1. The Kite Runner:
Amir as a Complex Character
Analyzing motivations and conflicts
in a complex literary character

2. Characters are People
“When writing a novel a writer should create
living people; people not characters. A character
is a caricature.” -- Ernest Hemingway
What causes people to be who they are?

3. Why does Amir allow
Hassan to be raped?
• Complexity -- more than one possibility.
• Three possible arguments to Amir’s motivation to
allow Hassan, his best friend, to be raped.
– Argument #1: Amir is influenced by the cultural
setting of the novel.
– Argument #2: Amir’s difficult relationship to Baba
causes him to abandon Hassan.
– Argument #3: Amir’s personality traits as a person
cause him to do nothing to help Hassan.

4. Objective
• To understand that characters are people.
• To understand that complex characters, like
people, may have multiple motivations and
conflicts which influence their behaviors.
• To apply notions of argument, textual support,
and insight.

5. Assignment Details
• Create a PowerPoint that justifies one of the
motivations that caused Amir to allow Hassan to be
raped.
• To accomplish this goal, the following will need to be
done:
1) Refine the argument given to your team for
accuracy and specificity.
2) Include three of the best textual supports from
the novel. At least one textual support must
come from after the rape scene in Chapter 7.

6. Assignment Details (continued)
3) Identify the impact and effect of literary
elements that are present within the textual
supports
4) Include insight for each textual support.
This should be embedded in the slide as
voice-over. Thus, the slide shows will not
be “presented” in class, but watched and
listened to electronically.

7. Assignment Details (continued)
5) The file should be saved in the following
manner depending upon which motivation
and team number you are assigned:
Amir’s Motivation – Setting Team #
Amir’s Motivation – Baba Team #
Amir‘s Motivation – Himself Team #
Example:
Amir’s Motivation – Setting Team 2

8. Outcomes
• The Team’s PowerPoint
• Comments to other team’s PowerPoints
• An essay that incorporates the most
persuasive arguments, textual supports, and
insights from all three possible motivations for
Amir’s inaction during Hassan’s rape

9. Grades
• Each team will consist of three people (with
the exception of one team).
• Each teammate will receive two scores.
1) An overall content score shared by the
team
2) An individual job score

10. Group Content Scale
4
Outstanding
Not only contains all required information but contains at
least two specific moments of profound thought or
originality, Virtually no errors in logic are present.
3
Proficient
Contains all required information (revised argument, textual
supports, analysis of the impact of Literary Elements, and
Insight). No more than two minor errors in logic may be
present.
2
Not Quite /
Approaches
Lacks one of required information. May also contain one
major error in logic or more than two minor errors in logic.
1
Far Below
Lacks two or more required information. May contain two or
more errors in logic.
Every teammate is responsible for the team’s content

11. Team Job :
Presentation / Techical Director
4
Outstanding
Not only is the text easy to read, but the presentation
creatively incorporates visual enhancements that match the
content successfully thoughout the presentation.
3
Proficient
Text is visually easy to read. Animations, images, text
effects and other visual enhancements have been
attempted to enhance the content on some slides.
2
Not Quite /
Approaches
Text is relatively easy to read; however, animations, images,
textual effects and other visual enhancements are minimal
or do little to enhance the content.
1
Far Below
Text is difficult to read in one or more areas. Technical
difficulties are present. Virtually no attempt is made to
enhance the content.
Responsible for the team’s visual presentation

12. Team Job :
Grammar Guru
4
Outstanding
No more than one grammatical errors are present in
either the verbal or visual presentation.
3
Proficient
No more than two grammatical errors are present in
either the verbal or visual presentation.
2
Not Quite /
Approaches
Three to four grammatical errors are present in either the
verbal or visual presentation.
1
Far Below
More than four grammatical errors are present in either
the verbal or visual presentation.
Responsible for ensuring the visual and verbal
presentations are free from grammar errors.

13. Team Job :
Speech Specialist
4
Outstanding
Not only is the voice over proficient, but emphasis is
placed on certain key words and phrases to help the
listener comprehend the complexities of the insight.
3
Proficient
Voice over is clear to understand, uses vocabulary
appropriate for a college-level class, while at the same
time not being overly wordy all of the time.
2
Not Quite /
Approaches
Voice over is unclear or confusing on one slide.
1
Far Below
Voice over is unclear or confusing on more than one slide.
Responsible for the team’s voice over.

14. Example
The final slides present an example of
outstanding in all three jobs and an outstanding
in content.
Note: This example only shows one of the three
required passages required for the project.
Remember, each team will need at least three
textual supports!

15. Question: Why does Mrs. Mallard die when she sees
her husband at the end of the novel?
Given Argument
Mrs. Mallard dies because she felt stifled in her
marriage.

16. Given Argument:
Mrs. Mallard dies from disappointment.
Team’s Revised Argument
Mrs. Mallard felt stifled in her marriage, and had
awakened to the notion of possibility that her life
would have as a widow. However, the dejection from
seeing her husband crushes this possibility and is too
much for her to bear.

17. Best Textual Support #1:
Limited Point of View, Direct Characterization, Diction
“She was young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines
bespoke repression and even a certain strength.”
Literary Techniques
• Limited 3rd POV provides direct
characterization as a woman “whose
lines bespoke repression.” Had the POV
been first person, this characterization
would not have been possible.
• Denotatively, the word “repression”
refers to subduing by force, suggesting
that Mrs. Mallard has had to repress
her feelings.