the kite runner, pp1

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The Kite RunnerFGI

April 9, 20232

Baba and Ali P. 4 “They stuffed their pipes – except

their favorite three topics: politics, business, soccer.”

April 9, 20233

Hassan’s origins P. 5 “It was there, in that little shack,

that Hassan was born in the winter of 1964…In the eighteen years that I lived in that house, I stepped into Hassan and Ali’s quarters only a handful of times.”

April 9, 20234

Mothers P.6 “While my mother haemorrhaged to

death during childbirth, Hassan lost his less than a week after he was born. Lost her to a fate most Afghans considered far worse than death: She ran off with a clan of traveling singers and dancers.”

April 9, 20235

Hazaras P. 8 An old history born written by an

Iranian called Khorami. “The book said a lot of thing I didn’t know, things my teachers hadn’t mentioned. Things Baba hadn’t mentioned either. It also said some things I did know, like that people called Hazaras mice-eating, flat-nosed, load-carrying donkeys.

April 9, 20236

p. 31 Story writer -- identity Rahim Khan writes a note: “God has

granted you a special talent…the most impressive thing about your story is that it has irony…”

April 9, 20237

Winning – male approval P. 63 “Then I saw Baba on our roof. He

was standing on the edge, pumping both of his fists. Hollering and clapping. And that right there was the single greatest moment of my twelve years of life, seeing Baba on that roof, proud of me at last.”

April 9, 20238

p. 68 The subaltern? Assef: “Why he only plays with you when no

one else is around? I’ll tell you why, Hazara. Because to him, you’re nothing but an ugly pet. Something he caqn play with when he’s bored, something he can kick when he’s angry.”

P. 69. “I opened my mouth, almost said something. Almost. The rest of my life might have turned out differently if I had. But I didn’t. I just watched. Paralyzed.”

April 9, 20239

p. 98 Stealing of the watch “He knew I’d seen everything in that

alley, that I’d there and done nothing. He knew I had betrayed him and yet he was rescuing me once again, maybe for the last time….I wasn’t worthy of this sacrifice; I was a liar, a cheat and a thief.”

April 9, 202310

America P. 116 “Amir loved the idea of America. It was living in America that gave him

an ulcer.”

April 9, 202311

Fatherhood P. 169 “The idea of fatherhood

unleashed a swirl of emotions in me. I found it frightening, invigorating, daunting, and exhilarating all that at the same time. What sort of father would I make, I wondered. I wanted to be just like Baba and I wanted to be nothing like him.”

April 9, 202312

p. 263 Assef again “My entire adult life, whenever I heard

Daourd Khan’s name, what I swaw was Hassan with his slingshot pointed at Assef’s face, Hassan saying that they’d have to start calling him One-Eyed Assef instead of Assef Goshkor. I remember how envious I’d been of Hassan’s bravery. Assef had backed down, promised that in the end he’d get us both. He’d kept that promise with Hassan. Now it was my turn.”

April 9, 202313

Rescue… P. 292 “Your father was a good man. But

that’s what I’m trying to tell you, Sohrab jah. That there are bad people in this world, and sometimes bad people stay bad. Sometimes you have to stand up to them. What you did to that man is what I should have done to him all those years ago. You gave him what he deserved, and he deserved even more.”

April 9, 202314

Questions Who are the most significant characters

in the book and why? What the most significant events and why?

What do you think of the novel overall? What do you think the novel tells us

about the subaltern?