Expository Essay Assignment Instructions
Topic – An archetypal analysis of Amir’s character transformation through the hero’s journey.
Essay Question – How does Amir’s character change from the beginning of The Kite Runner, when he is at status quo, to the resolution, when he completes his journey with a renewed status quo? In addition to the status quo and the resolution, refer to three of the other stop points from the hero’s journey that reveal transformational moments in the story for Amir’s character.
Essay Structure Outline
- Introductory Paragraph
- Lead
- Plan of Development
- Thesis
- Body Paragraphs (THREE body paragraphs are recommended; for EACH body paragraph repeat the structure below. That means you will have a total of NINE Point-Proof-Comment (PPC) structures total.
- Topic Sentence
- Point 1
- Proof 1(direct quotation, cited using MLA format)
- Comment 1
- Use a transition word or phrase to connect PPC 1 to PPC 2
- Point 2
- Proof 2 (direct quotation, cited using MLA format)
- Comment 2
- Use a transition word or phrase to connect PPC 2 to PPC 3
- Point 3
- Proof 3 (direct quotation, cited using MLA format)
- Comment 3
- Concluding sentence for this paragraph, which uses a transition to connect to the next body paragraph.
- Concluding Paragraph
- Restate the thesis in a new way
- Briefly summarize the points from each body paragraph
- End with a concluding sentence or two that draws a meaningful conclusion. In this case, how has Amir’s character changed on his journey?
Length – 3-4 pages double-spaced, or about 750-1000 words
Format – MLA (check title page and page numbering format)
Works Cited – You will have only one entry for your Works Cited. This will be The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. If you use AI as a tool to generate ideas and help with outlining, this should also be documented on the Works Cited.
| On the next content page, some essay writing resources are provided if you would like to review how to write an essay, essay structure, and MLA formatting guidelines. |
Academic Integrity
- You must include properly cited quotations from The Kite Runner as your proof or evidence.
You have learned about the psychological and the socio-economic approaches in Units 1 and 2. Now, you will write an essay about Amir’s journey in The Kite Runner, using the archetypal approach.
Recall reading about Carl Jung’s archetypes in Unit 1, Activity 1, where they were grouped with Sigmund Freud’s work as a part of the psychological lens. Some literary theorists argue that archetypes while having origins in psychology, can also stand alone as an analytical lens. For this essay, you will be working with the archetypes of The Hero’s Journey, as theorized by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces.
Watch the Ted ED video below for a helpful overview of the hero’s journey. Watch the video once for an overview of the hero’s journey, and then watch it again a second time, thinking about how some of the stop points on the hero’s journey apply to Amir in The Kite Runner. What is Amir’s status quo? Does he get assistance? What is his departure? What is his renewed status quo at the end of the novel? For your essay, you will work with 4-6 of the steps you choose from the hero’s journey to apply to Amir’s psychological and physical journeys.
TED ED – What Makes a Hero? Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhk4N9A0oCA
You can use the handout in the link below to take notes on each of the 12 steps of the hero’s journey.
| Always keep in mind that the hero’s journey is both physical and psychological. |
An important point to remember is that while a hero’s journey may be PHYSICAL (traveling to new places), at the same time, and even more importantly, the hero’s journey is PSYCHOLOGICAL. By the end of the hero’s journey, the hero has undergone a transformation or fundamental change in their personality or way of thinking about the world. They are NOT the same person they were at the start of their journey or story.
The link below is another resource handout that explains each of the twelve steps in detail:
After you have read about the hero’s journey and thought about how we, as readers, can apply it to Amir’s journey in The Kite Runner, please go to the next page for your essay instructions.