Chapter 25

At the beginning of the final chapter, the doctors are working to save Sohrab's life, and Amir turns to prayer. You can tell Amir is panic stricken by the use of short, blunt sentences. At the beginning of the chapter, he simply states what is going on, there isn't any emotion behind it, which shows that he is feeling numb. This chapter really addresses the new found guilt of what he has done, which contrasts with that of his childhood. However, he is doing something about this guilt, as he is praying to god and trying to push to help Sohrab. When he has to leave Sohrab, Amir is left in a "wide, windowless corridor", which shows how trapped he feels, as there are no escape routes, he just has to carry along down the corridor. He has a brief analepsis that confirms he feels this way, as he thinks back to the time in the back of the fuel truck with Baba.

Amir knows what he needs to do, he needs to pray, even though he said earlier that he does not wear his religious clothes any more. He begs the nurse and the police man to tell him which way is west, and flings down his make shift prayer mat in desperation. He knows he has not been the best muslim, and prays that god will forgive his sins, and turn to him in his hour of need. He uses short sentences to show his desperation.

"A starless black night", Hosseini uses pathetic fallacy to highlight what is going on, it is as i nature has turned bad, hence the "black", and that all hope is lost, due to there being no stars. Amir cannot breath again, which reminds us of the hands that used to clamp his throat when he thought of Hassan and what he had done to him. This again shows the contrast between the guilt now and then, as again, he does something to relieve his breathing, by going and opening a window.

Someone taps on Amir's shoulder, and as they tell him the news, Amir immediately thinks of all the things he can do to pray to god that Sohrab is okay. By doing this between the sentences, Hosseini builds up tension, as we don't know whether Sohrab will be okay.
"He is alive"

Amir goes to see him in the intensive care unit, and the nurses are wearing "green", which indicates the new life that has been given to Sohrab. Amir falls asleep, then when he wakes up, a different nurse takes him outside the ICU, and gives him a blanket to fall asleep on the sofa with. He dreams about the doctor coming to tell him the news, but instead of it being the doctor, it is the man from the embassy.

After three days Sohrab is moved from the ICU to the ground floor. When Amir goes back to the room, he sees that the bathroom had been cleaned, but can't help thinking what was the last thought that went through his mind when he sunk the blade in. Amir asks how Sohrab is feeling, but he gets no reply. This shows the lack of trust in the situation, and how Amir had his chance with him, but blew it. "His eyes were lightless" shows how he is feeling, and later he says to Amir that he wishes he hadn't pulled him out of the bathtub, he wishes he could have died. He wants his mother and father back, his old life back.

Amir tells Sohrab that he can come back to America with him, and everything will get better, now that he has a visa to go to the US. he says two words, "I promise", and regrets it, as this reminds him of the last time he said that, when he promised he would not have to go back to the orphanage. Sohrab never accepts or declines his offer to go back to America, it just happens. They arrive back on a warm, August day in 2001, which could symbolise hope, by the pathetic fallacy. Sohrab does not say anything to Soraya when she asks if he likes his room, he lays his head on his pillow and without minutes is asleep.

Amir stands up to the General Taheri for the first time in this chapter, as he calls Sohrab the "Hazara boy", as if looking down on him. Amir says back to him "You will never refer to him as "Hazara boy" in my presence. He has a name and it's Sohrab".

Sohrab continues to be silent. It takes quite a turn on Soraya, as she had already been planning to take him swimming and help him with homework even before they had got home to America. They decide to go to the park, as a family outing, and to meet a group of other Afghans. Pathetic fallacy is used, as it is raining on the day they go out, which reflects the mood of Sohrab. Amir keeps his promise, by saying morning namaz, like he had told god he would in his hour of need. When they go out, Sohrab still does not speak, even though it is nearly a year on. People used to be empathetic, but now everybody knew about Sohrab, no one asked why he din't speak or play with other children.

Soraya notices the kites in the sky, flying high, and the use of bright colour makes them stand out against the dull sky due to the rainy day. Amir goes over to buy one, and asks Sohrab if he wants to try it out. Sohrab of course, does not say anything, but when Amir offers it to him, he takes his hands out of his pockets. Amir teaches Sohrab one of his and Hassan's tricks from when they were younger. They cut the green kite with one swoop, and Amir has an analepsis to when Baba was stood on the roof, clapping for him. Amir looks down and sees Sohrab almost smiling -
"Lopsided.
Hardly there,
But there."

Amir hears himself say, "for you a thousand times over", and it is as if he is back with Hassan again. He runs, and the repetition of the phrase "I ran", shows that he feels like a child again, with no problems and freedom.

Chapter 24

They arrive in Islamabad, and the mosque really capture Sohrab's attention. It is said to be the biggest mosque in the world. This could show how Sohrab is longing to be pure and without his sins, and sees god as the answer to that. The hotel that Amir and Farid find to stay in is a lot nicer than the previous, the sheets are clean and the bathroom is spotless. Amir describe that it is "spotless" could be used to foreshadow the event at the end of the chapter, as this juxtaposes this. He also says "no blood stains on the wall", which again could be foreshadowing, that there is a contrast to what will happen.

Amir comments on Sohrab's "green eyes", which could symbolise that Hassan had fertility, and Amir does not, and this is the product of it. Farid soon decides that he must leave, he misses his children, and Amir hands him some money in an envelope. He hands him two thousand dollars, and Fahid can not quite believe it, but does not protest. He leaves, and that's the last time that Amir sees him.

Amir is still in a lot of pain after saving Sohrab, and this could be symbolising what Hassan went through for Amir, as he went through a lot of pain to save Amir. Amir eventually gets to sleep, but doesn't keep an eye of Sohrab, and this shows that he may think that he should be able to fend for himself. After all, Amir has always said that "I became what I am today at the age of 12", so maybe he believes that all boys grow up fast. When he awakes, Sohrab is not in the hotel room. Hosseini uses short sentences to capture Amir's panic, and creates tension. He locks the door as he goes out to look for Sohrab, even though he always says that Afghanistan is part of his home, he still doesn't feel as if he can trust anybody. When he goes down to the hotel lobby, he comments on the "pink flamingo wallpaper". Flamingo's symbolise elegance and wealth, and as we already know the hotel room is very clean and tidy, this gives more of an idea to the overall feel of the hotel. Amir asks the man at the hotel lobby if he has seen Sohrab, to which he gives an indirect answer. He presses, but the man doesn't know where he is. He starts talking about how his boys want bicycles, which reminds us of when Amir got a bicycle for his birthday, and was not grateful for it at all. Even though times have changed now, in Afghanistan still the things that seem simple to Amir are greatly appreciated, even right down to food.

Amir's mind then jerks and he remembers the mosque that they had seen when entering. He then asks the man to give him a lift, and he says he will, but denies any money to be given to him, as he says "after all, I am a father like you". This shows Amir's fatherly like instinct, that even though Sohrab isn't his child, could be mistaken for his due to his actions.

Amir has a prolepsis to what he thinks will happen should they not find Sohrab. He says that the police officers voise would be "bored and uninterested." which shows that, even though a child is missing, it isn't anything to worry about and isn't out of the ordinary, due to what is happening in Afghanistan at the time the novel is set.

Amir finds Sohrab at the mosque, which again shows his longing for being pure and with no sins. Amir and Sohrab start to talk, and come onto the subject of Hassan. Amir gives him the polaroid photo of him, ans Sohrab thanks him. He then asks Amir, through tears, if he will go to hell for what he did to that man. "Nay. Of course not." Amir replies. They start to talk about Assef, and Amir says that he hurt Hassan when they were both children. Sohrab starts to cry, as he says he feels "dirty". Amir pulls him close, even though Sohrab doesn't really want to, and tells him that he is in no way full of sin. Amir then asks a very bold question -
"Would you like to come and live in America with me and my wife?"
Sohrab does not answer, and instead continues to sob into Amir's shirt.

In the next week, they both go to the park, like Baba and Amir used to. They talk and play cards, and suddenly Amir lets out that Him and Hassan are half brothers. Sohrab is a little confused to as why his father did not know this, but then realises it's because he was a Hazara. This shows that even children as young as Sohrab know the social standings in Afghanistan.

Later they talk about the prospect of Sohrab going back to America with Amir. He says he is scared that Amir and Soraya will get tired of him and send him back to another orphanage. Amir "promises" he will never do that again.

Amir finally gets to ring Soraya. He feels as though he has to tell her about everything, about the rape, about Hassan, especially about Sohrab. He only has an hour to tell her everything, so this really pushes him for time and to spare emotions. She is crying by the end, but she tells him that he must bring Sohrab home, whatever the cost. This settles it to Amir to find some way of bring Sohrab back. They go to the American embassy, and the man they speak to is very blunt. There is a poster of "les miserables" hanging in his office, which could foreshadow his personality. After telling the man the story, he tells them the short answer is to "give up". Amir is shocked, and the man tells him that it will be difficult as there are no death certificates of his parents, due to how they were murdered by the Taliban. Amir gets very angry, and asks him if he has kids. The man is silent, just blinks. When they walk out of the office, Amir comments to the secratery on how rude he is. "Everybody says that" she replies "he hasn't been the same since his daughter died". She then whispers "suicide", and this confirms why he acted so strangely to the Amirs question.

Sohrab has a lot of baths, which could symbolise how he is trying to make himself pure. Amir calls Soraya again, and then has a beth after Sohrab.

A man called Omar comes to speak to Amir about getting Sohrab into the united states. Amir tells him everything again, and Omar is more friendly, and actually shows some emotion when he talks about what he has seen. He is more sympathetic to why Amir wants to get Sohrab into the united states, but says that he is "preaching to the choir", and he does not mae the laws. The immagration laws are very strict, and as there are no birth certificates it will be hard for Sohrab to get get into the US. He suggests a way that he could get Sohrab in, but it involves putting him into an orphange for a shirt while. "I promised him I wouldn't let him go back there" Amir says, but it seems like the only way.

When Amir tells Sohrab this, in the nicest way possible, calling it a "home for children", Sohrab does not take it well. He panics, and cries "No. Please no". This shows how he trusted in Amir, which took a long time, but it is now broken. He says "Please God", which shows that this is his last resort, all other trust is gone and this is the only way he will get what he needs. He lays Sohrab down, whilst he cries, and then Amir lays in his own bed.

Amir wakes up to the phone ringing, and then is told that Sohrab won't have to be put back into an orphanage. This is great news, and Amir does not hesitate in telling Sohrab. He is in the bathroom, and we can tell something bad is about to happen by the short sentences used, again to create tension. The chapter ends on Amir saying "Later, they said I was still screaming when the ambulance arrived". This creates more tension, as we do not know what Amir is screaming at, and whether Sohrab is going to be okay.

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Amir is in hospital, and Khaled Hosseini creates tension by using short sentences. This also highlights Amir’s memory loss, as he can’t put much detail into what he is saying, just states the facts. It can also make him seem a bit un-human, as there isn’t much detailed emotion; he simply says he is in pain, or who is by his bedside, or at the most detailed point, what they are wearing. His lack of memory is also shown when he starts talking about one of the nurses, called Aisha, after a prophet, and then fades out. He then fades back in again, but this time says-

 “What’s her name? Something to do with a prophet”. His memory is shown to be worse, when he says –

 “I know her from a few years ago. She used to wear her hair in a ponytail. Now it’s tied back in a bun. Soraya wore her hair like that the first time we spoke. When was that? Last week.”

Amir is clearly so confused in his mind that he mistakes the dates that he met the nurse and Soraya. This shows that he could be an unreliable narrator at this point, as it is only from Amir’s point of view, and his memory is not great so we could get incorrect information.

When Amir fully comes around, Doctor Faruqi tells him why he is in the hospital. He tells Amir he is lucky to be alive, which shows that he was brave to go and fight Assef, especially as it was his first fight. The Doctor says that Amir broke seven of his ribs, and one of them caused his lung to be punctured. He has wires in his jaws, to help his eye socket bone, and these come out in six weeks.

When Farid and Sohrab come to visit, Amir notices that Farid and him have suddenly become friends, and Farid is now very respectful of him, saying “Bas, it’s not worthy of your thanks”, and how he blushes a little when he says it. When Farid has to go, Amir asks Sohrab to stay, to which he shrugs, still not saying a word. This continues, Sohrab not speaking, until when he leaves. Amir reads the letter Rahim Khan has given to Farid to give to him, as Farid says that Rahim has “gone”. Rahim has choosen to spend his last few moments of lie alone, and does not want anyone to find him. This could be of the guilt of not telling Amir that Hassan was his half brother, and feels he is not worthy of seeing him, after he has saved Sohrab. There are three other patients in the room Amir is in, and this is very important to mention, as they are all men. At the time, women were not allowed to have access to any healthcare or to be treated by a male doctor, so only men will be treated in hospital.

In Rahim’s letter, he admits he is “ashamed for the lies we told you all those years”. He also uses some colour imagery when writing to Amir about Baba’s passing – “I cannot describe the blackness of my sorrow”, the black connotates sorrow, which ties in with Rahim’s emotion well. He tells Amir that the most important thing is to forgive himself, and that he has left the rest of his savings for Amir, as he is sure he will need them. He ends the letter saying that he does not want anybody to find him, he is spending his last days by himself, which may mean that maybe he is trying to forgive himself.

Amir questions himself, asking, “what had I ever done to right things?”. This shows that he is being quite harsh on himself, and tends to be, as he has already started his good deeds by saving Sohrab.

When Farid comes to visit, he informs Amir that it may not be the best idea to spend too long here. “The Taliban have friends” he says, showing that Amir is not safe, evn in the hospital. We remember earlier that Dr Faruqi said that he would have to spend some time in the hospital before he was suitable to be released. Amir questions Farid as to whether he should be here, considering he has a family to care for. Farid says “for you a thousand times over”, reminding Amir and the reader of what Hassan said, and immediately, Amir begins to weep.

Later, Amir starts to play cards with Sohrab, a game he used to play with Hassan. Sohrab says a few words, but goes over to the window and looks out, the sky is “awash with streaks of red and purple”. The colour imagery here, by using the red, could be foreshadowing the danger of what is about to happen to Sohrab, especially as he is linked in with looking at the red.

Amir takes his first steps after the fight, and later tells Armand that he is leaving, after he has spent a day playing panjpar with Sohrab. He can hardly walk, but it’s better than the Taliban finding him, as they have very close links.

Earlier, Amir has a dream about Baba fighting a bear, and Baba merges with Amir. This shows that finally, Amir is equating himself with Baba, as if he is good enough for Baba.

When Amir leaves, he goes and gets the money from the bank, and admits that going through Peshawar with a paper bag of money was a very frightening experience. Amir sleeps through nearly the whole journey to Islamabad, most probably to regain some strength. Amir has various analepsises whilst asleep, a lot featuring Baba and Hassan, as if he is doing these good deeds for their sake, for their forgiveness. The imagery of the blood comes in again, show the strong family link.

Chapter 21

Amir and Farid cross the river, and Amir is surprised to see that most of the houses in the Wazir Akbar Khan district still have roofs and standing walls, as well as trees. Amir spots his house, remembering the directions Baba gave him as a child. Amir has an analepsis about him and Hassan as children, when they were great explorers. Amir goes up to the house, seeing how it had decayed, how the weeds had grown through. This could highlight the cracks in Amir, how he used to be pure and sinless until he was 12, and then things started going down hill, especially after he left Kabul. Amir asks Farid for 10 minutes, so he can go and explore the hill him and Hassan used to conquer.

He goes up the hill to the cemetery, where Hassan had buried his mother. Kabul is really what links Amir to everyone in his family, he may not really feel like them, but Kabul is what keeps them together, linked in. The pomegranate tree hadn’t bourne fruit in years, and looked lifeless now. Amir searches for the carving in the tree, and sure enough it’s still there, but a little dulled. It still clearly read “Amir and Hassan. The sultans of Kabul.” Amir has another analepsis to back when he and Hassan were children. Farid breaks this silence with a honk of the car horn, breaking Amir from his trance, and it was time to go.

Amir and Farid find a hotel to stay in, but pass several more red pick up trucks before they find it. Amir thinks it is very expensive, being $75, but then again, the money is not going to someone who doesn’t need it, it will probably be spent on food to feed their children. There is a dried bloodstain on the wall, again foreshadowing the danger that Amir is about to come into. Farid goes out with Amir’s money to buy food, and Amir says the only thing that hadn’t changed about Kabul was how tasty and succulent the kabobs were.

They begin to tell jokes at each other, about women, and Amir laughs, mostly at how Afghan humour has not changed. The jokes were called “Mullah Nasruddin” jokes, and Amir knows countless ones. This shows a lot about the Afghan culture, and how it differs from western culture.

 The next day they go to the Ghazi stadium. He goes past a child selling “sexy pictures”, which really shows how desperate the times were, as a child would sell inappropriate material just for some money for food. Amir and Farid find a seat, and just after the half time whistle blew, a pair of red pick up trucks came in. The Talib’s got a man and a woman out of the trucks, and the woman kicked and screamed. Amir says the sound of that scream will never be forgotten, which shows how desperate she was to be set free. Anamorphism is used to describe the sound – “the cry of a wild animal”. They said a prayer, and the cleric yelled out “Brothers and sisters. We are here today to carry out Shari’a”. They begin to throw rocks at the people who are blindfolded and tied up. Amir closed his eyes, trying to block out what was going on around him, just like he did with Hassan, as he tried to pretend it was not happening. After it was over, the corpses were tossed on the back of the red trucks and left, and the second half got underway.

Chapter 20

The chapter begins when Farid and Amir enter Kabul, and Amir cannot believe what he sees. This could make us believe that he is an unreliable narrator, as from what we’ve heard about Kabul, Amir seemed to think it was a lovely place. But now, we hear the total opposite. Amir says that Fahid gave him a look that said, “Hearing is not the same as seeing.”. This really sums up Amir’s pain, as he hasn’t actually experienced it, for example he heard Hassan getting raped, he didn’t see it. He heard Baba’s cancer take over him, he didn’t actually experience it. It says that Amir has a “stupefied” expression, which shows how much Kabul must have changed, if all power was lost from Amir. As he is describing what he sees, he notices that the father’s are lacking because of the war, which is the opposite way round to when he was younger, as mothers were more rare than fathers. The repetition of the word “mud” really shows how dirty the place is, as the children had “mud caked faces”.

As they drive on, Amir notices a sign saying, “Drink coca co-“. This shows the merge of cultures, as this is American, and can symbolise the dream, but it is broken here, as the sign is also broken. He also mentions the kite shop to Fahid, who responds saying, “those days are over”. This could be symbolic of the beginning of Amir’s guilt free life, as when the kite running days are over, so are the days of Hassan’s rape.

Pathetic fallacy is used when describing the area, as it says “a haze of dust hovered over the city”. This could be symbolic of the sadness hanging over the area, and how much it has changed, compared to Amir’s memories, as they are also hazy.

When Fahid pulls over, Amir sees the Taliban for the first time. When they gaze at him, he says “I’ve never felt more naked in my entire life”. This shows that Kabul makes all of his flaws come out, and it seems as if he thinks the Taliban can see straight through him, and all of his flaws and sins. The truck that the Taliban were travelling in was “red”, which again reminds of danger, and the rape of Hassan with the colour of his blood. They are also wearing black, which connotates power and evil.

Amir hears a beggar, and gives him some money out of his good will, which could remind us a bit of Baba’s personality. He starts to speak to the beggar, about the Taliban, the orphanage and eventually come onto the subject of Amir’s mother, Sofia. The beggar knows him, and Amir tries to get as much information out of him as possible, which isn’t much. He learnt more about his mother from a stranger than he ever did from Baba.

They find an orphanage, and show the guard the picture of Sohrab. The guard barely looks at the photo before he says he does not know the child. Amir gives up, but Farid pressures, and eventually says that they are not the Taliban, they are here to rescue the little boy. They are let in, and learn that the orphanages are very poor and do not have enough supplies. This shows the time of Afghanistan, and how they are struggling with basic supplies like blankets and food due to the political status. Zaman, the director, says that Sohrab has already been taken, and Farid does not react well to this. He flings Zaman to the floor in anger that he gives the children away for money. Amir breaks them up and some of the children are crying at the action. Zaman tells them to go to Ghazi Stadium the next day, and they immediately do. When they are on the truck, Amir looks back and sees Fahid “put on his broken glasses”. This could be showing that he wants to see everything correctly, as if everything is all right, but he cannot, everything around him is wrong and broken.

Chapter 15

Amir arrives in Peshawar in Pakistan. He gets in a taxi, and the driver, called Gholam, tells him about the brutality of the Taliban. He begins to describe the area, and we see the contrast between the two cultures, this and the American culture. He also has another the analepsis to the time that him and Baba left Kabul, the last time he saw Rahim Khan. He says that Baba cried softly, which really juxtaposes against the imagery of him being a bear, as he seems a lot weaker here.

When he arrives to the area that Rahim is living in now, it is described as "creaky" and "dim". This could be seen as foreshadowing the meeting of Rahim Khan, and how is now presented. When they first meet, Amir describes it as "Then, a thing made of skin and bones pretending to be Rahim Khan opened the door.". This shows how ill Rahim is, and how much has changed in the past years that they haven't seen each other. It makes him appear weaker, even though Amir always thought of him as being strong as he was older and a close friend of Baba's. They start talking, and Rahim tells Amir how the Taliban is "much worse" than it has been told to be. They continue talking and Amir tells him about life in America, how he has a wife, how he is writing, and how they can unfortunately not have children, to which Rahim Khan does not pester for more details.

There is a lot of political details in this chapter, about how the Northern Alliance took over Kabul between 1992 and 1996, and how you could risk walking from place to place for the risk of getting shot or blown up was high. Amir questions Rahim to why he did not leave. "Kabul is my home. It still is" he replies. Rahim goes onto describe the street from Amir's old house to the Qishla, and Amir remembers the time that him and Hassan had crossed it, and Hassan had got teased about his mother. Amir had comforted him, saying he put his arm around him. This shows the brotherly love, and could be foreshadowing what Amir finds out in a few chapters time.

The Taliban came into Kabul in 1996 and "kicked out the Alliance". Rahim says how people celebrated, and how they thought the constant fighting would be over and done with. Amir also finds out that the Alliance had destroyed the Orphanage that Baba had built, which shows the power of them, as Baba seems to be the most powerful force so far in the novel.

Rahim is dyeing, and it is very obvious, as Amir picks up on the coughing and blood on his handkerchief, with the colour imagery of the red coming in again, and this time possibly foreshadowing the danger. Amir tries to persuade Rahim to come home to America with him, to find new treatments, but Rahim declines, saying he doesn't have long left to live anyway, and it cannot be cured.

Rahim then comes onto the subject of why he brought Amir here, he wants him to do something for him, but first must tell him about Hassan. Amir agrees to listen, and Rahim gets ready to start the story.

Chapter 14

Chapter 14 is set in 2001, and starts of with Amir cradling the phone, staring at it. We learn almost immediately that the couple now have a dog, to possibly compensate for their lack of children. Soraya seems very motherly with the dog, as Amir states it had been lying with it's head on "her chest", as if supporting it. The phone had rung to inform Amir that Rahim Khan was very sick, and this deeply shocked Amir, and he says that he has to go and visit him in Pakistan. The use of the word "twin" to describe Baba and Rahim's relationship also lets us see how close they were.

You can tell that Amir still feels guilt, as when he goes to Golden Gate park to get some head space, he thinks about what Rahim Khan said to him, "there is a way to be good again". His guilt is even shown in his subconscious self, as he states that he dreams about Rahim Khan, and then again Hassan. He says that Hassan is running in the snow. Snow is white, which could symbolise Hassan's purity and innocence from when they were younger, from the time before Hassan's assault. The famous words from Hassan - "for you a thousand times over" are playing in Amir's mind, and it shows that Hassan is brave enough to stand up for Amir, where as Amir has not done the same for Hassan, up until this point at least. He says that Hassan is wearing "black rubber boots", which contrast heavily against the white, which may be put there to bring out the contrast in Amir and Hassan.

The chapter then ends with Amir, one week later, on a flight to Pakistan to meet Rahim Khan.

Chapter 13

The chapter opens with the "lafz", the giving word ceremony. There are a lot of family members there, with shows the Afghan culture again, and they are very close. There are pictures of the family on the wall which Amir notices, and it shows that the family are quite well travelled. Soraya is not present yet as to in keep with "afghan traditions". Baba starts talking, but struggles to complete a sentences without gasping for breath, which shows how desperate he is becoming in his sickness.

When Soraya appears, more colour imagery is used to describe her outfit, "a stunning wine coloured dress", which is showing the deep red imagery, reminding us of Hassan's rape scene. Even the "new chance" for Amir does not let him forget his past. This is also shown on page 49, when their wedding song is being played. Amir says that it is "the same song the Russian soldier at Mahipar checkpoint had sung the night Baba and I left Kabul." This again shows that he cannot let go of his past, and the guilt will always remain, even if he believes he has a new beginning. Later on during the wedding ceremony and party, Amir mind is drawn to Rahim Khan, longing for him to be there. This then draws his mind to Hassan, wondering whether he is married, and if so, who to?

There is another tradition where Amir and Soraya are left to gaze at each other's reflection in mirrors, as they have to be kept pure until they are officially married. But we know this is just an act, as Soraya ran away with an older Afghan man some years before, and her purity has probably already been lost. Her family still abide by the traditions though, as Soraya may be looked down on. Later on, Amir and Soraya get to lay together for the first time, and in privacy. "All my life, I'd been around men. That night I discovered the tenderness of a woman.". This really highlights the time of Afghanistan that Amir was in, due to the Taliban regime being in place and women not having a place in society, they were kept at home and completely covered. Soraya later however, suggests that she moves in with Baba and Amir. Even though Soraya suggests the right thing to do, Amir still questions it, at the time that his father is very sick too. Soraya seems to take dominance over this decision, and she moves in with them. Soraya takes care of Baba, and asks very maternally towards him. This could be showing the mother figure that Amir never had.

Baba dies on page 151, and his death is immediately followed by his funeral, where Amir states that there were so many people at the mosque, people struggled to find a parking spot. People at the funeral speak very highly of him, saying "found me a job" "like a brother to me" "always there". Baba has made the ultimate sacrifice for Amir moving to America. It's what Amir wanted, not what Baba needed, as he had a name in Kabul. As they have started up a new life in America, Amir does not have to live up to this name as much, and can continue living life his own way, not in Baba's shadow.

Amir now learns more about Soraya's family, as he spends more time with them now that he can't with Baba. General Taheri suffers from migraines once a month, and he is not to be disturbed during these. He did not hold down a job, so he would just sit in the afternoons, believing that one day, Afghanistan would be freed.

Soraya over hears something that upsets her, and breaks down to Amir. This is the first time we really see her emotions come flooding out with the tears. Amir comforts her, and she is glad that what she has done in her past hasn't changed Amir's view of her. They move in together, and Amir says that they soon fall into a routine. He sells Baba's VW bus and never goes back to the flea market, as this part of his life is over, he is moving onto another part.

Amir writes his first novel, and Soraya says that if it gets accepted, she will do nazr, having a sheep slaughtered to give to the poor. Amir disagrees, and this could have been because of the memory from when he was younger, seeing a lamb get killed, which he remembers after he sees Hassan get raped. He tells her just to do zakat, giving money to the poor. Sure enough, Amir's novel is published, and Soraya is immeditaley overjoyed. Amir seems happy, but he says he thinks of Baba, wishing he could have been there. He never seems content, as nothing is ever quite perfect. He thinks of Rahim and Hassan again, making him feel the guilt, and says "I wondered whether I deserved any of this". This proves that having the "new beginning" did not remove any of his guilt, and even though he is trying to convince himself, it doesn't seem like this is the right way to forget it.

Soraya and Amir also try for children, but struggle to conceive. They go to the doctors, and there is some important symbolism here of the "trains". The doctor has lots of train books and paintings in his office, and the trains symbolise perseverance, as it is always steadily going along, and this greatly applies to Amir and Soraya with their trouble in conceiving. It can also symbolise the loneliness of the lack of children, as a train is a single object with an echoing sound.

Amir and Soraya under go a series of tests, and in the end the result is an "unexplained fertility". This leaves Amir feeling guilty, as if his past has some how affected his ability to have children. The word "adoption" is mentioned, and Soraya loses hope, as in her culture, it is not customary to do this.

At the end of the chapter, the narrator personifies Soraya's womb, saying it was like a "living, breathing thing." "I'd feel it rising and settling between us. Sleeping between us. Like a newborn child."

Character Analysis: Soraya

We meet Soraya in chapter 11, and she is presented by Amir, which could lead to a partial view of events, as obviously he likes her a lot, and can only see her good qualities at first sight. He describes her as a "beauty" and describes her eyebrows to be like the "arched wings of a flying bird". This could highlight the freedom that Amir thinks he will find in her, as he seems to think that by being with her, all of his past guilt will be forgotten.

She seems quite typical of an Afghan wife in the way which she dresses, as Amir always comments on her "ankle length dresses" or the "veil" that covers her face, which abide by the Afghanistan dress codes for women, as they should always be covered. When they are in the process of marriage, they are also not allowed to go out alone together, due to traditions and it would be considered improper. They both adhere to these rules, but we know from some chapters ago that Soraya has not always been this good at sticking to the rules. She ran away with an older man, which by Afghan traditions is very disrespectful, as the father ultimately has the decision of who the daughter is to be partnered with, and Soraya ignored this by making her own choice. She feels very guilty of this however, and when she admits the event to Amir, she starts crying. She is so conscious of Amir judging her for this, and is really worried that he thinks of her differently and asks, "Does what i told you bother you?".

She does seem quite motherly though, as for one, she looks after Baba when he is very sick, turning him onto his side so he does not get bed sores and making him food, even though he can barely eat more than a spoonful. But she also tells Amir a story in chapter 12 that she taught her housekeeper Ziba to read and write and says that she felt "proud" when Ziba wrote her first letter. "It made me feel like I had done something worth while, you know?". She seemed to care an awful lot about Ziba even though she wasn't related to her.

At the giving word ceremony, Soraya was not present to in keep with tradition. In the "nika", Amir gets to see Soraya, and she is wearing green, which highlights the new beginnings that both of them will have. She also wears a veil, and the dress has long sleeves, so in keeps with the traditional dressing in Afghanistan, as she is not to wear anything too sexually appealing. The green can also tie in with a connotation of fertility, which we find out in a few chapters time that Amir and Soraya are not able to conceive, so could be shown as foreshadowing this event.She also wears white, which shows her purity and innocence, but as we know from the story she told Amir, she is not completely pure, so this could be worn as if she was pretending to be pure and untouched, just so nobody will judge her.

You can tell that she worries quietly, and does not really like to bother anyone with her problems until she absolutely has to. This shown on page 156, where she breaks down after over hearing two women's conversation, and she can't stop crying. Amir is very sympathetic and understanding towards her, and she feels as if she can trust him with her problems.

When both her and Amir are told that they cannot have children, she gets very upset at the word "adoption" being mentioned, as it is not what happens in their culture. As she has shown to be very motherly before, she gets quite emotional and says that "I'd always imagined I'd hold it in my arms and know my blood had fed it for nine months".

Chapter 12

Amir remembers the times when he used to stay up late with Hassan on the first night of winter, and compares it to now, where he stays up late thinking of Soraya. There is some use of pathetic fallacy here, as he is comparing his feelings to nature, but also to time spent with is childhood best friend Hassan. Amir finds excuses to steal a glance at Soraya at the market, and puts up with small talk from Taheri just to see Soraya's face. When Amir asks Baba is he wants a Coke, Baba realises what Amir is up to. He gives Amir a small speech about "nang" and "namoos", which means honour and pride, as Baba's reputation is very high, and does not want any shame brought on his name. This is a cultural thing, as Amir also must not spent too much time talking to Soraya. He does over do it a little by Afghan standards though, but Soraya does not seem to mind. She is wearing a "white ankle length summer dress", which shows that she is being modest, and wearing the correct clothes by Afghan standards. The white also symbolises purity and innocence, which may come into her character. He dares to speak to her, and says it felt like everyone stopped and stared at him, making a bold move on an Afghan girl. She lets him, and soon enough her mother comes along, greets Amir, and seems to think he is very polite, offering for him to come back and speak to them whenever he likes.

Amir takes up this offer, and soon enough the conversations start to flow, and Soraya brings up a story about when she was younger, but needs some coaxing into it by Amir, as she is a little embarrassed. She tells him how she used to teach a woman called Ziba (a woman who used to work around her house) how to read and write. Soraya explains it was such a proud feeling when she had taught her, like she had made a positive difference to Ziba, and this brings back to memories of how Amir had used literature to ridicule Hassan. He completely contrast Soraya's actions, and this story has been used to show how the guilt still is in Amir, and how cruel he had been to him.

Amir notices that Baba has a bit of cold, which turns into a nasty cough that persisted. Amir spots some "bloodstained phlegm" in the toilet. The red again is used as a symbol for the danger, as it was used in Hassan's rape scene. When Amir eventually persuades Baba to go to the hospital, they notice a spot on his right lung. Baba casually questions cancer, and the doctor says this may be possible. This shows Baba's bravery, as he doesn't even flinch, like he suspected it, or is ready for whatever is coming his way. Amir on the other hand, does not understand how he is meant to live with a "suspicious" spot on his father's lung for 2 weeks whilst they get some more results. Even though he isn't the one being affected by it, he is still more panicked than Baba. He uses his religion as a possible source of hope, and it states that Amir "recited half-forgotten verses of the Koran", showing that he hasn't really been paying attention to his religion, and only calls upon it in times of need.

Amir finds it difficult to get a suitable doctor for Baba, as the first doctor he does not approve of, as his name sounds Russian, even though it clearly states that he was American, born in Michigan. The second doctor is approved of though, as he is Iranian. Baba is then diagnosed with lung cancer.

Pathetic fallacy is used when they come out of the hospital, soon after the diagnosis. It is raining, and it seems quite deliberately put at this time, as Amir states that "it was a few weeks late.". This shows the gloomy, melancholic atmosphere, and how Amir is feeling now Baba has been diagnosed, and how he has also said that he does not want any chemotherapy. Amir is horrified that he will no even try the chemo, saying "I wish you'd give the chemo a chance Baba". Baba is disgusted that Amir would test his opinion and choices, and Amir suddenly blurts out "What about me?". Even though Baba has been the one diagnosed, and is the one that would go through with the treatment, Amir still finds a reason for Baba to have to have sympathy for him. This seems very selfish on Amir's behalf, seeing as the chemotherapy is only palliative in Baba's case. Baba is completely the opposite when it comes to sympathy though, and orders Amir not to let anyone find out, as he does not want to be treated any differently now that he has been diagnosed.

Amir explains how worse Baba is getting, again through pathic fallacy, as he is comparing his moods to the different seasons. For autumn, this is the older age stage, where time is moving on, and he compares this to Baba, saying that Baba waited behind the wheel, whilst he got out and bargained for junk. When winter came, Baba stayed in, and winter symbolises the end of life.

After an episode at the flea market, Baba is put into hospital for two days, and thinks that he is being a burden on everyone who is coming to visit him. At home, when Amir hugs him, he said that "his shoulder blade felt like a bird's wing under my fingers", so it's as if Baba is now Amir's responsibility to look after, like he is that vulnerable, being such a small creature even compared to a finger. Baba tells him to ask the General Taheri for his daughters hand in marriage. The general accepts, and Amir is over joyed. Soraya immediately calls him, herself also being extremely happy, but says that there should be no secrets between them, and decides to tell Amir about how she had been a very rebellious young woman, and had not been around when her mother had a stroke, due to being with an Afghan man. She says she feels terrible about it, and expects Amir to too, as running away from her family was a very disrespectful thing to do. Sh feels that this may put Amir off of her, and it may bother him strongly, which it does not. This shows that when Amir leaves her to visit Rahim Khan in a few chapters time, he really has strong trust with her, as she has already left her family once, and may be suspected to do it to Amir.

Amir envies Soraya for having the courage to come out with her story. He then says he opened his mouth and almost came out with the story about Hassan. "Almost", like the time he had almost said something about the rape to Hassan, like he had almost come out about what he had seen to Ali and Baba. But he didn't, he was not brave enough to, and he seems to feel the guilt for not even telling Soraya.

Women in The Kite Runner

In the first 13 chapters of the kite runner, women do not really play a huge role, which ties in with Afghan women at the time, as they were hidden and opinions not heard. They didn't play a huge part in society when the Taliban came into power, as they were not allowed to leave the house without male supervision and had to be covered at all times when they did go out. There is one women in the novel though, that is a contrast to all of these things, Hassan's mother Sanaubar. She is called "beautiful", and we are told that men gravitated toward her. This is going against a rule that the Taliban put in place, as they said that women should be covered at all times, and not be sexually appealing. She also went out without a male in her presence, just 5 days after her son Hassan was born, breaking another rule.

The women on the truck when Baba and Amir are escaping Afghanistan is symbolising the objectification of women. She is used as a trade for getting past the border, it is stated that they will not go any further until a guard has half an hour with her in the truck. She is wearing "an olive green dress and black shawl wrapped tightly around her face", which is abiding by the Taliban dress code, in contrast with Hassan's mother. She also is not given a name, just referred to as "the young woman", which shows that no detail about her is needed, just the use of her. Baba however, stands up for her, which shows that it is only a male which can do this, women are that disrespected in society that they cannot even stand up for themselves. This scene also shows how common it is for sexually acts or rape to be carried out in Afghanistan, as it is only Baba that really stands up for the young woman, nobody else is very shocked or outraged that this is going to happen. I think it's more that Baba feels they are taking advantage of the woman, as they have already paid to be on the truck, and feels it would be unnecessary for the guard to have any time with her.

In chapter 11 we meet Soraya, who is the first female character in the novel that is talked about in detail, and is of great importance to Amir. She is very intelligent and is always there for Amir when he needs her, so this seems quite motherly. She may be acting like the mother figure Amir never had, due to her passing away during childbirth, so Soraya may make up for the fact he did not have a female figure in his childhood. She is also very into Amir's writing, and that's how they really first bond, as she reads one of stories. The two decide to get married, but shortly after this, Baba falls ill with lung cancer. She becomes Baba's carer, and as in Afghan culture women are not allowed to deal with male doctors, she takes on the responsibility. Amir seems very trusting in Soraya, as when he goes to visit Rahim Khan in Pakistan, she is left alone, without a dominant male with her. In Afghanistan culture, the male would have to go out with the woman whenever she left the house, and make sure she was dressed appropriately, so maybe the culture clash of moving to America has brought some western views of female oles into Amir's mind.

Women in Afghanistan

Women have struggled in Afghanistan, as the society is predominantly male. Their education is not as good, for example only around 15% of females can read and write in afghanistan, but this number is increasing due to more girls being allowed to go to school. By 1973 there was an estimated 150,000 girls in school and more women entered professions which used to be seen as only for men. However when the Taliban came into control, women were sent back to stay at home and to be controlled by male figures, the husbands and fathers. During the Taliban regime, some women that had previously been teachers decided to secretly educate girls, teaching them basic literacy and numeracy skills. If they were found by the Taliban to be doing this however, they would be jailed or tortured.

The Taliban came into power in 1996, and immediately after coming into power, it was stated that women were not allowed to leave their house unless accompanied by a male family member meaning that essentially, women were put under house arrest. Women were also refused healthcare, and some could not even go out, due to having no remaining male relatives. If they were to go out, they also were made to wear a burqa which completely covers the woman completely, except for a slight opening in which they can see out of. If women could not afford a burqa, this means that under no circumstances they were allowed to go out.

Afghanistan is a patriarchal society where it is believed that men should make all the decisions for women and arranged marriages are also very common for women, and the girl's father has the ultimate decision to who she marries. Men are allowed to divorce a woman without her consent, however if a woman wants a divorce, she will need her husbands consent.

During the Taliban regime in the 1990's, women were forced to wear burqa's in all public places. A burqa covers the woman completely, except for a slight opening in which they can see out of. It is very hot to wear, and can feel quite enclosed when wearing it.

Chapter 11

Baba and Amir have moved to America, which is an improvement on the war torn Afghanistan, but not plain sailing, as Amir says "Baba loved the idea of America. It was living in America that gave him the ulcer." Baba seems to complain about a lot of things in America, "the fruit was never sweet enough, where were all the trees and open fields?", which shows that the culture change is a bit of a shock to him, as he has lived in Afghanistan for so long. Another culture clash is when Baba visits his local convenience store, and they ask for ID, Baba states that there's something wrong with the country as "No one trusts anybody!".

Baba works in a gas station, and imagery is used here to highlight how tired he feels from his 12 hour shifts, "Baba's face drawn and pale under the bright fluorescent lights". Showing that he his pale seems to indicate that he is weaker, and not as strong as he may used to have been, or as Amir once saw him.

Amir graduates from High school, and Baba's affection seems longer lasting than it did for the kite running tournament win. Amir says that Baba wore his only suit "the one that he wore to wedding's and funerals". These two events are very contrasting, one is very happy and the other mournful, so wearing the same thing may show that Baba's emotions are not fully on display, or he may not feel them as much. He also wears a red tie, that harsh colour coming into play again, and Amir notices this. After they have had a celebratory dinner, they go to a bar and Baba makes more friends by buying rounds of drinks, and people are very grateful. It shows that he can turn a situation to be about him very quickly, as he is powerful with his money.

Baba brings up Hassan's name later, and even though Amir is in one of his best moods yet (after graduating and receiving a car from Baba), he still clams up and panics, saying that "a pair of steel hands closed around my windpipe". His guilt is eating him, and this is shown especially by the use of the "steel hands", as this is a very strong metal. Amir is also to enrol in college, and decides to tell Baba that he'll major in english, much to Baba's disagreement. He doesn't believe that Amir will get discovered, but he has not read Amir stories however, so does not have anything to go by. He feels that Amir should be doing "real work", something like medicine or law.

Amir used to go for a lot of drives, and mentions the pacific ocean in one of them. The "blue" imagery comes in again, and he says that it was a vast expanse, rather like in Hassan dream with the lake. He also compares it to the movies of his childhood, showing an analepsis, but not as detailed as some of his others as he does not give specific examples of films. He feels that America is very pure and simple for him, where he has "no sins, no memories".

Baba purchases an old VW bus for $550, and then every Saturday, he used to wake up Amir and they would go round garage sales, purchasing things that people no longer wanted. Then on Sundays they would go to San Jose flea market, and sell the items for a small profit. At this flea market, is where Amir meets General Taheri, who is going to play a very important part in Amir's future. He meets his daughter, Soraya. He is instantly struck by her, his "heart quickening", and uses a lot of bird imagery to describe her, which connotates freedom. In bed later, he thinks about Soraya, and the way her eyes had met his.

Chapter 10

Chapter 10 is set a few years later, in 1981, in the back of an old russian truck, as refugees getting out of Pakistan. They arrive at a checkpoint in Mahipar, and the russian soilder sets his "glazed eyes" on a young lady. Exposition on this character shows that he is quite cold and heartless, as he is very rude towards one of the Karim soldiers when he says that he wants 30 minutes in the back with the young lady, and then he'll let the truck through. Baba stands up, as we know already he is quite a heroic character, and Amir picks up on this, thinking "why do you always have to be the heroic one?". He wants justice for the lady, but the russian says that he will put a bullet in his brain if he does not shut up. Amikr starts to panic when Baba does not back down. Amir puts his hand to Baba and tells him to back down, to which Baba replies "Haven't I taught you anything". Amir has an analepsis to the time of Hassan's rape, and this makes him reflect on himself. It is not so much to whether he has done anything wrong, it is questioning whether he is actually Baba's son, after all, he did not inherit the heroic gene from him. Some more anamorphism is used, this time describing the russian guard as a "bulldog faced russian". This could indicate that he is quite ruthless, and he holds his gun up when Baba does not back down. He points the gun to Baba's chest, which immediately Amir hides away from, instead of maybe attempting to save his own father. This shows him up to be very cowardly, if we hadn't already gathered that from past events. Baba in the end does not get shot, but we see Amir's mixed emotions when he says "I have never felt more like laughing and crying at the same time".

Pathetic fallacy is used when they arrive in Jalalabad, as it is "sunrise", which could indicate hope and a new start for them. When Karim ushers them into a house and tells them that their journey cannot be completed, Baba is angered. Amir shows that it happened very fast by saying that something "zipped" across the room, and then Karim is slammed against the wall by Baba. More anamorphism is used when Baba wants to know how long the parts will be for the truck, as it says "Baba roared". This shows he is a very powerful man, due to his use of physical and verbal communication.

They are ushered into a basement, in single file, and after a few days Amir realises that Kamal and his father are in the basement with them too, as it is very dark so he has not been able to see very well. This gives us some more exposition on their family, and Amir says that his father look very "withered" and "deflated". He catches snippets of a conversation about Kamal, saying "bleeding down there...his pants..doesn't talk any more...just stares".

The truck is beyond repair, so everyone except an old couple decide to sneak in a gasoline truck. Amir says that the air feels thick, and it felt like his eyes were burning. Baba gives him a light to focus on, which is another symbol of hope, and is quite angelic and god-like. He says it's like a small miracle, which also indicates that Baba is god like. Baba tells him to think of something good. Amir has an analepsis of a good time, which of course includes Hassan, and this also uses pathetic fallacy in it. You can tell it is spring or summer time as the tress are in full blossom, and they look up at a clear sky, so this indicates a positive mood.

He has to use his other senses when he is describing the journey in the gasoline truck, as he cannot see anything. He mostly uses his hearing, saying he can hear MiG's roaring over head, which are aircraft, and the sound of gunfire. These indicate the war around, which they are trying to escape from.

When they arrive in Pakistan, Amir immediately hears screaming and hears the word "fumes". When he rushes over to see what is going on, Kamal is laying inert on the ground. Kamal's father is desperate, kissing Kamal's face, praying. When he realises that his son is dead, he takes the gun off of Karim and shots himself. The imagery of red is used again, and this deeply disturbs Amir, as he "doubles over" and "dry heaves" at the side of the road.

In this chapter, the narrator (Amir) is not very reliable, because there are a lot of conversations that he only half hears, which mostly involve Kamal's father. This means we do not get the full story, so therefore may make judgements on what they mean.

Chapter 9

Amir is in his bedroom opening his birthday presents from all the guests that came to his party, that Baba had thrown for him. He is very ungrateful, saying he gave them a "joyless" glance, even though any boy at the age of 13 would have been extremely excited to open a mound of birthday presents. The birthday present he received from Baba though, stands out the most, a bike which is described as "the king of all bicycles". Amir goes into great detail describing it but as he describes the body frame, he says it's red "Like a candy apple. Or blood.". He goes from comparing it to something very sweet and happy, to something that is quite disturbing, and the colour obviously brings back memories from what happened to Hassan, with his blood on the snow. He also describes the present's as "blood-money", because if he hadn't won the tournament, Baba would not have thrown him the party, and he also wouldn't have received all these gifts.

Baba asks if he likes the bike, and in his best attempt, Amir says thank you. Baba offers to take him out for a ride, but it's "an invitation, but only a half hearted one". This shows that Baba has possibly lost some interest in Amir, maybe the novelty of him winning the kite tournament has worn off. A few lines later, this is repeated, but through something Amir says. This shows their similarities in how half hearted they both are, and how sometimes they both don't really care about the other's feelings.

The only item that he does not throw onto the pile is the gift he receives from Rahim Khan, a leather notebook, and this seems to be because he knows it isn't "blood money", and Rahim is actually giving it to him out of the kindness of his heart. He also knows that Rahim is quite genuine, because he gave him his opinion on his short story that he wrote, with very positive comments.

Hassan and Ali also give Amir a present, a book called shahnamah, which took some scrimping and saving on their behalf. Amir takes the book, thanks them both, and then "buries" it under the pile of presents, as if he can feel it's burning stare on him. The use of the word bury shows that he is trying to hide it, along with his feeling about the rape of Hassan, making sure they don't come out.

Amir then commits his most unbrotherly gesture yet, hiding his watch from Baba and some money under Hassan's pillow. When they confront each other, which was Baba's decision, Amir states that they had been crying, because their eyes were "red and puffy". The colour imagery has been used again, and the red links in with all the bad stuff that has happened to them. When Baba asks Hassan if he took the watch and the money, Hassan says that he did. This shocks Amir, and he says that he "almost blurted out the truth". He also said the he "almost" did something at the time of the rape, but he did not, so he never follows up his gut feeling. Hassan again sacrifices everything to save Amir, to let Amir get what he wants. But to even more of a surprise, Baba forgives Hassan. We do not know at this point in time, but Hassan is actually Baba's child, so this may be the way a father would forgive his son for something, so long as he learns from his mistake.

An analepsis comes from Amir, of how Baba said to him that stealing was the only sin. How theft is the biggest crime, whether it be of possessions or a life. This highlights his confusion, and adds to ours slightly, of why at this point in time, Baba would forgive Hassan.

Ali has a different idea though, he wants to leave. Baba says that he "forbids this". This highlights his god like status, that he is in control of everything, and if he forbids something, it will not happen. But Ali rightly points out that now they have quit, Baba does not have ownership over them any more, and should do what they ask.

Pathetic Fallacy is used when Baba drives Ali and Hassan to the bus stop. It is raining heavily, even though Amir says it rarely rains in summer, which just shows how sad and melancholic the even of Hassan and Ali leaving it. It makes the scene quite dramatic. Amir is looking through the window at them leaving, which shows that he feels like he's in quite a different would to them, being separated. He talks about how he should run after them, and beg for them to stop, tell them the truth. But he doesn't and instead stays behind the window.

Exam style question

Exam Question – Baba’s diary entry

Today, I experienced one of my proudest moments as a father, the kite-flying tournament. Every year is bigger and better than the last, although the same feeling never goes away. I still remember my first year, the exhilaration of the kite floating violently in the wind, as if it were a golden eagle, swooping down on its prey. That feeling will never go away, being in power of such a glorious machine, the red of the fabric contrasting against the white, silky snow.

Of course, my first year wasn’t the most successful, though every year I progressed, slowly, acquiring new skills from each of my fallen enemies. Then one year, a blue kite plummeted from the sky, followed by a green, another blue, a yellow as bright as the sun on a steaming, sweaty summers day. It was just me against one more kite, and what my glorious son Amir did today, was exactly how I handled it. Closed my eyes, and cut, cut through the string like the eagles teeth slicing through the meat of its victim.

Today, I could hardly believe my eyes, when my own son Amir, cut through that final kite. I knew that he could do it, that if he set his mind to something, he could achieve it, and become a real man. He has something to be proud of, he has something to his name, and most importantly, he has something that other men will respect, and look up to him for. He will never appear za’eef, “weak”, in front of his enemies.

And that is something any father would be proud of.

Of course, Hassan caught the kite, he has the winning trophy to share, and I am equally proud of him as I am of Amir. He has never been perfidious toward Amir, he said himself that he would get the kite, and sure enough he did. I just hope Amir can always be as loyal to Hassan; I’d never want two brothers to have any kind of hatred, even if they are ignorant to that fact that they are related by blood.

I don’t think I will ever forget the look on Amir’s face when he sliced the kite, his face filled with jubilation, and embracing Hassan with both of his arms. Like true brothers. And of course, like a loyal brother, Hassan went to find the kite, his feet pacing, tearing over the ground. Amir reaped the rewards of becoming a champion, he shook a multitude of hands, took embraces from people he’d never known but now wanted to know him. But before all of that, before he’d even acknowledged the colossal number of people that wanted to felicitate his triumph, he looked at me. Straight at me, to see my reaction and for those few seconds that our eyes met he seemed almost inert. It was like nothing in the world mattered more than being accepted, but honestly, I could not figure out why. I am his father, I’ve always treated him like my own and I’ve never given him anything less than would be expected. In fact, I’ve given him a great deal more than any other father I have encountered. I’ve always bought him the kite he wanted, even if it was the most extravagant kite in the entire shop.

It’s not like I’ve ever treated Hassan better than Amir, in fact, I’ve always done my best to try and treat them equally. When Amir asked for a bigger kite, his happiness was evanescent, where as when I purchased the same kite for Hassan, he was euphoric, and deeply grateful.

I just keep questioning myself to whether it’s because … well, of his mother. My angelic wife, my dearly beloved. I cannot stop myself thinking that maybe Amir blames himself for passing. I have never influenced him to think this. Maybe I’m just making a mountain out of a molehill; of course a child is going to want to see their parent’s face when their time of victory has arrived. But it was something in his eyes, like a great weight had been lifted off of his weary shoulders.

I felt the same feeling when he returned home with Hassan, after retrieving the kite, the trophy. When I saw my little winner’s face, a smile plagued mine. I opened my arms and embraced him. Then what shocked me most of all, was that he began to weep, slowly, softly in my arms.

I’d always known my Amir to be a little over emotional, I once took him to a Buzkashi tournament, and when one of the chapandaz fell off of his saddle, Amir began to cry. The chapandaz was hurled around in the stampede, and lay inert on the ground. I was disappointed in Amir when he started to cry, but maybe I should have known that he would be a little too sensitive towards this type of sport.

I cannot understand why he would have wept today, he has won one of the most coveted trophies in Kabul, if not the most important tournament. He has his male pride, surely that’s all that matters?

Baba

Chapter 8

After the rape at the end of Chapter 7, Hassan and Amir start to spend less and less time together. Amir also disrespects Ali, by lying to him about Hassan, when he acts very concerned about his behaviour after he returned from the kite tournament. You can tell Amir is feeling tense by him saying "I snapped".

Baba also takes Amir to Jalalabad, and you can tell that Amir has started to become spoilt by his father giving him everything he wants all the time, including his attention, when firstly, he makes and excuse for Hassan not to have to come. Secondly, when Baba decides to invite "two dozen other people". Amir says " It should have been just the two of us - that was the way I wanted it", so he sees the day as being ruined because it didn't go the way he wanted it. It seems as if the tension has made him scrutinise everything, and see the imperfections in things that, at one time, he would have been grateful for. He has a brief analepsis on the way to Jalalabad, when his family remind him of the kite tournament and being proud of him winning, and this brings back the memories of Hassan's blood stained trousers, which make him sick.

Amir also gets very irritable with Hassan, when he keeps on asking him what he has done wrong and why he is ignoring him. The only time they had spoken to each other was when they had walked up to the top of the hill, which earlier, the narrator stated had a cemetery on top of it. This is very symbolic to their friendship now, it used to be full of life, but is now silent. He gets very annoyed when Hassan pleads him to come on a walk with him, and Amir snaps and says -
"I'll tell you what I want you to stop doing"
"Anything"
"I want you to stop harassing me. I want you to go away"
This shows that Hassan still wants a brotherly relationship with Amir, and will do anything to make Amir happy. But Amir on the other hand, will not. He wants to be left alone, the guilt has eaten away at him, and Hassan also reminds him of what a bad friend he has been. He is trying to fix this by getting rid of him for good, making Hassan hide away so that maybe he can feel good about himself, feel guilt free. The way the Amir describes the way he feels when Hassan is around him is a real give away of his guilt - "When he was around, the oxygen seeped out of the room. My chest tightened and I couldn't draw enough air; I'd stand there gasping in my own little airless bubble of atmosphere". This also shows that he feels very alone, and it is only him experiencing this. The word "seeped", also shows that he feels it happening immediately, and like he can't hold onto it, it's getting away from him.

His relationship with Baba also suffers in this chapter, due to wanting to get away from Hassan. Amir says to Baba "Have you ever thought about getting new servants?". Baba does not respond well to this, and anamorphism is used to get across how angry he is about it, for example "Baba roared".

One afternoon, Amir decides to go up the hill with Hassan and read him one of his new stories, as Hassan is very fond of them and always gives him compliments. The way Amir describes Hassan shows that he has been deeply effected by the rape - "Hassan's smile wilted. He looked older than I'd remembered. No, not older, old. Lines had etched into his tanned face and creases framed his eyes, his mouth.". This could link into an earlier chapter, when Amir said he saw Hassan's face change. That could have been a prolepsis to this point in time. They are in the same place, but with completely different emotions, and now, physical features. His smile has faded and he looks old because of his worrying.

Amir turns 13 and has a birthday party to celebrate, and is made to greet each guest individually. Assef turns up, which makes Amir panic, and when Assef starts to bond with Baba, he says "My stomach turned at the sight of my father bonding with Assef." He describes Assef on the surface, but then compares him to his personality. On the surface he looks perfect, like "every parent's dream". But then Amir notices his eyes, and the way they betray him, like a window looking into his true personality. Later, he sees Assef by Hassan when the fireworks are on, and Assef punches Hassan in the chest. The way Amir describes this is "In those brief bursts of light, I saw something I'll never forget.". This again is like he is peering into something he wasn't meant to see, like it was meant to be in the dark and unoticed, but the light revealed it, only for a brief moment to those who were looking.

Character analysis

Character Analysis - Assef, Wali and Kamal

Assef - The first time we see Assef in The Kite Runner is on page 33, and when Amir sees who it is, he says "my heart dropped". This shows the sense of fear when anyone is in his presence, even if he may not have said or done anything. He also tries to stand up to Assef, when he is bothering him and Hassan in chapter 3, saying "'Let us go Assef' I said, hating the way my voice trembled.". The trembling of his voice, immediately shows us that he is fearful of Assef, and hating the trembling also shows us that he wants to stand up to him. He enjoys beating up other children with his "brass knuckles", the rings he wears on his fingers. He is very racist towards towards Hassan, and never refers to him by his name, only by "Hazara". This shows that he thinks Hassan is not worthy of being called by his real name, and should be labelled because of his religion. He is also very racist towards Ali, Hassan's father, calling him a "slant eyed donkey", because of his mongolian background. He worships Hitler and he says to Amir "About Hitler. Now, there was a leader. A great leader. A man with a vision.". He has a german background from his mother, and has blonde hair and blue eyes, as well as "towering over the other kids". This imagery of his height shows how intimidating he is, and how vulnerable the other children must feel, as he "towers" over them. He enjoys exerting his power over those who are less powerful, and we find this out in chapter 7, when he sexually abuses Hassan. Hassan can not stop the attack, as he has less physical power due to his size, and is also looked down on for being a Hazara.

In chapter 7, he heavily taunts Hassan before the assault. He says that he is willing to forgive Hassan, and gets his friends to back him up, saying that although he is willing, "nothing in life comes for free". Assef compares Hassan to a dog, which shows what he thinks of him, much much lower down than him and not valued as a human being, just an animal, without the same rights. He is also very easy at getting to people with his words. He calls Hassan a "pathetic fool" for thinking that Amir is his friend, and tries to persuade him that Amir would never do the same for Hassan, by not giving up the kite.

Wali - Wali is a follower of Assif, and along with Kamal, back up what Assef says. We do not get as much detail about Wali as we do Assef, and this immediately shows us that Assef is the dominant figure, someone everyone knows about. There is not any speech from him in chapter 3, but he comes more into a speaking part in chapter 7. He is not independent though, and only backs up what Assef has to say, thinking nothing for himself, for example repeating the "nothing is free". He never speaks when he wants to, he has to wait for Assef to finish speaking, or make his point before he just backs him up. Although just before the assault, Wali does not want to partake, saying "My father says it is sinful.". This is quite ironic, that they will pick on someone for their faith, but never break their own faith, which is exactly what they are taunting Hassan for, and trying to make him do. He does not want to upset Assef, and does not stand up for his own opinion, and instead lets him go on with the rape, without stopping him.

Kamal - Kamal is another one of Assef's followers, and he helps him rape Hassan, by holding him down, even though he doesn't really want to be involved. When Kamal backs Assef up, he says "That's generous, especially after the rude manners he showed us last time". He is trying to be like Assef, and the narrator puts this in, saying "He was trying to sound like Assef, except there was a tremor in his voice". This shows that he doesn't have the confidence of Assef, and instead takes a sideline role. Then Amir goes on to say "Then I understood. He wasn't afraid of Hassan, not really. He was afraid because he had no idea what Assef had on his mind.". This shows that even though he is meant to be "friends" with Assef, there is still no trust or certainty around each other. He feels like Assef has control over him

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The chapter is opened with Hassan's dream, in which Hassan, Amir, Ali and Rahim went to a lake. Hassan states that the water was clear, like a mirror, and featuring the mirror may mean that there is something to reflect upon, or in one of their cases, that they must reflect on themselves. The lake is a vast expanse of water, which makes you think of the unknown, not having any idea of what is in there. There is a rumour that the lake has a monster lurking in the bottom of the lake, but Amir and Hassan go in anyway. After proving that there is no monster, the fellow people around the lake call Amir and Hassan "The sultans of Kabul", which is an important quote, because they are put together, and are equal, even though they may be Pashtuns and Hazaras. At the end of the passage, the narrator says that "Upstairs, I could hear the water running in Baba's bathroom.". I think the author has bothered to put this in, as it links in with the water from the lake, and this could be sign that something is going to happen in the future, involving Hassan and Amir. We already know that something is going to happen between the two friends, and this may be symbolic, as the water is already running, no one can stop it, like the future is, and no one can stop that either. The dream must be on Amir's mind, as later he says that the sky is a "blameless blue" colour, and the blue links in with the colour of the water.

the dream is also playing on Amir's mind when they go to fly kites, as even though he has been very excited about it, he turns to Hassan and says he doesn't want to. Hassan doesn't take no for an answer, insisting that there are no monsters, referring back to his dream. Since there is trust between the two boys, Amir believes Hassan, and they go on to fly the kites. Amir does question Hassan though, in his mind, as he says "Hassan wasn't that smart.". He is again referring to Hassan's lack of education, due to being a Hazara, thinking that Hassan shouldn't have been able to think up something clever, if he himself could not. There are many signs leading up to the event in chapter 7, this conversation, and also the dream, are just some.

Then the kite tournament begins. Amir is flying, and Hassan is the runner. The kite is symobised as something of great importance, first when Hassan holds it above his head like "an athlete with an olympic gold medal", and secondly when the kites fall down, Amir describes then as "showering the neighbourhood below with prizes". Later on in the chapter, it becomes evident how important the kite is for some people, including Amir. This is mostly to please Baba, and Amir does keep on getting distracted when he remembers Baba's eyes are on him whilst he is flying, describing his mind "drifting like the kite". When it is finally Amir and a blue kite left, the idea of battling and war comes in again, when he says "The chorus of 'Cut him! Cut him!' grew louder, like Romans chanting for the gladiators to kill, kill!" When Amir cuts the blue kite, he shows the importance of Hassan to him, by correcting him when he says "you won" to "WE won". Even though Amir was desperate to claim the title for himself to impress Baba, he is still willing to share it with Hassan, as they are like brothers.

There is another example of western culture used, from fairytales, as after being congratulated, Amir goes to find Hassan. He had a plan to find Hassan, go home, be congratulated, and then "live happily ever after". This is a famous line from fairytales, and gives another example of different cultures used.

Hassan runs off to find the kite, and before he does so, Amir shouts to him to make sure he does come back with the kite. "for you a thousand times over." he replies, which is a quote mentioned in the opening chapter, signalling that something is about to happen, as he has already had an analepsis of this important quote in the beginning. Amir says that he also smiled that "Hassan" smile, and this was the last time he saw this. This was the same for the kite running, as on this day, he also mentions that this was the last time Hassan ever did kite running.

We also get some more exposition on a few other characters, for example Omar, who is the son of an engineering friend of Baba's, and was classmates with Amir in fourth grade. Obviously they are not as good friends as himself and Hassan, so Omar may be put here to show the closeness of the two boys. We also learn about a market stall holder, who is surprised to find a Pashtun boy looking for an Hazara boy, because of their social status. He points Amir in the right direction and also informs him of some boys that were after him, which makes Amir worried, an he immediately dashes off to find him.

The narrator mentions about peeking into a deserted alleyway in the first chapter, where his life changed, and when Amir mentions that he found a "secluded, muddy road", we know this is the setting for the shocking event to happen. He also uses the word "peeked" again, this time as he looks round the corner. This gives us the indication that he should not be looking here, like it's something he shouldn't be watching, and his mind is telling him that he shouldn't look any further.

As i mentioned earlier, the kite symoblises great importance, and Amir says here "Hassan was standing at the blind end of the alley in a defiant stance; fists curled, legs slightly apart. Behind him, sitting on piles of scrap was the blue kite. My key to Baba's heart." This kite is very important to Amir as he believes it will make Baba truly proud of him, no matter what.

Assef appears though, and this is the second encounter after the slingshot incident. Assef wants the blue kite, and in return, he will gives Hassan forgiveness.
"It's only going to cost you the blue kite. A fair deal, isn't it?"
"Amir agha won the tournament and I ran this kite for him. I ran it fairly. This is his kite."
"A loyal Hazara. As loyal as a dog."
Using the dog to compare Hassan to lessens him, makes him seem like he is owned by Amir, and is below him in social status and order. Assef then pins Hassan to the ground after he has been hit by a rock, and the chapter is interupted by Amir's memories.

The first memory is Ali's words about kinship with Hassan because they had the same nursemaid, where he talks about "brotherhood". The second is of Amir and Hassan visiting a fortune teller who gets a look of doom on his face while reading Hassan's fortune. Next is a dream. Amir is lost in a snowstorm until he takes Hassan's outstretched hand in his. Suddenly the boys are in a bright, grassy field, looking up at colorful kites. The way the author uses descriptive lexical choices means that you can feel how Amir is feeling right at that moment, and see how much Hassan means to Amir, without him saying it directly. After Assef has pinned Hassan down, another memory flashes before Amir's eyes, a third analepsis. This time of sacrificing a lamb. He sees the look on Hassans face whilst Assef is pinning him down, and it reminds him of the lamb's look, imagining that the lamb understands why it is being sacrificed. This is what he sees in Hassan's eyes, like he realises that he is going through this for a friend, as he is loyal, and also, he is below him in social order, as he "Just a Hazara.".

Assef's friends do not want to help him, they say it is "sinful", but Assef argues that their father's will never find out, so is nothing to be ashamed of. He calls them "weaklings", and makes sure they pin Hassan down to the ground, whilst he unzips his jeans, takes off his underwear, and then positions himself behind Hassan. Amir can't watch. He knows he should have spoken out sooner, and even though he still could, he doesn't. He decides to run, run away from the ordeal, and as he does, he hears Assef's "rhythmic grunts" coming from down the alley way. He believes that Hassan was just a sacrifice, like the lamb, to make Baba be proud of him.

He describes the snow at the beginning of the chapter, being white, which makes us think of purity and cleanness. But as he finds Hassan after being raped, he says that there were tiny droplets coming from in between his legs, that stained the snow black. This colour contrast's the whiteness earlier, the pureness, making it not pure. This is the kind of darkness that Amir feels now, like he is regretful of letting that happen to Hassan, feeling guilty.

In chapter 7, Amir shows that he is not as loyal of a friend as Hassan believes, as even though Hassan has been there multiple times to take that blame for Amir's deeds (for example, hitting the animals with the stones from his slingshot), he would not return the favour. We don't get the full details of how Hassan coped with the rape, as it is from a first person point of view, that person being Amir, so we can only try an empathise with Hassan through Amir's description.

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The scene set with the first word of the chapter, "Winter". This is by far Amir's favourite season, due to there being no school, snow and the kite running competition. He uses plosive language to describe the snow, as he says it "crunched"under his black rubber boots.

Amir has always said that him and Baba have never been very close, sometimes due to their different interests, like Amir prefer reading to watching a soccer match. In winter though, he says that "the chill between me and Baba thawed a little.". Using the word "thawed" really indicates the coldness of their relationship, and how they become slightly closer, more warming to each other during this season. The reason for this is because of the kites. A mutual interest, and something Amir is proud to take part in, and says that he is quite good at.

The narrator describes the kite running as a "war", as he describes going to sleep the night before the event, like a soldier trying to sleep in a trench. He compares the scars to his other class mates's at school, and calls them "battle scars". I think he uses the comparison of war to the kite running, because you are doing the battle for something you are proud of, something you believe in, and something that, when you win, you are admired for. I think Amir classes this as one of the toughest things he's done, and that in another way, compares to the soldiers in the war, but on a much vaster, more dangerous scale. Baba also purchases kites for the two boys, after they try and but succeed at making their own. Amir is jealous of Hassan though, as he also gets the same kites as any Baba purchases for him, even if he were to ask for a bigger, more extravagant kite. I think he jealous because they are being treated equally, even though Baba is his father. He says that he "wished he'd let me be the favourite.". I don't think that Amir understands that they are just being treated equally, as he may be used to being an only child, and wanting all the attention focused on him.

One new boy, a Hindi kid, tells Amir and Hassan that there are more rules to kite running, but they are fooled. The narrator uses a prolepsis to show how he felt about what the Hindi boy said, telling us about what the russians would learn in the 1980's, that Afghans are independent people. 

When Amir explains that Hassan is one of the fastest kite runners, this again shows their relationship. You need two people to be able to enter the competition, and Amir and Hassan would obviously enter together, showing yet more friendship and brotherhood. Hassan would always know where the kite was going to land, and one time, Amir recalls, he followed after Hassan as they ran to collect the falling kite. There are some trust issues, Amir does not believe that Hassan is correct about the location the kite is going to fall, but Hassan says "Would I ever lie to you?". This exposes more of their relationship, that Hassan would never lie to Amir, but also makes us think make to when Amir has lied to Hassan, when reading him the stories. Amir seems like a sly character when you compare this, as Hassan truly believes that they would never lie to each other, and exposes a bit more of Amir's nature, as well as Hassan's ability to trust.

There is another prolepsis used when the two boys are sat under the sour cherry tree, waiting for the kite to fall. Amir says 

"Really looking at each other. That's when it happened again: Hassan's face changed. Maybe not changed, but suddenly I had the feeling I was looking at two faces, the one I knew, and another, a second face, this one lurking just beneath the surface."

This could be something that happens in the future, Hassan changes, and we already have the feeling that he is going to be an underdog, due to the slight deformity on his face, the hair lip.

Amir starts to explain the kite running event in the winter of 1975, and says immediately "I saw Hassan run a kite for the last time.". His first, opening sentence of the entire novel is "I became what I am today in the winter of 1975", so we already have some idea, that something bad may just be about to happen. Baba comes out with a comment that sticks in Amir's mind - "I think maybe you'll win the tournament this year". Not wanting to fail his father, Amir sets his mind on winning. Not just for the glory of winning, but for the acceptance by his father, that they might actually have something to talk about, a reason to go and visit places, and for Baba to actually want to spend time with him. He says right at the end of this descriptive paragraph that "And maybe, just maybe, I would finally be pardoned for killing my mother." This is a very emotional line, that shows he still feels the guilt, and thinks that his father may think that he is the reason for her death too. This can be an example of an unreliable narrator though, as it is his opinion, and it may not be strictly true that Baba even is blaming him for his wife's death. This view can make us question whether Baba is really that harsh towards Amir, when it comes to their relationship.