Running head: SUMMARY 1

Book Summary: ‘The Kite Runner’ by Khaled Hosseini

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation
SUMMARY 2

Book Summary: ‘The Kite Runner’ by Khaled Hosseini

Players

 Baba – Father of Amir and Hassan. He is a well-established business person.

 Ali – Baba's diligent servant and acting father to Hassan. He has partial paralysis due to polio.

 Sanaubar- Ali's wife, Hassan's mother, who abandons Hassan upon birth.

 Amir – Protagonist and the narrator of the story. Often lacked Baba's approval at childhood.

 Hassan – Amir's best friend and son to Ali. Sired by Baba, so biologically, he is Amir's

brother.

 Rahim Khan – Baba's friend, confidant, and business partner. He assumes a father-figure role

to Amir, who greatly lacks emotional support from his father.

 Sohrab – Hassan and Farzana's son. He was a victim of sexual and physical abuse.

 Assef –He is the main antagonist in the book. Leader Taliban, a rebel group.

 Farid – Amir's driver. Former Mujahedin militia He assists Amir to search for Sohrab.

 Soraya – Wife to Amir. She is intelligent and hates Afghan culture in mistreating women.

 Gen Taheri - Soraya's father. He is a great friend to Baba. A great upholder of Afghan culture.

 Jamila – General Taheri's wife and mother to Soraya.

 Sofia Akrami – Mother to Amir, who died while giving birth. Lover of Literature.

 Farzana – Sohrab's mother and wife to Hassan.

Terms

 Al hamdullellah - a term used to mean 'thanks be to God.'

 Zakat – donations made by Muslims to help the less fortunate people.

 Chai – Tea
SUMMARY 3

 Namaz – Islamic prayers, especially those that are said five times per day.

 Shah – a sovereign ruler such as a King.

 Buzkashi – A game played in Afghanistan involving riding a horse.

 Ahmaq – a term used to mean a foolish person.

 Bismillah – is an interjection used to mean 'the name of God!'

 Mullah- the grand Muslim scholar in both Islamic canon and the sacred law.

Location

 The 'Kite Runner' is set in Afghanistan, Kabul, and the U.S San Francisco between the 1960s

and 2000s. The setting of Afghanistan is a focal point of the novel. The anarchy and betrayal

loosed upon the country reflect the adverse subjections to the main characters.

 The American setting in the novel acts as a restoration and healing to the oppressed

characters. Besides, displaced Afghans find refuge in the U.S. To Amir, the U.S gives him

inner healing to reparation for wrongs he did to Hassan. The U.S also gives him self-reflection

and the opportunity to 'do good again.'

Key Events and Dates

 1933 – Baba is born. King Zahir Shah takes control of Afghanistan.

 1963- Amir's mother passes on, and Amir is born. Hassan is born a year later.

 1973- On July 17th, Afghanistan king Zahir Shah is wrestled out of power by his cousin

Daoud while he was on official duty in Italy. The event caused a bloodless revolution and

ended Zahir's 48 years' rule.

 1975- In the winter, Amir is lucky to win the kite flying competition, perhaps for the first

time, something that he thinks Baba would be happy about. Hassan is also sexually assaulted

by Assef in the alley

 1976- Amir attains thirteen years. Ali and Hassan are forced to leave Baba's residence after

Amir's plot of hiding money in Hassan's mattress.

 1979 –In December, Afghanistan is invaded by the Soviets, causing chaos and bloodshed.

Many people flee their homes.

 1981 – Baba and Amir flee Afghanistan to Pakistan. Khan is left behind to take care of Baba's

house.

 1982 – Amir and Baba arrives in San Francisco, America

 1984 – Baba and Amir start trading in the Flea market. Amir meets Soraya and marries her

one year later.

 1985 - Ali and his cousin are killed by a land mine in Bamiyan.

 1986 – Rahim Khan's loneliness and pain from Arthritis makes him weak to take care of

Baba's house. He goes to Hazarajat looking for Hassan. He also wanted to disclose to Hassan

that Baba was his biological father.

 In the same year, Baba's failure to take his medicine leads to his demise. Khan is heartbroken.

 1990 – in Winter, Sohrab is born

 1996 – Taliban takes control of Afghan's capital, Kabul

 2000 – Hassan and his wife, Farzana, are murdered as they opposed the Taliban's attempt to

confiscate Baba's house.

 2001 - Rahim Khan calls Amir and reminds him, 'there is a way to be good again.' Amir has to

jet back to Afghanistan and look for Sohrab, who is held in an orphanage (Hosseini, 2003).

Although Amir and his driver Farid find Sohrab, Amir gets a beating from Assef.

 2002- For the very first time, Sohrab can afford a smile. Amir and Sohrab fly a kite as an

homage to Hassan, who was a great friend and brother to Amir.

References

Hosseini, K. (2003). The kite runner. Penguin.