Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay. 

Scaffolded/Short-Answer Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the play over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. The hero’s journey, developed by Joseph Campbell, presents an ancient pattern of tropes that are ever present in the themes and motifs of The Kite Runner. When Amir receives Rahim Khan’s phone call, he is literally answering the call to action, which beckons the hero of myth into adventure.

• What other heroic patterns of the hero’s journey does Amir fulfill? (topic Sentence)
• Pick one or two different stages in the hero’s journey and provide direct quotes or examples from the book showing when Amir experiences them.
• Conclude with any other general similarities or differences between Amir and the hero’s journey process. Is Amir a hero or not?

2. Amir’s mother has a distinct and defining influence on Amir’s life, though she is largely absent from the text, having died giving birth to Amir. In what ways does her death affect Amir’s character arc?