...American novelist and physician of Afghan origin. He has lived in the United States since he was fifteen years old and is an American citizen. His 2003 debut novel, The Kite Runner, was an international bestseller, selling more than 12 million copies worldwide.[2] His second, A Thousand Splendid Suns, was released on May 22, 2007.[3] In 2008, the book was the bestselling novel in Britain (as of April 11, 2008), with more than 700,000 copies sold.[4] Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965. His father was a diplomat with the Afghan Foreign Ministry and his mother taught Farsi and History at a large high school in Kabul. In 1970, Hosseini and his family moved to Iran where his father worked for the Embassy of Afghanistan in Tehran. In 1973, Hosseini's family returned to Kabul, and Hosseini's youngest brother was born in July of that year. In 1976, the Afghan Foreign Ministry relocated the Hosseini family to Paris. They were ready to return to Kabul in 1980, but by then Afghanistan had already witnessed a bloody communist coup and the invasion of the Soviet army. The Hosseinis sought and were granted political asylum in the United States. In September of 1980, Hosseini's family moved to San Jose, California. Hosseini graduated from high school in 1984 and enrolled at Santa Clara University where he earned a bachelor's degree in Biology in 1988. The following year, he entered the University of California-San Diego's School of Medicine, where he earned a Medical Degree...
Words: 1658 - Pages: 7
...Hasseini The Kite Runner by Khaled Hasseini is an intriguing story of life in Afghanistan during a time period. Amir and his father, Baba are Pashtun’s living in a successful home in Kabul, Afghanistan while their servants, Hassan and his father, Ali whom are considered Hazaras lived in a mud hut on the same grounds of Baba’s property. Since being a Hazara was discriminated against in Afghanistan, Amir was bullied by Assef and his friends for hanging out with one. Later, a moment happened when Amir was twelve that changed everything and as he claims made him the man he is today. The discrimination of ethnic minorities in Kabul, Afghanistan shows disastrous events in the lives of two young boys. This story relates to past and present time Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, a Hazara is a persecuted ethnic group whom came from further East Asia. Their features are different from other Afghanistan’s because they have more of an Asian look and flat noses. Pashtuns, are a different ethnic minority and they are accepted. Pashtuns dislike Hazaras and cause many grief to them. Hazaras are sunni Muslim, as Pashtun’s are shia Muslim. They claim different features and speak different languages. Later, in the 1980’s when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, many fled to Pakistan. Later in the 1990’s, a group called Taliban’s began making severe changes in Afghanistan making living their more difficult than ever and harsh. After...
Words: 1602 - Pages: 7
...up a newspaper. Within this paper, the writer will provide her perceptions of several different counties: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Morocco. In addition to the writer’s perceptions of the country, the writer will review specific facts to see if the perceptions are warranted or are false. Local and Foreign Newspapers Within the News website, they categorize their stories to fall within local news, state and regional news, national news and world news. These are categorized by where the story is taking place. Within its website, the highest proportion of news coverage is set primarily on national and world news. This proportion is roughly at 75% for world and national news, 15% for state and regional news and 10% on local news. While the website provides the reader with the local news at the top of the page, there are a great deal more of national and world news highlights that also include the latest Associated Press headlines. Within the international news articles there are five stories that take place in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Within the on-line German Newspaper, Spiegel, there is almost a 50-50 ratio between national and international news. This website does not categorize by in-country and international but weaves the information throughout the home-page of its website. Within their international articles there are three stories that take place in Pakistan and Tangier, Morocco. India The first article within the on-line newspaper discusses a 2-year...
Words: 1359 - Pages: 6
...this section of the story, we see how much Afghanistan has changed within 25 years. Although Amir still remembers his country vividly, there are obvious changes that have occurred over the years. As readers, we see the authority and control of the Taliban as the most prominent change. People are not allowed to cheer loudly during sporting events, people are executed live in a horrendous manner and that the name of religion is used to show reason behind these terrible actions showed. It is later revealed that the Taliban man in charge of executing the Afghan people and who has Sohrab, is Amir’s childhood enemy, Assef. Sohrab’s head has been shaved and his face covered with makeup. On his feet he wears jingling anklets and then is required to dance to music in front of the Taliban. When Amir demands to take Sohrab, Assef asks him to settle their old matters and tells Amir that his victory will result in the liberation of Sohrab. Amir is beaten up severely by Assef when suddenly Sohrab shoots his slingshot at Assef’s eye, blinding him. How is setting important or influential here? The setting of Afghanistan was very important in this section of the story because it shows Afghanistan 25 years after the climax of the story. The way that Afghanistan now, is portrayed as a destroyed nation emphasizes and symbolizes the number of problems that have occurred in the duration of all those years in the lives of Baba, Amir, Hassan, Ali, Sohrab and the people of Afghanistan in general. The fact...
Words: 622 - Pages: 3
...In my view The Kite Runner is an epic story with a personal history of what the people of Afghanistan had and have to endure in an ordinary every day life; a country that is divided between political powers and religiously idealistic views and beliefs which creates poverty, and violence within the people and their terrorist run country. The story line is more personal with the description of Afghanistan's culture and traditions, along with the lives of the people who live in Kabul. The story provides an educational and eye-opening account of a country's political chaos. Of course there are many things that are unsaid and under explained in this tragic novel which, in my observation, is an oversimplification. There is also a heavy use of emotional appeal, and an underlying message. This is a flag for propaganda. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini begins in the 1970s in Kabul, Afghanistan, when the country is in a time of an ending monarchy. The main character, Amir, is the son of wealthy Afghanistan business man, and his playmate, Hassan, the son of his father's houseman, Ali. Hassan is a Hazara and Amir is a Pashtun, which makes them from different social classes. The author has undoubtedly stirred my emotions and I admit that I did cry several times. I think that this was the author's objective; this is an appeal to emotion, one of the fallacies of propaganda. Propaganda is a message or an idea that persuades the audience to change their perspectives in one way or another...
Words: 1102 - Pages: 5
...The Kite Runner is a novel written by Khaled Hosseini. The story takes place in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the US from around 1975 till present day. The Kite Runner is a strong and compelling novel that is about Amir and his childhood. He tells us about his childhood in Afghanistan and the many sins that he commits against his half-brother, Hassan who happens to be a Hazara boy, where Amir is a Pashtun. Throughout Hassan’s childhood, he has been the victim of discrimination and Amir, being too scared to stand up for him, allows this to happen. After leaving Afghanistan for the United States, Amir brought along with him guilt and cannot live with himself. He then returns to Afghanistan to find Hassan’s orphaned son, Sohrab, to bring him back to the United States. In order for him to do this, Amir engaged Assef in a fight, who is the villan of the story, who admires Hitler for what he has done with the jews and wants to emulate evil germany. But instead of exterminating the jews, he targets innocent afghans. In the end, it is Sohrab who finally kills Assef with his slingshot. In my opinion, The Kite Runner is a moving story about the childhood that some people have to live through and I realize how lucky and privileged I am and how we should not take our lifestyles for granted. The Kite Runner is a novel that I would recommend to my friends to read as it is interesting and one of the few books that I would read more than...
Words: 269 - Pages: 2
...Key quotes: “A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything” – Baba says this to Rahim Khan as a comment on the behaviour of Amir. Through this he identifies Amir’s greatest flaw: cowardice. It is this trait that leaves him desperately craving Baba’s love, and ultimately leads to be letting Assef rape Hassan. It also foreshadows Amir’s return to Kabul in search of Sohrab; the test of Amir’s character also tests whether Baba’s statement is true. “Huddled together in the dining room and waiting for the sun to rise, none of us had any notion that a way of life had ended” – This sentence appears towards the start of chapter five and indicates the fall of the monarchy and the descent of Kabul (and indeed Afghanistan) into political instability. The peaceful world Amir knows, made possible by Baba’s wealth, turns into one full of violence and uncertainty. It ultimately leads to Baba and Amir fleeing the country. “There is a way to be good again” – Rahim Khan says this to Amir over the phone when trying to encourage him to come to Pakistan and in the dialogue this appears like an afterthought. It reveals that Rahim Khan knows the truth about what Amir did to Hassan. It also ties into the theme of redemption, allowing the reader to believe that by returning to the Middle East, Amir will be given the opportunity to break the cycle of guilt he is trapped in. “My body was broken—just how badly I wouldn’t find out until later—but I felt healed... healed...
Words: 2124 - Pages: 9
...In my view The Kite Runner is an epic story with a personal history of what the people of Afghanistan had and have to endure in an ordinary every day life; a country that is divided between political powers and religiously idealistic views and beliefs which creates poverty, and violence within the people and their terrorist run country. The story line is more personal with the description of Afghanistan's culture and traditions, along with the lives of the people who live in Kabul. The story provides an educational and eye-opening account of a country's political chaos. Of course there are many things that are unsaid and under explained in this tragic novel which, in my observation, is an oversimplification. There is also a heavy use of emotional appeal, and an underlying message. This is a flag for propaganda. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini begins in the 1970s in Kabul, Afghanistan, when the country is in a time of an ending monarchy. The main character, Amir, is the son of wealthy Afghanistan business man, and his playmate, Hassan, the son of his father's houseman, Ali. Hassan is a Hazara and Amir is a Pashtun, which makes them from different social classes. The author has undoubtedly stirred my emotions and I admit that I did cry several times. I think that this was the author's objective; this is an appeal to emotion, one of the fallacies of propaganda. Propaganda is a message or an idea that persuades the audience to change their perspectives in one way or another...
Words: 1091 - Pages: 5
...It is no secret that females in developing countries are often unable to receive a proper education. With a lack of education comes unexpected risks, including reduced health, a decline in family income, and even a higher risk of trafficking and exploitation ("Girls' and Women's Education - Expertise - International - World Education, Inc."). For many women in underdeveloped countries such as Arab and Afghanistan, attempting to achieve an education could put their lives at risk. Two women, Laura Boushnak, and Shabana Basij-Rasikh discuss this issue in two different TED talk videos. In the first, Basij-Rasikh discusses how Afghan women should be able to earn a proper education, and tells the story of how her father fought for her to have that....
Words: 1761 - Pages: 8
...were treated with no respect, the Taliban controlled your life, and you could easily be punished in life-threatening ways? This is exactly how the conditions were for Parvana, her family, and the rest of the population. Living in Afghanistan for multiple years trying to survive with low quality food and only her father paying numerous expenses for a job that pays with hardly anything.One day, her dad was taken away and Parvana had to say goodbye to her… . “The Breadwinner”, has been written by the famous Deborah Ellis. The spectacular book that ties into a series of four, falls into the genre historical fiction. The main protagonist of the book is eleven year old, Parvana. Her characteristics...
Words: 1523 - Pages: 7
...The Kite Runner is a story of two boys, Amir and Hassan growing up in the tragic environment of 1970s Afghanistan. Amir is the son of Baba, a Kabul businessman. Hassan is the son of their indigent servant Ali, is his friend. The boys are indivisible, playing and working unitedly as a unit, particularly in the yearly kite-fighting competition in Kabul. Yet in an Afghanistan divided by ethnicity, the Hazara to which Hassan belongs to is seen as inferior. Amir most importantly pursues admiration from Baba, who anguishes of his son’s incapacity to perform to his guidelines. Amir cannot play sports, does not have the desire for a fight and is commonly carsick. Instead, he writes stories, a skill in which his father is uninterested in. It’s Hassan...
Words: 309 - Pages: 2
...Alefa Chowdhury 12-09-13 7th Hour A Thousand Splendid Suns A Thousand Splendid Suns, written by Khaled Hosseini, is a story that is set place in modern-day Afghanistan. It is a story of two particular women who live under the control of a persecuting husband and the infamous rule of the Taliban. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini shifts the narrative perspective throughout the different sections. Overall, the story is told from an omniscient third person. The external character shows the reader world events as they happen and how it affects the main characters, Mariam and Laila, with a factual, unbiased perspective. As the story progressed, we switch to third person limited to understand Mariam and Laila’s individual struggles and experiences, yet we never know what any of the other characters are thinking unless it is said. By shifting narrative perspectives, Hosseini demonstrates how women help each other achieve a shared goal in a time of civil war and social inequality. And through these two women (Laila and Mariam), Hosseini creates a mind-blowing, adventure of regret, despair, tragedy, and more importantly, redemption. The book begins with separate perspectives of each woman, and how they consequently come together in the same household. Mariam, to start with, is actually a result of the shameful act that her father, Jalil Khan, a wealthy business man of Herat, committed when he impregnated one of his servants. As a result of this...
Words: 1591 - Pages: 7
...A Thousand Splendid Suns Title: A Thousand Splendid Suns Author: Khaled Hosseini Page Number: 367 Quote Page Number: 113 Author: Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965. His father was a diplomat in Afghan government at that time and his mother taught History in Kabul. However, after the Soviet Invasion, Khaled and his family moved to the United States in the 1980s. In the US, he completed high school and went on to get his Medical Degree. He started writing while working published his fist book in 2004, which was The Kite Runner. Summary: A Thousand Splendid Suns is a story about two women and their lives in Afghanistan during the invasion of the Soviet of Afghanistan and the Taliban regime. It shows the suffering of Afghan citizens and their sacrifice in time of war. In this story, the two women named Mariam and Laila play an important role of a typical wife in Afghanistan who have to face torture and brutality from their husband and society. The story starts out by introducing Mariam, who is an unwanted teenager. In the story, she is forced to marry Rasheed, an abusive husband at age 15. Rasheed is a cruel man who breaks Mariam’s dreams and tortures her everyday. On the other hand, Laila is an attractive girl who lives just up the street from Mariam’s house. She is born to educated parents and enjoys the freedoms that Mariam is restricted from by Rasheed. She has a boyfriend named Tariq, but their plans to marry get destroyed...
Words: 590 - Pages: 3
...The main character of the story is Amir and he is also the narrator. The story starts with Amir looking at kites in San Francisco and looks upon his past. Young Amir who lives in Kabul the capital of Afghanistan with his fairly wealthy father in his big lavish house. Amir and Baba are Pashtuns, which is the majority ethnic group in Afghanistan. Baba has a servant Ali and his son Hassan who are Hazaras, the ethinic majority. Amir and Hassan are best friends, who almost have a brotherly relationship. Amir has the sensation that he is a dishonor to his father, but Baba’s best friend Rahim Khan does not and sees Amirs talents. Amir’s mother died giving birth to him; however, is why Amir blames himself for killing his mother; Baba’s wife. Hassan and Amir love to fly Kites and Amir loves to tell and read Hassan stories from books; under their favorite pomegranate tree. A coup d’etat happens and the monarchy in Afghanistan is overthrown and much changes begins in the country. Amir and Hassan are playing one day and Assef and his friends approaches them and threatens Hassan because he is a Hazara and Amir because he is his Hassan’s friend....
Words: 588 - Pages: 3
...Orbezo Lira FYW 100-C November 30th Courage led Saima to fulfill her dreams. This is the story of an Afghan girl whose life had a change she always dreamed of. Saima, the main character, relates the story. Since the moment when Saima´s father stated that his daughter would be stronger than a thousand Pashtun boys, and different than any other Pashtun girl, Saima´s firm ideas became even stronger. The story starts in a country where women are treated poorly and abused. Saima tells how she made her life different than the one a normal Pashtun woman would have. A huge opportunity was presented when Saima and her siblings and cousins moved to America to get a better education. Moving to a western country was a big help for Saima in order to live in a different and better environment than the one she was used to. Going through some cultural adaptations didn’t stop Saima from reaching her dream of both going back to Afghanistan and living a life full of freedom. Saima´s return to Afghanistan was not a normal one. She went back as an American and Pashtun interpreter for the U.S. Army. It was definitely a life full of excitement, emotions and lots of different experiences when Saima traveled to different parts of Afghanistan, and even to America for a short time. Everyone has different dreams. Saima´s dream was to have a better life than the one she would have had if she stayed in Afghanistan. Her idea of success was not to become famous and known everywhere, but to have a calm life...
Words: 1932 - Pages: 8
