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.