The Kite Runner Teacher’s Guide offers educators comprehensive insights into Khaled Hosseini's novel, focusing on themes of friendship, guilt, and redemption. It includes detailed reading questions and vocabulary activities for chapters 1-25, facilitating classroom discussions and enhancing student comprehension. The guide also provides historical context about Afghanistan, enriching the understanding of the characters and their struggles. Designed for high school literature classes, this resource aids teachers in guiding students through the complex narrative and cultural nuances of the story.

Key Points

  • Includes reading questions for chapters 1-25 of The Kite Runner.
  • Explores themes such as friendship, guilt, and redemption.
  • Provides vocabulary activities to enhance student understanding.
  • Offers historical context about Afghanistan relevant to the novel.
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Teacher’s
Guide
Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965, KHALED HOSSEINI moved to Tehran in
1970, where his father worked for the Afghan embassy. Returning to Kabul
in 1973, his father continued as a diplomat with the Afghan Foreign Ministry
and his mother taught Farsi and history at a high school. In July of 1973, the
night Hosseini’s youngest brother was born, the Afghan king, Zahir Shah, was
overthrown in a bloodless coup by the king’s cousin, Daoud Khan. At the time,
Hosseini was in fourth grade and was already drawn to poetry and prose; he
read a great deal of Persian poetry as well as Farsi translations of British and
American novels.
In 1976, the Afghan Foreign Ministry relocated the Hosseini family to Paris.
Plans to return to Kabul in 1980 were thwarted by the bloody communist coup
and subsequent invasion of the Soviet army. Granted political asylum by the
United States, they moved to San Jose, California, in September 1980. Having
lost all their property in Afghanistan, they lived on welfare and food stamps
while Hosseini’s father worked multiple jobs to become financially stable.
The Kite Runner, spanning Afghan history from the final days of the
monarchy to the present, tells the story of a friendship between two boys
growing up in Kabul. Though raised in the same household and sharing
the same wet nurse, Amir and Hassan grow up in different worlds: Amir is
the son of a prominent and wealthy man, while Hassan, the son of Amir’s
father’s servant, is a Hazara. Their intertwined lives, and their fates, reflect
the eventual tragedy of the world around them. When the Soviets invade
and Amir and his father flee the country for a new life in California, Amir
thinks that he has escaped his past. And yet he cannot leave the memory
of Hassan behind him.
The Kite Runner
A Novel
by Khaled Hosseini
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SUMMARY
Riverhead
Paperback | 978-1-594-63193-1 | 400 Pages | $17.00
Secondar
y
Education
A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
OF AFGHANISTAN
BY MIR HEKMATULLAH
SADAT, PH.D.
Teacher’s Guide for Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner
Afghanistan’s main ethnic composition includes the Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek,
Baluchi, and Turkoman people. The Afghan nation is a very heterogeneous population,
comprising at least 22 languages, of which Dari and Pashto are officially recognized in
the constitution. Practically everyone in Afghanistan is Muslim representing both Sunni
and Shia Muslims. The majority of Hazaras and Qizilbash are Shia, while the majority
of Pashtun, Tajik, Uzbek, Turkoman, and Baluchi people are Sunni. Until recent times,
other religions were also represented in Afghanistan. In Kabul and in a few other urban
cities, exclusive communities of Hindus, Sikhs, and Jews co-existed within the Muslim
population. Like similar societies, Afghan traditions have been preserved because of
the prevailing influence of religious customs and tribal culture. In Afghanistan, the
Pashtuns are the last ethnic group still having an operational tribal system, known as
Pashtunwali (Code of the Pashtuns). However, the Pashtuns are divided into hundreds
of tribes and clans. Nonetheless, all Afghan ethnic groups have been able to preserve
their kinship, village, and regional ties.
The country has inherited a rich linguistic and cultural heritage dating back thousands
of years. Afghanistan is a mountainous, arid and landlocked country often called the
‘heart of Asia’, sharing borders with Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan,
and China. Not only has the geographic location of Afghanistan been important
strategically, but it was also a highway for trade, raids, and military marches.
Afghanistan emerged as a nation-state in the 18th century after centuries of invasions
and conquests. The Kite Runner begins in 1973, when the army overthrew the monarchy
led by Zahir Shah. He was forced into exile in Italy by his cousin and son-in law, Daoud
Khan, who declared himself president of the republic. Daoud Khan spoke about ending
corruption and being true to the revolution but it became apparent the regime change
was only a transfer of power. Resistance against the new regime formed immediately
by Islamic guerrilla rebels. By 1975, the regime began purging
from the government
all officials with socialist or Marxist ties. After a series of socialist
leader assassinations,
Daoud Khan was overthrown by the same military that brought him to power. The coup
brought to power two factions of a socialist organization in what would be described
as the April Revolution. From April 1978 until December 1979, the Khalq (Masses)
faction led by Nur Muhammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin forced socialist reforms
which incited the tribal and religious institutions to revolt. Various resistance groups
united along one front called the mujahidin (holy strugglers) and declared a jihad (holy
struggle) against the Afghan state.
Fearing the fall of the pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan, the Soviet Union invaded
Afghanistan in December 1979. Returned from exile was Babrak Karmal, head of the
Parcham (Banner) faction, who quickly announced general amnesty for political
prisoners which included prominent mujahidin leaders and invited moderates to
cooperate in the reconciliation. However, Karmal’s measures were damaged by the brutal
military operations of the Red Army and misuse of power by certain Afghan bureaucrats.
In addition, the billions of covert military aid provided by the United States, Saudi
Hosseini graduated from high school in 1984 and enrolled at Santa Clara University
where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1988. The following year, he entered
the University of California-San Diego’s School of Medicine, where he earned a medical
degree in 1993. He completed his residency at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.
Though Hosseini has practiced internal medicine since 1996, he yearned to write. His
memories of the peaceful pre-Soviet era Afghanistan led him to write The Kite Runner,
as well as his personal experiences with Afghan Hazaras, a shunned ethnic minority.
While living in Iran, Hosseini, in third grade, taught a 31-year-old Hazara man to read
and write.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
(CONTINUED)
A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
OF AFGHANISTAN
(CONTINUED)
Teacher’s Guide for Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner
Arabia and other countries to the mujahidin escalated the war and reduced any
chances for an Afghan reconciliation.
In 1986, Dr. Muhammad Najibullah, head of the notorious secret service, replaced
Karmal. After a decade, the Soviet army withdrew, leaving the state split among many
ethnic factions. In 1992, the mujahidin takeover of the state ignited into a civil war
between mujahidin warlords, and later between the warlords and the Taliban. In the
1990s the Taliban assumed control and introduced strict adherence to Islamic law.
Between 1992 and 2001, Afghanistan became the site for the worst battles, ethnic
genocide, pillage, famine, and misery since Genghis Khan had swept through the
region centuries earlier.
The terrorist group, Al Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, had also built training camps
in Afghanistan. While most of the world condemned the Taliban, they were officially
recognized by three countries: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
After September 11, 2001, the Taliban refused to hand over Bin Laden, leading to a U.S.
led coalition military campaign. By November, 2001, the Taliban lost control of Kabul.
A new government, the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan was established in
December 2001. Assisted by the international community, the Afghan state is trying to
rebuild the war-torn nation, as well as establish economic and political stability.
Despite its efforts, the Afghan government faces the same obstacles as faced by
the government during the Soviet presence in Afghanistan. While President Hamid
Karzai and prominent members of his cabinet and the elected parliament call for
reconciliation and ceasefires with the Taliban; internal discord in the government,
misuse of donor aid, bribery and corruption of state officials, the drug trade, promotion
of warlords, the inability to control the untamed military campaigns of foreign troops
such as collateral damage, the inability to understand the culture and customs of
Afghans, and support for the Taliban resistance across the border in Pakistan has
stymied any hopes for democratization and peaceful reform.
INTRODUCTION TO
THE TEACHER’S GUIDE
VOCABULARY ACTIVITIES
Students would benefit by knowing about Afghanistan’s history and cultures. Pre-
reading activities could include researching more in depth about the nation’s
geography,
history, politics, and religions. Afghanistan’s volatile political situation are
covered by
news organizations. Many resources are available in libraries and on the
internet.
This guide is organized for you, the teacher, to use and adapt as needed for your
students. The guide is divided into segments of several chapters, providing reading
assignments. Each section includes reading questions, vocabulary words, references
that you might choose to explain to students, or have them research, and quotations.
The list of themes can be discussed as you read or at the conclusion. They provide
opportunities for students to make connections to other works of literature they’ve
read, movies or theater they’ve seen, and other events in history or current day. The
general reading response topics can be used for journal writing. The creative projects
can be used to extend the reading experience and promote critical thinking.
There’s a selection of vocabulary words identified for each reading section. You may
want to either add to this list or decrease it depending on your students. You can
decide whether to introduce vocabulary before reading the section, during, or after.
Vocabulary activities could include looking up definitions, writing original sentences,
finding the words on the pages and making a guess based on context clues and so on.
You can quiz students on each section of words, assign them to write their own stories
with vocabulary words, or play games to reinforce word meanings.
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FAQs

What are the main themes explored in The Kite Runner?
The Kite Runner delves into several profound themes, including friendship, betrayal, and redemption. The relationship between Amir and Hassan exemplifies the complexities of friendship, particularly how social class and ethnic divisions impact their bond. Guilt plays a crucial role in Amir's character development, driving his actions throughout the story. Ultimately, the theme of redemption is highlighted as Amir seeks to atone for his past mistakes and find peace.
Who are the main characters in The Kite Runner?
The primary characters in The Kite Runner include Amir, the narrator and protagonist, who struggles with guilt over his betrayal of his childhood friend Hassan. Hassan, a Hazara boy and Amir's loyal friend, faces discrimination due to his ethnicity. Baba, Amir's father, represents traditional Afghan values and struggles with his own sense of honor and pride. The novel also features Assef, a bully who embodies the darker aspects of Afghan society, and Rahim Khan, who serves as a mentor to Amir and plays a pivotal role in his journey toward redemption.
What historical events are significant in The Kite Runner?
The Kite Runner is set against the backdrop of significant historical events in Afghanistan, including the fall of the monarchy in 1973, the Soviet invasion in 1979, and the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s. These events shape the characters' lives and the socio-political landscape of the country. The novel highlights how these turbulent times affect personal relationships and individual destinies, illustrating the intersection of personal and national histories.
How does the setting influence the story in The Kite Runner?
The setting of The Kite Runner is crucial to understanding the characters and their motivations. Kabul, with its rich cultural heritage and later devastation, serves as a backdrop for Amir and Hassan's childhood and the subsequent events that unfold. The contrast between pre-war Afghanistan and the war-torn landscape depicted later in the novel emphasizes the loss of innocence and the impact of political upheaval on personal lives. The geographical and cultural elements of Afghanistan are woven into the narrative, enhancing the emotional depth of the story.
What role does redemption play in Amir's journey?
Redemption is a central theme in Amir's journey throughout The Kite Runner. After betraying Hassan, Amir grapples with intense guilt that shapes his identity and actions. His quest for redemption drives him to return to Afghanistan to rescue Hassan's son, Sohrab, and confront his past. This journey not only serves as a means for Amir to atone for his mistakes but also highlights the possibility of forgiveness and healing, both personally and within the broader context of Afghan society.
What is the significance of kite flying in The Kite Runner?
Kite flying serves as a powerful symbol in The Kite Runner, representing both the joy of childhood and the complexities of Amir and Hassan's friendship. The kite tournament is a pivotal event that showcases Amir's desire for his father's approval and his subsequent betrayal of Hassan. Later, kite flying becomes a metaphor for redemption, as Amir seeks to reconnect with his past and honor Hassan's memory. The act of kite flying encapsulates the themes of loyalty, loss, and the hope for a brighter future.

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