Chapter 21: Marked for Greatness

By: Sarah MadrigalBailey Atwell

Dalton Jackson

Main Ideas“Everyone is damaged in some way or another, and no matter how careful you are or how fortunate we might be, we don’t get through

life without being marked by the experience”

• All characters are famous for shape and behavior• Physical qualities are character traits • Deformities mean something• Thematically • Metaphorically• Psychological• Spiritually • Differences are meant to stand out• Heroes are always marked to stand out/set apart

from others

Main Ideas cont…• Injuries= destruction (physically or spiritually)• Scared= reflection of imperfections (flaws)• Wound/scar= special event in life

(like it was earned)• Where is the scar?• How did they get it?• What does it resemble?• Scars speak of personal history• Landscapes can be marked as well• Physical scars caused socially reflects the culture that

caused damage/scar

How does this relate to the Kite Runner?

Related to Kite Runner• Hassan’s cleft lip is his scar that he is born with ~ this was his “mark”• Hassan’s cleft lip is always visible, on his face, until of course when he gets surgery

for it on his birthday • Amir refers to Hassan as “harelipped kite runner” many times, it’s how he’s

remembered• This was a distinct difference that made Hassan part of who he was, and how

others saw him• The blood on Hassan’s pants and in the snow when he is raped• This is a symbol of his life experience, and something he will never forget for the

rest of his life• When Amir gets in a fight with Assef when trying to get back Sohrab, this is also a

symbol of life experience ~ any scars he might have gotten during the fight is just his life experience

• When Amir cuts his hand at the end with the rope from the kite like Hassan used to

• Pg. 369 in Kite Runner talks of Sohrab’s scars from the spools which reminds Amir of Hassan’s calloused hands

What are some other examples of characters

that are “Marked for Greatness?”

Other examples• Harry Potter ~ his lightning bolt scar he received from Voldemort

when he was a baby-his scar is his connection to voldemort-Harry’s symbol that he was “destined for greatness”-he was known everywhere and stared at for his scar

• Finding Nemo ~ nemo had a “lucky fin” & Gill had a scar on his side-Nemo struggled throughout his life because of his fin, which represented the night his mom died-Gill’s scar represents what he had been through in his life, things that changed him and how he had to learn to help himself

• The Lion King ~ Scar had a scar on his eye where him and Mufasa fought-His scar symbolizes how he is evil, how he has had a rough life and he didn’t get along with his brother, which caused him to hate him and to be the antagonist

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqKrznFKrbg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_Kd9XhbTmo

Videos/examples of other related

works