The Kite Runner Quotation Analysis
(6) "Words were secret doorways and I held all the keys" (32)
Speaker: Amir (a thought he has) Context: Amir, the narrator, remembering a trick he played on Hassan in 1973 Significance: theme of power vs powerless - Amir knows that he has more power than Hassan. Amir takes advantage of his powerful situation and mocks Hassan for his illiteracy. Foreshadow/ Theme of loyalty vs betrayal - Amir's abuse of power foreshadows that he will betray Hassan in the alley and in the lie that forces Hassan and Ali to leave. Even though Hassan is powerless compared to Amir, he is always loyal, while Amir constantly betrays Hassan. Hassan has the moral power that Amir lacks.
(41) "Earlier that morning, when I was certain no one was looking; I did something I had done twenty-six years earlier: I planted a fistful of crumpled money under a mattress" (254).
Speaker: Amir thinking to himself Context: Amir and Farid stop to spend the night with Wahid's family (Farid's brother). Amir overhears a conversation between Wahid and his wife; they have given him all the food they have and there is nothing left for the family. Earlier, Amir thought Wahid's children were staring at his watch but they were staring at his food because they were hungry. Significance: Atonement and redemption Amir is in the same situation as he was before. Last time, he made the mistake, but this time, he makes the right choice. Before, Amir hid his watch under the mattress and accused Hassan of stealing it. This time, Amir is hiding items as an act of kindness. Last time, his act caused a poor man and his son their home and livelihood. It is part of Amir's atonement to do an action expecting nothing in return. Loyalty vs Betrayal Amir betrayed Hassan so many years ago when he had put the watch under his mattress. Now, to atone for that, Amir is hiding something under a mattress, for kindness.
(15) "It was a look I had seen before. It was the look of the lamb" (81).
Speaker: Amir thinking to himself Context: Amir sees Hassan's face right before the rape is about to take place, Amir sees a look of resignation (the fight is gone from him/doesn't want to fight back) Significance: Powerful vs Powerless Hassan's powerlessness is captured in the image of the lamb, which also symbolizes innocence and sacrifice. Theme of loyalty vs betrayal Hassan is being sacrificed to Assef, but Amir will also abuse him. Not only does Amir fail to help Hassan in this moment, but Amir continues to betray Hassan when he is overcome by his own guilt. This moment represent the slaughter of Hassan. His soul is slaughtered and he is physically and especially emotionally hurt from. Hassan will never fully recover from this moment.
(46) "I don't know at what point I started laughing, but I did" (302).
Speaker: Amir to himself Context: Amir has come to confront Assef and get Sohrab from him. Assef says they will fight and only one of them will walk out alive; he makes Sohrab stay to watch. At some point during the fight, Amir is being ruthlessly beaten by Assef, but begins to laugh. Significance: theme of atonement and redemption Amir sees his beating as a just form of punishment for what he did in his past (betraying Hassan). Now Amir finally gets the physical punishment that he always wanted. This is very therapeutic. This is like when Amir wanted Hassan to attack him with pomegranates, but he didn't. This is his physical punishment. Theme of guilt Amir feels that a physical punishment is the only way that he will be able to stop feeling guilty, especially since it was physical abuse that he allowed to happen to Hassan. Amir thinks that he needs to feel physical pain, and not just mental.
(19) "He opened it and crushed it against his own forehead...red dripping down his face like blood" (98).
Speaker: Amir to himself Context: Amir yells at Hassan to fight back as he's throwing pomegranates at him, Hassan takes a pomegranate and crushes it against his forehead Significance: the impact of guilt Amir desperately wants a physical punishment to make him feel better about Hassan getting physically hurt. Hassan knows not to throw the pomegranate because he knows that he is lesser than Amir Powerful vs powerless Hassan is going to harm himself in order to make Amir not look bad. Hassan shows/proves that he is powerless while making Amir powerful. Hassan is also innocent and would rather hurt himself than hurt his friend. Even when Hassan has power, he won't abuse it. Symbolism The red pomegranate symbolizes blood. Theme of guilt Hassan will not give Amir the punishment that he craves, so Amir will have to find way to stop his guilt.
(3) "... there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft. Do you understand that?" (19)
Speaker: Baba Listener: Amir Context: Baba and Amir talk about what Amir learned in school and what constitutes sin Significance: Theme of Loyalty vs Betrayal - Baba's words foreshadow the theft that Amir will falsely accuse Hassan of, but in a deeper sense, Amir is the thief, since he robs Hassan of his friendship and loyalty. Irony - at the same time, ironically, Baba has stolen the truth from Amir, denying him the knowledge that Hassan is his brother.
(25) "It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime" (150).
Speaker: Baba Listener: Amir Context: Baba is telling Amir about Soraya's controversial past. Significance: The impact of guilt This speech by Baba has to remind Amir of the guilty day that changed his whole life. Ironically, the fact that Amir still loves Soraya, indicates that there is redemption after guilt. Theme of atonement and redemption Soraya teaches Amir that other people also have guilty secrets in their past, and yet, are able to move on and be worthy of love and happiness.
(22) "Tell him I'll take a thousand of his bullets before I let this indecency take place" (122).
Speaker: Baba Listener: Karim (driver to help Baba and Amir escape Afghanistan) Context: The truck they are in is stopped by a Russian soldier who won't let it pass until he has the woman in the truck. Baba stands up to him and refuses to allow this "indecency take place" Significance: The impact of war Now that there is war, the morality in Afghanistan has decreased and allows for soldiers to demand what they want without regard to what they want. Power vs powerlessness the soldiers have the guns and the power, while almost all of the civilians are relatively powerless - even the civilians who used to hold so much power. Shows Baba's character he is strong, honour is important to him Father son conflict Baba's actions contrast Amir's actions - Baba is willing to give up his life to stop the rape of a woman he doesn't know, while Amir did nothing for his best friend, Hassan
(47) "The impact had cut your upper lip in two, clean down the middle. But not to worry, the plastics guy sewed it back together and they think you will have an excellent result, though there will be a scar" (311).
Speaker: Dr. Faruqi (Amir's surgeon, calls him Armand) Listener: Amir Context: After Sohrab saves Amir from the fight, he and F arid bring him to the hospital. When Amir wakes up, he hears about the severity of his injuries from the surgeon Significance: Theme of atonement and redemption Hassan appeared this way too, and he had gotten surgery for his harelip. Symbolism is that now Amir has apart of Hassan in two ways: Sohrab and the physical evidence of looking somewhat like Hassan.
(36) "And why you? I think we both know why it has to be you, don't we? ...What I'm asking from you is to grant an old man his dying wish" (233).
Speaker: Rahim Khan Listener: Amir Context: Amir has travelled back to Afghanistan to see Rahim Khan one last time before he dies. When he is there, Rahim Khan tells him about everything (Hassan was his father's son), including Sohrab and asks him to go find the boy. Amir doesn't want to do it (has lots of excuses - his wife, his life in America), but knows that he must - Rahim Khan knows this too. Significance: Theme of Guilt Rahim Kahn tells Amir that it has to be him, because Rahim knows what Amir saw/didn't do in the alley. Rahim knows that Amir feels guilty and wants to give Amir a chance to redeem himself. Loyalty vs. Betrayal Rahim Kahn knows that Amir betrayed Hassan in the alley so many years ago, so Rahim thinks that Amir will not want to betray him again. Rahim knows that Amir is actually a good person and will want to show some type of loyalty. This is Amir's chance to prove himself to Hassan and Rahim Kahn. Atonement and Redemption Rahim Kahn is giving Amir the chance to atone for what he did in the past.
(35) As far as I know he never asked where she had been or why she had left and she never told. I guess some stories do not need telling" (222).
Speaker: Rahim Khan Listener: Amir Context: This is when Rahim Khan is talking to Amir and telling Amir what happened to Hassan's mother. This is part of the conversation when Rahim Khan tells Amir that he has a chance to be good again. Significance: Loyalty versus betrayal Baba was never told why she left Hassan and Ali. She is one character who could have been loyal, but decided to betray her family. She left them without giving them a reason, but now she is coming back and being loyal. Atonement and redemption Hassan accepts his mother's return unconditionally, allowing her to atone for her past and find redemption with her son.