Amir Character Analysis

Start with an overview

Begin with The Kite Runner: Amir. Its branches bring together appearance, personality, what others think of Amir, his feelings toward others and key quotes. Use those headings to see the kinds of evidence and observations the map brings together. You can follow one branch at a time rather than trying to take in the whole map at once.

Next, open one of the maps titled Amir. Several have similar headings, but their branches offer different details. For example, one mentions Amir’s talent for memorizing poems, while others include descriptions such as sensitive, selfish or cowardly. Compare the observations and look at how each map organizes them.

Follow the relationships

To focus on how others see Amir, try Mindmap on Amir. It includes observations about Hassan’s loyalty and Baba’s view of Amir. Other maps include branches about Amir’s feelings toward Baba, Hassan, Rahim Khan, Assef and Ali.

Choose a relationship and follow it across the maps. Note which branches describe another person’s view of Amir and which describe Amir’s own feelings. Keeping those perspectives separate can help you organize a character analysis.

Turn the maps into practice

There are no quizzes listed on this page, but you can use the maps to make questions for yourself. For example, look at a personality branch, then cover it and try to recall the descriptions it contains. Check the branch afterward and return to the details you missed.

Teachers can also use the headings to guide a class discussion. Ask students to compare a personality description with a relationship branch or a key quote from a map.

Place this topic in the unit

Amir Character Analysis is one section of The Kite Runner unit in Literature. The maps on this page give you a focused way to organize ideas about Amir within that unit. Choose a map and start with the branch that interests you.