Kite Runner 1-9

Connection Text To World

Throughout the first nine chapters of The Kite Runner, Amir, a child of a wealthy Afgan by the name of Baba, considers himself to be an upper class child. Unlike his "so called" friend Hassan who is the son of Baba's servant. Amir enjoys Hassan's company when others are not around because he feels he will be judged on who he hangs out with. In our world today, many children and teenagers hang out with people having the same interests and or ethnic background. If they choose to hang out with others outside of their interests and such, they feel as though they will be looked at differently. Hassan is a Hazara and Amir considers him to be at a lower level than himself and does not consider Hassan a true friend due to his ethnicity.

Vocabulary

• harelipped (pg1) - a congenitally deformed lip, usually the upper one, in which there is a vertical fissure causing it to resemble the cleft lip of a hare.


• squatty (pg6) - short and thick; low and broad.


• unscrupulous (pg7) - devoid of scruples; oblivious to or contemptuous of what is right or honorable.


• veracity (pg11) - habitual observance of truth in speech or statement; truthfulness.


• blundering (pg17) - a gross, stupid, or careless mistake.


• vehemently (pg21) - strongly emotional; intense or passionate.


• amid (pg23) - in the middle of; surrounded by; among.


• imbecile (pg25) - a dunce; blockhead; dolt.


• plodded (pg27) - to proceed in a tediously slow manner.


• akin (pg37) - having a similar quality or character; analogous.

Culture Information

While reading the beginning of The Kite Runner, Hassan was a Hazara. The book did not give much information about his kind, therefore I decided to do my own research. Hazara people are mainly from central Afghanistan. They live in groups throughout Pakistan, Quetta, and Iran, mainly as refugees. Amir was embarrassed by his friendship with Hassan due to the fact that he was Hazara, it made him lower than the others. In Afghan today, the Hazara people, Shia Muslims, are treated just like any other group of people. I think this is because a major part of the population of Afghanistan are Shia Muslim's.