Chapter 3

Choose one quotation to describe Baba.

‘I can never tell Baba  from the bear.’

Is Amir’s father a religious man? A moral man? Is there a difference between these two things?

Amir’s father clearly is a moral man, as he pours his wealth and being into building an orphanage for the local community. However, he doesn’t strictly follow Islam, evidenced by his drinking, and looks down upon those who do so blindly. I believe there is a difference between morality and religion, as believing in a god doesn’t necessarily make you a good person, shown by history repeatedly, nor does it make you a bad person, also shown by history repeatedly. Religion can either be used as an excuse for avoiding morality or as a teaching device to gain moral principles from, however, the two are not one in the same.

In what ways does Hosseini encourage the audience to be critical of Baba during this chapter?

Hosseini highlights Baba’s neglect and ignorance surrounding his son, and we see views that are moral wrongly start to develop in Amir’s mind in the form of thoughts towards Hassan. Hosseini encourages the audience to attribute these views to how Baba raised  his son through Amir’s asides, so blame is placed upon him for Amir’s troubling thoughts. 

Rahim and Baba each view Amir in a different light. How do each of them see him, based on what you have read so far, who do you agree with?

Rahim sees, encourages and nurtures the positive aspects of Amir, such as his writing, while Baba only sees and punishes what he sees as negative aspects of his son, such as his lack of athleticism. Therefore, I agree with Rahim’s treatment of Amir, as we can see that, while Amir blindly idealises his father, Rahim has had a much more profound affect on the boy, acting as lifeline both in the modern day and in Amir’s childhood.

 

Chapter 4

What does the story about the death of Ali’s parents tell us about Afghan society?

It could suggest the carelessness of the Pashtun’s when it comes to their conflict with the Hazara people, with the alcohol and drugs obscuring the senses of the two brothers serving as a metaphor for the power and sense of superiority that seems to blind the majority of the Pashtun people. Also, the fact that one year in the military was seen as a harsh punishment for the killing of both a husband and wife shows how much more highly the Pashtun people were regarded than the Hazara people.

How does Baba’s relationship with Ali mirror Amir’s with Hassan? What does Hosseini want us to think about this?

Baba also never saw Ali as his friend. Like Amir, he could have either seem him as a brother, or instead as a lesser being to ridicule, it is unclear.

Amir says ‘I never thought of me and Hassan as friends.’ Does this mean they’ll never be friends, or does it suggest something else about their relationship?

Like I mentioned in the last question, this quote could imply that Amir thinks of Hassan as a brother, someone who has always been there, with their bond running deeper than just friendship. However, it could also show that he genuinely doesn’t hold any love for Hassan, but I think this is unlikely, as he stands up for him in the next chapter.

Which denomination of Islam is Amir? Does Hassan belong to the same one.

Amir is a Sunni Muslim, whereas Amir is Shi’a.

What do we find out about Amir and Hassan on pages 26 and 27?

We learn that Amir feels threatened by Hassan, as he feels the need to only read him unchallenging texts so that he still has intellectual superiority over him. However, Hassan in his faithful ignorance doesn’t realise Amir’s intentions and loves the stories regardless. He views him as a true friend. However, we can see that Amir is not completely immoral, as he is racked with guilt after he plays the cruel prank of feeding his friend misinformation, which he counteracts by giving Hassan gifts in an attempt to ease his own conscience.

Hassan praises Amir’s first story as ‘the best story you’ve ever read me in a long time.’ What type of adjective is ‘best’? Is this hyperbolic or exaggerated praise?

‘Best’ is a superlative adjective, suggesting that the story really is the greatest he’s ever felt. Thanks to his truly genuine nature, I believe that he means this, and Amir probably does as well, which is why it means so much to him. However, for those more cynical, it could imply that Amir is being hyperbolic and over-exaggerating in an attempt to lift the spirits of his friend, which could also be true as Hassan is a kind person who might realise it would mean a lot to Amir.

How does Hosseini leave us in no doubt about the conflict Amir struggles with in regards to his relationship with his father?

The conflict is made obvious to the reader through Amir’s true passion, writing, and how his two father figures react to it. Much to his dismay, Baba doesn’t engage which Amir’s short story at all, whereas Rahim reads it and even writes his first review, telling Amir that he will read any story he writes. This encapsulates the conflict, as, if his father doesn’t care about the think Amir cares about the most, does he care about him at all?

To explore and understand the context of The Kite Runner, we divided our class into groups and created presentations on different aspects of the novel’s context, ranging from history to religion to conflict and even the life of the author.

My Group’s Presentation:

Below are the notes I took while watching the presentations of the other groups.

 

Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan:

In late December, 1979, the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. This was severely unpopular, as Muslims held a high disregard for communists.

After the invasion,  a new government was set up. The reformed Afghanistan government had very little public support due to their close ties with the Soviet Union. They launched ruthless purges and also began extensive land and social reforms.

The Soviets withdrew their forces in 1989, causing the outbreak of a civil war within the country. The Afghan’s hated the Soviet occupiers and more than one million Afghans were killed, as well as five million being displaced.

The civil war continued until the Taliban seized power.

 

The Taliban:

An organisation founded by Mohammed Omar during the Afghan civil war in the early 1990s. They are made up of Islamic guerilla fighters who resisted the Soviet occupation. 

The Taliban are highly oppressive, and do not believe that women should get an education, nor should they make direct contact with men other than blood relatives, They also must be accompanied by a man at all times in public and wear a full burqa. Healthcare is practically impossible for women to receive. Finally, they also cannot voice their opinions or hold any political views.

Afghanistan is an Islamic State, and there is no freedom to proselyte or convert. This is punishable by death or deportation in case of foreigners. 

From 1996 – 2001, the Taliban held power over roughly three quarters of the nation, and enforced their strict interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law. Since its fall from power, they have maintained a long running insurgency and are still in control of 14 districts of Afghanistan, or roughly 4% of the country. They still pose a huge threat to Afghan society with violent attacks.

The U.S. has been at war with the Taliban for about 18 years. It has completely destroyed infrastructure and has threatened the health, security, employment and education of the local citizens. About 26,000 Afghan citizens have lost their life during the war.

 

Khaled Hosseini – The Author

Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1965. In 1976, his family was relocated to Paris by the Foreign Ministry. Their return to Kabul in 1980 was interrupted by the invading Soviet army.

In 2001, while practising medicine, Hosseini began to write the Kite Runner. The narrator’s life parallels Hosseini’s. 

In 2006, Khaled was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. He founded a non-profit that provides humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan. Today he lives in Northern California with his wife and two children.