Essay Assignment #2 – Literary Analysis of
Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner
Write a 700-1000 page
literary analysis essay on one
topic from the list below.
- Discuss the
significance of kites in the novel. Consider both the function and
symbolic significance of the kites. How do the traditions and practices of
kite fighting and kite running portrayed in The Kite Runner express cultural values and replicate aspects
of Afghanistan’s ethnic caste system?
- Discuss the
significance of giving and receiving gifts in The Kite Runner.
Consider both the function and symbolic significance of the gifts.
How does the practice of giving gifts evolve over the course of the novel?
How does the theme of gift giving enhance the main themes of the novel?
- Compare and
contrast the relationship between Soraya and her father with the
relationship between Amir and his father. How do these relationships
evolve from childhood through adulthood? How are these relationships
affected by traditional attitudes about gender?
- While in the hospital in Peshawar, Amir dreams about his father
wrestling a bear:
They roll over a patch of green grass, man and beast….
The bear roars, or maybe it’s Baba…. They fall to the ground with a loud thud
and Baba is sitting on the bear’s chest, his fingers digging in its snout. He
looks up at me and I see. He’s me. I am wrestling the bear. (Hosseini 295)
Discuss the significance of this dream and how it relates to Amir’s
journey in the novel as a whole. Why does Amir have this dream at this point in
the story?
5. When Amir and Hassan were children, they were as close as two childhood playmates could be. Yet because of their master-slave relationship, they would never have described themselves as friends. How did this shape the future of each boy? Could the two boys have used their mutual affection to rise above cultural divide and become friends in a Western sense? Describe the cultural and class factors in each boy's background that shaped the differing views of their relationship.
5. When Amir and Hassan were children, they were as close as two childhood playmates could be. Yet because of their master-slave relationship, they would never have described themselves as friends. How did this shape the future of each boy? Could the two boys have used their mutual affection to rise above cultural divide and become friends in a Western sense? Describe the cultural and class factors in each boy's background that shaped the differing views of their relationship.
You may propose a
topic of your own. However, you must get it approved by your instructor before
you begin writing.
Your essay
- Should
contain a clear thesis statement
asserting your view, evaluation, or interpretation of a narrowly defined, focused aspect
of your topic.
- Should abide
by the conventions of writing about literature (e.g. use the present tense
to describe fictional events and avoid attributing motive to the author).
- Should draw
on detailed, concrete, specific
evidence from the text of Kite
Runner. Be sure to include in-text citations following direct
quotations and specific text references. Example: According to Amir,
“Winter was every kid’s favorite season in Kabul” (Hosseini 48).
- May include
research material, as long as you cite your sources properly. However, you
are not required to use research, and your evidence should consist primarily of your own analysis of
the text.
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