1. Theme: Analyse how an idea is developed in the text (or texts)
you have studied.
What are the key ideas in the kite runner?
Theme / Idea How is it shown? What does that tell us
about this theme?
Atonement /
Conscience
(Key Terms –
GUILT,
REDEMPTION
, SACRIFICE,
HONOUR)
1) When Amir adopts Sohrab.
2) When Amir tells Hassan a word
means something other that what it
does and gives him a broken toy to
make up for it.
3) When Hassan's mum (Sanaubar)
comes back to find Hassan and
make amends.
Doing something bad does
not make you a bad person.
It is important for the person
who has made a mistake to
do something to set it right
again.
Atonement is a process in
which the person atoning
also learns to forgive
themselves.
Friendship /
Loyalty
(Key Terms –
BETRAYAL,
TRUST,
REDEMPTION
)
1) Hassan showed loyalty to Amir
when he brought back the kite.
2) Amir framed Hassan for theft and
Hassan rather than cause a rift
between Baba and Amir, took the
blame and sacrificed himself.
3) Hassan showed loyalty and
friendship to Amir when he defended
Amir against Assef, but when Amir
had the chance to do the same for
Hassan, Amir ran away.
Friendship is based on
loyalty.
Friendship can sometimes be
one way but that doesn't
make a good friendship.
Good friends sacrifice for one
another.
Good friends protect, defend
and care for one another.
Honour /
Morals
(Key Terms –
FAMILY,
TRUTH,
SACRIFICE)
1) When Baba defends and protects
the woman in the truck.
2) When Amir asks Baba to ask the
general's permission for Amir to
marry Soraya.
3) Wahid feeding Amir before he fed
his own family.
What is often found to be
honourable and moral in this
novel is whenever a
character puts the needs of
somebody else before their
own. Its about standing up for
what is right no matter the
consequences.
Discrimination
(Key Terms -
RACISM,
GENDER,
RELIGION)
1) Hassan and Ali have to sleep in a
hut outside because they are Hazara
servants.
2) Soraya is shunned by the
community because she was a
single Afghani woman who ran away
with a man.
3) Sohrab is looked down on by the
general because he is an orphan
and Hazara and the General is
worried what the Afghani community
will think of them.
Not everyone is treated
equally and sometimes
people are treated unfairly
because of their race, religion
or gender. These are all
things are person has no
control over

2. Write a sentence about what the kite runner teaches us about:
Friendship: It can sometimes be one way. Loyalty is a big part of friendship. True friendship is when you would do anything to help / care for the
other person.
Discrimination: It happens in many different forms (e.g. sexism, racism, religious discrimination etc). It is unfair because people often
have no choice about belonging to any of those particular groups. It stops people from seeing one another as human.
Loyalty: The most important aspect of friendship.
Morality: Means you will not either watch passively or actively seek to do wrong yourself.
Honour: Doing what is right and good for other people. Standing up for what is right.
Redemption: Making up for what you’ve done wrong.
Back up your answers from the text: using the grid below, place quotes that
clearly show the different themes in the boxes.
Themes: Quotes that clearly
show that theme:
What does that tell us
about the theme?
Atonement /
Conscience
“There is a way to be
good again.” Rahim
Khan says to Amir.
Atonement is about
making up for what you’ve
done wrong.

3. Friendship / Loyalty “For you a thousand
times over.” Hassan to
Amir before he ran to get
the kite.
“I grew up with Ali...My
father took him in, he
loved Ali like his own
son. Forty years Ali's
been with my family,
forty goddam years. And
you think I'm just going
to through him out.”
Baba says to Amir.
Loyalty is fundamental in
friendship. Friendship
needs to be two-wayed.
Friendship is about going
above and beyond for
your friend.
Honour / Morals “Tell him I'll take a
thousand of his bullets
before I let this
indecency take place.”
Baba says to the
Russian soldier.
“We're hungry but we're
not savages!” Wahid
says to his wife.
Honour is about standing
up for what you know is
right.
It’s about doing the right
thing.
Discrimination “How can you talk to
him, play with him, let
him touch you?” (Assef,
pg 38).
“...I have to deal with the
community's perception
of our family. They will
want to know why there
is a Hazara boy living
with our daughter.” (The
General, pg 330).
These quotes tell us that
generations of Hazara
have been discriminated
against for simply being
born Hazara. It shows us
a clear example of how a
person through no fault of
their own can be held
prisoner by the society in
which they live.
Character: Analyse how a main character OR individual matures How does Amir mature through the novel?
and takes action in a text (or texts) you have studied.
Amir What actions does Amir take in the novel that causes us to see him as
Immature and why?
What are three different personality traits Amir has, and which of his actions show this
Personality
Trait
Actions that show it:
Action Why it is immature?
Running away when
Hassan is being assaulted
in the alley.
It shows that Amir is not mature enough to deal
with his fear or stand up for what he knows is
right.
Framing Hassan for theft. He doesn’t know how to deal with his guilt and
rather than confront it, he chooses to try to get rid
of Hassan.
When Amir tries to stop
Baba standing up for the
woman in the truck.
It shows that Amir is too controlled by fear to do
the right thing and stand up for what he knows is
right.

4. Cowardly Amir runs away when Hassan is being
raped.
Jealous When he asks Baba if he ever thought of
getting new servants.
Guilty He can no longer sleep.
As Amir grows up and matures he goes through a lot of emotions. How does Amir's maturity change from the beginning of the novel to the end?
Using the list of emotions on the left, identify places where
Amir has felt these as a child and then again as an adult.
Feelings
Amir
has:
Action that shows it as a
child:
Action that shows how he
has developed as an adult:
Guilt Framing Hassan for theft. Goes back to Afghanistan to
rescue Sohrab – does
something good with his guilt.
(unselfish) – redeems himself.
Fear Running away from Hassan
when he is being assaulted
by Assef.in the alley.
Rescuing Sohrab even when
he is afraid of Assef (bravery).
Anger When he lashes out at
Hassan for being so loyal.
When he stands up to the
General, defending Sohrab
(unselfish).
Pride Proud of winning the kite
tournament.
Is proud of Sohrab and wants
the best for him. (unselfish)
Hope Trying to win the kite fighting
tournament in the hope that
Baba will be proud of him.
Has hope that Sohrab will
speak again (unselfish)

5. Relationships: Analyse how the growth OR breakdown of a relationship(s)
affects the climax in a text (or texts) you have studied.
In the box below create a family / friend diagram showing the connections /
relationships between the characters using the following characters:
Amir, Hassan, Baba, Soraya, Rahim Khan, Sohrab, General Sahib,
Amir's actions at the beginning of
the book.
Amir's actions at the end of the
book.
Runs away when Hassan is being
assaulted by Assef in the alleyway
because he is afraid.
Amir is still afraid, but he confronts
Assef to rescue Sohrab. – Shows
maturity and bravery.
Proud of winning the kite tournament
because he believes it will fix his
relationship with Baba (selfish).
Proud of Sohrab and stands up
against the General when the General
insults Sohrab. Shows a development
away from a selfish pride towards
pride for his family.
Amir lashes out and throws
pomegranates at Hassan because
he is angry and doesn’t know how to
deal with his guilt at Hassan’s loyalty.
Is angry at what Assef and the Taliban
because of what they have done to the
country. He still shows anger, but it is
an honourable anger, which shows he
is maturing.

6. Khanum Taheri, Farzana, Sanaubar, Assef
Plot structure: Identify key moments in the novel and plot them on the Plot
Structure:
graph below.
ALI ASSEF
SANAUBAR
HASSAN BABA RAHIM KHAN
FARZANA
AMIR
SOHRAB
SORAYA
GENERAL SAHIB KHANUM TAHERI

7. Using the example graph above, plot the different moments of tension
on the graph in accordance to the chapters in which they happen. The
graph above is just an example of a novel structure, The Kite Runner
might follow a different structure, you decide.
L x x
l
l x x x x x
l
l x x x x
l
l
l
l x x x x x x x
l
l
Baba’s and Amir’s relationship: l
Using the graph above, and the timeline, track Baba and Amir’s l x x
relationship throughout the novel. Come up with key events / l
moments in the novel where Baba and Amir’s relationship changes, l
note what the changes are and back up that change with a quote l x x x
x
Climax
Crisis
Level 3
Crisis
Level 2
Crisis
Level 1
Neutral
T
E
N
S
I
O
N

8. in the table below l
l
l x
Symbols: Analyse how symbols are used to develop an How do each of the symbols relate to a theme (key idea) in the text:
Events How it affects Baba
and Amir’s relationship
Quote
The kite
tournament
It makes Amir
desperate to please
Baba & Baba is proud
of Amir when he wins.
“Show him once and
for all his son was
worthy.” (pg 52)
Amir’s
graduation
Baba is proud of Amir
and tells him so. They
are growing closer.
““I am moftakhir, Amir,”
he said. Proud.” (pg
122)
Baba’s death Amir realises how
much of an influence
his father had been in
his life.
“I realized how much
of who I was, what I
was, had been defined
by Baba.” (pg 161)
Amir finding
out that
Hassan is
his brother.
He became angry at
his father for lying to
him and Hassan all of
those years.
“I’m thirty-eight years
old and I’ve just found
out my whole life is
one big fucking lie!”
(pg206)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Chapters

9. idea in a text (or texts) you have studied.
Below are some of the symbols found in the text. Fill in the appropriate boxes where
the symbols are found and what they mean. Each symbol will
occur more than once in the text, so look for all of the places
it is found.
Symbol Themes it relates
to
How does it relate to that
theme?
The Look of the Lamb
Innocence,
Helplessness and
loyalty.
Hassan is innocent and
helpless when he is being
assaulted in the alley. He
has been put in that
position because of his
loyalty.
The Kite
Freedom The kite flying symbolises
freedom and friendship.
The Brass Knuckles
Oppression and
fear.
Represents the fear Amir must
overcome to gain redemption.
The Slingshot
Friendship, loyalty
and bravery.
Represents standing up for the
right thing, overcoming fear and
the loyalty found in friendship.

10. Symbol Where is it found? What does it mean?
The Look of
the Lamb
Chapter 7: When Assef
rapes Hassan (in
Hassan’s eyes).
Chapter 22: in Sohrab’s
eyes as Assef and Amir
are confronting each
other.
It symbolises the
acceptance and
venerability of people
who are in a horrific
situation outside of their
control. It is a look of
sacrifice.
The Kite
Chapter 7: The kite
tournament.
Chapter 25: Amir and
Sohrab flying kite
together.
It symbolises freedom and
friendship.
The Brass
Knuckles
Chapter 5: When Assef
first threatens Amir with
them.
Chapter 22: When
Assef beats up Amir.
They represent fear and
oppression. They are used
to intimidate and bring
people down.
The Slingshot
Chapter 5: When
Hassan stands up
against Assef.
Chapter 22: When
Sohrab defends Amir
from Assef.
It is the opposite of the brass
knuckles – they represent
friendship and loyalty.

11. Quote Box: Find a quote that mentions each symbol
Symbols Quote that shows this symbol
The Look of the
Lamb
“Saw the resignation in it. It was a look I had seen
before. It was the look of the lamb.” (pg 71).
The Kite
“Amir agha won the kite tournament and I ran this
kite for him.” (pg 68).
The Brass Knuckles
“What he fished out of that pocket didn’t surprize me
one bit: stainless-steel brass knuckles. (pg 264).
The Slingshot
“Hassan had the slingshot pointed directly at Assef’s
face.” (pg 39).