He puts his safe, comfortable life in America on the line to return to Afghanistan and rescue Hassans son, Sohrab. Amir watches as Kamal and Wali hold Hassan down and Assef rapes him. While the characters find safety in California, Baba becomes frustrated by his misunderstandings of American customs and takes great insult at his lower social status. To his chagrin, Ali and Hassan gave him a copy of his and Hassan's favorite book. Farid drove him there, but Amir went in alone. He pretended not to know what happened and did not tell Ali the truth when he asked. Check Pages 251-300 of The Kite Runner in the flip PDF version. Farid tells Amir that Rahim Khan is gone, but Rahim Khan had left a letter and a key. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. Amir lived with his father, Baba, in a lavish home in Kabul. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Hassan made sure that Sohrab was loved, literate, and great with a slingshot. In 1933, the same year Baba was born, two intoxicated young drivers struck and killed a Hazara couple. Friend of Baba and Amir. 20% He is an ethnic Hazara, and is described as having the same eyes as his father. Amirs plot and manipulation of Baba show how devious he is. Assef is the main antagonist of the novel. After September 11, General Taheri was called back to Afghanistan. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! The Kite Runner Hassan understands that if he denies taking the watch, Baba would know of Amirs devious plot to frame Hassan. WebThe reader first meets Assef as a violent, racist child who draws his social power from his economic and ethnic identity, and wants to rid his country of all Hazaras. [4] By the publication of Khaled Hosseini's third novel in 2013, over seven million copies had been sold in the United States. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. from your Reading List will also remove any Khaled Hosseini lived and worked as a medical internist at Kaiser Hospital in Mountain View, California for several years before publishing The Kite Runner. Amir is the sensitive and intelligent son of a well-to-do businessman in Kabul, and he grows up with a sense of entitlement. Why doesnt Amir help Hassan in the alley? SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. In order to save both Sohrab and Amir, Rahim Khan lies to Amir about the Caldwells, a supposed American couple, who will take care of Sohrab if Amir can get him out of Kabul. During the ride there, Amir dozes. For a long time, Rahim Khan had lived in Baba's house alone, but he became weak and lonely. -Graham S. Rahim Khan expands on the idea that Baba was metaphorically split in two, and that Amir was the half that inherited the privilege, while Hassan inherited the virtue. Baba and Amir, for instance, are rich and live in a large mansion, while Ali and Hassan are poor and live in a small hut on Babas property. For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! Amir was furious; he told the general never to refer to Amir that way again. Hassans wife and Sohrabs mother. Baba was a large man, six feet and five inches tall with a thick beard and wild, curly hair. '"[11] Afghan-Austrian journalist Emran Feroz, however, criticized the novel for oversimplifying ethnic relations in Afghanistan and portraying Pashtuns in general in an overly negative light. Why does Amir sometimes treat Hassan badly in childhood? 29. In the letter, Rahim Khan admits that he knows all that had happened during the running of the kites. In each generation, the boys could never truly consider themselves friends because of their class differences. Zaman The director of the makeshift orphanage in Kabul, who occasionally sells a child to Assef because he has no other choice and because the money he makes from the sales helps him to feed the other children. By allowing Hassans rape, Amir fails Hassan profoundly and fundamentally. Kite Runner 2. He knows that if he fails to bring home the kite, Baba would be less proud of him, so he runs away. Though it remains unclear why, he feels a tremendous sense of guilt about those events, and he believes they shaped him into who he is. Why doesnt Amir help Hassan in the alley? Why does Hassan lie about stealing Amirs watch? When the Taliban took over in 1996, people celebrated, but Hassan predicted that things would get worse, as they did. [9][13] Hosseini took a year-long absence from practicing medicine to promote the book, signing copies, speaking at various events, and raising funds for Afghan causes. Renews May 8, 2023 For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! Teachers and parents! Soraya moved in with Amir and Baba so they could spend his last days together. Why does Amir accept Soraya even after she tells him of her past? Sometimes it can end up there. A related divide in religions is also present: like most Pashtuns, Baba and Amir are Sunni Muslim, while Ali and Hassan, like most Hazaras. Please wait while we process your payment. In 1988, Amir published his first novel. He has a chance to be forgiving of WebAmir sees Hassan as his servant and feels no need to treat him well. Books by Khaled Hosseini [7] For example, he did not decide to make Amir and Hassan brothers until after he had "doodled it". In the winter of 1975, there was a massive kite tournament. He was motivated to write a 25-page short story about two boys who fly kites in Kabul. [8] Hosseini submitted copies to Esquire and The New Yorker, both of which rejected it. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% After thinking things over at a caf, he returned and said he would bring Sohrab to Peshawar. Once, while looking through history books, Amir discovered information on the Hazara. WebAmir is the sensitive and intelligent son of a well-to-do businessman in Kabul, and he grows up with a sense of entitlement. Sohrab revealed that he was afraid God would punish him for what he did to Assef. Farzana appears only briefly, but in that time she is portrayed as a loving mother. Amir's jaw will be wired shut for six weeks. He took Hassan up to the hill and pelted him with pomegranates. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. Hassan was actually the son of Sanaubar and Baba, making him Amir's half brother. Dont have an account? He barely recognized the landscape around him because it was so ravaged by war. Amir, Farid, and Sohrab get a hotel room (it's much nicer than the dump in Kabul no bloodstains, clean towels, etc.). [13] Marketing director Melissa Mytinger remarked, "It's simply an excellent story. Because its themes of friendship, betrayal, guilt, redemption and the uneasy love between fathers and sons are universal, and not specifically Afghan, the book has been able to reach across cultural, racial, religious and gender gaps to resonate with readers of varying backgrounds. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. His best friend is Hassan, and he goes back and forth between acting as a loyal friend and attacking Hassan out of jealousy whenever Hassan receives Amirs fathers affection. Kite Runner Amir sees Hassan as his servant and feels no need to treat him well. by. [1] Published in 2003 by Riverhead Books, it tells the story of Amir, a young boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul. Chapter 23 is divided into brief episodes, which indicate Amir's slipping in and out of consciousness. Why does Amir want Hassan to hit him with pomegranates? There, Amir meets fellow refugee Soraya Taheri and her family. When he finally came to, he found out that he had almost died of a ruptured spleen. The Kite Runner study guide contains a biography of Khaled Hosseini, 100 quiz questions, a list of major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. The kite runner is generally an assistant of the kite fighter by going after the kite after it's fallen. The Kite Runner Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Thus, Sohrab travels with Amir to Islamabad. You can view our. She had traveled a long way to finally make peace with Hassan, who accepted her with open arms. What Amir is good at is poetry and reading. WebThe Kite Runner Chapter 24. He believes it to be a fundamental part of who he is, and no matter how far he is in time or location from his childhood in Afghanistan, the events of that period are always with him. Farzana's first baby was stillborn. Around the same time, the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan, but new conflicts erupted. Amirs mother. Why did Amir feel he must win the tournament? In the hospital waiting for news about Sohrab, Amir prayed for the first time in fifteen years. He stands up for Sohrab by confronting Assefsomething he didnt do for Hassan years agoeven though it leads to his brutal beating. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. [2] He later divulged that he frequently came up with pieces of the plot by drawing pictures of it. Read more about The Kite Runner and the Taliban. Amir is unrecognizable because of all his injuries, but he is on the path to redemption now. Though Sanaubar is infamously immoral in her youth and abandons Hassan just after he is born, she proves herself a caring grandmother to Sohrab when she reappears later in the novel. You'll also receive an email with the link. Purchasing Explain kite running. The Kite Runner May 1, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 Amir is an upper-class Pashtun, and Hassan is a Hazara, a member of an ethnic group considered inferior by Pashtuns. [10] Thus, he was frequently questioned about the extent of the autobiographical aspects of the book. Baba tells him that the Mullahs are hypocrites and the only real sin is theft which takes many forms, the worst being having an affair. Amir managed to make an appointment with this Talib for the same day. A boy from Amirs and Hassans neighborhood. Why does Amir love Baba? Continue to start your free trial. Baba gave Amir a wristwatch. Sohrab looked terrified. No matter how much he begged, Hassan would not hit him back. This struggle is a conflict between the kind of man that Amir believes he is, and the kind of man that Baba is. Later, Amir learns the Caldwells never existed. On the other hand, Baba is often critical of Amir, considering him weak and lacking in courage, even threatening to physically punish him when he complains about Hassan. It was voted the Reading Group Book of the Year for 2006 and 2007 and headed a list of 60 titles submitted by entrants to the Penguin/Orange Reading Group prize (UK). Assef represents all things wrong in Afghanistan. WebTold him to call the Caldwells in the morning (227). Assef explained that he was on a mission to kill all the Hazaras in Afghanistan. Ace your assignments with our guide to The Kite Runner! Amir mixes his memories of Baba in with this information. The period is December 2001, and our narrator, who tells his story in the first person, recalls an event that occurred in 1975, when he was twelve years old and growing up in Afghanistan. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25%