1.

The novel begins with Amirs memory of peering down an alley, looking for Hassan who is kite running for him. As Amir peers into the alley, he witnesses a tragedy. The novel ends with Amir kite running for Hassans son, Sohrab, as he begins a new life with Amir in America. Why do you think the author chooses to frame the novel with these scenes? Refer to the following passage: Afghans like to say: Life goes on, unmindful of beginning, endcrisis or catharsis, moving forward like a slow, dusty caravan of kochis [nomads]. How is this significant to the framing of the novel? Foreshadowing is an effective strategy on catching the attention of the reader. More so, the way the novel was structured as such gave more emotions and life on the story. Reading the novel in this manner seems like you really are turning from pages to pages, from day to days on the life of the characters in the story, especially that of Amir and Hassan. As we can remember from the story, when they were still young, it would always be Hassan who would kite run for Amir, moreover, it would always be Hassan who would sacrifice for Amir may it be to save his face on his fathers keen eye for perfection or to Assef who had been bullying them. Hassan has been a faithful servant, friend, brother to Amir and no one could question his loyalty except for Amir himself. But too much doubting had lead to a sin that had forever bothered the person in Amir. And perhaps the only way for him to do good again, may it be too late for him already since the friend he had was already then is to give back to his son, Sohrab, who had, if in the first place because of Amir, had a wond3erful life ahead for him, was deprived of like his father. And so the story ended with maybe not a so happy ending for Hassan and Amir, but at the very end, still a happy ending had been waiting to be opened for Amir and Sohrab. Life goes on indeed they would say, life goes on for each and everyone of us. We may commit mistake now, but life and the universe would always conspire for us to be given an opportunity to redeem ourselves from whatever mistake we have done or whatever harm we have inflicted over other people. 2. The strong underlying force of this novel is the relationship between Amir and Hassan. Discuss their friendship. Why is Amir afraid to be Hassans true friend? Why does Amir constantly test Hassans loyalty? Why does he resent Hassan? After the kite running tournament, why does Amir no longer want to be Hassans friend? -Amir and Hassan grew up together. They were both fed by the same woman from Bamiyan. Baba would always remind them about the brotherhood brought about by having the same nursing woman. Though Amir never thought of Hassan as a friend because of their difference (Amir being a Pashtun and Hassan being Hazara), he cannot deny the fact that history, ethnicity, society or religion cannot change the fact that they grew up together and learned together. For Amir, his life in Kabul seemed like one long lazy afternoon day with Hassan. Amir is afraid to be Hassans true friend, one reason is their difference, Amir is afraid to be judges by the society, one evidence was when Assef was taunting them and asked him if hes friends with Hassan unconsciously he immediately said no. From thi s scene it can be inferred that long before Amir had set boundaries between him and Hassan. Also, it can be drawn from the story that Amir envies Hassan, Hassan being a hazara but is always contented on what he has. Amir had problems with Baba and he is jealous on how Baba would always remember Hassan. His relationship with Hassan only exacerbates this. Though Hassan is Amirs best friend, Amir feels that Hassan, a Hazara servant, is beneath him. When Hassan receives Babas attention, Amir tries to assert himself by passive -aggressively attacking Hassan. He mocks Hassans ignorance, for instance, or plays tricks on him. At the same time, Amir never learns to assert himself against anyone else because Hassan always defends him. He constantly tests Hassans loyalty because he himself is not sure about his loyalty to Hassan. Amir no longer wants to be friends with Hassan after the tournament because he thinks its for the best , especially to him. He thinks it would be the best way to at least lessen the guilt hes feeling, the way for him to stop hurting himself and Hassan. He thinks its the best way to bury down the consequences of his

cowardice. Hassan is the living evidence of Amirs weakness to stand up for what is right. It consumes his conscience and leaves him empty everytime he sees Hassan. 3. Early in Amir and Hassans friendship, they often visit a pomegranate tree where they spend hours reading and playing. One summer day, I used one of Alis kitchen knives to carve our names on it: Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul. Those words made it formal: the tree was ours. In a letter to Amir later in the story, Hassan mentions the tree hasnt borne fruit in years. Discuss the significance of this tree. -The tree signified their friendship. It is where they would always sit down and read books. It has their history, carved in its trunk. The tree represents how it used to be, the pleasant memories of Hassan and Amir. The tree bears fruit when everything between Hassan and Amir were fine, which means that just like the tree Hassan and Amir were sharing the goodness of life, particularly their friendship. But along with their separation and death of friendship was the tree s incapability to bear fruits. This symbolizes how something so precious before would turn out to be dreadful for both of them. Just like the boys childhood, just like the peace in Kabul, just like Amir and Hassans friendship. According to the Koran, the gardens of paradise include pomegranates. It is important, tradition says, to eat every seed of a pomegranate because one can't be sure which aril came from paradise." And pomegranates protect the eater from envy and hatred (these two consumed Amir, his envy to Hassan and hatred in his heart for what he did to Hassan in the alley). 4. We begin to understand early in the novel that Amir is constantly vying for Babas attention and often feels like an outsider in his fathers life, as seen in the followi ng passage: Hed close the door, leave me to wonder why it was always grown -ups time with him. Id sit by the door, knees drawn to my chest. Sometimes I sat there for an hour, sometimes two, listening to their laughter, their chatter. Discuss Amirs rela tionship with Baba. Amir and Baba's relationship changes throughout the novel. The novel starts out with Amir doing whatever he could to win his father's attention, which includes betraying his best friend, Hassan. He betrayed Hassan for his father's full attention. Amir had always thought that he was one of the sin his father really hated, that is theft, for he stole his mothers life. They both have been cold between each other. Just like every child Amir would be, he would try his best to win the heart and the attention of his father, he would try to be the achiever he could be, try to like whatever his father was interested about, try to be the best that he could to the point that he could worsen other people for him to be better off. On the other hand, Baba was never the perfect father ofr his son, in fact he had told Rahim Khan that if he have not seen Amir born by her wife, he would not even believe that he was his son and for a child hearing this, it would be as if the whole universe had turned against you. Good thing then was Rahim Khan who would always be the father like for Amir. He then earns it when Hassan and Ali move out and Baba and Amir move to America. Here are the examples. 1. Amir and Baba's relationship is fake. Amir is pretending to be someone he is not by pretending to enjoy the soccer games Baba always takes him to see. 2. Amir and Baba's relationship becomes real when Baba is diagnosed with cancer. Amir cares for him and stays with him until he dies. They become very close. 3. Amir and Baba are very alike. They both betrayed their best friends. Baba betrayed Ali by sleeping with his wife, and Amir betrayed Hassan by not standing up for him while getting assaulted. Then they both try to redeem themselves with doing other good deeds. Baba, running an orphanage, and Amir going back to Kabul to save Sohrab, Hassan's son. 5. After Amir wins the kite running tournament, his relationship with Baba undergoes significant change. However, while they form a bond of friendship, Amir is still unhappy.

What causes this unhappiness and how has Baba contributed to Amirs state of mind? Eventually, the relationship between the two returns to the way it was before the tournament, and Amir laments we actually deceived ourselves into thinking t hat a toy made of tissue paper, glue, and bamboo could somehow close the chasm between us. Discuss the significance of this passage. Amir succeeds in winning the kite fighting tournament that he so desperately wanted to win, in hopes that Baba will accept him for it. He is proud once he wins, and Hassan runs off to catch the kite for Amir, his trophy. Amir goes on to tell us how he has planned out the moment he meets with Baba after the tournament, kite in hand. And how Baba and him will finally become closer, and be accepted, Baba will proud if Amir. And Baba is proud. But Amir is not as happy as he thought he would be, after witnessing what happened to Hassan, he feels like a coward because he didnt help. Even though Hassan would have helped him. we actually deceived ourselves into thinking that a toy made of tissue paper, glue, and bamboo could somehow close the chasm between us. This is Amirs view of the situation, and although we dont hear Baba actually say anything, we know he probably feels the same way. The kite brought them closer, but only for a while. For Amir to truly be accepted he would have to continue to please his father, one little thing could not change their relationship. And Amir only worsened the situation when he mentioned sending Hassan and Ali away. At first they spent their time together, and Baba would even read his stories. The importance of this sentence is to show how Amir, deep down, knew that winning the competition would not fix everything between him and his father. They would eventually grow apart again. 6. As Amir remembers an Afghan celebration in which a sheep must be sacrificed, he talks about seeing the sheeps eyes moments before its death. I dont know why I watch this yearly ritual in our backyard; my nightmares persist long after the bloodstains on the grass have faded. But I always watch, I watch because of that look of acceptance in the animals eyes. Absurdly, I imagine the animal understands. I imagine the animal sees that its imminent demise is for a higher purpose. Why do you think Amir recalls this memory when he witnesses Hassans tragedy in the alleyway? Amir recollects the memory again toward the end of the novel when he sees Sohrab in the home of the Taliban. Discuss the image in the context of the novel. Hassan was described in the novel as being pure and innocent, just like the lamb being offered and sacrificed. Hassan sacrificed hisself because of his loyalty and purity. In Islam, as in Christianity, the lamb signifies the sacrifice of an innocent. Amir describes both Hassan and Sohrab as looking like lambs waiting to be slaughtered. Amir says this during Hassans rape, noting that Hassan resembled the lamb they kill during the Muslim celebration of Eid Al-Adha, which honors Abrahams near sacrifice of his son for God. Similarly, he describes Sohrab as looking like a slaughter sheep when he first sees Sohrab with Assef. Assef and the others had put mascara on Sohrabs eyes, just as Amir says the mullah used to do to the sheep before slitting its throat. Both Hassan and Sohrab are innocents who are figuratively sacrificed by being raped, but these sacrifices have very different meanings. In Hassans case, Amir sacrifices him for the blue kite. The kite that would at least tighten the bond between the father and son. But in Sohrabs case, Amir is the one who stops his sexual abuse. In this context, sacrifice is portrayed as the exploitation of an innocent. 7. America acts as a place for Amir to bury his memories and a place for Baba to mourn his. In America there were, Homes that made Babas house in Wazir Ahkbar Khan look like a

servants hut. What is ironic about this statement? What is the function of irony in this novel? Living in Afghanistan, Baba and Amir were considerably wealthy, or at least they thought so. America was a richer country, making Amir and Baba poor in its society. The switch from being wealthy to relatively poor is just one of the many examples of irony in this novel. In Afghanistan, Amir and Baba would always be looked up be ordinary people especially the HAzaras since their family had been blessed so much they could envy everyone in their neighbourhood. But in America, they were no ones. It indeed is hard to accept the sad reality in life that some things are relative. Being rich is one of them. While in America, Baba has trouble adjusting to the culture, and is still clinging to his memories of Afghanistan. For Amir, America helps him forget Afghanistan, and the past he hoped to have left there. While Amir is hiding in America, ironically, Babas mind is still in Afghanistan. American life isnt easily adapted by the people raised in the strict culture in Afghanistan. 8. What is the significance of the irony in the first story that Amir writes? After hearing Amir's story, Hassan asks, "Why did the man kill his wife? In fact, why did he ever have to feel sad to shed tears? Couldn't he have just smelled an onion?" How is his reaction to the story a metaphor for Amir's life? How does this story epitomize the difference in character between Hassan and Amir? Amirs first story is about a man whose tears turn into pearls. His ultimate goal is to achieve happiness by becoming rich. The irony of the story is that because of his greed he kills his wife and instead of being happy because he is rich is miserable because he just killed his wife. I believe that the irony in his story is significant because it directly relates to the problems in Amirs life. Similar to the man in his story, Amir has faced problems with greed; the only difference is that instead of wanting to become rich, Amir simply wants his fathers respect. Amir is greedy with Babas time, and he is greedy in the sense that he will do anything to get Baba to love him. The part in Amirs story when the man kills his wife relates to the point in Amirs life when he tries to win Babas love by winning the kite tournament and retrieving the last kite in the sky. In the end of Amirs story, the man became rich and miserable; after the kite tournament, Amir had earned his fathers love and respect, but he had also let Hassan get raped and for that he was miserable. Hassans reaction to the story is important because similar to the story Amirs life also has a plot hole. Couldnt he stay friends with Hassan even though he was raped, isnt that what Hassan would have wanted? In fact, why did he have to win the kite tournament to earn his fathers respect? Why didnt Amir just stand up for himself? This story gives several examples of differences between Amir and Hassan. First of all Amir is very greedy and selfish and Hassan only cares about others. Hassan is very bright and it is no surprise that he found a plot hole in Amirs story. Amir is smart, but he is not as bright as Hassan, and he wouldnt of noticed the plot hole in his story if Hassan hadnt told him a bout it. Amir is a somewhat of a traitor and Hassan is completely loyal to his Amir, no matter what he does to him. 9. Why is Baba disappointed by Amir's decision to become a writer? During their argument about his career path, Amir thinks to himself: "I would stand my ground, I decided. I didn't want to sacrifice for Baba anymore. The last time I had done that, I had damned myself." What has Amir sacrificed for Baba? How has Amir "damned himself"? Baba is disappointed by Amir's decision because he is afraid that Amir will go through all of his schooling and not find a successful job forcing Amir to work at a menial job. Baba wants his son to have a better life in America and does not think writing is a way to achieve that goal. Baba thinks the most successful career would be in the fields of either medicine or law school. Amir sacrificed his relationship with Hassan and Hassan's innocence for Baba. Amir was too cowardly to save his friend, actually thinking Hassan was the price he had to pay to win Baba's affection (77). He has also sacrificed much of his happiness for Baba; Amir has spent so much time trying to please his father

often at the expense of his own well-being. Amir played the terrible images through his mind over and over again rendering peace of mind impossible and filling himself full of shame. After not being able to bear living with Hassan anymore, Amir destroys the life Hassan couldve had for his own satisfaction. Amir damned himself by turning tail and running from the scene in the alley. Hassan was left desolate to fend for himself while Amir stood by and let the terrible tragedy occur. Amir valued his fathers affection more than anything and deemed it more worthy than Hassans safety. Of course, the ramifications of this action forced Amir to live with excessive guilt and shame for a long period of time (not to mention the constant replay of the injustice over and over again in his mind). 10. Compare and contrast the relationships between Soraya and Amir and their fathers. How have their upbringings contributed to these relationships. When they are in Afghanistan, Amir and Baba have a strained relationship. Baba cannot understand how his son can be so different than he is. Baba is an important merchant in Afghanistan and a well-respected man in the community, but when he and Amir move to the U.S., Baba is not above getting a job in a gas station just so Amir can complete his education. In the end, Baba becomes proud of Amir, even though he has grown up with different interests and talents than Baba. Amir also comes to love and respect his father and appreciate what his father has sacrificed for him. He cares for Baba as he grows sick and dies. Soraya's father was an important general in Afghanistan prior to the Taliban taking over. When he comes to the U.S., however, he is living in the past and refuses to take a job that is beneath him, so therefore he does not work. He is domineering and has very strong cultural ideas about the role of women. Soraya respects him, and her family, but at the same time, she is rebellious. She lives with a man to whom she is not married, causing a scandal for her proud father, but in the end, her father takes her back and allows her to live in the family in spite of the gossip about her in the Afghan community. Despite the father/daughter and father/son issues, both families hold to their traditional values and when Amir and Soraya express an interest in getting married, the families of both revert back to the traditional Afghan way of doing things. 11. Discuss how the ever-changing politics of Afghanistan affect each of the characters in the novel. - AMIR. Amir has to follow his father, Baba, to California when they are forced to leave Afghanistan after the Russian occupation. For Amir, it is a mixed blessing: He gets to start a new life, get a good education, get married, and try to forget his past sins in his homeland. When he returns to find Sohrab, Kabul is a changed city, ruled not by the Russians but by the even more ruthless Talban. ALI. As an ethnic Hazara, Ali will never rise above the lower levels of Afghanistan's social realm. Life is not good under Russian rule, but the Taliban routinely practice ethnic cleansing against his people. ASSEF. The son of a German mother and Pashtun father, the blond Assef worships Hitler and believes in the superiority of his father's people. When the Taliban rise to power, Assef moves up the ranks. BABA. Not a religious man, Baba thrives during the years before the Russian takeover. Unwilling to live as a pauper (or risk death) under Russian control, he heads to California. He is unable to rebuild the fortune he amassed in Afghanistan, but his business instinct and work ethic keeps him afloat. He continues to associate with Afghani ex-patriots in California, where his reputation among them is revered; however, the once wealthy man becomes a lower-middle class member of American society SANAUBAR. A Hazara women who moves from man to man, Hassan's mother's reputation is as low as her class standing in Afghanistan--scorned for her race as well as her promiscuity. HASSAN. As a Hazara, Hassan--like his father, Ali--will never rise up the social ladder in Afghanistan. Following the Russians' departure, he becomes even more of an outcast during the Taliban rule. GENERAL TAHERI. Like Baba, Taheri was a powerful man in Afghanistan who was forced to flee during the Russian takeover. He still hopes to return to power someday and awaits a shift in Afghani politics that will allow him to return to his old status. He is a far stricter man than Baba, however, and he

has repressed his daughter, Soraya, for her past indiscretions after her arrival (and short, rebellious behavior) in America 12. On Amir's trip back to Afghanistan, he stays at the home of his driver, Farid. Upon leaving he remarks: "Earlier that morning, when I was certain no one was looking, I did something I had done twenty-six years earlier: I planted a fistful of crumpled money under the mattress." Why is this moment so important in Amir's journey? This moment was very important in Amirs journey because it was a turning point in the novel. This moment showed the change the Amir went through in the novel. In the beginning of the novel Amir placed a wad of his birthday money and his watch under Hassans mattress to frame Hassan so he would be dismissed from their home. His actions at this point in the story were to relief himself from the burden that seeing Hassan gave him. Amirs actions were full of deceit and was an attempt to relieve himself from his own sin, by framing Hassan with the sin of theft, which he knew his father thought of as an unforgivable sin. Amirs first mattress stuffing situation was a ne gative one, while the one in the ending of the novel was a positive one. After leaving Farid and placing the money under the mattress and giving the young boy the watch was an action of thanks. Amir was aiding those who had less than him. Amirs actions show the change in his demeanor throughout the story. This moment shows the change of the cowardice in Amir. In the beginning, Amir does a cowardly act when he does not take action to help Hassan, and when Amir takes his trip back to Afghanistan he shows that he is no longer a coward and is doing a noble act by going back to get Sohrab. The placing of the money under the mattress shows his change in his demeanor to become more the man his father wished him to be. And by placing this money shows that he has changed and is willing to relieve himself from his past. 13. Throughout the story, Baba worries because Amir never stands up for himself. When does this change? Throughout the novel, it is apparent that Baba is worried about Amir never standing up for himself. Amir even recognizes this several times especially when he reflects on the scene in the alley when he "stood there and done nothing" (105). However, I think Amir eventually learns to stand up for himself, both mentally and physically. The first time Amir, himself, mentions standing up to his father is (as many others have mentioned) when he decides to become a writer. Amir always felt like a disappointment to Baba, but he realizes that if he continues trying to follow in his father's footsteps he will be unhappy, and so he chooses to make his own path. Amir also stands up to his father when he becomes friends with and later marries Soraya. When Amir began talking to Soraya, Baba recognized his motives and told Amir "just don't embarrasss me" (145). Despite his warnings, Amir still flirts with Soraya. He even learns to ignore the eyes of the flea-marketgoers and the gossip floating around town, and stands up to the General by asking for Soraya's hand in marriage. He stood up fo himself when he finally decided to go back to their place to save his nephew Sohreb from the inflicting harm of the Talibans and to at least get back to his half brother, Hassan. Finally, Amir stands up for himself physically when he meets with Assef after returning to Kabul. Amir felt it was his duty to stand up to Assef, not only for what he had done to Hassan in the alley many years ago, but also for what he had done to his hometown of Kabul and the innocent people that still lived there. Amir even begins to laugh when Assef is beating him up because he says he ironically "felt healed" (289). Amir, at last, feels that he successfully stood up for himself. I think by the end of the book Amir has become a strong man just like Baba was. He realizes that with everyone (Baba, Hassan, Rahim Khan) gone, he now has to be strong and teach Sohrab to become his own independent person, too.

14. 14. Amir's confrontation with Assef in Wazir Akar Khan marks an important turning point in the novel. Why does the author have Amir, Assef, and Sohrab all come together in this way? What is this the significance of the scar that Amir develops as a result of the confrontation? Why is it important in Amir's journey toward forgiveness and acceptance? After reading this portion of the novel, I had to reread it. I was amazed by how clever the placement of this confrontation was, and I was shocked that the man who had killed those people in the stadium and who had sexually abused Sohrab was Assef, someone that both Hassan and Amir knew during their childhood. This part of the novel was a very important turning point. Not only did Amir fulfill what he set out to do after this meeting, Amir was also able to begin to forgive himself for the pain hat he caused years ago as he felt the pain inflicted upon him by Assef. Also, at this point in the novel, Sohrab and Amir finally meet. Amir anxiously awaits his introduction to Hassans son, Sohrab; however, the context in which they meet stunned me. Assef changed the life of both Hassan and Amir. The tragedy that occurred in the alley when the boys were growing up in Afghanistan deeply affected the lives of both Hassan and Amir. Not only was their relationship severely damaged, their attitudes changed with this event. Both boys were forced to grow up after this tragedy. Amir was challenged with facing the situation, while Hassan had to deal with the emotional and physical consequences of this event in a completely different way. When Assef, Amir, and Sohrab come together, a similar situation takes place. Sohrab faces continual abuse as a slave to the needs of Assef, and Amir, again, is forced to witnesses this tragedy. What differs in this case is that Amir has the power and the will to stop this injustice. Although Amir does not fight back against Assef as he is beaten almost to death, he finally deals with the event that happened in the alley with this occurrence. Amir felt so much internal pain after witnessing Hassans rape; however, he was unable to express this sorrow and was therefore not punished for his actions. As physical pain is inflicted upon Amir by Assef, Amir is finally able to feel the external pain that he needed in order to get over the effects that Hassans tragedy had on him. Instead of Sohrab being hurt, Amir was able to stand up for him in his own way, and faced the torture himself. This way, Amir was able to both defend a victim of Assef and begin to get over the pain that he felt because of the cowardly way in which he acted while Hassan was raped years ago. The author has these three come together to emphasize the importance of the relationship between Amir, Sohrab, and Assef and the meaning that this relationship entails. Assef deeply hurt Hassan, emotionally and physically, and by being beaten up by Assef himself, Amir was able to feel the pain he thought he deserved and protect the heir of the innocent child that he was unable to defend growing up. Although Amir is finally able to recover from the event in the alley, the fight between Amir and Assef takes a great toll on both men. As a result of the confrontation, Amir develops a mark that reminds him of the scar that Hassan has after having surgery to fix his lip. Through fighting with Assef, Amir acquires the bravery that caused him to envy Hassan while growing up in Afghanistan. Because of this confrontation, Amir now bears a scar like that of Hassans. Amir becomes more like Hassan through the fight with Assef, and he has a mark to prove it. Amir finally stands up for something he believes in and learns what it feels like to desire to sacrifice for and help someone else. It also showed that to the very end, the blood of Hassan is very strong in his son that they would both save Amirs life whenever he is in danger. This event is extremely important in Amirs journey toward forgiveness and acceptance. The pain that Amir felt throughout the fight was external, and embodied the vast amount of internal pain that Amir faced because of the consequences of not acting to help Hassan in the alley. After this fight, Amir finally begins to accept what he did and starts to move on and forgive himself for his actions. Amir fulfills the request of Rahim Khan in retrieving the child, and further finds a way to be good again as he rescues Sohrab and feels the pain he thought he deserved.

15. While in the hospital in Peshawar, Amir has a dream in which he sees his father wrestling a bear: "They role over a patch of grass, man and beast...they fall to the ground with a loud thud and Baba is sitting on the bear's chest, his fingers digging in its snout. He looks up at me, and I see. He's me. I am wrestling the bear." Why is this dream so important at this point in the story? What does this dream finally help Amir realize? At this point in the story, Amir has been broken down. Nevertheless, he is ironically rejuvenated and strengthened by his confrontation with Assef in Kabul. Amir stands up for himself and displays his courage and bravery even as he is beaten by Assef, an impossible challenger. In the dream, the bear is the impossible challenger that Amir is finally ready to face up to. When it was his father wrestling the bear, Amir looked up to Baba and admired his strength and power. With the confrontation between him and Assef, Amir is finally able to view himself as something other than weak and afraidhe is able to view himself like he saw his father. Amir is now the strong fighter who faces a challenger with courage and bravery. At this point in the story, Amir is recovering from the multitude of injuries that were inflicted upon him by Assef. Amir has fought the bear in his life and has stood up for a cause. This dream emphasizes Amirs resulting strength even in light of his numerous injuries. Through this dream, Amir sees himself as strong and valuable and, most importantly, a fighter. It is he who fights with Assef. Amir internally wrestles with the tragedy that occurred in the alley for a long time, and with this fight, Amir is able to physically face a fight and not back down. This dream is a very important part of the story, and with its importance, it carries great significance in helping Amir realize that he is a fighter. Amir is broken, yet this dream helps him to recognize that all will be well againif he fights for what he wants. Amir will get better and will make a better life for Sohrab, and through this dream, Amir realizes how he has to fight for Sohrab to come to the United States and live in a better community, in a happier and more peaceful place. This dream helps Amir realize his own strength, and in doing so, Amir is able to stand up for himself and defend those around him for the good of someone other than himself. The bear fight is a metaphor used throughout the entire book. It is a metaphor for standing up for yourself, something meaningful to your life, and/or getting through a tough time. There was a story about Baba beating a bear in fight. The story was believable because of the three jagged scars on Babas back. Later at Babas funeral Amir realizes that Babas fight was not just with a real bear but also with figurative bears: the death of his wife, being a single father to a son he doesnt quite understand, Poverty, and many others. Later, long after Babas funeral, Amir has a dream about Baba fighting and beating the bear. When Baba looks up Amir sees his self. The dream is a recognition that he, Amir, finally stood up for something: his life, Sohrab, Hassan, and his personal well-being. Amir finally fought his own bear. He finally proved Baba wrong in his earlier thoughts that Amir would never be able to stand up for anything. 16. Amir and Hassan have a favorite story. Does the story have the same meaning for both men? Why does Hassan name his son after one of the characters in the story? Briefly, the Persian legend of "Rostam and Sohrab" describes a father's (Rostam) search for his long-lost son. He unknowingly meets his son in battle and mortally wounds him just as he discovers that his enemy was his son. The story is loved by the illiterate Hassan, who constantly asks Amir to read it to him. Amir does not seem to like it as much as Hassan. He gripes when he has to reread it, and he thinks of Baba as the type of father who would kill his own son. He even thinks at one point that Baba hates him. For Hassan, the story represents several things. First, he loves the romance of it. In the story, there are no Hazaras and Pashtuns, no Sunnis versus Shiites. Similarly, Hassan loves the story's reference to the marriage of love between Rostam and his beautiful princess who wanted her son as much as her husband (this is in direct contrast to how Sanuabar viewed her husband Ali and her son Hassan). I believe that Hassan names his son Sohrab because Sohrab is the innocent one in the legend and because the name brings back so many of his fond memories of time spent in childhood innocence with

Amir. Perhaps Hassan believed that one day Amir ("Rostam") would have an opportunity to save Sohrab rather than destroy him. I think Amir likes the tale of "Rostam and Sohrab" because he can deeply relate to it. The tragedy that occurs in this story, is an exaggeration of the relationship between Amir and his father, as Amir is growing up. He understands how the son, Sohrab feels, but does not pity Rostam. I think that in this story Hassan thought of Amir as Sohrab. And at the same time Amir was "the father" and Hassan Sohrab. Because Amir always tried to gain the affection of his father Baba and Hassan always wanted the attention of Amir. So in other words what I am trying to say is that they both think of themselves as Sohrab. And also, because Sohrab at any cost, any life risking situations he was in, he would still strive for the love of his father. Because of that valor Sohrab became Amir's savior. Hassan thinks of him as someone special one with importance, so therefore Hassan names his son by the name "Sohrab", because his son is also another one with importance. The favorite story of Amir and Hassan when they are young is "Rostam and Sohrab", from the Shahnamah, an epic of ancient Persia. It is the tale of the great warrior Rostam, who mortally wounds his nemesis Sohrab, only to discover that Sohrab is his long-lost son. Hassan loves the story because its tragedy touches his heart, and he ofter cries when Amir reads it. Amir, on the other hand, likes the story for a selfish reason. He plays a trick on the unsuspecting Hassan one day by making up his own version of the tale, and Hassan likes it so much that Amir is encouraged to write a story of his own. Amir discovers his lifelong talent and passion for writing because of Hassan's genuine appreciation for the story he so treacherously fabricates. On a conscious level, Hassan names his son after the story's hero Sohrab because he loves the story so much and remembers it many years later when his child is born, but on a metaphorical level the tragedy of Rostam and Sohrab mirrors his own life. Hassan never knows that Baba is his true father, and is never able to experience the love that they might have shared, just like Sohrab does not discover his own father until it is too late (Chapters 3 and 16). 17. Baba and Amir know that they are very different people. Often it disappoints both of them that Amir is not the son that Baba has hoped for. When Amir finds out that Baba has lied to him about Hassan, he realizes that "as it turned out, Baba and I were more alike than I'd never known." How does this make Amir feel about his father? How is this both a negative and positive realization? I think it is positive in the sense that he finally found some common ground with Baba, but ultimately it is negative because the common ground came from feeling guilty and trying to atone for something that they did, instead of just being honest in the first place. Lie.... 18. 18. When Amir and Baba move to the States their relationship changes, and Amir begins to view his father as a more complex man. Discuss the changes in their relationship. Do you see the changes in Baba as tragic or positive? In the end, I think the changes in Baba were positive. To get to that positive end was humiliating and humbling, but ultimately it led to Amir and Baba having the relationship with each other they had always longed for: Baba had the son he was proud of, who did his duty to his father until the end. Amir had a father who supported him in his relationships and life choices. I see Baba as a survivor. Unlike the true tragic character of the (what's his name) former Afghan government official who was living off public welfare in hopes that he would work in the Afghan government one day, Baba made the most of the circumstances. Baba couldn't stay in Afghanistan and survive with his son, and he was ultimately offered the opportunity to go to the US. Baba kept his pride and made a life of dignity for himself - though not easily - and died in dignity.

19. Discuss the difference between Baba and Ali and between Amir and Hassan. Are Baba's and Amir's betrayals and similarities in their relationships of their servants (if you consider Baba's act a betrayal) similar or different? Do you think that such betrayals are inevitable in the master/servant relationship, or do you feel that they are due to flaws in Baba's and Amir's characters, or are they the outcome of circumstances and characters? Baba and Ali were friends like Amir and Hassan. They both played with each other on a regular basis, but despite their friendship and the tremendous dedication and loyalty of their servants, Baba and Amir both betrayed them. Baba violated Ali by having a baby with his wife, and Amir betrayed Hassan by watching him get raped and then telling Baba that he stole his Christmas presents. Ali never knew that Baba betrayed him and they stayed friends their whole lives. Hassan obviously knew that Amir betrayed him because he didnt steal Amirs Christmas presents and they hadnt spoken to each other or played with each other since he got raped. Baba made up for his sins by helping out the community; he built an orphanage and never denied a beggar. Amir pardoned himself after he freed Sohrab from Assef. Both betrayals were similar in cruelty, but I feel that Amir deserved to be forgiven more than Baba because Baba took his betrayal to the grave without ever apologizing to Ali. Amir indirectly apologized to Hassan by protecting Sohrab. I do not believe that betrayals are inevitable in master/servant relationships; however, I believe that it is very difficult to balance a master/servant friendship. I would find it extremely hard to respect somebody as a friend that I also pay to cook my food and clean my underwear. This conflict became apparent in the story when Amir would ignore Hassan when he was playing with his other friends and relatives. In Amirs case, Hassan never would have gotten rapped if they wouldnt have been friends because Hassan wouldnt have ran the kite for Amir. However, it still would have been possible for Amir to protect Hassan and avoid betraying anyone. 20. 20. Who is Khaled Hosseini and how has his work in literature and in the world society nations been critically received? Like the characters in his bestselling novel, "The Kite Runner," Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. His father was a diplomat with the Afghan Foreign Ministry and his mother was a teacher. Hosseini lived in Afghanistan from the time of his birth in 1965 until his father was transferred to Paris in 1976. The Soviet invasion in late 1979 changed his life forever. The family was ready to return to Kabul in 1980, but instead sought and received political asylum in the United States. Hosseini's family moved to California, where he graduated from high school four years later. After high school, he enrolled at Santa Clara University and received a bachelor's degree in Biology. He then pursued a career in medicine, enrolling in the U.C. San Diego School of Medicine, where he earned his medical degree in 1993. Hosseini finished his internship and began practicing medicine. He was still working as a doctor when he began writing his first novel, "The Kite Runner," a gripping story of friendship between two boys. The novel was published in 2003 and went on to become an international bestseller that received critical acclaim. Critics called it "haunting" (The New York Times), "extraordinary" (People), and "powerful" (The Washington Post Book World). 21. The kite flying tournament is an important event in a boys life in Afghanistan. Why is it significant and what does winning the kite flying tournament symbolize? How does this symbolism resonate with the novels title? Kite flying in Afghanistan symbolises national pride, history, independence, pride and religion. In Afghanistan kite flying competitions reward the kite that destroys the opposition. In kite fighting competitions the objective is to cut the string of all other kites to leave only one kite flying. Kite runner.

22. 22. Discuss how the geographic location of Afghanistan has made it the crossroads of civilizations and conquering armies from ancient times up to the present. How do the results of those conquests affect the tribes in Afghanistan up to now? Afghanistan is a land-locked, arid country that shares borders with China, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It is often referred to as the crossroads of Cental Asia. Afghanistan is a poor country with a very turbulent history. To really understand the setting of The Kite Runner you will need both physical and political maps of Afghanistan in order to locate the places referred to, such as Kabul, the Hazarajat region (central mountainous provinces), Bamiyan (135km west of Kabul), Jalabad (170kms south-east of Kabul), Mazari-Sharif, the Khyber Pass, Peshawar and Islamabad in Pakistan, as well as note the geography of the terrain, the climate and tribal regions. Seventy-five percent of the country is mountainous, with average elevation about 1300mts. The Hindu Kush range (central highlands) is the second highest range in the world. Three percent of land is forested and 12.4% is under permanent cultivation. There are 29 provinces. The population of Afghanistan is estimated at 28,717,213, excluding nomads of whom there were over two million in 1983. Kabul (capital) has a population of 2,272,000. There are as many as 3.5 million Afghani refugees in neighbouring countries. Kabul has existed as a centre of population for over 3000 years and was mentioned in Indian scriptures going back to 1500BCE. It is strategically located on the main route to India through the Khyber Pass. It became the capital in 1773 under the reign of Timur Shah. The ethnic composition is: Pashtun 44%, Tajik 25%, Hazara 10%, minor ethnic groups (Aimaks, Turkman, Baloch) 13% and Uzbek 8%. The religious composition is: Sunni Muslim 84%, Shia Muslim 15%, others (Jewish, Hindu and Sikh) 1%. The location of Afghanistan astride the land routes between the Indian subcontinent, Iran, and central Asia has enticed conquerors throughout history. Its high mountains, although hindering unity, helped the hill tribes to preserve their independence. It is probable that there were well-developed civilizations in S Afghanistan in prehistoric times, but the archaeological record is not clear. Certainly cultures had flourished in the north and east before the Persian king Darius I (c.500 B.C.) conquered these areas. Later, Alexander the Great conquered (329327 B.C.) them on his way to India. 23. Religious Fundamentalism of the Taliban is imbricated with racial or ethnic and class problems. How are these dramatized in the novel? The Taliban emerged in 1995. They were thought to come from Sunni Muslim Pashtun students, intellectuals and disaffected mujaheddin (holy warriors). They were trained in madrasses (conservative Koranic schools) in Pakistan and eager recruits were found among the refugee camps on the Pakistani border. The Taliban is committed to fundamentalism, to implementing Sharia law and preaches basic Koranic values. When they took Kabul, strict Islamic law was immediately imposed, girls schools were closed and women ordered to cease working. The sixteen decrees broadcast on Radio Sharia in September 1996 outlying the prohibitions of the Taliban included female exposure, playing music, shaving, kite-fighting, gambling, dancing at weddings, playing drums and having British or American hairstyles. In 1997 a Taliban offensive aimed at capturing the north of the country failed and anti-Taliban counterattacks on Kabul intensified. A civil war between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance continued, but by the end of that year the Taliban controlled 90% of the country. They killed 4000 Shia Hazaras at Mazar-i-Sharif following its capture on 8 Aug 1998. In Jan 2001 Taliban officials cracked down severely on dress codes for women and imposed regulations which forced men to wear beards. The Taliban also virtually eliminated the huge production of opium. Despite worldwide protests, the Taliban forces destroyed unique historical statues, including the worlds largest standing Buddha in Bamiyan, some 135km west of Kabul, because they had been decreed idolatrous by Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar.