The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
Chapter one
Is set in December 2001 when Amir the narrator is living in San Francisco. He recalls an event that occurred in 1975 which happened in Afghanistan where he grew up. He doesn’t go into detail about what happened but says what happened there made him who he is today. Amir gets a call from a friend named Rahim Khan who asks Amir to come to Pakistan to visit him. When Amir gets off the phone he walks along golden gate park, when he sees to kites which reminds him of his friend Hassan , the kite runner.
“It’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years.” Pg 1
“It was my past of unatoned sins.” Pg1
“For you, a thousand times over.” pg 2
Chapter two
Amir and Hassan lived two different lives, as Amir lived in a mansion with his father Hassan lived in a small mud hut. Hassan has always been good with his slingshot, they both liked to annoying people by reflecting the sunlight into their neighbours window from glass. It was always Amir idea to do these things but Hassan never blamed him. Both of the boys don’t have mother , Amir mother died giving birth as Hassan mother run away after giving birth . Hassan is a Hazara which is a persecuted ethnic group in Afghanistan, while Amir and Baba are Pashtuns. Once while Amir And Hassan were walking a solider yells at Hassan saying he had sex with his mother. Since the boys both didn’t have a mother Baba found a nurse for the boys to feed off. They both shared the same breast.
“ He wouldn’t deny me. Hassan never denied me anything.” Pg 4
“ People say that eyes are the windows to the soul.” Pg 8
“Mine was Baba. His was Amir. My name. Looking back now on it ,I think the foundation for what happened in the winter of 1975 – and all that followed- was already laid in those first words.” Pg11
Chapter three
Amir describes his father Baba, to be a tall man with a thick and wild beard. Baba did everything people said for him not to do he always proved them wrong. Baba came one of the most successful businessmen in the city. One of the stories Amir is told that his father wrestled a real bear. Amir is always tiring to be just likes his father but it is never successful . Amir is passionate about reading and writing , Baba fears for him as he is not like the other boys . Amir is always jealous on how well his father and Hassan get along. Amir was learning at school that drinking was a sin. As Baba drinks he has a different opinion about it and really dislikes Mullah Fatiullah Khan.
“ I have imagined Baba’s wrestling match countless times, even dreamed about it . And in those dreams, I can never tell Baba from the bear .” pg 12
“ He asked me to fetch Hassan too , but i lied and told him Hassan had the runs. I wanted Baba all to myself.” Pg 13
“ the problem , of course, was that Baba saw the world in Black and white. And he got to decide what was black and what was white. You cant love a person who lives that way without fearing him too. Maybe even hating him a little.” Pg 15
“ god help us if Afghanistan even falls into their hands.” Pg 16
Baba only sin he believe in : “ when you kill a man, you steal a life, You steal his wife’s right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth . When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. Do you see?” pg 17
“ if I hadn’t seen the doctor pull him out of my wife with my own eyes , I’d never believe he’s my son .” pg 22
Chapter four
Baba and Ali grow up together but Baba never considers them being friends as they have different religion and ethnic . Amir thinks the same with Hassan . Amir often reads to Hassan as he is illiterate. One time Amir was telling him a story he had made up, Hassan thinks its the best story he has every told. That night Amir rights his very own first short story, Amir tries and shows Baba but he doesn’t pay any attention to him . Rahim Khan his father’s friend shows interest. Rahim reads his story and leaves Amir a note saying how good it is. Amir then goes and wakes up Hassan to show him the story , Hassan suggested something he should have done , Amir did not like that.
“ Never mind any of those things. Because History isn’t easy to overcome . Neither is religion. In the end, I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara. I was Sunni and he was Shi’a and nothing was ever going to change that. Nothing.” Pg 24
“The same night , i wrote my first short story.” pg 29
‘After all, didn’t all fathers in their secret hearts harbor a desire to kill their sons ?’ pg 28
“When they left, I sat on my bed and wished Rahim Khan had been my father.”pg 30
“the word was bravo”
“ never mind the time. This story’s special. I wrote it myself.” Pg 31
Chapter five
One night Amir Hassan and Ali were left at home when they here gunshots. They didn’t know what it was all about, but the next morning they hear talk on the radio, that Afghanistan becomes a republic. Amir and Hassan to go for a walk and go climb a tree, they discover Assef and two other boy of the neighbourhood , Assef is a bully. He carries around a set of brass knuckles, Assef bullies Hassan and calls him a flat-nose. Assef believes that Hitler had the right idea about ethnic purity. Assef thinks of Amir as a problem as he is friends with a Hazaras as they are both Pashtuns. He goes and hits Amir but Hassan gets in the way with his sling shot and scares him away .For Hassan birthday Baba offers him a gift of getting plastic surgery , Hassan cleft lip is just left with a faint scar.
“None of us had any notion that a way of life had ended. Our way of life .” pg 34
“ About Hitler. Now, there was a leader. A great Leader. A man with vision. Pg 37
“Afghanistan is the land of Pashtuns. It always has been , always will be .” pg 38
“you’re a disgrace to Afghanisitan.” Pg 39
It wasn’t fair. Hassan hadn’t done anything to earn Baba’s affection; he’d just been born with that stupid harelip.” Pg 43
Chapter Six In winter in Kabul it’s the best season for boys as schools close for icy season and it’s the best time to fly kites. Baba takes Amir and Hassan to go buy a kite for the annual Kite-fighting tournament, the last kite of the tournament to fall is a trophy of honour. Hassan is the best kite runner in Kabul, he always knows where the kite will land. Baba has confidents that Amir will win , if he wins Amir think he will win Baba’s approval. The day comes and they fly their kites , Amir wins. Hassan goes and finds Amir kite for him as Amir is getting congratulated . Amir doesn’t know where Amir had gone to he ask a old merchant and he says that boys were chasing him. Assef and his friends corner Hassan asking him for the blue kite, Hassan says no and they both argue back then Assef and his friend charge at Hassan , Amir sat there watching . After that Amir sees Hassan emerging from the alleyway crying and bleeding he hands him the kite. None of the boys speak of what happened, when they get home Amir falls into Baba’s hands and weep.
“ And kites , of course, Flying kites . And running them.” Pg 45
“ the chill between Baba and me thawed a little. And the reason for that was the kites.” Pg 46
“ The rules were simple: no rules. Fly your kite. Cut the opponents. Good luck.”
“but Hassan was by far the greatest kite runner I’d ever seen .” pg 49
“ In the winter of 1975, I saw Hassan run a kite for the last time .” pg 51
Chapter Seven The day comes and they fly their kites , Amir wins. Hassan goes and finds Amir kite for him as Amir is getting congratulated . Amir doesn’t know where Amir had gone to he ask a old merchant and he says that boys were chasing him. Assef and his friends corner Hassan asking him for the blue kite, Hassan says no and they both argue back then Assef and his friend charge at Hassan , Amir sat there watching . After that Amir sees Hassan emerging from the alleyway crying and bleeding he hands him the kite. None of the boys speak of what happened, when they get home Amir falls into Baba’s hands and weep.
“ Let’s fly. He said.” Pg 59
“And that right there was the single greatest moment of my twelve years of life, seeing baba on that roof, proud of me at last. “ pg 63
“I opened my mouth, almost said something. Almost. The rest of my life might have turned out differently if I had. But I didn’t. I just watched. Paralysed.” pg 69
Chapter eight
After the rape Amir and Hassan drift apart. Baba and Amir take a trip to stay at Baba’s cousins they have a large Afghan dinner , Baba is proud to say to everyone about the Kite tournament Amir is not happy about it . After the dinner they all lie in the same bed, Amir can’t sleep he admits out loud that he say Hassan get raped but everyone was asleep so they didn’t hear. When they return home Amir continues not to play with Hassan, he is confused why Amir is avoiding him he ask why and Amir tells him to stop harassing me, after that they avoid each other. One day Amir ask Hassan to go for a walk to a pomegranate tree, Amir ask Hassan what he would do if he threw the pomegranate at him, he starts throwing them at him, but Hassan doesn’t do anything back like Amir wanted him to . Instead he crushes it against his forehead.
“But Hassan did nothing as I pelted him again and again. You’re a Coward! I said. Nothing but a goddamn coward!” pg 86
“I’ve never laid a hand on you , Amir, but you ever say that again... He looked away, shaking his head. You bring me shame. And Hassan.. Hassan’s not going anywhere, do you understand ?” pg 84
“ I’ll tell you what I want you to stop doing, I said eyes pressed shut , Anything, I want you to stop Harassing me. I want you to go away.” 82
Chapter nine
The next morning Amir is thinking either he has to leave or Hassan and Ali must go. As he is opening is presents he wait till they leave as he grabs Baba present to him which is a watch and birthday money and hide it under Hassan pillow and tells Baba he stole it . when they return Baba ask Hassan if he stole them and to Amir surprise he says yes. Amir realizes Hassan saw him in the alleyway and knew what he was up to . Baba forgives him, but Ali says he must leave , Baba pleads them to stay. Amir sits their watching them go .
“ Except Baba stunned me by saying. I forgive you.” Forgive? But theft was one unforgivable sin, the common denominator of all sins.” Pg 98
“ I flinched, like I’d be slapped. My heart sank and I almost blurted out the truth. Then I understood: This was Hassan’s final sacrifice for me. Pg 98
“ either way , this much had become clear: One of us had to go. “ pg 95
Chapter ten
March 1981 Amir and Baba are on their way to Pakistan. They can’t trust anyone as Amir is embarrassed as he feels sick in the back of the truck. They left home in the middle of the night as the rafiqs or comrades as Amir called them have divided the society. People turn each other in for the money or under threat. When they are at the checkpoint a Russian guard spots one of the women in the truck and says if they wish to pass its an half hour with her. Baba won’t allow this. The Russian guard threatens to shoot Baba if he doesn’t sit down but another guard comes along to stop him. Amir feels sorry for Baba as he has to leave behind all the things he has done in Afghanistan . there though quickly change as they find out that Kamals father finds out his son didn’t survive the trip as of this he kills himself.
“ I’ll take a thousand of his bullets before I let this indecency take place.” Pg 101
Chapter Eleven
Some tome since Baba and Amore now arrived to Fremont California. The moving to another country hasn’t been a easy one , especially for Baba. Amir notices the changes in his father and realizes he will never full adjust to life in America because he misses Afghanistan so much. Amir realizes that their move to a better place was for Amir’s future. Baba finds work at petrol station , in the summer of 1983 Amir graduates from High school, he decided to enrol in junior college and summons the courage to tell his father that he intends to continue writing , Baba is not impresses but accepts his decision, Amir enjoys life in America as it has no memories. 1984 Baba and Amir go to garages sales every Saturday and then sell their items at a swap marker where a large group of Afghan families work. That is where Amir meets General Taheri and his beautiful daughter Soraya.
“ I didn’t want to sacrifice for Baba anymore. The last time I had done that , I had damned myself.” Pg 117
Chapter Twelve
Amir is increasingly tormented by his growing love for Soraya, they start seeing each other over several weeks. This continues until General Taeri reminds Amir that he is creating inappropriate gossip. Amir is distracted from his romantic ways when he discovers that Baba eventually starts to suffer from inoperable lung cancer. Baba refuses any medical help because it wouldn’t change the outcome. They go on with their lives as normal as they can but it becomes hard as Baba’s illness becomes to hard to hide. Baba has a seizure at the market and Soraya comes and comforts Amir. Baba refuse any more help with his condition , Amir now asks one more favour of his father. He wants to marry Soraya and as tradition demands he needs his father to ask Soraya father for her hand. Amirs proposal is accepted but , before formally getting married Soraya insists on confessing to an earlier affair because she dones want their marriage starting off with secrets. Amir admires her courage but was unable to make his own confession about his past.
“ I though of how I used my literacy to ridicule Hassan. How I had teased him about big words he didn’t know.” Pg 132
Chapter Thirteen
There is a series of celebrations for the newly wed couple in which Amir is formally welcomed into Soraya’s family . Baba spends almost everything he has on his sons wedding. They live with Baba where Soraya dedicates herself to take care of Baba. After a month later he dies, Amir is terrified of life without his father . Amir completes his first novel acquires an agent and succeeds in getting his book published. Amir and Soraya have plently of trie on having a baby but they learn that they have unexplained infertily. They decied to move on to IVF but this to is unsuccessful and Soraya doesn’t want to adopt. Amir feels this is punishment for his past actions.
“ I realized how much of who I was, what I was, have been defined by Baba and the marks he had left on people’s lives.” PG 152
Chapter fourteen
The narrative jumps forward to 2001 where Amir tells Soraya that he must go to Pakistan to see Rahim Khan. Amir endeavours to come to believe that Rahim Khan knows about his betrayal of Hassan but believes these is a way to be good again.
“ He knew about Assef, the kite, the money, the watch with the lighting bolt hands, He had always known.” Pg 168
Chapter fifteen
It takes a long journey to go see Rahim Khan , he recalls their last meeting, some twenty years earlier. Amir arrives in Pakistan but barely recognises Rahim Khan, Amir tells him about Baba his wife and life in America and his successful writing career. Rahim Khan always tells him about life in Afghanistan and how much it has changed and they cruelity of the Taliban. He sadly tells Amir that he is dying and doesn’t have long to live. Finally he informs him what he really wants to talk about which is Hassan.
“Rahim Khan had always been one of the most instinctive people I’d ever met.” Pg 173
Chapter sixteen
It goes back to 1986 where loneliness and increasing ill health lead Rahim in search for Hassan . He finds him married to a woman named Farzana and living in a modest mud hut near the city of Bamiyan. Hassan tells Rahim that Ali was killed by a landmine in 1984. Hassan asks about Amir and Baba he was incredibly upset about baba’s death. Hassan decideds to go live with Rahim in Kabul but says he will live in the same hut where he grew up in this is where is wife gave birth to their still born daughter. In 1990 Hassan’s mother returns and comes to live with Rahim , Hassan rejects his mother. That winter Farzana gives birth to their son , sohrab . Hassan’s mother becomes very close to him, four years later she sadly dies. Hassan teaches his song how to read and write, shoot a slingshot and run kites. Hassan worries and the implications for the Hazara people . the taliban’s ban on kite fighting in 1998 .
“ Hassan taught him to read and write his son was not going to grow up illiterate like he had .” pg 186
Chapter seventeen
Rahim Khan gives Amir a letter addressed to him from Hassan, which contains a photo of Hassan and his son. In the letter Hassan describes on how much Afhganistan has changed over the years. He also write for his hope that Amir will one day return to Kabul. The letter is 6 months old . rahimi tells Amir that the Taliban come to question him, they ordered him to leave Baba’s house but Hassan fought back with this the Taliban shot him. They shot his wife aswell but they toke their son to an orphanage. The real reason that Rahim wanted him to come to was to rescue Sohrab and bring him back to Pakistan. Rahim reveals that he is dying and wants Sohrab to go to a safe place and lastly he reveals that Hassan was Amir’s brother. Amir is deeply shocked and upset and doesn’t know what to think .