The Kite Runner is a novel about which many things can be said when we consider setting. I would recommend that you familiarise yourselves with all of the chapters where particular settings are introduced for the first time, and make sure you go through the following process:
Read it literally (on a basic level)
Make sure that you are able to read the description of the setting, prepared to comment on language and imagery that is used in order to describe it. In order to do this, you will have to have an extensive list of literary and narrative terms to choose from.
Once you have identified HOW the narrator has described the setting, talk about the effect of this description on the reader. How does it make you (or other potential readers FEEL? What does it remind you of? Which details are picked out as important by the reader?)
Remember, this is where you show your skill as a literature student. You are all FAR BETTER THAN AVERAGE at interpreting texts, even if you don't know it. So, grab yourself some marks by being brave and suggesting how/why the description takes place
Read the Setting from the point of view of Amir
Amir, and the whole story, are fictional. But you must still remain passionate in your interpretation of the plot/characters, and see them as real people. So, whatever text you're looking at, be prepared to look at:
*Feelings and emotions displayed
*Imagery used to show interactions between characters
*Specific language and vocabulary used when referring to Hassan/Baba/Assef/Soraya etc.
Be prepared to tell the markers anything that you notice. Back it up with evidence and be COURAGEOUS and BRAVE when explaining the significance of your evidence.
Read the Setting in its historical context
Brush up on your history of Afghanistan and comment on any parts of the narrative or text that make more sense in a particular time period. For example, if you were to see a part of the text near the end of the text that speaks of 'beggars on the streets', you could put it into its historical context by taking about how this appears to be a result of the downward turn of standards since the invasion of the Soviets (which are disparagingly called the 'Roussi's') leading in to the advent of the Taliban era. Because of this, not only is this a result of the political times, but the beggars serve as an image or icon of a broken nation which was once strong, happy and prosperous (for some!)
Read the setting as an allegory
There are lots of sources which say that you can read The Kite Runner as an ALLEGORICAL TEXT. This means that the entire plot (or large chunks of it) are told to represent a wider meaning.
For example, it could be argued that:
*Baba and Amir's strained (but outwardly happy) relationship is an allegory for the coexistance of Western and Muslim values which are held together within the Afghanistan of the Mid-70s. Western values are tolerated: even aspired to: but it can not be argued that they conflict with the traditional Muslim values of the time.
*Amir and Hassan's friendship (between races) is an allegory for the way that different races and different denominations of Muslims live together in tolerated harmony, but are kept from being particularly close due to their inherent cultural differences.
*Hassan's rape could be seen as an allegory for the 'rape' of the nation by Soviet rule.
etc etc etc
The good thing about 'Allegory' reading is that, if you spend about an hour researching the HISTORY/POLITICS of Afghanistan, you will be able to interpret potential allegorical elements yourself. There is no limit to what MAY or MAY NOT be an allegory, and there is certainly no RIGHT or WRONG answer.
If you can look at any piece of text and interpret it in these different ways, you'll look WELL CLEVER to the marker.
NW
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