The Kite Runner

Hazara

Ethnic group from Afghanistan, mainly Shia Muslims, victims of conflict and racial tension.

Pashtun

Largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, mainly Sunni Muslims

Atonement

Reaction or expiation for sins

Oppression

Prolonged unjust treatment/exercise of authority

Persecution

Hostility and ill-treatment, especially on the basis of ethnicity and religion or political beliefs

Redemption

The action of saving or being saved from sin

Complicit

Involved with others in an activity that is wrong

Insubordinate

Defiant of authority

Subvert

To undermine the power and authority of an established system or institution

Illicit

Forbidden by laws, rules or customs

Heinous

Extremely horrible or evil

Abhorrent

Inspiring disgust or loathing

Disparate

Different in kind, not able to be compared

Subjugate

Make someone or something subordinate to

Exploitation

The action of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work

Refugee

A person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution or disasters

Asylum

The protection granted by a state to a refugee

Immigrant

A person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country

Migrant

A person who moves for work

Facade

A deceptively upward appearance

Guise

An external appearance concealing a true nature

Corruption

Dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power

Ruling class/group

This changes during the novel, covering Afghanistan’s history from the king, to Russia’s invasion to the Taliban’s control. Hosseini does this to educate his western audience on the history of Afghanistan and America’s role or lack there of, in it.

Passive complicity

Passive complicity is an obvious protest, from Amir, to the disciples, to the countries involved as a whole. There is a clear criticism of passivity from Hosseini.

Power/corruption of religion

Islam is manipulated by the Taliban, which is something Hosseini protests in all of his work. In this novel it is not a key protest, but rather the cause and effect of such an action to begin with.

Blindness/ignorance

In two places, the individual and on a larger scale, the west although this criticism is mainly focused on America. People’s wilful ignorance to the situation led to a severe worsening in Afghanistan.

Challenge to authority

Through characters like Hassan, Soraya, and Sohrab we see the oppressed resist and fight for equality. Eventually Amir grows to use his privilege and voice to do the same. This is a clear message to the reader that their passivity is costing people’s lives, and they should follow in Amir’s footsteps.

Control/suppression

Evident from the beginning of the novel, with the oppression of the Hazara people in Kabul. This remains, but larger scales are added in with the Russian soldier, and the Taliban’s regime.

Voice and voicelessness

Voice and voicelessness is used to convey who has power in the specific situation. It speaks to aspects of certain characters personalities and development.

Narrative voice

Main narrator is Amir, who for the most part looks back on his childhood. He is very self critical of his actions in early life. As a reader we don’t agree with his actions but by seeing his inner dialogue we do pity him, and can sometimes see where he is coming from. It is also important to remember that Amir was a child for the majority of the earlier events, and didn’t have the life experience to know how to handle what was happening around him.

Rebellion

Used to show the pureness/goodness of the character in question. Pure characters like Hassan consistently rebel against social hierarchy and oppression. As our complex narrator Amir steps closer to redemption he rebels more against what Hosseini is protesting.

Large world/small world

Uses a small world scale to comment on large world issues, revolving around the Taliban’s control of Afghanistan, and the western world’s passivity in this violation of human rights.

Baba’s house

Located in the northern part of Kabul in a new affluent neighbourhood. Speaks to the wealth and privilege they lived in, contrasts Ali and Hassan’s hut.

A white, clean house filled with riches but also shut doors and unspoken words. Represents emptiness of Amir and baba’s relationship.

When Amir returns “the house itself was far from the sprawling mansion I remembered from my childhood”

Ali and Hassan’s hut

Juxtaposes baba’s house and the riches Amir has. Highlights the imbalance of power and Amir’s privilege. Despite this Hassan reassures Amir that he likes his home and is happy, proving his purity.

San Francisco, America

Looser masculinity allows Amir to pursue his dreams. Afghanistan community within. Represented respite from persecution from the taliban, as well as an escape from Amir from the guilt of his betrayal.

Kabul, Afghanistan

Idyllic Afghanistan of Amir’s youth, childhood memories of skipping stones and climbing trees with Hassan a re marked by the relatively stable nature of his country. The Afghanistan he returns to however, is ruined by years of fighting and Taliban rule. Destruction of nature, removal of all trees, oppression kills more than just people.

Ghazi stadium

One of the biggest stadiums in Afghanistan, it holds a huge amount of cultural significance but this is overshadowed by the atrocious acts committed inside by the Taliban.

Mirroring

Hosseini uses this to show how history repeats itself if nobody intervenes. Repeats stories in new characters, e.g. Hassan and Sohrab.