The Kite Runner
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Transcript of The Kite Runner
THE KITE RUNNERBy Sarah Nugent & Courteney Case
SUMMARY Setting in Kabul, Afghanistan
2 childhood friends, Amir & Hassan who win the Kite running race together
Amir going to Pakistan with dad by smuggling to escape Kabul
Amir works to gain his future wife’s dad’s trust in order to pursue her
Later when older, goes to Hazarajat to bring Hassan back, Hassan got shot
IMPORTANT POINTS
“I’d rather eat dirt than lie” they would do anything for each other (LYING IS A BIG THEME)
Religious differences
Violence, story about man killing wife since tears turned into pearls & he’s poor, but Hassan says “why couldn’t he have put his eyes near an onion”
Friendship falls apart
“It is a dangerous thing being born”… for mother and child
Saur Revolution (politics)- communism starting brawls
IMPORTANT POINTS
“for you a thousand times over” to run the kite for him=friendship; but loyalty and doesn’t give up the kite and even ends up getting raped & beaten
After incident, Amir feels guilty and starts to distance himself+ be more mean (wants him to fight him back) steals & hides watch to set up and make sure Hassan and his dad leave
IMPORTANT POINTS
Baba stands up for woman in the smuggler caravan (courage) when going to Pakistan
After he graduates community college, in California and now dad wants him to become a doctor & save people’s lives rather than write stories
IMPORTANT POINTS
When he goes to the doctor’s office, Baba doesn’t let Russian doctor help him
Hassan taught himself to read & write before sending Amir a letter
Actually his half-brother (letter was sentimental)
Amir is trying to find orphanage with Sohrab
CHARACTERS
Amir= best friends with Hassan, writes stories, non-violent, wants father’s affection & attention
Hassan= best friends with Amir (actually half-brother), Hazara, gets killed when grown up and so does his wife
Soriaha= Amir’s future wife
CHARACTERSBaba= harsh on Amir, loves and provides for Hassan and his dad (also called Sahib)
Ali= dad
Assef= bully, picks unnecessary fights, has posse of 2 other guys, against Hazaras “flat-nosed”,
Rahim Kham- listened to Hassan’s stories “before I knew how to write them”
OUR OPINION
Differences from the book
Didn’t like how whole movie wasn’t in English
Favorite scene was when they got to pick out the kites
Sad that after 40 years, Hassan & dad leave so suddenly.. But do it since dad knows about what happened to Hassan and doesn’t want the dad to get angry at Amir
Pictures Hassan and Amir different… older
Skips a lot of important parts (like Baba’s success+ family’s relationship), went straight into depressing parts and skipped childhood parts (went right into kite racing scenes)
OUR OPINION
Amir looks really American grown up
Subtitles distracted me
Different since we read book, but seemed slow then fast at times
Like that they show us the setting (childhood) in Kabul
• Deprived situation- sell legs for food• Some scenes were brutal like throwing
stones at sinners
HISTORICAL TIMELINE
Dec. 1979= Soviet Invasion (communists came in)• Revolts in the countryside• Power struggle between leaders• Afghan army faces collapse, but soviet union finally sends in troops to
help remove Amin (eventually executed)• USA eventually got involved and tried to help (communism trying to
spread)• 1991 US gave military aid• Taliban came in 1994 ceased control of Kabul in 1996, introduced
extremist islam (banned women from work, amputations+stonings to death)
• Old gov. flees• Made Pashtun democracy go down, Hazara pop. Went up• 1998 Hazara massacre
HISTORICAL INJUSTICES
Hazaras are largest Shia
Ranked very low in ethnic status
Poor- most immigrated to Kabul
Discriminated against (no marriage)- unscaled occupations became Hazara occupations
Biggest and most politically powerful ethnic group are the Pashtuns (Amir)- very diverse and have 7 tribal groups
• Code of behavior that stresses bravery and self-respect• Defending property and family is important• If honor is compromised- seek revenge (brutal)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The Kite Runner Movie- a DreamWorks Pictures Production
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/1162108.stm
http://foryou1000timesover.blogspot.com/2008/04/pashtuns-and-hazaras.
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http://www.afghan-network.net/Ethnic-Groups/hazaras.
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