"The Kite Runner Summary". Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! In 198, the Taliban massacred the Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif. from your Reading List will also remove any "[25] Sarah Smith from The Guardian thought the novel started out well but began to falter towards the end. Web8. People experience their lives against the backdrop of their culture, and while Hosseini wisely steers clear of merely exoticizing Afghanistan as a monolithically foreign place, he does so much work to make his novel emotionally accessible to the American reader that there is almost no room, in the end, for us to consider for long what might differentiate Afghans and Americans. Among other injuries, Amir suffers from a ruptured spleen, seven broken ribs, a punctured lung, lacerations, and a fracture of the eye socket bone. WebTold him to call the Caldwells in the morning (227). In the end, however, Babas guilt led him to do good. Baba lied about Hassan being his son because if he didnt, he would have had to admit that he had sex with Sanaubar, Alis wife and a Hazara woman. on 50-99 accounts. As a child, Amir sometimes treats Hassan badly partly because of class distinctions. Baba says Amir is not like other boys, and he worries that if Amir cant stand up for himself as a child, he will not be able to do so as an adult. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. 30. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. Rahim Khan knew that if and when Amir returned with Sohrab, Amir would realize the lie and bring the boy to him. Later he found Hassan walking home, kite in hand, with blood dripping from his pants. "[29], The Kite Runner was also an inspiration for the creation of the Kite Runner project in Istanbul, an initiative of the association Diyalog in cooperation with International Media Support (IMS). He also promised Sohrab that he would never have to go to another orphanage. Feroz further expressed concern that works by Hosseini, who was raised in a culturally Tajik context rather than Pashtun, would prevent western readers from developing a more nuanced view of Afghanistan. ", "The Kite Runner: the Afghan tragedy goes unexplained", "Do I really have to read 'The Kite Runner'? Amir's motivation for the childhood betrayal is rooted in his insecurities regarding his relationship with his father. Anytime someone said he would fail, he didnt listen, and he always succeeded. Over the phone, Soraya told Amir her shameful secret. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Sohrab looked terrified. Amir finds a kinder fatherly figure in Rahim Khan, Baba's closest friend, who understands him and supports his interest in writing, whereas Baba considers that interest to be worthy only of females. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! Amir managed to make an appointment with this Talib for the same day. Amir has now lost another father-figure in Rahim Khan. Refine any search. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. [2] Themes of guilt and redemption feature prominently in the novel,[3] with a pivotal scene depicting an act of sexual assault inflicted upon Amir's friend Hassan, which Amir fails to prevent, and which ends their friendship. This struggle is a conflict between the kind of man that Amir believes he is, and the kind of man that Baba is. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. Baba also has his own strong moral sense. How is a kite fighting tournament won? Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. In fact, he admires Sorayas courage in telling him her truth. 29. She had once run away with an Afghan man. Luckily, Amir and Baba managed to emigrate to the San Francisco area. WebThe Kite Runner Chapter 24. Amir eventually manages to take him back to the United States with the help of Soraya. His great desire to please his father is the primary motivation for his behavior early in the novel, and it is the main reason he allows Hassan to be raped. Hassans parents were Hazara as well. He hates Baba's expectations and culture. Ultimately he does so through courage and self-sacrifice, and he tells his story as a form of penance. After khastegari came lafz, "the ceremony of giving word." Find more similar flip PDFs like The Kite Runner. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. Even after leaving the country, moving to America, marrying, and becoming a successful writer, he is unable to forget the incident. The last king of Afghanistan, who rules for 40 years. Teachers and parents! He gives him all the money Rahim left, a little over $2,000. Riverhead Books published The Kite Runner, ordering an initial printing of 50,000 copies in hardback. Historical Context Essay: The Kite Runner and The Taliban, Literary Context Essay: Coming-of-Age Stories, Khaled Hosseini and The Kite Runner Background. WebBaba and Amir are in Fremont, California, where they have lived for nearly two years. "[34], Hosseini was surprised by the extent of the controversy caused by the rape scene and said that Afghan actors would not have been cast had studios known that their lives would be threatened. The section also establishes a context for the information: Amir, our narrator, is an adult living in the United States and looking back on his childhood years in Afghanistan. Hassan takes the blame because he loves Amir, and this unconditional love and willingness to sacrifice himself for those he loves are part of Hassans true nature. Because Baba was so ill, Soraya and Amir decided to forgo the Shirini-kori, the traditional engagement party, as well as the engagement period. For Amir, America represented a fresh beginning, free of all his haunting memories of Hassan. He hid his wristwatch and money under Hassan and Ali's mattress. A nurse's assistant helps Amir walk around. Farid has become a loyal friend on Amirs journey. Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! Why does Amir sometimes treat Hassan badly in childhood? $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% Amir witnesses the act but is too scared to intervene. LitCharts Teacher Editions. How can Amir really be good again? They have only their fathers and each other. Sohrab is being kept at Assef's house as a dancing boy. Farid drove them away and Amir passed out. He knows that if he fails to bring home the kite, Baba would be less proud of him, so he runs away. Struggling with distance learning? Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! A lot of my childhood friends had a very hard time. A boy from Amirs and Hassans neighborhood. How did Ali become a part of baba's family? for a customized plan. Amir cried, and Baba could barely hide his disdain for the boy. ", "Book Buzz: 'Kite Runner' celebrates 10th anniversary", "A Woman's Lot in Kabul, Lower Than a House Cat's", "Khaled Hosseini: 'If I could go back now, I'd take The Kite Runner apart', "Wrenching Tale by an Afghan Immigrant Strikes a Chord", "The Kite Runner: Is Redemption Truly Free? They demanded that Hassan relinquish the house to them. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. WebThough people said he had no business sense, he became one of the most successful businessmen in the city. WebRahim Khan knows an American couple named Thomas and Betty Caldwell that have a good orphanage in Peshawar. Sanaubar openly detested Alis physical appearance. Rahim Khan's letter is also a statement about faith, God, and forgiveness. Afterwards, Amir keeps distant from Hassan; his feelings of guilt prevent him from interacting with the boy. To Baba's sorrow, Hassan and Ali leave anyway, because Hassan has told Ali what happened to him. are Shia Muslim. | What are Ali and Hassan's distinct physical characteristics? For the film, see, "Before 'The Kite Runner,' Khaled Hosseini had never written a novel. No matter how much he begged, Hassan would not hit him back. Although Rahim Khan loved the woman and it was his father that sent her away, he explains to Amir that such a decision was for the best because the woman would have suffered due to their different social classes. Amazingly, Amir won, and Hassan went to run the last kite for him. [2] He later divulged that he frequently came up with pieces of the plot by drawing pictures of it. He has a chance to be forgiving of Why does Hassan lie about stealing Amirs watch? Farid has become a loyal friend on Amirs journey. [9][12] It was released on May 29, 2003, and the paperback edition was released a year later. Amir recalls an event that happened twenty-six years before, when he was still a boy in Afghanistan, and says that that made him who he is. Baba was aloof and did not pay Amir much attention. The way the content is organized. Ali was a devout reader of the Koran, the bottom half of his face was paralyzed, and polio destroyed the muscle in his right leg, giving him a severe limp. Amir kept Sohrab's past secret from the Taheris until General Taheri called him a "Hazara boy." Renews May 8, 2023 His character arc takes him from being a normal little boy to the traumatized victim of sexual and physical abuse, and he goes from speaking very little to not at all. [22] The relationship between parents and their children features prominently in the novel, and in an interview, Hosseini elaborated: Both [The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns] are multigenerational, and so the relationship between parent and child, with all of its manifest complexities and contradictions, is a prominent theme. (including. Why doesnt Amir help Hassan in the alley? Sometimes it can end up there. "[9] First Lady Laura Bush commended the story as "really great". [29] The latter was pleased with the final product and said, "I believe Fabio Celoni's work vividly brings to life not only the mountains, the bazaars, the city of Kabul and its kite-dotted skies, but also the many struggles, conflicts, and emotional highs and lows of Amir's journey. WebFull Book Analysis. Sorayas uncle. Renews May 8, 2023 The soldier refers to Hassan as a Hazara, which we learn is a persecuted ethnic group in Afghanistan. Purchasing Alis leg was damaged by polio and his face paralyzed since birth, and Hassan was born with a cleft palate (a harelip, as Amir describes it). Amir, a well-to-do Pashtun boy, and Hassan, a Hazara boy who is the son of Ali, Amir's father's servant, spend their days kite fighting in the hitherto peaceful city of Kabul. Amir loves parts of his father and resents other parts. Rahim Khan asked Amir to go to Kabul and bring Sohrab back to Peshawar. What is the significance of Alis first wife? ", "Word-of-mouth success gets reading group vote", "Kite Runner is reading group favourite for second year running", "GeekDad Interview: Khaled Hosseini, Author of, "Top ten most frequently challenged books of 2008, by ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom", "Hollywood Foreign Press Association 2008 Golden Globe Awards", "Review: The Kite Runner/Liverpool Playhouse", Official website of author Khaled Hosseini, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Kite_Runner&oldid=1151733995, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2022, Articles with MusicBrainz release group identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 25 April 2023, at 22:41. Fifteen years after his wedding, Amir receives a call from Rahim Khan. Father of Amir and Hassan and a wealthy, well-respected businessman. Rahim Khan gave Amir a letter that Hassan had written six months earlier along with a snapshot of him and Sohrab. Amir tells himself that having Hassan leave Babas household would lessen both Hassans and his own suffering. It's about human beings. One of the best-loved and most highly acclaimed novels of our time, THE KITE RUNNER is a powerful play of friendship that follows one mans journey to confront his past and find redemption. At halftime, the Talibs brought two accused adulterers out to the field and made them stand in pits in the ground. Every Sunday, Baba and Amir make extra money selling used goods at a flea market in San Jose. '"[11] Afghan-Austrian journalist Emran Feroz, however, criticized the novel for oversimplifying ethnic relations in Afghanistan and portraying Pashtuns in general in an overly negative light. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. The Kite Runner is the first novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Amir, Farid, and Sohrab get a hotel room (it's much nicer than the dump in Kabul no bloodstains, clean towels, etc.). [38], Hosseini was approached by Piemme, his Italian publisher, about adapting The Kite Runner to a graphic novel in 2011. Amir is the sensitive and intelligent son of a well-to-do businessman in Kabul, and he grows up with a sense of entitlement. They were allowed to pass. Why does Rahim Khan lie about the American couple? Hassan's mental and physical well-being begin to deteriorate as a result, but he still tries to interact with Amir. 1200 South Forest Avenue. Initially, his sense of time is distorted, and he is continually fading in and out. And just as Amir longed for physical punishment from Hassan under the pomegranate tree, Baba longed for his own punishment, something he would never receive. Very soon after, Amir asked Baba to go khastegari, to ask for Soraya's hand in marriage. Explain kite running. However, his acceptance of Soraya shows he is mature and tolerant and has learned from his past. The relationships between fathers and sons, and between the older generation and the new one, are a major theme of the story. Published in 2003 by Riverhead Books, it tells the story of Amir, a young boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul. Assef explained that he was on a mission to kill all the Hazaras in Afghanistan. "a husband and wife named Thomas and Betty Caldwell". After hiding in a basement in Jalalabad, they departed for Peshawar, Pakistan in the filthy tank of a fuel truck. 27. When he finally came to, he found out that he had almost died of a ruptured spleen. Amir feels incredibly guilty but knows his cowardice would destroy any hopes for Baba's affections, so he keeps quiet about the incident. Chapter 23. WebThe reader first meets Assef as a violent, racist child who draws his social power from his economic and ethnic identity, and wants to rid his country of all Hazaras. Baba, meanwhile, is gruff, hardworking, a little distant from Amir, and very much an independent thinker. Afghanistan is a divided country and two childhood friends are about to be We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. Baba stood up for her even though the soldier was armed. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1725 titles we cover. Contact us Complete your free account to request a guide. The image of Baba and the bear returns, but this time it is Amir who is wrestling the bear this means that Amir has become the kind of man Baba always wanted him to be, and he can face obstacles head-on and fight to overcome them. Amir did nothing to help Hassan as Assef raped him. While Baba pours himself a glass of whiskey, Amir tells him that a religious teacher at his school, Mullah Fatiullah Khan, says it is sinful for Muslims to drink alcohol. Sohrab was shy, but he followed Amir as he launched the kite into the air. He also explains that Amir was a physical representation of Baba's guilt; that is, although Baba loved both Hassan and Amir his two sons he was unable to demonstrate openly his love for Hassan. Dont have an account? [4] By the publication of Khaled Hosseini's third novel in 2013, over seven million copies had been sold in the United States. SparkNotes PLUS Amir explains, I wished hed give me the punishment I craved, so maybe Id finally sleep at night.. Babas words in Chapter 3 foreshadow the eventual takeover of Afghanistan by the radical Islamic fundamentalists called the Taliban. [5] The book received the South African Boeke Prize in 2004. In the winter of 1975, there was a massive kite tournament. Both boys are motherless: Amir's mother died in childbirth, while Hassan's mother, Sanaubar, simply abandoned him and Ali. Soraya moved in with Amir and Baba so they could spend his last days together. General Taheri is proud to the point of arrogance at times, and he places great value on upholding Afghan traditions. While Hassans rape is in many ways the center of the entire novel, the word rape appears only once. The true intent of the statement is Amir's decision to parent Sohrab. Baba forgave him immediately, but Hassan and Ali were too humiliated to stay. Significantly, both Hassan and Amir have lost their mothers. Rahim Khan summons Amir to Afghanistan to atone for his betrayal of Hassan, and knows that Amir cannot be trusted to rescue Sohrab unless he believes someone else will take over the responsibility. You can view our. Thus, Sohrab travels with Amir to Islamabad. Five days after Hassan was born, she ran away with a group of traveling performers. 20% Amir meets the Taliban leader, who reveals himself as Assef. What does Amir ask his father while they are planting tulips? Contact us After thinking things over at a caf, he returned and said he would bring Sohrab to Peshawar. [20] Despite this, some critics questioned whether the protagonist had fully redeemed himself.[21]. Why does Amir ask Baba if he has seen Amirs new watch? Most people thought the marriage was arranged by Sanaubars father as a way to restore honor to his family. He bought one and went over to Sohrab, who had secluded himself as usual. He agrees and the two marry. Subscribe now. Discount, Discount Code Amir is a gifted storyteller and grows from aspiring writer to published novelist. One big difference divider was literacy. He and Farid spent the night in a run-down hotel. Baba tells him that there is only one sin: theft. When Amir refused, Rahim Khan told him a life-changing secret: he and Hassan were half-brothers. Read an in-depth character analysis of Baba. Dont have an account? Amir is freed of the daily reminder of his cowardice and betrayal, but he still lives in their shadow. Baba believes first and foremost in doing what is right and thinking for oneself, and he tries to impart these qualities to Amir. Though people said he had no business sense, he became one of the most successful businessmen in the city. Amir asks Baba if he has seen Amirs new watch as part of his plot to have Hassan sent away. Teachers and parents! By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. [37] Two years later, David Ira Goldstein, artistic director of Arizona Theater Company, organized for it to be performed at San Jose Repertory Theatre. Amir was disgusted to see him teasing Hassan during the party. One day he even suggested to Baba that they get new servants. He took Hassan up to the hill and pelted him with pomegranates. In the winter, schools were closed in Kabul and the boys spent much time kite fighting. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. Then he told her he was bringing Sohrab home. It isn't until the end of Baba's life that he appreciates Amir's talents for education and writing. Why does Amir want Hassan to leave Babas household? WebThe Kite Runner is the first novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini. Answer: By severing the strings of all other kites. Murdering a man, for instance, is stealing his life. However, after finding the kite, Hassan encounters Assef in an alleyway. The section additionally introduces the reader to Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and the location of the events. After his adoption, Sohrab refuses to interact with Amir or Soraya until Amir reminisces about Hassan and kites and shows off some of Hassan's tricks one day. He makes a point of buying Hassan exactly the same things as Amir, to Amir's annoyance. What is the significance of Alis first wife? PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. Eventually, Baba and Amir started selling used goods at a local flea market. Sohrab is traumatized by his sexual abuse, and so cannot let himself be touched by an adult yet. Why does Amir want Hassan to hit him with pomegranates? A doctor diagnosed Baba with terminal cancer and Baba refused palliative treatments. The chapter opens in Islamabad. Hassan runs for the last cut kite, a great trophy, saying to Amir, "For you, a thousand times over." The key is to a safe-deposit box that contains a significant amount of money that should cover Amir's expenses. Hassans wife and Sohrabs mother. creating and saving your own notes as you read. [7] For example, he did not decide to make Amir and Hassan brothers until after he had "doodled it". Amir then admits that he doesnt help Hassan because he wants to get the kite to bring back to his father, a gesture that he believes will cause his father to finally love and accept him: Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba.. After graduating from high school, Amir takes classes at San Jose State University to develop his writing skills. Amir was horrified to discover that the Talib was Assef. Having been "a fan of comic books since childhood", he was open to the idea, believing that The Kite Runner was a good candidate to be presented in a visual format. Amir searches for Sohrab, accompanied by Farid, an Afghan taxi driver and veteran of the war with the Soviets. Amir did feel like a foreigner because he had to wear a fake beard and was dressed in traditional Afghan clothing for the first time. WebAmir is the sensitive and intelligent son of a well-to-do businessman in Kabul, and he grows up with a sense of entitlement. Though it remains unclear why, he feels a tremendous sense of guilt about those events, and he believes they shaped him into who he is. One triumphant day, Amir wins the local kite-fighting tournament and finally earns Baba's praise. His relationship with Hassan degraded. He calls Mullah Fatiullah Khan and men like him idiots. Yes, Amir redeems himself, and by the end of the novel, he has paid for his betrayal of Hassan. Read more about the persistence of the past as a theme. Amir's jaw will be wired shut for six weeks. Sohrab is haunted by his past trauma like so many other characters (Hassan, Kamal, and Amir with his guilt), so he is slow to open up and trust Amir. Amirs wife. Every other sin is a variation of theft. They share the fundamental beliefs of Islamthat there is only one God and that Muhammad was his prophet, for instancebut some of their other beliefs and practices differ.). $24.99 Not affiliated with Harvard College. Amir feels incredible guilt over sacrificing Hassan in order to get the blue kite, the kite he believed would cause his father to finally love him. Baba worked long hours at a gas station and even though he loved "the idea of America," had trouble adjusting to its everyday realities.
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