10. Chapter 9: The Framing of Hassan

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this module, we read through the ninth chapter of the novel, focusing in particular on: (i) Amir’s rejection of his birthday gifts, including a copy of the Shahnameh given to him by Ali; (ii) the similarities between Amir and Assef in their treatment of Hassan; (iii) the extent to which we can trust Amir’s justification of his behaviour at this point (“Then I knocked on Baba’s door and told what I hoped would be the last in a long line of shameful lies”, p. 97); (iv) Amir’s lack of understanding as to why Baba chooses to forgive Ali and Hassan; and (v) the ending of the chapter (“I stepped back and all I saw was rain through windowpanes that looked like melting silver”, p. 101).

Course

In this course, Professor John McRae (University of Nottingham) explores Khalid Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. We begin with a broad introduction to the historical, political and literary context of the novel, before going through the whole novel chapter-by-chapter, providing close reading and detailed analysis, with commentary on character, plot, themes, motifs, language, symbolism and more.

Lecturer

John McRae is Special Professor of Language in Literature Studies and Teaching Associate in the School of English at Nottingham University, and holds Visiting Professorships in China, Malaysia, Spain and the USA. He is co-author of The Routledge History of Literature in English with Ron Carter, and also wrote The Language of Poetry, Literature with a Small 'l' and the first critical edition of Teleny by Oscar Wilde and others.