Kite Runner Essay

Kite Runner Ch 1-5
Questions
1. The novel begins with a flashback. What do you think is its purpose? What do you learn about the narrator? 2. Who is Hassan? Describe him by his relationships. What was his first word? Why is that important? How did he come into Amir’s life? Contrast Amir and Hassan. 3. What does it mean to be Hazara, Shi’a Muslim, Afghanistan’s minority group? Who, in the story thus far, is Hazara? 4. What does it mean to be Pushtan, Sunni Muslim, Afghanistan’s majority group? Who, in the story thus far, is Pushtan? 5. How does Amir describe his home? What do the details of the family pictures in Amir’s house reveal? 6. Who is Sanaubar? How is she contrasted to Amir’s mother? 7. Who is Ali? What do the neighborhood children call him and why? 8. How do you believe Amir feels about his father in these chapters? 9. Who is Baba? What are his values? 10. What does Baba give Hassan for his birthday? What does this present suggest about his character? How does Amir react? Why did the present turn out to be ironic? 11. Who is Assef? What is he famous for? What is his political vision? 12. What happens between Assef and Amir/Hassan? What does Assef threaten?

Quotations:
Read the following quotations. What do they mean to you? Do you agree/disagree? Who said each line? What do they say about the character who said them?
“There is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft.” (17)

“A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything.” (22)

“…a person who wastes his God-given talents is a donkey.”