Amir to equate his own guilt with his father's and therefore feel closer to him. TO SUMMARISE: -The Kite Runner largely focuses on the relationships between men in the absence of women, and in particular the relationships between fathers and their sons. The most prominent relationship is the problematic one between Baba and Amir. -Baba never acknowledges the fact that he is Hassan's father and therefore always carries the guilt for this and his betrayal of Ali. -The relationship between Hassan and Sohrab mirrors the one between Ali and Hassan. -Rahim Khan acts as a surrogate father to Amir.

Baba

Baba is looked up to, recognised and respected. He is also determined to do a lot. There is an instance in the book where Amir cries, and Baba is disappointed. This shows that Baba does not understand Amir and that they are not similar. Amir's mother (Baba's old wife) was well educated. She is a marginalised character, which represents Afghanistan's treatment of women. Baba is an important and influential businessman in Kabul. Like Hassan, what we learn from Baba is mostly from Amir's perspective. Amir sees Baba as a larger-than-life character who is almost unbelievably charismatic and successful. Given the way Amir sees his father it would be easy to assume that this is an overstatement. Baba is a successful man. The fact he decides to build an orphanage shows he is wealthy. However, building the orphanage is also the act of a concerned, caring member of society. This is not a side of Baba that Amir reveals so often - in large part due to his own feelings of alienation from his father's love. The story that Amir tells of his father wrestling with a black bear gives us an example of the high regard in which Amir holds his father. It sounds more like a myth or a fable than a true anecdote and suggests that Amir's regard is almost a form of worship, suggesting that he sees his father as some kind of god or idol. One key to Baba's character is the loss of his wife, Sofia, at the moment of Amir's birth. Amir believes that Baba hates him for causing Sofia's death. It is likely that Amir reminds Baba of Sofia with the love of books and reading that comes from his mother. This would account, to some extent, for the distance that Amir feels between himself and his father. Baba can allow himself to feel closer to his other son, Hassan, because there is not the same set of associations. Baba is presented as not understanding the new system which he becomes a part of in America. When he moves to America he can not adapt to his new environment, which can be seen when he get's angry with the shopkeepers. Baba's status has been reduced, which can be seen with the line "you said your father smokes right?" This is where the doctor talks to Amir rather than Baba, reducing Baba's status and implying he is insignificant and not able enough to speak for himself. Baba is rigid in his thinking. He refuses treatment for cancer, which is one way he can take control of his life again.

Chapters 14, 15 and 16

Chapter 14 starts in 2001. A lot of readers will associate this year with 9/11. In chapter 14, and thus in 2001, Amir and Soraya are still very much in love. Amir locates the reader in America very strongly. In this chapter, Rahim Khan acts as a father figure to Amir, and he reveals to Amir that he knows his secret. An important quote in this chapter is "A way to be good again." This is an important quote as it is a turning point in the novel, and in Amir's quest for redemption and atonement. The quote marks the middle of the book, and the overall turning point for Amir. Chapter 15 is a culture shock for Amir, as when he comes back to Afghanistan extreme poverty is presented. This is an example of othering, as Amir sees Afghanistan as almost alien to himself, and sees it as being very different to the Afghanistan he once knew and grew up in. Afghanistan is presented as almost being a dystopian society, where everything is unpleasant and bad. The age hierarchy is also broken, when Rahim Khan describes how someone much younger than him from the Taliban gave him orders. The destroying of the orphanage is significant as it implies that Baba has lost his previous power, as Baba built the orphanage himself. Chapter 16 is significant because it comes from Rahim Khan's voice. This is the only chapter in the book to come from the point of view of Khan, and from it we infer more aspects of his personality. For example his language which sounds more like poetry than prose. This poetic language links with Khan's gentle, patient personality, and the chapter is significant as it is one of the only ones in the book where the point of view we get is different from Amir, who is of course an unreliable narrator. Extreme poverty in this chapter is also presented.

Farid

Farid is likely to show up in the re-cast. He is the Afghan man who drives Amir to Kabul. He symbolises true Afghanistan, and contrasts with Amir who, as an Afghan, was very privileged. He becomes a valuable and loyal friend to Amir. He is fiercely proud of his loyalty. Afghanistan links closely with hospitality in the book, and it is a measure of pride for Afghanistan. This is why Wahid, Farid's brother, finds Farid's dismissiveness towards Amir so insulting. We can infer that Farid is judgemental as he is quick to judge Amir. He is also presented as being honourable, as he is clearly patriotic and protective of Afghanistan. Farid is like Baba; physically violent at injustice. This can be seen when he attacks Zaman at the orphanage, because he finds out that Zaman is selling children to the Taliban. Despite his gallant nature, Farid clearly cares a lot about children, as he has eight of his own and was very upset when he found out that children were being sold. Farid is twenty seven at the time of the chapters, and originally had 10 children but two of them died from landmines. He is missing toes and fingers because of this incident.

Hassan

Hassan is a hazara, a member of an ethnic group discriminated against in Afghanistan. Like Rahim Khan, Hassan can be seen as quite feminine. For example he has the role of a servant, has a gentle demeanor and was sexually abused. Hassan is the "kite runner," of the book's title. He is Amir's childhood friend and protector, and is later revealed to be his half-brother. He is a Hazara, a member of an ethnic group that is discriminated against in Afghanistan. As the "kite runner" of the title, Hassan is arguably the most significant character in the novel. Hassan's story and what he represents to Amir, and to Baba, are crucial driving forces in the novel. He exists in most of the novel as a presence, looming over the narrative, rather than as a character taking part in events. We are given a very clear physical description of Hassan in chapter 2. However, all that we learn about Hassan, apart from the letter that he sends in chapter 17, comes via Amir's perception of him. What we are told is one person's perspective of Hassan, and as such may be skewed or biased. Hassan is a servant but does not seem to resent this. He receives a great deal of warmth and love from Ali and so does not suffer from the same need to strive for his father's affections which is so much a feature of Amir's life. Hassan is portrayed as being very happy up until the point of the rape, however this may be a consequence of Amir's guilt, as he tries to remember his friend as happy and carefree up to the point of his betrayal. Hassan has been forced to grow up a lot faster than Amir. Although Hassan is a year younger than Amir, at times he acts more like an adult. Another of Hassan's significant characteristics is his willingness to take whatever is forced upon him. He is willing to take responsibility for Amir's actions without comment. The only time we are presented with Hassan's direct voice, rather than it being filtered through Amir's perceptions, is in the letter he gives to Rahim Khan to pass to Amir. The letter is written by an adult Hassan, and throws light on the character of Hassan as he must have been, even as a child. He opens and closes the letter with religious invocations, suggesting that Hassan's beliefs are of greater importance to him than we might assume from Amir's tales. The letter continues with a kind and considerate tone, using phrases such as "I pray that this letter finds you in good health." It is clear that Hassan does not hold a grudge against Amir for his past actions and is not weighed down by those actions as Amir is. Hassan signs off his letter by referring to himself as Amir's friend, something which Amir could never bring himself to do. It shows us that Hassan's love and loyalty to his former master has not become weaker over the years. The phrase which sums up Hassan for Amir is told to us very early on in the novel. "For you, a thousand times over." There are several possible interpretations of this, for example: -This phrase is one of utter loyalty, showing Hassan's devotion to Amir. -The fact that Amir remembers this is so often shows that it is a source of guilt for him that he took Hassan's loyalty for granted. -The phrase displays a pure emotion. It's plain-spoken honesty contrasts with Amir's secrets and lies.

Significance of Rahim's letter

Hosseini uses the device of the letter to help convey Rahim Khan's end as a character, and to help illuminate the themes of redemption and father and sons which are such important aspects of his relationship with Amir. EPISTOLARY STRUCTURE USED.

Language

In the novel, the characters are created through sentences, their choice of vocabulary, and the imagery they use. These things can reflect the characters level of education, personality type and can also change in order to show changes in the character themselves. The Kite Runner is a personal narration, written in an informal, conversational style, similar to dialogue, rather than a self-consciously literary style of writing. As previously mentioned, the language structure changes before and after the rape. Amir tends to use childlike simplicity of description such as "they clapped for a long time," and "he never told on me," before the rape. When the trauma of the rape occurs, the childlike tone drops away. Amir's voice also changes at times of stress and anxiety, such as during his fight with Assef and while recovering afterwards. The sentence structure becomes hesitant and broken to reflect the fragmentation of Amir's mind. Other voices in the book include Rahim Khan's voice. Khan's voice is more graceful and less straightforward than Amir's, reflecting his greater age and different temperament. There is a repetitive structure to his language which sounds more like poetry than prose. This is typical of Rahim Khan's spoken and written language. In contrast, Hassan's voice seems to have a more foreign cadence than either Rahim Khan's or Amir's. Hassan has learned to read later in life, has only ever lived in Afghanistan and most of his writing and reading, we can assume, would be associated with his religion. The sentence "I am hopeful that one day I will hold one of your letters in my hands and read of your life in America. Perhaps a photograph of you will even grace our eyes," exemplifies these aspects. We can infer from it that Hassan is cut off from the world and from language. TO SUMMARISE: -The Kite Runner is a personal narration, written in an informal, conversational style. -The language structure changes before and after the rape. Amir tends to use childlike simplicity of description such as "they clapped for a long time," and "he never told on me," before the rape. When the trauma of the rape occurs, the childlike tone drops away. -Amir's voice also changes at times of stress and anxiety. Amir's sentence structure becomes hesitant and broken to reflect the fragmentation of Amir's mind. -There is a repetitive structure to Rahim Khan's language, which sounds more like poetry than prose. Also, Hassan's voice seems to have a more foreign cadence than either Rahim Khan's or Amir's.

Rahim Khan

Rahim Khan is Baba's best friend and business colleague. Rahim Khan can be seen as a feminine icon in the novel. He assumes the role of Amir's mother, and is portrayed as being intellectual like Amir's mother. He is shown to be sensitive and patient, and provides a balance for Baba in Amir's life. He has a positive influence on Amir and provides him with the foundations for his later success. He provides the support, guidance and understanding that Amir fails to get from his own father. He has more emotions than Baba and is physically contrasted to him. Rahim Khan's voice is more graceful and less straightforward than Amir's, reflecting his greater age and different temperament. For instance, when talking about Kabul after Amir and Baba left he says, "No one to greet, no one to sit down with for chai, no one to share stories with, just Roussi soldiers patrolling the streets." This repetitive structure, more like poetry than prose, is typical of Rahim Khan's spoken and written language. Rahim Khan is a mentor. A mentor is a character who is often an older man who can provide advice to the protagonist, but who also forces them into action when the need arises.

Structure, form and language

STRUCTURE The story is told from its chronological end point, so that Amir frequently foreshadows events that are yet to come. This technique is used to build tension by revealing small pieces of information about events to come, making the reader want to read on and find out what happens next. After the moment of Hassan's rape, memories of earlier times are inserted into the text, so that the moment of the rape forms the central moment to which earlier chapters look forward and later chapters look back. In fact it is at the moment of Hassan's rape that both the structure and style of the writing change. The chapters leading up to the revelation of the attack in the alley are all told in a straightforward manner, and stories generally unfold in a chronological manner. However, at the moment of the attack the narrative structure fractures and never fully resumes the linear structure of earlier chapters. After the rape, the events that follow are sometimes presented out of order, or with gaps between them, and it is up to the readers to provide their own interpretations from the events described. As well as the main plot there are a number of sub-plots including the stories of the mothers of Amir and Hassan. The most prominent of these is the story of Soraya. Her story is provided as a complement to Amir's. She, like him, carries a burden of guilt and shame from events in her past. Her role is to show how it is possible to recover from such shame, and so provide hope for Amir. TO SUMMARISE: -The rape forms the central moment of the novel to which earlier chapters look forward and later chapters look back. -The chapters leading up to the rape are told in a straightforward manner, however the events that follow are presented as out of order. -Sorora's sub-plot is provided as a complement to Amir's. FORM "The Kite Runner," could be seen as a fable, as it constantly reinforces what is good and what is bad. The book can also be seen as an allegory, which means that a metaphor is expanded out into a whole story so that a smaller narrative stands for a larger one. In the case of the novel, Amir's journey of redemption can be seen as representative of Afghanistan's search for peace and self-determination. One of the narrative techniques that is used is "adult eyes." This can be seen in the first third of the novel, where a level of adult understanding and rationalising overlays all of the childhood events which we are told about. Thus, when we are told stories from Amir's childhood there are two perspectives at work, the child's perception of events, and the reworked and possibly misremembered memories of an adult. The details of Amir's childhood may have been changed or granted undue importance in the narrator's mind. Amir is an unreliable narrator due to his guilt. He feels the need to paint himself negatively because of this guilt, and as such we should read between the lines and make up our own mind about his story. TO SUMMARISE: -The novel can be seen as a fable and as an allegory (because Amir's journey of redemption can be seen as representative of Afghanistan's search for peace and self-determination). -A technique used is "adult eyes." This means a level of adult understanding and rationalising overlays all of the childhood events which we are told about.

Sofia and Sanaubar

Sofia is AMIR'S mother. Sanaubar is HASSAN'S mother. These two characters are the absent mothers of Amir and Hassan. Sofia is absent in Amir's life but present through his love of books, reading and writing. Amir carries guilt over the death of his mother, believing that the distance he feels between himself and his father is due to Baba blaming him for her death. Sanaubar, in contrast to Sofia, is not dead and returns many years later. We see from Hassan's reaction that he has felt great resentment at her betrayal. However, true to his character, he forgives her and she is welcomed back into the family, becoming a beloved grandmother to Sohrab.

Sohrab

Sohrab is Hassan's son. After Hassan's death he is rescued from Kabul and eventually adopted by Amir. Sohrab is, at least in Amir's eyes, a substitute for Hassan. By saving the boy from the orphanage he is finally able to make up for not saving Hassan from the rape in the alley. Sohrab is presented as not being quite as tough as his father, however he has had a much more traumatising life.

Themes of the book: Dark and light

The juxtaposition of dark and light in the book emphasises one and diminishes the other. For example the rape occurs in a dark alley, and there is a side street which is a metaphor for illicit secrets. Another example is the author describing a clear winter's day with the "blameless," sun shining.

Characters

The main characters of the book are: -Amir -Hassan -Baba -Ali -Sohrab -Assef -Rahim Khan -Farid (Amir's escort in Afghanistan) -Soraya The middle characters of the book are: -General Taheri (Soraya's father) -Jamilia (Soraya's mother) -Kamal -Wali -Sanaubar(Hassan's mother who appears later on in the novel) -Sharif (Soraya's uncle. Plays crucial part in getting Sohrab into the United States) -Omar Faisal (the immigration lawyer who Raymond Andrews recommends) The exterior, background characters of the book are: -Sofia Akrami (Amir's mother) -Farzana (Hassan's wife and Sohrab's mother) -Sakina (nursemaid who looked after Amir and Hassan) -Dr. Kumar (plastic surgeon who fixed Hassan's harelip) -Zaman (director of orphanage in Kabul) -Raymond Andrews (the official at the U.S. embassy in Pakistan who tries to persuade Amir not to adopt Sohrab)

Themes: Storytelling

The whole narrative of the novel is told to us as a story, with Amir setting the scene for us. Amir constantly interrupts the story with interpretations. The symbolism of storytelling is reinforced when Amir tells us of the stories he read to Hassan as a child. Amir does not write about Afghanistan within his novels, and is for the first time relating to his experience in Afghanistan with "The Kite Runner." In the novel, stories also relate to teaching and learning, whether it is Amir's mother's book being the source of her teaching materials, Amir failing to teach Hassan to read or Soraya teaching her servant to read. The letters from Hassan and Rahim Khan and Rahim Khan's tale of his time in Kabul after Amir and his father left give us an alternative perspective from Amir's story. This distance allows us to judge how truthful Amir's narrative has been. TO SUMMARISE: -In the novel, stories relate to teaching and learning. -Hassan and Rahim Khan provide alternative perspectives from Amir's main story. This distance allows us to judge how truthful Amir's narrative has been.

Hassan's dream

This dream is the one of the monster in the lake. It can be interpreted in many different ways. For example the monster could represent Assef or Amir (Assef's rape vs Amir's jealousy.) It could even represent the Soviet Unions invasion of Afghanistan. Other things in this chapter can be seen as foregrounding the rape that occurs, such as "darkness would fall." This is an example of pathetic fallacy.

Themes: History

While The Kite Runner is the story of Amir, Hassan and their father, it is also a story about the events in Afghanistan from the 1970's to the first years of the twenty-first century. There are many examples of real events occurring in the novel, starting with the sounds of the coup in 1973 intruding on Amir's childhood as the first signs of what is to come. Also, the experiences of real Afghans are echoed in the events in the novel, such as Baba's confrontation with the Russian solider, the Taliban killing Hassan, and Assef becoming a leader in the Taliban. The great symbolic interaction of the story and historical events is the banning by the Taliban of kite flying and fighting. By making this sport the centre of the novel, Hosseini is able to show to what extent the Taliban were opposed to the desires and wishes of ordinary Afghan people.