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The Kite Runner
Responses to Preparing for the Film
1. Students preparing to watch the film The Kite Runner may find it useful to learn some
facts about Afghanistan, provided by Wikepedia and National Geographic. The
landscape of Afghanistan is mountainous, arid to semi-arid. The landlocked country is
located in central Asia. The country has borders with China, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan,
Uzbekistan, Iran and Pakistan, with Pakistan sharing the longest border with Afghanistan.
Because major trade routes cross the country, it has been invaded by many cultures since
the 6th Century. According to a February, 2008 article in National Geographic, The
Mongolian soldiers of Genghis Khan were invaders who intermarried with the Afghans
of an isolated region in the central highlands. Their descendants, the Hazara, have Asian
features—narrow eyes, flat noses, broad cheeks—rather than the Persian features of the
majority of the Afghan population. Pashtun kings of the 19th century launched bloody
pograms against the Hazara, and later rulers used law and manipulation to target the
Hazara and keep them confined to a lower caste that still works the least desirable jobs in
the country.
The Afghan culture is predominately Islamic; 99% of the population is Muslim.
Most of the people are Sunni Muslim and a smaller percentage, less than 20 %, follow
Shi’a Islam. Holidays, dress, foods and music follow Islamic traditions. Pashtu and Dari
are the languages used in Afghanistan, with Dari the official language of the country.
Afghans who have lived and worked in Pakistan learn Urdu and some Afghans living
near the Tajik, Uzbek, and Turkmen areas also speak Russian. Proverbs (“Zarbul
Masalha” in Dari) reflect Afghan culture and are often used to communicate. The
Taliban, an Islamic fundamentalist group, and Al Qaeda, a radical militant organization,
have caused strife in Afghanistan and between Muslim sects internationally.
2. When upper-class people move to another country to start their lives over, they may feel
disoriented and displaced. No matter how much preparation they have done, adjusting to
a new culture and position in that culture takes considerable time and patience. If they
had to leave their homeland abruptly or felt compelled to leave, they will inevitably be
worrying about their safety, their family, and their future. Many refugees end up no
longer having the wealth, comforts, and connections they once had in their homeland.
Learning a new language and new customs can be daunting, especially if the move was
abrupt. Often transplants will feel homesick or nostalgic for their culture and their past,
especially if they feel unwelcome or unwanted in their new community.
3. Children who have been traumatized are often withdrawn or timid around others. They
may be sullen, depressed, or feel isolated, even around their family members and close
friends. Most will be fearful or anxious about a repeated trauma, often obsessing on the
event and avoiding any circumstances that remind them of it. Some may be haunted by
nightmares or may act out and become angry and hostile, to keep people at a distance.
Others may feel guilty or think they are to blame and may be reluctant to tell anyone
about the trauma because of embarrassment or fear.
