THE KITE RUNNER

BOOK REVIEW: CHAPTERS 23~25 {LAST CHAPTERS}

CHAPTER 23

Soraya and Sohrab flying kites

Amir running the kite for Sohrab

When Amir passed out in the car, he saw blurry images. There was a lady called Aisha and a man with a mustache, whom the narrator recognized. As Amir slipped out and in of consciousness, he imagines Baba wrestling the bear. The moment when Amir's eyes met Baba's, he realized that Amir himself was the one wrestling the bear. Then he woke up and sees doctors, Farid as well as Sohrab. He was in a hospital in Peshawar. Amir's mouth was shut because his upper lip was split, his left eye's bone was broken, several of his ribs were cracked and his spleen fissured. Farid told Amir that Rahim Khan was here but left a note.

In the note, Rahim wrote that he knew everything that happened to Hassan. Though what Amir did wasn't correct, he was too hard on himself. The narrator suffered at times because of Baba's behaviour towards him but Baba also felt guilty because he couldn't openly love Hassan. Thus, Baba took out the guilt on Amir, whom Baba thought of his socially legitimate half. But the orphanage which Baba built, the poor that he fed were ways of redeeming himself. Rahim also left Amir a key to a safe-deposit box with money for covering Amir's expenses. At last, he mentioned Amir not to look for him although he didn't have much time left. The next morning, Amir spent the day playing cards with Sohrab, who barely spoke. Farid learnt that there never was an American couple who were to take care of  Sohrab. They felt that Peshawar wasn't safe any longer and left to Islamabad along with Sohrab.

CHAPTER 24

Amir and Sohrab arrived in Islamabad. Sohrab asked Amir if he would go to hell for doing his action to Assef. Amir replied back saying Assef deserved more punishments and that his parents would be proud of Sohrab to save Amir. One day, Amir asked Sohrab if he wanted to go to America with him. Sohrab never gave the answer for a week, eventually they decided to go together also explaining the whole situation to Soraya. 

The next day, Amir went to the American embassy. They said it was almost impossible to adopt Sohrab unless there was a death ceritifcate to prove he was an orphan. So Amir spoke to Omar Faisal, an immigration attorney. Faisal explained that Amir could put Sohrab in an orphanage, file a petition and wait up to two years until the government approved the adoption. That night, Sohrab screamed and cried until he fell asleep because Amir told Sohrab he might have to go back to the orphanage. While he slept, Amir called Soraya, who told him that Sharif, a family member worked for the U.S. immigration department. Sharif could help keep Hassan's son once he was in the country. Amir went to tell Sohrab this good news but found him in the bathtub, bleeding and unconscious. 

CHAPTER 25

Sohrab being rushed to the emergency room

Sohrab was rushed to the emergency room. This was when Amir prayed for the first time in mroe than fifteen years! He prayed until he fell asleep and dreamt of Sohrab in the red water with the razor blade he used to cut himself. The doctor told Amir that Sohrab lost a great deal of blood, but he was able to survive. Amir tried to console him, read to him but Sohrab only replied saying he wanted he old life back. Amir explained that Sohrab was going to America with Amir. In spite of that, Sohrab stopped speaking entirely.

Amir and Sohrab arrived in San Francisco in August 2001. General Taheri and Jamila came over for dinner. Amir told General Taheri everything about Taliban and Kabul. The General eventually asked why Amir brought a Hazara boy with him. Amir explained that it was his nephew as well as all the stories which had been revealed previously. Amir also had the courage to tell Soraya's father not to call Sohrab a "Hazara" ever again in his presence, especially.

After September 11, the American bombing of Afghanistan that followed, the names of places in Amir's country were suddenly all over. Amir and Soraya helped to raise money for a hospital on the Afghan-Pakistani border and the General was summoned to Afghanistan for a ministry position. 

On a rainy day in March 2002, Amir took Sohrab, his wife and Jamila to a gathering of Afghans at a park. There was a tent where people were cooking and Sohrab, quietly, stood out in the rain. When the weather cleared, Soraya pointed to the kites in the sky. Amir bought a new kite and walked over to Sohrab. Amir checked the string and talked about Hassan. When the kite was ready, Amir asked Sohrab if he was willing to fly it, sohrab didn't answer. Nonetheless, Sohrab ran together with Amir as he sent the kite into the air.  The next time, Sohrab took the string. When a green kite showed up for kite-fighting, Amir showed Sohrab his father's favourite trick and they soon severed and cut the opponent's kite's string loose. A small grin appeared on Sohrab's face as people surrounding them cheered. Amir asked if he should run the kite for Sohrab as his father used to. It seemed to him that Sohrab nod as the wind blew his hair. Amir ran through a swarm of happy children after hearing himself say, "FOR YOU, A THOUSAND TIMES OVER."

*Amir finally paid his expiation and found his redemption.

THE KITE RUNNER

BOOK REVIEW: CHAPTERS 18-22

CHAPTER 18

Amir stormed away from Rahim's house to a small teahouse. He thought through what happened and what he knew. Ami started clearing his mind to make a decision. Amir was responsible for Hassan's death. Baba was also Hassan's father; the reason why Baba cried when Ali and Hassan left and paid for the surgery of Hassan's lip. Then, Amir realized that Baba and he was quite alike. Baba said that theft was the only sin and Amir thinks how Baba hid the fact that he was Hassan's father and Ali from his honor. Baba and the narrator both betrayed their truest friends. At last, Amir told Rahim Khan that he would find Sohrab, just what Rahim wanted; for Amir to atone Baba's sins as well as the narrator's own sins.

CHAPTER 19

Rahim arranged an acquaintance called Farid to take Amir to Kabul. Farid and his father fought against the Soviets. Farid lost his two daughters and three fingers from a land mine. Amir said that he felt like a tourist in Afghanistan. Farid sarcastically asked him if he even thought of Afghanistan as his own country after living in America for over 20 years. They stopped at Farid's brother, Wahid's home at night. The house was small, with bare dirt walls and two lamps for light. They have a talk while drinking tea. Wahid asked Amir why he was back in Afghanistan. Farid made fun saying that the narrator was going to sell his land and run away back to America with that money. Wahid, differently, snapped at his brother for insulting a guest. Amir replied that he was looking for a Hazara, his illegitimate half-brother's son. Wahid called Amir a true Afghan.

That night, while Amir was having dinner, Wahid's family said they already had dinner. Amir noticed Wahid's sons staring at his watch. As a gift, Amir presented the watch to the boys although they lost interest soon. As Farid and Amir lied down to sleep, Farid promised to help find Sohrab, apologizing for his careless predictions. Amir dreamt of Hassan being shot by a man, realizing that the man was the narrator, himself. He woke up and heard two shoutings. He overheard Wahid and his wife were quarreling because the boys didn't have dinner as they served the food to Amir. The next morning, Amir stuffed loads of money under one of their mattresses before he left with Farid.

CHAPTER 20

On the way to Kabul, Amir couldn't recognize Kabul. The buildings and trees were all gone, instead a piles of dusty rubbles and beggars roamed around the place. Then, a Taliban patrol of bearded men with guns in the back of a red pickup passed by. Amir stared at them. Farid rebuked Amir, saying that the Taliban would use any excuse for violence and and old beggar agreed. The beggar turned out to be a literature professor and once knew Sofia Akram. Amir asked questions about his mother but they left soon. Amir and Farid found the orphanage where they predicted Sohrab would be. The director, Zaman was cautious until Amir said he is Sohrab's half-uncle. the orphanage was once a storage warehouse for carpet manufacturer. The past winter, a child even froze to death, for there weren't enough beds, mattresses and blankets for hundreds of children.

Zaman told Amir that Sohrab is not at the orphange. Zaman confessed that a Taliban Official took Sohrab with him a month ago. Farid attacked Zaman for letting this happen. It turned out that the Taliban Official paid cash for every child he took once or twice a month. It way the only way to feed children. If they wanted to find Hassan's beloved son, he would be at the Ghazi Stadium the next day.

CHAPTER 21

Farid drove Amir to Baba's house. If was falling apart, but still recognizable. Amir remembered watching Ali and Hassan leave in the rain. He went to the pomegranate tree where he and Hassan used to read stories and play. Farid warned Amir that they had to leave. That night, they stayed at a shabby hospital. The following day, they went to the soccer game at the Ghazi Stadium. The field was just dirt and the crowd was careful not to cheer too loudly. 

Soon, the Taliban unloaded a blindfolded man from one truck and blindfolded woman from the other truck. They buried them into a hole on the field up to their chest. The woman was screaming uncontrollably. A cleric on the field announced that they were going to carry out God's law. He recited a prayer from the Koran. A man stepped out from a pickup, and Farid and amir saw it was the official they were looking for, as Zaman said, he wore sunglasses. The official threw stones at the head of the man until his head was bloody and his chin reached his chest. He did the same to the woman. They piled the bloody bodies back into the truck. While the second half of the soccer game began, Farid told a Taliban that he had personal business with the official and the official agreed to meet them in the afternoon.

CHAPTER 22

Farid waited in the car while two guards lead Amir to the room where the Taliban Official was waiting. Amir and the Official greeted each other, then one the guards tore Amir's fake beard off. The official asked whether Amir enjoyed the show at the stadium. He said it wasn't as fun as when they went door-to-door shooting families in their homes. Amir realized the official was talking about the massacre of Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif which the narrator read about in newspapers.

Assef as a Taliban Officer

The official asked what Amir was doing in America. Amir instead only answered that he was looking for Sohrab. The official motioned the guards and Sohrab entered in a blue silk outfit, bells strapped around his ankles and mascara lining eyes. The guards made Sohrab dance. Then, the official asked Amir what happened to Babalu, a name Assef used to call Ali. That was when Amir realized that the official was Assef! Astonished, Amir said he would pay for the boy but Assef replied that money is irrelevant. Assef began talking about why he joined the Taliban. He was once imprisoned. One evening, a guard kicked him until the violence dislodged a kidney stone that caused him severe pain. But he felt relief and began laughing. At that moment he realized God was on his side. 

Assef said he was on a mission to rid Afghanistans of garbage. Amir replied wanting Sohrab. Assef shoved Sohrab forwards, saying they have unfinished work. Assef told the guards if Amir got out of the room alive, he had the right to leave. Subsequently, Assef put on a pair of brass knuckles. Amir recognized it. When he saw the weapon, flashes of Assef hitting him and swallowing teeth and blood passed his mind. Amir remembered laughing when Assef beat him up, and felt relief. It felt healed for the first time as he looked forward to it. Suddenly, Sohrab bravely told Assef to stop and held up his slingshot. When Assef dived at him, Amir's half-nephew fired the slingshot, which hit the Official's left eye. They quickly ran away to the car where Farid was waiting, as they drove away, Amir passed out.

Sohrab holding up his slingshot at Assef

THE KITE RUNNER

BOOK REVIEW: CHAPTERS 13~17

CHAPTER 13

So, the following night, Amir and Baba are at General Taheri's house for the traditional 'Giving Word'. The General is happy. They planned to have the wedding quickly because Baba was so sick. Baba rented an Afghan Banquet Hall for the ceremony, he bought the ring, Amir's tuxedo as well as other necessities until he spent almost all of his savings; $35,000. On the wedding day, the narrator remembered sitting on a sofa, covered in veil and looking at each other's reflections in a mirror. This was the first time when Amir told her that he loved her.Shortly after the wedding, Baba passed away. Many Afghans came to the funeral and payed respect for Baba had helped them in many ways. Amir also realized how Babaa defined who he was.

Amir didn't know much about their family because the engagement was very brief. But he got to know them after the marriage. He learnt that General Taheri does not work but keeps the family on welfare. He also didn't allow his wife, Jamila, to sing in public although she was a great singer. Soraya also told the narrator that her father told her to cut her hair, waiting with a gun. Soraya found Amir different from the other Afghans she met before. Amir finally published his first book in the summer of 1988. After that Soraya and Amir tried to have a baby but they were unable to conceive. Finally, they thought of adopting  as doctors couldn't explain why they couldn't have a child. But Soraya's father disagreed as he didn't like the idea of it. Amir also wasn't certain, so agreed. Instead Amir's writing career went well and they even bought a house in San Francisco. However, the inability to have a child still persisted.

CHAPTER 14

It is June 2001. Amir received a call from Rahim Khan and he told Soraya that he needed to go since Amir thought Rahim as the first grown-up friend. Rahim Khan is ill. That night, Amir drifts off to sleep thinking about their changed conversation about work instead of children and relationships. He dreamt of Hassan before leaving to Pakistan a week after.

CHAPTER 15

On Amir's way to meet Rahim Khan, he notices the neighborhood known as "Afghan Town" with dirty children selling cigarettes, carpet shops, as well as kabob vendors. The cab driver on the way told Amir what terrible things happened to Afghanistan.
Amir arrived at Rahim's apartment. Rahim became weak and sick. They drank tea and had a talk. At first, Amir told him that he was married to Soraya, General Taheri's daughter. He told Rahim about Baba and his writing career. Rahim told Amir that he was sure that Amir would turn out to be a great writer. Then, the topic of the conversation changed to the nightmare of Afghanistan when Taliban took over. Rahim Khan told Amir how he got a scar over his eye.A man next to him at a soccer game cheered loudly. The guard on patrol heard the noise, walked over and slashed Rahim with the butt of his rifle. 
Amir learnt that Rahim has been living in Baba's house since they fled to the U.S. He took care of the place as people thought Baba would return. Meanwhile, Kabul became a dangerous place as the fighting between Afghan factions vying for control of the city grew worse. Rockets fell randomly, which destroyed homes and killed civilians. Rahim Khan said he cheered at first when he heard that the Taliban took over and ended the fighting. While they're speaking, Rahim coughed out blood onto a napkin. Amir asked how he was feeling. Surprisingly, Rahim replies that he was going to die and he didn't expect himself to live through the summer. Amir soon learnt that the reason for Rahim's calling was because he wanted to tell the narrator what happened to Hassan.

CHAPTER 16

The narrative shifts as Rahim Khan narrates the story. In 1986, Rahim went to Hazarajat primarily because he was lonely as well found it difficult to look after Baba's house for he was old. He found Hassan's home in Hazarajat. They greeted each other and Hassan introduced his wife who was also a Hazara, Farzana. As they talked, Rahim learnt that Ali was killed by a land mine. Rahim explained to Hassan and Farzana that he needed help in taking care of Baba's home. Hassan at first declined. After Hassan asked questions about Amir, he cried learning that Baba was dead. Eventually, the next morning Hassan decided to go back to Kabul with his pregnant wife, Farzana.
Hassan and Farzana lived in the servants' hut on Baba's grounds. Hassan worked diligently; cleaning and repairing the house. That fall, Farzana gave birth to a stillborn girl, whom they  buried in the yard, sadly. Farzana luckily became pregnant again in 1990. The same year, Sanaubar (Hassan's mother) appeared at the gate, weak and her face scarred all over. Hassan and Farzana nursed her back to health and they eventually became close to each other. That winter, Sanaubar delivered Hassan and Farzana's son. Hassan named the son 'Sohrab' after one of the characters from Hassan and Amir's favourite story. Hassan taught Sohrab how to read and they ran kites together until kite fighting was abolished in 1996 due to the control of Taliban over Kabul. These activities Hassan did with his son showed that he still thought of Amir, for they were the things they did together in their childhood. Meanwhile, Sanaubar took care of Sohrab lovingly.

CHAPTER 17

The story shifted back to Amir's perspective. Amir sat with Rahim Khan while recalling events that happened between him and Hassan. Amir asked Rahim if Hassan was still in Baba's house. Instead of a reply, Rahim passed Amir an envelope containing a photograph of Hassan as well as a letter for Amir. In the letter, Hassan wrote that the Kabul they knew was gone. One day, a man hit Farzana just because she raised her voice so that a half-deaf man could hear. He wrote about his love for his son, also mentioning Rahim Khan as an ill man. It was written if Amir ever returned, he would find his faithful friend Hassan waiting for me. After a month Rahim arrived in Pakistan, he heard some bad news from a neighbor in Kabul. Hassan and his wife was shott down in the heads by the Talibans merely because they said they were taking care of Baba's house until he came back. The Talibans called Hassan a liar like other Hazaras. 

The Talibans moved into Baba's house. They were aiming for this, and shot Hassan and his wife down. As a result, to these men, the Hazaras do not have enough value so that these men would be punished for ending them.

Sohrab was sent to an orphanage. Rahim knew an American couple in Pakistan who took care of Afghan orphans. They have agreed to take in Hassan's son. Amir said he can't stay in Kabul. He could pay someone else to get Sohrab. Rahim Khan replied that it was not about the money. Amir knew why. Hassan had died and now it was impossible for Amir too apologize. His guilt would stay for eternity unless he took in Sohrab. Owing to the fact that Hassan wrote he never wanted Sohrab as an orphan. Rahim then told Amir one more thing; Ali was unable to have children. Amir realised who Hassan's father was. It was a shameful situation so they couldn't tell anyone. Amir shouted at Rahim Khan and left the apartment.

THE KITE RUNNER

BOOK REVIEW: CHAPTERS 11~12

Amir as a grown up 

Amir and Soraya

CHAPTER 11

The Story jumped forwards in this chapter. It has already almost been two years since Baba and Amir moved to Fremont, California. Baba had difficulties adjusting to the life in U.S. One day, he even overturned a magazine rack because the manager asked for his ID when Baba was only trying to pay with a cheque. Baba was insulted because he felt distrust. The narrator explained that everyone trusted each other to pay in Afghanistan. That night, Amir asked Baba if it was best to move back to Pakistan where they spent six months while waiting for visas to enter the U.S. Baba replied that they were in America because of Amir  since he was about to finish high school and go to college. On the night of Amir's graduation, Baba took him out for a big dinner and went to a bar where he drank the whole night. He also gave Amir an old Ford Grand Torino as a gift. After days passed, Amir finally confessed that he would like to study writing. Baba disapproved thinking the degree will be useless but Amir had already made up his mind.

In Kabul, Baba was wealthy and always respected. In California, things are the opposite. He worked at a gas station earning low wages. The narrator also made an ironic comment, remarking that some of the homes he saw made Baba's house in Kabul look like a servant's hut. Before, when they were in Kabul, Baba was the master and Ali and Hassan were the servants. But now Baba was more like the servant. These make Baba continuously frustrated. Despite this, he tried to follow his life in Kabul, like buying drinks in the night of Amir's graduation.

Next, the narrator described the drive he took in his old Ford. He passed rundown and rich neighborhoods, and talked about the first time he saw the ocean. For Amir, America was a place where he could escape from the past; run away from all the sins he didn't want to face. As life in the U.S. continued, one day Baba introduced Amir to General taheri and told the general that his son was going to be a fantastic author. Then, Soraya, the General's daughter made eye contact. After their encounter, Amir asked Baba about Soraya and couldn't sleep that night thinking about her. Baba said all that he knew was that she was in love with a man once but it didn't end well.

CHAPTER 12

After a year of long for Soraya, Amir finally got the nerve to talk to her. He always talked to her when General Taheri was away. Jamila- Soraya's mother noticed them talking and she asked Amir to sit but he declined after doing a proper Afghan thing. One day, General Taheri arrived when Amir was telling her a story.Soraya's father threw the story out and reminded the narrator that he was among other Afghans. Amir was disheartened, but he soon focused on Baba for Baba was diagnosed with lung cancer but refused to receive any treatment. Baba said he has been trying to teach Amir all his life and forbid to tell anyone about his illness.

Baba weakened as months passed until one day he collapsed. The cancer had spread to his brain. At Baba's bedside, Amir asked if he could go to the General and ask for Soraya's hand in marriage. Baba went happily the next day and the general also accepted.

Soraya is also happy but she told Amir about her past because she didn't want to keep any secrets. When she was eighteen, she ran away with an Afghan man. They lived together for nearly a month until her father took her home after finding here. While she was gone, her mother had a stroke. This past of Soraya bothered Amir a little but he still wanted to be romantically involved with her for the rest of his life.

THE KITE RUNNER

BOOK REVIEW: CHAPTERS 6~10

The Best Kites in the City

Hassan congratulating Amir for winning the Kite-Fighting Tournament.

CHAPTER 6

Winter is the best time of the year in Kabul for boys. The schools are closed because of the chilly weather and boys usually spend their time flying kites. Baba takes Amir and Hassan to an old blind man to buy kites because he makes the best ones in Kabul.There is an annual kite-fighting tournament during winter. Boys battle with kites by covering strings in broken glass. When a string is cut, the kite is loose and flies away, so the boys called kite runners chase the loose kite until it falls. The last kite to stay up in the sky is the winner. Hassan is the best kite runner in Kabul because he seems to know exactly where a kite will land before it falls.

CHAPTER 7

In the winter of 1975, the kite-fighting tournament was held in Amir's neighborhood. The nearby districts competed together in this tournament. A few days before the actual contest, Baba casually told Amir that he could win. Then Amir becomes really determined to win as he thinks will earn Baba's approval. Eventually Amir and a blue kite are the last ones to be flying. They battle and with Amir's perseveration, he wins the trophy of honor without a doubt. Amir and Hassan cheer and hug in happiness but Baba motioned them to separate. The Kite Runner; Hassan sets off to bring the kite back for Amir.

Amir reels in his kite and accepts everyone's congratulations. But Amir notices that Hassan is still missing. He goes out to look for him and asks an old merchant if he saw Hassan. The merchant asks back why Amir is looking for a Hazara. Amir replied that Hassan is the son of his father's servant. Anyways the man told Amir that Hazara went south being chased by some boys. Amir searches the neighborhood and finds Hassan in an alleyway surrounded by Assef and his boys; Kamal and Wali. Hassan was holding the blue kite. Assef told Hassan that they would let him go if he gave the blue kite to them. Hassan refused and was not shaken. Hassan believes that Amir and he are friends. Ultimately, Assef and his boys charged Hassan. Amir wanted to say something but stayed quiet and watched what was going on.

Suddenly, Amir remembers that they were fed from the same breast of a Hazara woman called Sakina. He recalls some memories with Hassan and dreams that he is lost in a snowstorm. When the snow is gone, the sky is filled with kites. Amir looks back at the alleyway  where the bullies pinned Hassan to the ground without his pants. Wali told Assef that this is sinful but Assef replies back saying Hassan is only a Hazara. Assef then took his own pants down. Amir hesitated to do something but ran away. Fifteen minutes later, Amir noticed Hassan coming towards him and he pretends that he was looking for him all this time. Hassan came crying and bleeding. Both the boys stay shut of what happened and Hassan passes Amir the kite. When they returned home, Amir weeps in Baba's chest while Baba hugged Amir.

Baba's concern regarding Amir was that he could not stand up for himself. Baba was scared that he would be the same when he grew up. Amir misunderstood this and didn't help Hassan thinking that Baba would be proud of him and forgive him for his mother's death, if Amir won the contest and brought back the opponent's kite. Amir did exactly the opposite of what Baba wanted him to be; to stand up bravely like the event that happened that day.

CHAPTER 8

After the event, Amir and Hassan spent less time together. Baba and Amir took a trip to Jalalabad and stayed at the house of Baba's cousin. Af the large traditional Afghan dinner, Baba boasts that Amir won the kite contest but Amir didn't enjoy it because of the weight that pressurized him for his guilt. After dinner, they all lied down together. Amir couldn't sleep and loudly announced that he saw Hassan getting raped. But nobody was awake to hear it and Amir's feeling of guilt continued. The narrator wrote that this was the night when he became an insomniac. When they returned back home, Hassan requested Amir to walk up the hill with him. As they walked, Hassan asked Amir if he could read to him. Amir changed his mind and went back home.

Their awkward relationship continued. Hassan couldn't hold it and asked what he did wrong to Amir. Amir told Hassan to stop harassing him. After that, the boys avoided each other even more. One day, Amir asked Baba when they would get new servants, Baba became furious and shouted that he would never replace Ali and Hassan. Baba was ashamed by this question. Amir spent hours alone in his room when school started.  One day, Amir asked Hassan to walk up the hill with him.They sat under a pomegranate tree.  Amir began attacking Hassan with pomegranates and waited for Hassan's revenge. Instead, he crushed the fruit on his forehead and left after asking whether Amir was satisfied. Hassan proved his love and loyalty to Amir.

In the summer of 1976, Amir turned thirteen and Baba invited more than 400 people to his birthday party. Baba made Amir greet all the guests personally at the party. Assef arrived and acted politely as he joked with Baba. He told Amir that he chose the gift himself. When he opened the gift, it was a biography of Hitler which he threw away. In discomfort, Amir embarrased Baba by showing rudeness to Assef. Amir sat in the dark at the party, until Rahim Khan showed up and began chatting with Amir. Rahim told Amir that he was in love with a Hazara and was about to marry her but his father was enraged and sent the girl and her family away. He said it was for the best and gave him a leather-bound notebook for writing his stories. He consoled Amir a little saying he was always there to listen. As fireworks alarmed the party, both Amir and Rahim rushed back to the house where Amir saw Hassan serving drinks to Assef and Wali.

CHAPTER 9

The morning after Amir's birthday, he opened his presents. As he opened them, he thought to himself that either Hassan or he would have to leave. Later, Ali gave Amir a gift. It was the newest version of "Shahnamah" which was the book of stories which Amir read to Hassan. The next morning, Amir took his birthday money and a watch that Baba gifted him and put them under Hassan's mattress. He told Baba that Hassan stole them and to his surprise, Hassan lied that he stole them. This is when Amir realized that Hassan saw Amir in the alleyway merely watching. Baba forgave Hassan but Ali insisted that they must leave. Baba pleaded Ali to stay with them but Alit refused and left in the rain, as Amir watched from indoors.

Amir's guilt led him to things that resulted in a loss of Baba's approval. Rather than gaining what he extremely desired, Amir lost the happiness he had. At first he tried to stay away from Hassan because he was a reminder of his cowardice and selfishness. But they met each other often because Hassan was part of the household. One of Amir's constant fears is realized: Hassan emerges as the stronger and better person. Amir drove them away by plotting Hassan into sins. But Hassan sacrificed himself again despite knowing that Amir didn't do the same for him when he was raped. But the most poignant image of injustice toward Hazaras is the moment Amir witnessed Hassan serving drinks to Assef and Wali from a silver platter. Assef didn't express any remorse or shame during the encounter. Instead he grinned at Hassan.

CHAPTER 10

It is March 1981 in the novel. Amir and Baba are in the back of a truck with several other Afghans. They are on their way to Pakistan. The ride made Amir sick but he was worried he could be embarrassing Baba. They left home in the middle of the night for they couldn't trust anyone. The rafiqs, or comrades as the narrator called them have divided society. The truck driver, Karim, had a business arrangement with the soldiers guarding the road. But when they arrived at the checkpoint, the Russian guard eyed a woman in the truck and said the price of passing would be some time with the lady. Baba didn't allow it. the Russian threatened to shoot Baba but another Russian officer stopped him. After they passed the checkpoint, the husband of the woman kissed Baba's hand. When they arrived in Jalalabad, they had to switch trucks but Karim didn't tell them that the truck broke last week. Baba got angry and attacked the driver.

For a week, Baba and Amir stayed with the refugees in a basement.Amir recognized Kamal, who looked sick and depressed with his father. Amir overheard Kamal's father and Baba's conversation of the reason why Kamal is so weak. Four men caught Kamal and when he came back to his father, he was bleeding "down there". Kamal no longer speaks, he only stares. 

Finally, Kamir found a truck to take them to Pakistan. It was a fuel truck and the air inside was thick with fumes making it difficult to breathe. But they still arrived in Pakistan. Once they were out of the truck, Kamal's father screamed because Kamal stopped breathing. Kamal's father attacked Karim, wrestling Karim's gun away. Before anyone could have act, Kamal's father put the gun in his mouth and shot himself down.

TO BE CONTINUED...

THE KITE RUNNER

Book Review: Chapters 1~5

Chapter 1

The date is December 2001. The narrator who is Amir, is telling his story in the first person. He recalls an event that occured in 1975 when he was twelve years old and was growing up in Afghanistan. The narrator does not mention what the event was but says that it made him who he is now. Following this, he tells the readers about a call which he received last Summer from Rahim Khan, a friend in Pakistan. Rahim asks Amir to come to Pakistan to see him. After the call, Amir strolls through the streets of San Francisco, the place he lives currently. He observes kites flying the sky which recalls him of his past, including a friend named Hassan, a boy with a cleft lip and whom he calls a kite runner.

Chapter 2

Amir, the narrator then describes his childhood, back in the past. As children, Amir and Hassan used to climb trees and use mirrors to reflect sunlight into a neighbour's window or they shot walnuts with a slingshot at the nieghbour's dog. All of these bad behaviors were Amir's ideas but whenever they were caught, Hassan never blamed Amir. Amir lived with his father, Baba, in a luxurious house in Kabul. On the other hand, Hassan and his father, Ali, lived in a small mud hut on Baba's estate. Ali also worked as Baba's servant. 

Unfortunately, neither Amir nor Hassan had a mother. Amir's mother died giving birth to him while Hassan's mother ran away after giving birth to him. 

One day, the boys were walking together until they met a soldier. The soldier told Hassan that he slept with his mother, Sanaubar, before. Sanaubar and Ali were an unlikely match. Ali was faithful in the Holy Koran, his bottom half of the face was paralyzed and polio destroyed his right leg's muscle which gave him a severe limp. Sanaubar was nineteen years younger than Ali. She was beautiful and reputedly unethical. Most of the people believed that the marriage was arranged by Sanaubar's father to restore honor to his family. Sanaubar merely loathed Ali's physical appearance. As a result, she ran away with a group of travelling performers just five days after Hassan was born.

The soldier referred Hassan to a Hazara, which we learn in the book that it is a ethnic harassment in Afghanistan. The Hazaras orginially came from further East Asia and their features are more Asian. Hassan herited his looks from his parents. Whilst  Amir and Baba are Pashtun. The opposite of Hazaras. Once, Amir discovered that Hazaras had an uprising during the nineteenth century while he was looking through history books. But it was brutally restrained by the Pashtuns. The book also gives some disrespectful names they are called, such as mice-eating and flat-nosed. It says a part of the reason for the antagonism is because the Hazara are Shia Muslims although the Pashtuns are Sunni Muslims.

Chapter 3

In the third chapter, the narrator mixes his memories with Baba. Baba was a huge man, six feet and five inches tall with a thick beard as well as wild, curly hair. According to a story, Baba even wrestled a bear! He did all the things people said it was impossible. Even though he never trained as an architect, he designed and built an orphanage himself! People around him once again said he had no business sense, but he became one of the most successful businessmen in the city! Nobody thought he could marry well for he wasn't from an eminent family, he married Sofia Akrami, Amir's mother. She was a beautiful and intelligent woman from a royal bloodline. Baba also has his own strong moral. When Amir told Baba that a religious teacher; Mullah Fatiullah Khan, at his school said its sinful for Muslims to drink alcohol, Baba told his son that there is only one sin: theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft. For example, murdering a man is stealing his life. Then he calls Mullah Khan an idiot including men like him.

Amir wants to please Baba by resembling him but he is not successful. He admits that he feels responsible for his mother's death. Since Baba likes soccer, Amir tries to like it and play it well but there's no hope in soccer. With the exception of poetry and reading, Amir is unable to catch up with his father. Later on, Amir mentions when he and Baba went to see a buzkashi match. It is a popular game in Afghanistan in which a rider has to put an animal carcass in a scoring circle while the other riders try to take it away from him. A rider was trampled after falling from his horse. From this view, Amir cried and Baba could not hide his detest for his own boy. Baba tells Rahim Khan that he is worried that Amir might not be like the other boys and not be able to stand up for himself as a child, then so will he be unable to stand up in his adulthood. Amir overhears this conversation with the business associate.

Chapter 4

The novel jumps back in time to the year 1933, when Baba was born and Zahir Shah became the King of Afghanistan. Around the same time, two drunk men who are driving at a high hit accidentally kills Ali's parents. Amir's grandfather takes the young Ali in. Eventually Baba and Ali grew up together. However, Baba never calls Ali his friend. Similarly, because of their ethnic and religious differences, Amir also denies Hassan as a friend. Nevertheless, Amir's youth seems like a long stretch of playing games with Hassan to him. But while Amir woke up and went to school, Hassan would do the housechorse and get groceries. Hassan was illiterate so Amir would often read to him.

During a reading session under their favorite pomegranate tree, Amir began to make up his own story while reading to Hassan. Hassan compliments that it is one of the best stories he has ever heard of. That night, Amir proudly writes his first short story. It is about a man who finds new ways to make himself sad for his tears turn into pearls. So he tries to find ways to make him richer using his tears. The story ends with the man sitting on top of a mountain of pearls, sobbing over his stabbed wife. Amir tried to show Baba the story while he was speaking to Rahim Khan but Baba doesn't show much interest. Instead, Rahim takes the story. Later on the same night, Rahim passes Amir a note. In the note, he tells Amir that he has a great talent in writing. Amir directly wakes Hassan and reads him the new story. When Amir nervously finished reading, Hassan exclaims that the story is stupendous! But he asks Amir why the man couldn't cry onions. Amir annoyed, thinks that he never thought of it and started nasty thoughts about Hassan being a Hazara but never said it aloud.

Chapter 5

The chapter starts with gunfires in the streets. Ali, Hassan and Amir hid in the house til morning. Amir says that the night was the beginning of the end of the Afghanistan they knew. It slipped away further in 1978 with the communist takeover and disappeared completely in 1979 when Russia invaded. The gunshots were actually part of a coup in which Daoud Khan, the King's cousin took over the government. Baba didn't arrive home until dawn because the roads were closed that night. In the morning, Amir and Hassan hears what happened on the radio, but they didnt understand the meaning of Afghanistan becoming a republic. Instead, they decided to climb a tree.

A rock hit Hassan while the narrator and Hassan were walking. They discover that Assef and two other boys from the neighborhood threw it. Assef is described as a notorious bully. He also mocks Ali's limp and calls him names. He carries a set of brass knuckles and calls Hassan a flat-nose and ask if they heard about Afghanistan becoming a republic in the radio. He says that his father knows Daoud Khan and that next time, Daoud would be over for dinner and was going to talk about Hitler. The narrator wrote that Hitler had the right idea about ethnic purity. Afghanistan is the land of Pashtuns and the Hazaras pollute the country. Assef takes his brass knuckles out and says that Amir is a problem being friends with a Hazara. For a second, Amir thinks of Hassan as his servant but soon realizes that his thought is wrong. As Assef approaches Amir to hit him, he suddenly freezes because Hassan aimed his slingshot at him. Hassan's good aiming allowed them to run away.

After Daoud's coup, life goes back to normal. On Hassan's winter birthday, Ali calls Hassan inside. Baba is waiting for him with a man called Dr. Kumar. We get to know that Dr. Kumar is a plastic surgeon. Dr. Kumar explains what he does and soon Hassan's lip is raw as well swollen. But he smiled during the period his lips were recovering. As winter passed, Hassan's remains of his cleft lip was only a light scar.