The Kite Runner
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
Chapters 1-5 (PP. 1-47)
Reading Questions
1. The novel begins with a flashback. What do you think is its purpose? What do you learn about the narrator? The purpose of the book in my opinion is to set up the setting of the main idea of the book and to give the readers Amir’s opinion on his fellow characters, so they can see the main idea. You learn about Amir’s life and how this event has affected him. 2. Who is Hassan? Describe him physically. What is a cleft lip? Describe him by his relationships. What was his first word? Why is that important? How did he come into Amir's life? What contrast is made between Amir and Hassan? Hassan is Amir’s servant who is also like a little brother to Amir. Hassan has a perfectly rounded face, like a Chinese doll chiseled from hardwood; a flat, broad nose; slanting and narrow eyes like bamboo leaves; tiny, low-set ears; a pointed stub of a chin, with a cleft lip. A cleft lip is a congenital split in the upper lip on one or both sides of the center. Hassan is very close to Amir; he looks up to him almost like a son would look up to a father. Hassan’s first word was Amir. That is important because most children’s first word is either mommy or daddy, Hassan saying Amir represents how much Amir means to him. Hassan came into Amir’s life by Hassan and Ali (Hassan’s father) being Baba’s (Amir’s father) servants. Hassan is physically strong and has confidence and a backbone whereas Amir is witty and not confident in himself at all. He is also very weak and has no backbone. Amir is jealous of the relationship Hassan and Baba have.
3. What does the narrator, Amir, recall about the moment he became “what he is today (p2)? What do you think that happened that day? Amir recalls kite running with Hassan and a dark alley. I think something very traumatic is going to happen to Hassan.
4. What does it mean to be Hazara, Shi’a Muslim, and Afghanistan’s minority group? Who, in the story
Chapters 1-5 (PP. 1-47)
Reading Questions
1. The novel begins with a flashback. What do you think is its purpose? What do you learn about the narrator? The purpose of the book in my opinion is to set up the setting of the main idea of the book and to give the readers Amir’s opinion on his fellow characters, so they can see the main idea. You learn about Amir’s life and how this event has affected him. 2. Who is Hassan? Describe him physically. What is a cleft lip? Describe him by his relationships. What was his first word? Why is that important? How did he come into Amir's life? What contrast is made between Amir and Hassan? Hassan is Amir’s servant who is also like a little brother to Amir. Hassan has a perfectly rounded face, like a Chinese doll chiseled from hardwood; a flat, broad nose; slanting and narrow eyes like bamboo leaves; tiny, low-set ears; a pointed stub of a chin, with a cleft lip. A cleft lip is a congenital split in the upper lip on one or both sides of the center. Hassan is very close to Amir; he looks up to him almost like a son would look up to a father. Hassan’s first word was Amir. That is important because most children’s first word is either mommy or daddy, Hassan saying Amir represents how much Amir means to him. Hassan came into Amir’s life by Hassan and Ali (Hassan’s father) being Baba’s (Amir’s father) servants. Hassan is physically strong and has confidence and a backbone whereas Amir is witty and not confident in himself at all. He is also very weak and has no backbone. Amir is jealous of the relationship Hassan and Baba have.
3. What does the narrator, Amir, recall about the moment he became “what he is today (p2)? What do you think that happened that day? Amir recalls kite running with Hassan and a dark alley. I think something very traumatic is going to happen to Hassan.
4. What does it mean to be Hazara, Shi’a Muslim, and Afghanistan’s minority group? Who, in the story