Analysis of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

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Long Form 1, The Kite Runner

THE AUTHOR AND HIS/HER TIMES:

Khaled Hosseini was born on March 4, 1965 in Afghanistan. Hosseini left Afghanistan with the rest of his family when he barely eleven years old. After graduating from college, he became a doctor in California, but is currently a novelist and physician. He has been awarded the Book Sense Book of the Year Award for Adult Fiction. Hosseini is also the author of several other books such as A Thousand Splendid Suns and As the Mountains Echoed.

FORM, STRUCTURE, AND PLOT:

This superb novel is organized into 25 chapters. There is a single straightforward plot. This novel consists of many flashbacks as the narrator is discussing his past beginning when he was a small child. There are also many examples of foreshadowing that occur throughout The Kite Runner. This novel spans roughly 26 years of the narrator’s life.

CHARACTER:

Amir is the narrator and protagonist of this novel. Amir, emotional and intelligent, is the son of a wealthy and prosperous businessman. He grows up with a feeling of entitlement because of this. His best friend is Hassan, and Amir is both a loyal and jealous friend. He becomes jealous whenever Hassan receives Amir’s father’s attention and affection. Amir is an amazing storyteller and grows into a published novelist. Amir’s behaviour in the beginning of this story is due to the fact that he will do anything to receive his father’s approval. Hence, Amir letting Hassan get raped by the boys in order for him to be able to keep the blue kite. From then on, Amir feels extremely guilty for what he let happen and tries to find a way to redeem himself. Ultimately he does so through self-sacrifice and bravery. Amir finally writes this novel a...

... middle of paper ...

... to hopeful as he rescues Sohrab and is able to redeem himself.

THEME:

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TITLE: In Kabul, an annual kite festival is held every year. People build or buy kites to battle others in the hopes of winning. When a kite is cut loose, and is no longer in the battle, many people will run after the kites in order to catch them. Hence, the term kite runner. During one of these festivals, Amir wins the kite festival and Hassan runs after the losing kite to retrieve it for Amir. Hassan is able to catch the kite which results in his rape when he won’t give it to Assef. Hassan’s rape and Amir’s search for redemption are the things that drive Amir to write his story.

MEMORABLE QUOTES:

Works Cited:

"Biography." Khaled Hosseini. Web. 05 May 2014. .

Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead, 2003. Print.

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