Kite Runner V5

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 5

The Kite Runner

Author: Khaled Hosseini 

• Afghan-American
• Born in Kabul, 1965
• Moved to USA, 1970
• Practices internal medicine
• His first novel 

The novel

• First Afghan novel to be written in English. 
• Over 9 million copies sold worldwide. 
• Translated into over 25 languages. 
• Is on the list of "Banned and Challenged Books" 
• Graphic details, sexual violence
• The film was banned in Afghanistan. 
• The child actors left Afghanistan for safety reasons. 

The Kite Runner

Time period 1960 - 2000

Setting: Afghanistan

Afghanistan

• Landlocked (Pakistan, China, Iran, etc..)
•  Mountainous
• Modern country in 1960s and 1970s -> no headscarves, women went to school, art, music, fashion shows
• Always an interesting country in bigger conflicts for power between the West and the East (USA/England - Soviet Union)
• Soviet-Union supported coup d'etat
• Soviet Union attacked from the North and took over Kabul
• Afghan president that listened to the Russians
• Chaos in Afghanistan - Russia soldiers didn't know what they were doing there. Thought they were fighting against the USA. 
• Struggle for power in Afghanistan - Taliban won - Islamic republic -> 9/11 -> war in Afghanistan -> Bin Laden 

Important Background Information

Very mixed population: 

• 22 languages (Dari and Pashto officially recognized in consitutition)
• Sunni and Shia Muslims
• Racial conflicts
• The Kite Runner: Pashtuns and Hazaras - differences in religious beliefs, cultural practices, social status, physical appearance. Pashtun majority race and ethnic (Sunni Muslim), Hazara minority race (Shi'a Muslim). Hazaras were also discriminated against because of their looks. They are the weakest and poorest race in Afghanistan, easily subjected (onderworpen), insulted (beledigd), tortured (gemarteld) by Pashtuns.
• Kite Fighting is one of Afghanistan's national outdoor sports. 

The Kite Runner

the author

Khaled Hosseini

https:

the Kite Runner

Themes

Themes

Friendship

Father - son relationship

Discrimination

Immigration

Guilt and redemption

Extra

If you have no clue of what 

was being shown 

about Afghanistan, here is a short video in Dutch!