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The Kite Runner. Background Information. Khaled Hosseini – The Author. Afghan born American novelist Born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1965 Father – Diplomat with Afghan Foreign Ministry, Mother – Teacher in a high school
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The Kite Runner Background Information
KhaledHosseini – The Author • Afghan born American novelist • Born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1965 • Father – Diplomat with Afghan Foreign Ministry, Mother – Teacher in a high school • Family relocated to Paris in 1976 and hoped to return to Kabul, but country had been wrought with war because of the Soviet invasion • Hosseini family was granted political asylum and moved to San Jose, CA in 1980
KhaledHosseini – The Author • Hosseini earned his medical degree • Practicing doctor (internist) from 1996 to today • While practicing medicine, Hosseini wrote The Kite Runner (2003) and A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007)
The Kite Runner – Book Basics • The story of a boy, Amir, coming of age in Kabul and growing into adulthood in America • Also a story of relationships – father/son, boyhood friendships
The Kite Runner - Setting • There are three settings in The Kite Runner -Afghanistan from late 1970’s to 1981 and start of the Soviet occupation -Afghan community in Fremont, CA from 1980’s to early 2000’s -Contemporary Afghanistan during Taliban regime
The Kite Runner – Author Techniques • Writing Style • Use of flashbacks (book begins in 2001 with Amir thinking back on childhood) • Hosseini uses mirroring (event mirror themselves from first half to second half) • First person limited, point of view • Use of dreams (in italics), connect to plot events
The Kite Runner – Key Ideas • Power (gender, social classes, nationality, etc.) • Immigration Experience – Adapting to new culture • Guilt/Sin/Redemption – Atoning for past sins • Identity – Becoming who you are despite and because of flaws
The Kite Runner – Afghan Terms • Agha – Sign of respect • Jan – Word of endearment • Khan – Used like “mister” when placed after the name of a person • Sahib – A friend • Pashtun – A wealthier, more respected class of Afghan citizens • Hazara – Lower class, servants to Pashtun’s
The Kite Runner - Characters • Amir – Narrator, Pashtun • Hassan – Amir’s childhood friend, Hazara • Baba – Amir’s father • Ali – Hassan’s father, Baba’s servant and childhood friend • Rahim Khan – Business friend of Baba, mentor to Amir • Assef – Acquaintance of Amir, Pashtun
The Kite Runner - Characters • Steps author uses to create a character -Author’s description -What character says -What character does -What other’s say about the character
The Kite Runner - Characters • Use of static and dynamic characters -Static – Minor characters, don’t undergo significant growth or change in a story -Dynamic – Major characters, changes and transforms in a story because of experience with major conflict • Brainstorm a list of static and dynamic characters in literature.
The Kite Runner - Characters • Use of foils -A character who contrasts with another character in order to highlight particular qualities of another character -Foils are not always opposites and they are not always obvious -Example: Harry Potter & Drako Malfoy George Milton & Slim