Nature as a Symbol
What is the fruit tree that symbolizes the friendship of innocence of Amir and Hassan?
The pomegranate tree
What is the term for environmental destruction, usually during war?
Ecocide
Hassan is described as having the eyes of what animal?
A lamb/sheep
What part of Baba's yard is described as cracked when Amir returns?
The driveway
What political group ruled Afghanistan with brutal force during part of Amir’s return, reshaping social and physical landscapes?
The Taliban
When Amir throws pomegranates at Hassan, what does the flowing juice symbolize?
Blood
What do the crumbling structures and dying lawn at Amir's old house symbolize?
The physical and moral decay of Afghanistan
The lamb characterization returns at a turning point when who is introduced?
Sohrab
Dying grass and peeling paint symbolize what?
The deterioration of Afghanistan
Baba and Amir flee Afghanistan during what major political event?
Soviet invasion/soviet war
Decaying fruit throughout the story symbolizes what?
A loss of purity/innocence
The chopping of the poplar trees symbolizes what of the Afghan people?
Loss of diversity/freedom/vitality/innocence
What is the traditional Islamic ritual where lambs are sacrificed?
Eid al-Qorban
What do the weeds cracking through the asphalt symbolize?
Groups like the Taliban seeping into a fractured society
This is the season when the big kite-fighting tournament happens, and also when Hassan's blood is spilled.
Winter
What theme is suggested by Hassan smashing the pomegranate on his head?
Selflessness/sacrifice
What is an affected aspect of the environment in both Ukraine and The Kite Runner?
Soil/agriculture/natural beauty
The use of the lamb metaphor emphasises what?
The innocence and helplessness of one in the face of danger
Seeing Afghanistan's decay evokes what emotions in Amir (other than sadness)?
Guilt
How does the loss of peaceful natural settings in TKR represent the loss of innocence caused by political oppression?
The loss of peaceful natural settings in TKR shows how political oppression destroys both innocence and the beauty of the environment.
How is the nature/human relationship similar to the Hazara/Pashtun relationship?
Pashtuns/humans cause harm while Hazaras/nature do(es) not fight back
How does the deliberate neglect and destruction of Amir's old home show the Taliban's broader approach to dominion?
Through trauma/weakening/suffering
Why is it remarkable that Amir pays so much attention to the face of the lamb?
Afghan youth has become so desensitized to slaughter
Afghanistan’s destruction suggests what about the human impact on nature?
War and conflict have a great toll on the environment and spirit
What does Hassan's blood spilling on the snow symbolize within the eco-critical lens?
Symbolizes how violence stains and disrupts the natural world, showing the damage humans cause to both people and the environment.