The Kite Runner TRIMESTER 2

In Chapter Thirteen Baba dies. It is a very simple scene. Briefly describe the scene and discuss how his death compares to the way he lived his life.

After dinner and watching Amir, his family, and friends play cards, Baba asks Amir and Soraya to help him to bed. He gives both of them a kiss and does not take his medicine because he says, "There is no pain tonight." He dies in his sleep. It is a simple scene which contrasts with Baba's outgoing, expressive personality. However, he dies after spending time with his family and friends which is how he liked to spend his time, with people.

What happened to Ali?

Ali was killed by a landmine.

Amir says, "But I would stand my ground, I decided. I didn't want to sacrifice for Baba anymore. The last time I had done that, I had damned myself." Which event is Amir referring to (connect to the winter of 1975)?

Amir does not want to "sacrifice" for his father by giving up his choice to get a degree in English and become a writer. In the winter of 1975 Amir wanted to please his father and "got rid" of Hassan and has felt "damned" since he made that choice.

Why does Amir envy Soraya?

Amir envies Soraya because she was brave, she acted. Unlike how he behaved when Hassan was being assaulted.

Where does Amir go in order to meet Rahim Khan?

Amir goes to Pakistan.

After Baba gives Amir the car, Amir comments, "My eyes were tearing over and I was glad for the shadows that hid our faces." Why is he glad for the "shadows"?

Amir is "glad for the "shadows" because he and Baba never share emotional moments and the shadows hide his tears when he is overwhelmed by Baba's gift, the car.

When was the last time Amir saw Rahim Khan?

Amir last saw him in 1981 when Rahim Khan said goodbye to Amir and Baba when they left Afghanistan.

What does Amir learn about Hassan and Baba?

Amir learns that Baba is Hassan's real father. Ali could not have children.

What phrase does Amir recall while he is lying in bed?

Amir recalls the phrase, "For you, A thousand times over!"

What phrase does Amir recall when he goes for a walk?

Amir recalls the phrase, "There is a way to be good again."

What is Amir's reason why he believes he will not be able to have children?

Amir's guilt makes him believe that he deserves not to be able to have children. Hassan is never far from his mind, which foreshadows that Amir will someday atone for what he did to Hassan and Ali.

How does Chapter Fourteen connect to Chapter One?

Chapter Fourteen picks up with Rahim Khan's phone call. Chapters Two through Thirteen are a back story.

Rahim Khan gives Amir an envelope with a Polaroid photograph and folded letter. Describe the photograph briefly. Who is in the photograph? Connect how Amir foreshadows that he has not seen Hassan's smile since the Winter of 1975 with the photograph.

Hassan is in the photograph with his son. Hassan is smiling and he exudes "self-assuredness, of ease." His son Sohrab is leaning against his father's hip smiling. Amir tells the reader early in the novel that he will not see Hassan smile until 26 years later. This comment foreshadows the Polaroid that shows Hassan smiling with his son Sohrab.

What is the name of Hassan's son?

Hassan's son's name is Sohrab.

Why is Amir going to see Rahim Khan?

Rahim Khan is sick.

What is one of Rahim Khan's reasons he goes to Hazarajat to find Hassan?

Rahim Khan tells Amir that he went to look for Hassan because he was lonely. Most of his friends and relatives were killed or escaped to Pakistan or Iran.

At the end of Chapter Sixteen, Rahim tells Amir that the Talban banned which sport in 1996?

The Taliban banned the Kite Fighting tournaments.

Who is the narrative voice in Chapter Sixteen?

The narrator is Rahim Khan.

According to Baba who are the "only three real men"?

The only three real men are America, Britain, and Israel.

Why did the people in Afghanistan initially accept the Taliban?

The people accepted the Taliban because they were tired of the fighting, the bombs, the gunfire, and explosives. They wanted the fighting to stop.

What is the significance of Sohrab's name? How can Amir's helping Sohrab a way for Amir to "be good again"?

Sohrab's name is significant because it is the name of one of the characters in the Shahnamah. Hassan's favorite story in it is titled "Rostam and Sohrab." The great warrior Rostam mortally wounds his nemesis, Sohrab, in battle. However Rostram discovers that Sohrab is his long, lost son. Hassan has named his own son after the "long, lost son." Sohrab is lost and Amir can find a way "to be good again" by finding Sohrab and helping another person and facing his past.

In early 1990 who was the woman in the sky blue burqa that knocks on their door?

The woman is Sanaubar, Hassan's mother.

What do Amir and Baba celebrate in the summer of 1983?

They celebrate Amir's graduation from High School.

"For Baba, a place to ___________________________________."

"For Baba, a place to mourn his."

"For me [Amir] America was a place to ___________________________________."

"For me [Amir] America was a place to bury my memories."

"I opened my mouth and almost told her how I'd betrayed Hassan, lied, driven him out, and destroyed a forty-year relationship between Baba and Ali. But I didn't."

( kol wa7d different answer) Apparently, Amir is afraid of telling Soraya about his past with Hassan. He foresees that doing so could deteriorate his image and chances of marrying her. The cowardice of his youth reappears, and Amir chooses to keep quite. In fact, his code of values is questionable as Amir decides to hide the truth about himself and begin a relationship with dishonesty.

"Hassan," I said. When was the last time I had spoken his name? Those thorny old barbs of guilt bore into me once more, as if speaking his name had broken a spell, set them free to torment me anew. Suddenly the air in Rahim Khan's little flat was too thick, too hot, too rich with the smell of the street.

( kol wa7d different answer) Those thorny old barbs of guilt bore into me once more, as is speaking his name had broken a spell, set them free to torment me anew. " this metaphor contributes with expressing the pain and suffering guilt can cause. He placed this right after Amir says Hassan's name out loud to emphasize that Hassan is his trigger to all of his guilt. With out it saying Hassan's name out loud would have no real affect on Amir.

About how old was Hassan in 1986?

Hassan was about 22 or 23 years old.

Describe Farzana, Hassan's wife:

Hassan's wife Farzana is a shy woman who is courteous and loves Hassan.

Whom does Rahim Khan want to tell Amir about?

He wants to tell Amir about Hassan.

In Chapter Fourteen Amir and Soraya's life will take a dramatic turn because Amir must face his past. Briefly describe Amir's decision. How can Amir find atonement for his sins?

In Chapter Fourteen Amir and Soraya's life take a dramatic turn when Amir tells her that he must go to Pakistan because Rahim Khan is very sick. When Amir hangs up the phone after speaking with Rahim Khan, he realizes that he can no longer avoid his guilt. Amir and Soraya have been married for fifteen years and now he must travel back home to face his past. Amir can find atonement for his sins by facing his past and facing his mistakes.

In 1998 what did the Taliban do to the Hazaras?

The Taliban massacred the Hazaras.

What happened to Hassan and his family?

The Talibs shot Hassan and his wife. His son Sohrab is sent to an orphanage.

Analyze Soraya's character. List key words and phrases. What does she wear? What does she look-like? How does she behave? How does she speak towards others? What does she say?

- "sits barefoot", wears "silver bracelets," she has "long black hair," wears a "white ankle-length summer dress," has olive skin tone -She sits alone, she reads-Wuthering Heights paperback -She is polite, she says, "sad stories make good books," she engages in conversation

According to Carl Jung water associated with the sea, ocean, river etc. has traditionally symbolized the unconscious. To dive is to probe beneath the surface for hidden meanings, to learn about one's submerged desires and emotions. Amir comments, "I could wade into the river, let my sins down to the bottom, let the water carry me someplace far. Someplace with no ghosts, no memories, and no sins. " - What is the context of this comment? How does this passage relate to Carl Jung's symbolic meaning of water? And, why is Amir's reference to "wading" important to this analysis?

Amir thinks about wading in the water. Being that water symbolizes the unconscious and probing beneath the surface helps one learn about desires and emotions, Amir would rather not delve into the water. He rather let his sins go "down to the bottom," so he can forget about his past and not face it.

According to Rahim Khan how has life become more difficult under the Taliban rule?

At soccer games the players are not allowed to wear shorts because the Taliban considers it indecent exposure. The people are not allowed to cheer at the games. People are "not allowed to be human."

Where do Baba and Amir live in America in the 1980s?

Baba and Amir live in Freemont, California in the 1980s

How is the theme that Baba's pride and dignity has impacted him negatively being developed in Chapter Eleven?

Baba carries himself with pride and dignity. He believes that people get what they earn. However, there are times his pride is a negative trait. Baba refuses to take ESL classes and he gets into an argument with Mr. Nguyen over proof of identification.

Baba walked out of the welfare office like a (man cured of a tumor.)

Baba is a proud man who believes in hard work. He sees accepting food stamps as a form of charity and finds it humiliating. He gives back the food stamps and walks out of the office like a "man cured of a tumor." The strong, proud Baba is being compared to someone who has been cured of a disease.

What does Baba say about Soraya's rumored past?

Baba tells Amir that there was a man in Soraya's life and it didn't go well and she had breast cancer.

Describe the disagreement between Mr. Nguyen and Baba and explain how this scene reflects cultural differences.

Baba writes a check for food at Mr. Nguyen's store. Baba becomes offended when he asks Baba for proof of ID. Baba is offended because he thinks Mr. Nguyen is accusing him of being a thief and Baba believes that Mr. Nguyen should trust his word.

Sanaubar returns home and builds a relationship with Hassan and his family. How has she changed? What is the significance that she asks Hassan to smile?

Sanaubar was always considered to be an attractive woman who was cruel and would take advantage of people. She would taunt her husband Ali and make fun of his appearance. She was selfish and left Hassan when he was a baby. Years later she returns home and builds a relationship with Hassan and his family. She no longer is the beautiful woman she once was, but is more humble. Hassan takes her in his home and she helps him with his family. Her asking Hassan to smile is significant because when she left Hassan when he was a baby, she told Ali that he now has his "own idiot child" to do all the smiling for him. She no longer views her son in the same way; she wants him to be happy.

Amir discusses clichés and how his creative writing teacher would say, "Avoid them like the plague." He then mentions the cliché of the "elephant in the room." What does this cliché mean? Who or what is the "elephant" that Amir is alluding to?

The cliché of the "elephant in the room" means that there is a topic or situation that everyone is aware of, but nobody mentions it. The "elephant" that Amir is alluding to is Hassan. Rahim Khan and Amir both know that they want to discuss Hassan, but neither of them bring him up immediately.

What is the current date of Chapter Fourteen?

The date of Chapter Fourteen is June 2001.

How is Chapter One different than Chapter Fourteen for the reader? What is significant about the repeated phrases that Amir recalls?

The reader knows what Rahim Khan is referring to when he tells Amir that he can be "good again." By Chapter Fourteen the reader knows what happened to Hassan in the winter of 1975 and how Amir did not help Hassan and ran away. The reader knows that it was Hassan who told Amir, "For you, A thousand times over!" Amir has not come to terms with his past.

When Amir approaches Soraya when she is alone, many people began to take notice, why? What is the "double standard"?

When Amir approaches Soraya when she is alone, many people began to take notice because she is a single woman with a "history" who is talking to a single man. It is a "double standard" because the people in the market will not gossip about him, but they will gossip about her because she is a woman.

Analyze Baba's speech, in Chapter Thirteen, to General Taheri and underline all the important words: Baba cleared his own throat. When he began, he couldn't speak in complete sentences without stopping to breathe. "General Sahib, Khanum Jamila jan... it's with great humility that my son and I... have come to your home today. You are... honorable people... from distinguished and reputable families and... proud lineage. I come with nothing but the utmost ihtiram... and the highest regards for you, your family names, and the memory... of your ancestors." He stopped. Caught his breath. Wiped his brow. "Amir jan is my only son... my only child, and he has been a good son to me. I hope he proves... worthy of your kindness. I ask that you honor Amir jan and me... and accept my son into your family. 16. What is Baba's description of Amir? Explain how is this particular speech is poignant.

With "great humility" and "highest regards" Baba asks for General Taheri to accept Amir and himself into their family. He refers to Amir as his "only son" and has been "good son." As a child Amir never heard his father speak kind words about him. Amir has always felt like he has disappointed his father, so for Amir to hear such words, makes this speech poignant.