Paper Assignment

Much of this time we have been asking ourselves what is an underlying idea or message an# author is seeking to convey in a particular work of fiction or poetry. When we ask ourselves these questions, we are asking about a work's theme. A theme of a novel, to oversimplify grossly, might be thought of as an underlying, recurring idea, a moral attitude, a view of life, and/or a conception of human life and experience suggested by a novel's concrete details. It may take the form of a message, something the author would have us know or understand. A serious novel is likely to have many themes, and we may argue over what its central theme is. Chose one of the topical areas below and craft a thesis wherein you try to persuade your reader of the importance of a theme of The Kite Runner.

• Analyze the theme of redemption. Who needs it? Why? Does he get it?

• Examine father/son relationships in the novel.

• Compare Amir's adult life to Hassan's (what little we know about it). Why is Hassan's apparently happier? Why is Amir still thinking about the alleyway twenty-six years later?

• The first third of the novel is almost entirely without female characters. What roles do women play in the world of the novel? What idea is the author conveying through his female characters?

• Examine Amir and Baba's life in America. Does the author have something to say about the American Dream?

• Examine heroism in the novel. Are there any truly heroic people? What is Hosseini telling us?

• Analyze class, ethnicity, and/or tradition in the novel. How do they in part determine the events in the novel?

Note: If you like, you may also discuss any flaws in the novel that interfere with your chosen theme. For example, is the theme of redemption undermined by the James Bond-like scene in Afghanistan? Can coincidence and poetic justice be taken too far? Do you think Hosseini tries too hard to manipulate his readers' emotions, and thereby undermines some larger message he hopes to convey? Such an argument may show up in a late body paragraph or the conclusion.