Kite runner 12 - 19
Why was Afghanistan forgotten (184)?
Afghanistan was forgotten because the Shorawi (Russians?) completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan. (Chapter 12 - 13 questions)
What disturbing news about Ali does Hassan tell?
Ali was killed by a landmine. (Chapter 16 - 17 questions)
How have Amir and Soraya changed in the last decade?
Amir and Soraya know what each other are thinking because they have been together for such a long time. (Chapter 14 - 15 questions)
Explain the problems that Amir encounters as he tries to spend time with Soraya. Why can't he just ask her out on a date? How does Soraya's mother feel about Amir?
Amir is to nervous to go up and talk to Soraya. (Chapter 12 - 13 questions)
Explain why Amir rejects Rahim Khan's admonition to wait a few days before leaving.
Amir rejects Rahim Khan's admonition to wait a few more days because he was scared that he wouldn't go through with the plan if he didn't go then. (Chapters 18 - 19 questions)
Explain the memories of Hassan and Baba that Amir resurrects.
Amir remembers that Baba never forgot Hassan's birthday and how he got mad at Amir for asking if they could get new servants. (Chapters 18 - 19 questions)
On page 225, Amir calls Baba a thief. Explain
Amir says that Baba was a thief because he stole things that were sacred to Amir like knowing that Hassan was his brother. (Chapters 18 - 19 questions)
At the end of the chapter, Amir states that he envied Soraya. Explain.
Amir states that he envied Soraya because she ended up confessing her sins and being free while he has to live through this guilt. (Chapter 12 - 13 questions)
Describe Amir's dreams. What might these dreams tell us about Amir?
Amir's dream is when Hassan was running in the snow, as he yells "for you, a thousand times over" This might tell us that Amir still feels bad about what happened. (Chapter 14 - 15 questions)
What is Amir's final gift to the family? What does this gift tell us about him?
Amir's final gift to the family is crumpled up money that he placed under their mattress. This gift tells us that he is redeeming himself from his past sins with Hassan and wants to show that he is sorry for his actions. (Chapters 18 - 19 questions)
Why is Baba so upset with Dr. Schneider? What does this tell the reader about Baba?
Baba gets upset with Dr. Schneider because he has American blood and is russian. This shows that Baba doesn't like Russians because they destroyed the place he grew up in. (Chapter 12 - 13 questions)
Explain Baba's sickness. How does he respond to it? How does Amir respond to his father's illness?
Baba has the sniffles and is coughing. Amir insists they get medical help but Baba shrugs it off. After Amir catches his dad coughing up blood they take him to the doctors, the doctors say that there is a spot on his lungs. Baba asks casually if it's cancer, while Amir gets very worried about this. (Chapter 12 - 13 questions)
Describe Farid and his family. Why is he so bitter?
Farid is Amir's driver, he smokes and is antisocial. Farid is a dark man with a weather-beaten face, narrow shoulders and a long neck. He fought with his father in the Panjshir Valley. He is so bitter because of the hardships in his life. (Chapters 18 - 19 questions)
Explain why Farid is so rude to Amir.
Farid is rude to Amir because he thinks that Amir left for America for the benefits/privileges. (Chapters 18 - 19 questions)
How and why had Hassan learned to read? What does this tell us about how he has changed?
Hassan ended up being friends with this teacher who taught him how to read and write, he did this for his son. Hassan did this because he did not want his son to be illiterate like he was. (Chapter 16 - 17 questions)
How does Hassan first respond when Rahim Khan asks him to move back to Kabul? Why does he change his mind?
Hassan first says that he made a life in this village and this was his home. He changes his mind because he found out that Baba died. (Chapter 16 - 17 questions)
Explain what happens when Sanaubar, Hassan's mother, returns home. How does Hassan respond?
Hassan runs out of the house, Hassan doesn't come back until very late. (Chapter 16 - 17 questions)
What does Amir learn about Hassan?
Hassan was living with Rahim Khan in Baba's house in Afghanistan. (Chapter 14 - 15 questions)
What does Amir finally decide to do? Why?
He needs to break this pattern and show that he has courage to redeem himself. (Chapters 18 - 19 questions)
Rahim Khan states on page 201: "I see America has infused you with the optimism that has made her so great. That's very good. We're a melancholic people, we Afghans, aren't we?" Explain what he means.
He says that America almost brainwashed Amir into thinking having hope that we can stop death. Rahim Khan also says that Afghans just push through this and accept their fate. Rahim Khan and baba think alike in this situation. (Chapter 14 - 15 questions)
On page 192, Amir states: "I knew he knew." Explain what he means. How does he know?
He says this because he now knows that Rahim Khan knew about what happened to Hassan all along. He knows this because Rahim Khan says "there is a way to become good again." (Chapter 14 - 15 questions)
How had Rahim Khan spent his time in Baba's house after Baba and Amir had left?
He spent almost an hour just stretching and trying to move to make his muscles hurt less, he says that he tried to take care of the house as best as he could. (Chapter 16 - 17 questions)
Describe Kabul as Hassan depicts it in his letter.
Kabul is a place of fear, Hassan says that their is scared. (Chapter 16 - 17 questions)
Why has Rahim Khan called Amir? How does Amir react to the call?
Rahim Khan calls Amir because he is really sick and wants to see Amir, Amir is very pale and looks nauseous and Soraya asks if he is okay. (Chapter 14 - 15 questions)
On page 201, Rahim Khan states: "Yes, hope is a strange thing, Peace at last. But at what price?" Explain.
Rahim Khan says this because the Alliance caused so much damage and violence throughout the community. The Taliban stopped and lessened the violence in pAfghanistan, this is why Rahim Khan was happy when the Taliban came. (Chapter 14 - 15 questions)
What disturbing news about Hassan and his wife does Rahim Khan tell Amir? How does Amir respond to this news? What thoughts go through his mind?
Rahim Khan tells Hassan and Amir and his mother both got shot. Amir denies this. Amir remembers the time Hassan got his lisp removed, he thinks about how everyone that was in the room with him is now dead besides him. (Chapter 16 - 17 questions)
Explain what happened to Rahim Khan at the soccer stadium. From this story, what do we learn about the changes in Afghanistan?
Rahim Khan was wearing shorts at the soccer game and because of the strict rules of the Taliban (covering up), he was struck in the forehead by a Kalashnikov by an 18 year old boy who was patrolling the area. The changes in Afghanistan are very drastic, the Taliban are very strict. (Chapter 14 - 15 questions)
Explain the poignancy of the scene with the leather bound book. Why does Amir cry? Why is this scene so significant?
Soraya is reading the leather book that Rahim Khan gave Amir when he was little. Amir cries because that's the night where Amir was going to tell him everything that had happened the night of the tournament but ended up not because he did not want to lose him. This scene is significant because it shows that Amir still is full of regret and guilt to this day. (Chapter 12 - 13 questions)
Describe the scene where Soraya's father brings her home after she had run off with a man when she was a teenager. What does this scene tell the reader about Soraya and about her father?
Soraya's dad threatened her with a gun to return home, after returning her mother was crying and her father made her cut her hair. This scene tells the reader that Soraya and her father have a bad/unhealthy relationship. (Chapter 12 - 13 questions)
Describe the dream/nightmare that Amir has that night? What significance does it have?
That night Amir has a dream that Hassan is tied up and being executed on the street. This shows that he still thinks about his life with Hassan, guilty that he couldn't apologize to him before he was killed. (Chapters 18 - 19 questions)
Explain the contents of the letter that Rahim Khan gives Amir. How does the letter affect Amir?
The contents of the letter show Hassan writing to Amir around 6 months ago about his life with Rahim Khan and his son. Amir reads the letter twice and then questions how he is doing. (Chapter 16 - 17 questions)
What gift does the general give Amir when they move into their new home? What does this gift show about the general?
The general gives Amir a typewriter which means that the general accepts that Amir's likes to write. (Chapter 12 - 13 questions)
Describe the lafz ceremony, How does this ceremony differ from American customs? What thoughts go through Amir's mind during the wedding ceremony? Why?
The lafz ceremony for "giving word", which is a ceremony for the bride's family to accept the groom's family. This ceremony is different for the american custom because there are many people in the room and Soraya can not be there. (Chapter 12 - 13 questions)
In what year and month does the chapter begin? Compare this time period to the time period of the opening of the novel.
The opening year and month is June 2001, the time when the beginning of the book is December 2001, it's also around the time when Amir gets a call from Rahim Khan. (Chapter 14 - 15 questions)
What happened to the orphanage? Again, what does this tell us about the changes in Afghanistan?
The orphanage was blown up and people found many body parts of kids, this shows us that the Alliance was very violet, this is why Rahim Khan danced when the taliban took over, he says that the Alliance did more damage than the shorawi (Chapter 14 - 15 questions)
Explain this quotation from page 157: "What's going to happen to you, you say? All those years, that's what I was trying to teach you, how to never have to ask that question."
The question that Baba was trying to tell him not to say was "What about me Baba, what am I supposed to do." Baba was trying to teach Amir to fend for himself so when he dies he's not going to have to rely on anyone. Baba is annoyed because his son who is a full grown man is crying. (Chapter 12 - 13 questions)
Explain the shocking news that Rahim Khan tells Amir at the end of the chapter. How does Amir react?'
The shocking news that Rahim Khan tells Amir at the end of the chapter is that Hassan's dad wasn't really Ali but instead of Baba. Amir is angry and runs out of the room. (Chapter 16 - 17 questions)
Amir says that he may have been called to Pakistan to atone for both his own and his father's sins. Explain what he means.
This means that he needs to make things right for both himself and his father, he needs to fix the mistakes that they both made toward Ali's family. (Chapters 18 - 19 questions)
What do we learn about the pomegranate tree? How might this be symbolic?
We learn that the pomegranate tree no longer grows any fruit which is symbolic towards their friendship and what might happen to it. (Chapter 16 - 17 questions)
Describe Sohrab and how the family changes after he arrives.
When Sohrab arrives, his father takes him to learn many skills that Hassan used in life. Hassan loved Sohrab very much and tried to be a good father to him. (Chapter 16 - 17 questions)
