affluent Having an abundance of wealth. aficionados Ardent fans; enthusiasts. agha Mister; great lord. ahesta boro Wedding song. ahmaq Fool, idiot. Al hamdullellah Thanks to God. Alahoo God. alaykum Upon you; usually found with a word preceding it, as in “peace be upon you.” Alef-beh The letters A and B, […]
Read more Study Help Full Glossary for The Kite RunnerCritical Essays Symbols in The Kite Runner
Kites, Kite Flying, and Kite Fighting Kites and everything associated with them (kite flying and kite fighting) are the most important symbols in the novel. Traditionally, kites symbolize both prophecy and fate, and both of these ideas can be applied to characters and events in The Kite Runner. However, kites […]
Read more Critical Essays Symbols in The Kite RunnerCritical Essays Themes in The Kite Runner
Betrayal and Redemption Betrayal, which can be considered a form of sin, is enduring and ends up being cyclical in The Kite Runner. For most of the novel, Amir attempts to deal with his guilt by avoiding it. But doing this clearly does nothing toward redeeming himself, and thus his […]
Read more Critical Essays Themes in The Kite RunnerKhaled Hosseini Biography
Khaled Hosseini is born in Kabul in 1965 and is the oldest of five children. His father is a diplomat for the Afghan Foreign Ministry, and his mother is a high school teacher. Hosseini has a childhood friend who is a Shi’a Muslim, and Hosseini grow up in a comfortable […]
Read more Khaled Hosseini BiographyAbout The Kite Runner
Published in 2003, Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner received generally positive reviews. The hardback edition sold respectfully, if not spectacularly, and Hosseini received some recognition as a first-time novelist, winning the Stephen Crane First Fiction Award among other honors. Most critics considered The Kite Runner a powerful first novel, but […]
Read more About The Kite RunnerCharacter Analysis
Amir Amir is the narrator and protagonist of the novel and is a Pashtun and Sunni Muslim. Although not a completely sympathetic character, Amir is one for whom most readers feel compassion. Amir has conflicted feelings about his father, Baba, and his playmate, Hassan. Often, Amir is jealous of the […]
Read more Character AnalysisSummary and Analysis Chapter 25
Summary While the doctors work feverishly to save Sohrab’s life, Amir again turns to prayer. Begging forgiveness of his merciful God, Amir hopes that he does not have the blood of both Hassan and Hassan’s son on his hands. This is an interesting prayer, for it focuses on Amir and […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Chapter 25Summary and Analysis Chapter 24
Summary When they arrive in Islamabad, the mosque — reputedly the largest in the world — captures Sohrab’s attention. Before Farid leaves, Amir gives him an envelope of money, and then never sees him again. Amir falls asleep, and when he wakes up, Sohrab is gone. Eventually he thinks about […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Chapter 24Summary and Analysis Chapter 23
Summary Chapter 23 is divided into brief episodes, which indicate Amir’s slipping in and out of consciousness. Initially, his sense of time is distorted, and he is continually fading in and out. Mixed in with his periods of consciousness is the dream of Baba wrestling a bear; the dream changes […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Chapter 23Summary and Analysis Chapter 22
Summary When Amir and Farid arrive at the big house and compound in Wazir Akbar Khan, Farid decides that he himself needs to wait in the car. Amir knocks on the door, is greeted and frisked by two guards, and is then escorted in. While waiting for the Talib, Amir […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Chapter 22