The Kite Runner

How can a flawed hero seek redemption?

Khaled Hosseini• Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965,

the son of a diplomat and a teacher.• Lived in Tehran, Iran, and Paris, France, for

parts of his childhood. In 1980, granted political asylum and moved to California.

• Graduated from high school, college and medical school in California.

• Practiced medicine and now a writer. The Kite Runner was his first novel, published 2003.• Works with the United Nations Refugee

Agency, as a goodwill envoy.

Inspiration…• Relationship: Khaled taught Hossein

Khan, the family’s racial Hazara cook to read and write despite the social

injustice and racial bias imposed by their society.

• Memories: Fond recollections of pre-Soviet era childhood in Afghanistan.

• Literature: Persian stories and poems, characters and themes presented in John

Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath.

Afghanistan is:

Before The Kite Runner

• A landlocked country located in central Asia, focal point of regional trade and

migration.• 1800-1900s: Buffer state in rivalry

between British Indian Empire and Russia.• 1919, 1924: Declared full independence

and first constitution is established. • Through 1970s: Ruled by monarchy then

constitutional monarchy. • 1933 – 1973: King Mohammad Zahir Shah

reigned during the longest period of stability.

Afghanistan during The Kite Runner

• 1973: King’s brother-in-law waged a coup and declared a republic.

• 1978: People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan organized an coup d’état,

promoted freedom of religion and women’s rights.

• 1979: USSR invaded, killed the president and up to 2 million civilians.

Over 5 million fled the country. • 1989: U.S. sent aid to the mujahideen

to stop communist expansion, Soviets withdrew.

Historical perspective:

• Since 1979, Afghanistan has been in a continuous state of open warfare.

• There are various ethnic groups: Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras and others. Pashtu and Dari are considered the official languages.

• Approximately 99% of the population is Muslim; of those 84% are of the Sunni sect.

• There has been a long history of an ethnic hierarchy. Traditionally, Pashtuns have dominated the country.

Sunnis Muslims• The largest denomination in Islam is Sunni Islam, which makes

up over 75% to 90% of all Muslims• Sunni Muslims also go by the name Ahl as-Sunnah which

means "people of the tradition of Muhammad“• In Arabic language, as-Sunnah literally means "tradition" or

"path". • Muslims are encouraged to emulate Muhammad's actions in

their daily lives. • Sunnis believe that the first four caliphs were the rightful

successors to Muhammad; since God did not specify any particular leaders to succeed him, those leaders had to be elected. Sunnis believe that a caliph should be chosen by the whole community.

Shi’a Muslims• The Shi’as constitute 10–20% of Islam and are its second-largest

branch.• They believe in the political and religious leadership of Imams

from the progeny of Ali ion Abi Talib, who Shia's believe was the true successor after Muhammad.

• They believe that Ali ibn Abi Talib was the first Imam (leader), rejecting the legitimacy of the previous Muslim caliphs.

• To most Shias, an Imam rules by right of divine appointment and holds "absolute spiritual authority" among Muslims, having final say in matters of doctrine and revelation.

• Shias regard Ali as the prophet's true successor and believe that a caliph is appointed by divine will.

• Although the Shi'as share many core practices with the Sunni, the two branches disagree over validity of specific collections of hadith, with Shias preferring hadiths attributed to the Ahl al-Bayt.

Ethnic groupsPashtun boy • Hazara boy

Cleft Palate• Cleft lip and cleft palate , which

can also occur together as cleft lip and palate, are variations of a type of clefting, congenital deformity caused by abnormal facial development during gestation.

• A cleft is a fissure or opening—a gap. It is the non-fusion of the body's natural structures that form before birth.

• Approximately 1 in 700 children born have a cleft lip and/or a cleft palate. An older term is harelip, based on the similarity to the cleft in the lip of a hare.

• Clefts can also affect other parts of the face, such as the eyes, ears, nose, cheeks, and forehead.

BUZKASHI• The national passion of

Afghanistan• Reflects the boldness and

fierce competitive spirit of the Afghan people.

• The great equestrian tradition out of which Buzkashi developed goes back as far as the time of Alexander the Great.

Buzkashi• Expert horsemen, the nomads of northern Afghanistan fought

Alexander's triumphant army to a standstill. • When the ancient Greeks first saw these formidable and

accomplished horsemen of Central Asia, they believed the legend of the centaur (half horse, half man) had materialized.

• Many people associate Buzkashi with the infamous Genghis Khan.

• The Mongol horsemen were adept at advancing swiftly on enemy campsites and, without dismounting, swooping up sheep, goats, and other pillage at a full gallop.

• One theory is that in retaliation, the inhabitants of northern Afghanistan established a mounted defense against the raids, and this practice might be the direct forbearer of today's Buzkashi.

THE CHAPANDAZ AND HIS HORSE

• Buzkashi produces many of Afghanistan's sports heroes. "Chapandaz" (master players) are legendary figures.

• Demands the highest degree of horsemanship, courage, physical strength, and competitive spirit from its participants.

• Experience is vital - the better chapandaz must be at least forty years old.

The Horses• Horses are also classified for the purpose of Buzkashi from the stand point

of color. There are nine types of colors commonly referred to by "Chapandaz" and Sayez (trainer). These are: Jerand (red), Toroq (dark red), Mushki (black), Kahar (yellowish), Gul Badam (dotted), Ablaq (Mixed) and Kabood (gray).

• Years of patient instruction are needed to prepare a stallion for the big matches. A "Chapandaz" or "mehtar" or "Sayez" (trainer) teaches a prospective horse never to trample a fallen rider and to swerve away from collisions without a gesture from their rider.

• To enable the chapandaz to pick the calf from the ground, the best Buzkashi horses will push and ram their opponents, forcing their way into the middle of the fray around the starting circle. But when a rider makes the perilous reach down to grab the calf, his horse will stand perfectly still, waiting for the real action to begin.

The Rules

• Seldom played according to "official" rules. • Two rules which apply to every Buzkashi contest: rider may never hit an opponent

intentionally with his whip, and he may never deliberately knock an opponent off his horse.

• Means "goat dragging," but a decapitated calf is now used; it is stronger and heavier, and able to withstand the game.

• The object of the game is to drop the calf into the scoring circle. • For championship Buzkashi in Kabul, teams are limited to ten riders each. Five

players take the field during the first 45 minutes of play; the other five compete during the second period.

• The teams approach the headless carcass which has been placed in the starting circle. The horses try to gain an advantageous position so their player can pick up the calf.

• The game appears to be absolute chaos. The simplicity of the rules is lost in the furious action of the contest, but the highpoint in the game for comes when one chapandaz has bested the rest and gallops to the scoring circle alone.

"It is better to be in chains with friends,

than to be in a garden with strangers."

-Persian Proverb

Chapters 1-9 Essay Quiz

• Define friendship in your own words. Do NOT copy a dictionary definition or use a quote.

• Evaluate the relationship between Amir and Hassan from the standpoint of your definition of friendship.

• Consider how both of the boys would characterize their relationship. Are they friends? Why/why not?

• Cite textual examples (quotes& paraphrases w/ page numbers) to back up your position.

• Send essay to turnitin.com by 11:59 p.m. 12/21.

Quiz continued

• Cite textual examples (quotes& paraphrases w/ page numbers) to back up your position.

• Keep response under two typed pages; use MLA format w/ works cited page for TKR.

• Send essay to turnitin.com by 11:59 p.m. 12/21.

Lesson 2: AgendaWhat is the role of friendship in the

novel?1)Discuss

characters we have met

2)Look at dynamics and relationships between characters with Venn Diagrams

3)Textual Evidence

4)Exit Slip

What FRIENDS have we met so far?

____________ & ____________ ____________ & ____________ ____________ & ____________ ____________ & ____________

Protagonist: AMIR

HASSAN

In groups, discuss the similarities/ differences between the core characters in the novel:

• Amir & Hassan (sons) – Group 1 & 4

• Baba & Ali (fathers) – Group 2 & 5• Baba & Amir – Group 3 & 6

Then, share your main ideas with the class.

AMIR HASSAN

BABA ALI

BABA AMIR

AnticipationWhat can we see about

characters early on based on

* how they act * things they say?

Textual evidence helps us support ideas we

form about characters.

AMIR & HASSANP. 4 – Amir about Hassan: “Hassan never

wanted to, but if I asked, really asked, he wouldn’t deny me. Hassan never denied me anything.

P. 29 – Amir to Hassan: “You don’t know what it means?.. Everyone in my school knows what (that word) means… ‘Imbecile.’ It means smart, intelligent.”

P. 34 – Hassan to Amir: “No. You will be great and famous”

BABA & ALI

P. 8 – Amir about Ali: “Ali turned around, caught me aping him. He didn’t say anything. Not then, not ever. He just kept walking.”

P. 15 – Amir about Baba: “People were always doubting him… so Baba proved them all wrong by not only running his own business but becoming one of the richest merchants in Kabul.”

BABA & AMIR

• P. 17 – Baba to Amir: “I mean to speak to you man to man. Do you think you can handle that for once?”

• P. 22 - Baba to friend Rahim Khan: “There is something missing in that boy.”

• P. 14 – Amir about Baba: “Baba was there, watching, and he patted Hassan on the back. Even put his arm around his shoulder.”

• What qualities do I appreciate in a friend?

• Do any of the characters in the novel have those qualities?

• Which characters (if any) do I see as someone I could befriend?

SLIP

Lesson 3:Who is a kite runner?

What is it like to be a refugee?

One that flees to a foreign country or nation to escape

danger or persecution

Lesson 4: AgendaWhat does it mean to be a

refugee?• Discuss: what it’s like to be a

refugee, who is a refugee.• Read:

– quotes from Afghan refugees who fleed as teenagers.

– poem from Huang Xiang and look at • Compare: With experience of Baba and

Amir• Write: How would you feel?

Refugee Experiences• 10.3 million refugees worldwide in 2003 which

means one new refugee every 21 seconds.• The United States resettles more of these

refugees than any other country in the world. In 2001, the majority of refugees came from Afghanistan, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Angola, Sudan and Congo.

• Many refugees see America as a haven, but fleeing from their own country can be dangerous and strenuous.

I am from Afghanistan. It's a very beautiful country in the heart of Asia. It has very nice,

peaceful, hospitable, brave, innocent, war-threatened and poor people.

I am from Ningarhar, the border province of Afghanistan and Pakistan. We were living a

peaceful life. Everyone was happy, everything

was OK. Suddenly a plan was made by the Russians and they invaded our homeland. A

war started, a holy war against the Russians.

-Farid Ahmad, 16, Afghan refugee who fled to London leaving family behind

When we were in Afghanistan my father always wished that

we were educated. I wasn’t in school for very long in Afghanistan. After the conditions got worse, all the schools closed and there was nowhere that you could go to every day. It wasn’t safe, there were so many risks, you wouldn’t just go

outside, you might get shot.

-Waheed Safi, 18, Afghan refugee, admitted to Oxford University

Comparing to the book• How do these refugees’ perspectives compare

to that of Baba and Amir?• What does being from a privileged background

mean for them in this experience?• How are they treated? How do they treat

fellow refugees?• What differences between father and son are

presented as they flee their country, as they acclimate to the U.S.?

How would you feel?Write in your journal on ONE topic:• If you were moving to Afghanistan today,

what would you look forward to? What would you not look forward to?

• How have you felt when you have moved homes or cities? What did you do?

• What did you think when you first spent time in an uncomfortable setting (away from family or your home)?

References:http://www.afghanmagazine.com/2004_06/articles/hsadat.shtml

http://www.bookbrowse.com/author_interviews/full/index.cfm?author_number=900http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/1607320.stm

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/21/us/21fugees.html?scp=5&sq=refugees&st=csehttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/writers/writerdetails.asp?cid=1145572

http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/kiterunner.jpg http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov1999/wellfoundedfear/questions/char_poet.php3