KiteRunnerImagery

Imagery in Pgs 1-79:

 The Kite

 

(Erik)“Baba would buy us each three identical kites and spools of glass string. If I changed my mind and asked for a bigger and fancier kite, Baba would buy it for me – but then he’d buy it for Hassan too. Sometimes I wished he wouldn’t do that. Wished he’d let me be the favorite.” (p. 51). This is one of many examples of the significant imagery in The Kite Runner. The kites represent the friendship between Amir and Hassan and also the relationship between Amir and Baba, his father. 

Amir and Hassan have/had a very unique relationship. “Then he would remind us that there was a brotherhood between people who had fed from the same breast, a kinship that not even time could break.” (p. 11).  As stated earlier, I believe that their relationship can be represented by the kites. This is because for most of the beginning of the book, they are best friends. The kite is flying high and it seems as though nothing can take it down. However, towards the end, it seems as though someone cut the string to their kite. In other words, their friendship has been severed.

 The kite can also represent the relationship between Amir and Baba. Throughout the beginning of the book Amir is trying gain the respect and acceptance of Baba. However, it seems that Baba has held a grudge against Amir because his wife died while giving birth to him. “I asked Baba if I could sit with them, but Baba would always stand in the doorway” (pg. 5). “I cried all the way back home. I remember how Baba’s hands clenched around the steering wheel. Clenched and unclenched. Mostly, I will never forget Baba’s valiant efforts to conceal the disgusted look on his face as he drove in silence.” (p. 21). I believe the best example of this is on p. 23 when Baba says, “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.” When Amir brought the kite to Baba “a smile played on my father’s lips. I put the kite down and walked into his thick hair arms. I buried my face in the warmth of his chest and wept. Baba held me close to him, rocking me back and forth. In his arms, I forgot what I’d done. And that was good.” (p. 79). Their relationship was now “good” just because Amir had done something that in Baba’s eyes, was manly.

 The kite is the most obvious and definite image. Amir was not like his father in many ways. He enjoyed reading and writing stories over playing or watching soccer with Baba. Amir wanted to gain approval of his father and kite fighting was the one thing that gave him that approval. "The single greatest moment of my twelve years of life, seeing Baba on that roof, proud of me at last" (p. 66). The kite also demonstrated Hassan's' devotion to Amir. After Amir won the fight, Hassan ran after the blue kite to give to Amir so he could gain appreciation from Baba. Amir followed Hassan and found him being bullying then raped by Assaf, because Hassan would not give up the kite. In the end, he gave up his dignity and friendship with Amir in order to make Baba proud of Amir. (Megan

 Baba's House

 (Gloria) I think Baba's house was avery strong image because it demonstrated their affluence. "Some thought it was the prettiest house in all of Kabul." (page 4). Amir was born and raised in that house, so it probably had the most striking impact on him. To Baba, he had mixed emotions, on one hand, he was very proud of the nice home for his family, but on the other, it brought sad memories that he couldn't have his wife there to share it.

(Melissa) It was in Baba's house that Amir would sit by "the smoking room" and listen to his father talking with the grown-ups after they would shoo him out.  It was there that he would hear his father laughing and he would listen for hours.  "He'd close the door, leave me to wonder why it was always grown-ups' time with him." (5)

Baba's house was a source of great comfort to Amir.  It was the place that he wanted to be when he was in danger.  When Assef was confronting Amir and Hassan, it was Baba's house that ran through Amir's mind.  "I wonder if anyone would hear us scream in this remote patch of land.  Baba's house was a good kilometer away.  I wished we'd stayed at the house." (39)

 Other image was the house that Baba built. It included marble tiles, vaulted ceilings, and gold tapestries, but not only were the features of the house beautiful but it showed the statue of Baba. Since he had built the house, he built it to model his grandness. Some thought it was the prettiest house in all of Kabul" (p 4). This showed how popular and highly regarded Baba was within his country. A lesser part of the house was the servant shack where Hassan and Ali lived. It was one room mud hut that contained all they needed to live. The difference between the houses and ways of

life demonstrated the culture. Even though Ali was adopted into Baba's family, he was Hazara; therefore he was a servant rather then a brother. Hassan was also Hazara so Amir could never be a real friend to him because that was not culturally acceptable. (Megan)

Imagery pages 80-194(Chapters 8-14)

(pg. 189) “And I could almost feel the emptiness in Soraya's womb, like it was a living, breathing, thing. It had seeped into our marriage, the emptiness, into our laughs, and our lovemaking. And late at night, in the darkness of our room, I'd feel it rising from Soraya and settling between us. Sleeping between us. Like a newborn child."(189) which is Imagery because it uses strong words to help emphasize how much they want a baby but cannot have one. This one event of not being able to have a child could possibly have a dramatic effect on the rest of their life and marriage yet to come in the story. Soraya having found nothing wrong with her, doctors have done multiple tests but yet everything is perfectly normal with Soraya. This could be ironic for the fact that they still cannot conceive a child although every test came back normal.

 (Pg. 134)" A pair of steel hands closed around my windpipe at the sound of Hassan's name. I rolled down the window. Waited for the steel hands to loosen their grip"(134) this statement represents Amirs unforgivable past. Although He has been parted from Hassan for some time now, stating that his past will never be forgotten. No matter where he goes it will be along following his every step. He hears Hassan's name and feels like he is being choked, which is imagery for the fact that he has never forgotten Hassan and what happened to him. After all that time would you at least think that Amir would have a second thought about what was held in his past?  Hassan is still in the story Eventually Hassan will be another event in the story. (pg.136)"America was a river, roaring along, unmindful of the past."(136) This also states Amirs past but it uses the word "unmindful past. This statement is saying that even though tey moved away from the horror of their last home life still is moving on in America and his past "unmindful past had followed as well. It is basically stating that his past no matter where he goes will always follow him so we will defiantly encounter more throughout the story 

Imagery pg 195-292 

 Imagery Pages 292-end

 In chapter 24 when Sohrab tells Amir about the Shah Faisal Mosque. "Shah Faisal Mosque was shaped like a gaint tent. Cars came and went; worshipers dressed in white streamed in and out." (316) "I remeber there were so many

pigeons outside the masjid, and they weren't afraid of the people. They came right up to us. Sasa gave me little pieces of naan and I fed the birds. Soon, there were peigeons cooing all around me. That was fun." (317) Then, Amir thinks of Baba. "I thought of Baba's thick neck, his black eyes, his unruly brown hair. Sitting on his lap and had been sitting on a

pair of tree trunks." (317)

Omar Faisal was chubby, dark, had dimpled cheeks, black button eyes, and an affable, gap-toothed smile. His thinning gray hair was tied back in a ponytail. He wore a brown corduroy suit with leather elbow patches and carried a worn,

overstuffed briefcase. The handle was missing, so he clutched the briefcase to his chest." (324)

 Sohrab's attempt to commit suicide was filled with imagery. It made Amir see and wish he would not have said the words "Well, Mr.Faisal thinks that it would really help if we could...if we could ask you to stay in a home for kids for awhile" (341). Sohrab was shattered at the thought of this and completely terrified "Please! Please no! I'm scared of that place.They'll hurt me! I don't want to go" (341). This imagery makes Amir see how badly he actually hurt Sohrab by saying this, even though he was doing it to try to help the adoption along better. This also brings Amir to pray to God, which he has not done in years "I hear a winpering and realize it is mine,my lips are salty with the tears trickling down my face.I feel the eyes of everyone in this corridor on me and still I bow to the west.I pray.I pray that my sins have not caught up with me the way I'd always feared they would" (347). He prays that even in his own head most likely knowing that they already have.

Although first published in 2003, The Kite Runner is out in most bookstores because it is being used in schools and is popular with reading groups. It is a riveting look at a man who grew up in Afghanistan and clearly shows the horrors of a war ravaged country. While the romance is slim and a G rating is earned in that arena, this is not a book for the faint of heart. The very savagery of some of the scenes demonstrates the reality of living in the Middle East and violence is detailed in graphic terms.

Amir grew up in a fancy house in Kabul, with his father, Baba and two servants, Ali and Hassan. Ali was Baba’s servant and they had grown up together in that capacity. Hassan was Ali’s son but was best friends with Amir as well as being

his servant. Amir’s mother had died giving birth and Hassan’s mother had left her son and husband shortly thereafter. They had had the same wet nurse. Their bond was strong, yet Amir realized that there were subtleties to their relationship that were part of the culture. He and Hassan played together unless there were other friends there. Then Hassan was excluded. Hassan and Ali were of the Hazara tribe, the lowest in power.

Amir loved Hassan and yet he resented him. Baba seemed to hold Hassan in high regard and Amir was often jealous. It didn’t help that Baba seemed to be reserved with him, not being interested in anything Amir was interested in. Amir loved to read and write stories. Baba wanted Amir to play soccer, but Amir was a klutz. Amir was determined to make Baba proud. The one thing Amir was good at was kite fighting. This was a tournament in which one tried to be the last kite flying and then be the one to recover the second to last kite as it fell to the ground. Amir could fly the kite and Hassan was the runner. But on the day they won the big tournament, Hassan was confronted by the local bully and raped. Amir saw it but was too scared to stop it. This lack of courage impacts his entire life.

The story takes place in Kabul and Pakistan, San Francisco and then back to Afghanistan from the early 1970’s to the present day. It follows Amir’s flight from Kabul after the Russian takeover, his building of a life in America and finally, his return to make good when he discovers that Hassan’s son has been orphaned and is alone in Kabul. There is love when Amir finds his wife. There is heartache when Baba gets cancer and dies. And there is horror when Amir discovers all that is different in Kabul under the rule of the Taliban.

The imagery is vivid, bringing alive the sights and smells of a culture that is not familiar to most of us. The use of Farsi words at times is distracting, but helps in cementing the difference in the cultures. This is a true look at human nature and one’s mans’ struggle. I found myself refusing to put the book down, despite the emotion of angst many scenes pulled forth. There are glimpses into the psyche of a people who are proud and yet reeling from all they have had to endure. It is a glimpse in a culture that has been in the news for many years and has impacted all of us. Yet it shows clearly that underneath the culture we are similar in many ways.

The characters are vibrant and come alive. Even minor characters like a beggar in Kabul who just happened to have known Amir’s mother many years ago is written so that the reader can visualize him and his situation.

The front of the book has quotes from previous reviews in magazines and newspapers. Often I find these to be good press but not completely descriptive of the book. Not so in this case. “Riveting” and “Extraordinary” do describe this story.

The Kite Runner: Imagery

"I leaned against the gray stone gateway to the cemetery where Hassan had buried his mother. The old metal gates hanging off the hinges were gone, and the headstones were barely visible through the thick tangles of weeds that had claimed the plot. A pair of crows sat on the low wall that enclosed the cemetery (p.264)." Hosseini uses imagery to describe the scenery and setting throughout the novel. The imagery appeals to all of the senses through described scents, sight, and sounds. The imagery in the novel allows the reader to better experience the setting and the culture of Afghanistan. Because Hosseini's audience includes many who do not know the Afghan culture, it is important that he use great description that appeals to his audience. The imagery throughout the novel also informs the reader of the changes that take place. Throughout the beginning of the story, Kabul is an area thriving of color and life. However, towards the end of the novel Kabul is destroyed and transforms into a lifeless city full of violence and despair. Imagery allows the reader to understand the drastic changes throughout the novel.

Imagery pg 195-292

Chapter 15

 The image that Amir sees when he arrives in Peshawar. It really desribes what the city looks like and smells like. He gives a good desribetion of what he sees when he arrives.

"The city was bursting with sounds;the shouts of vendors rang in my ears mingled with the blare of Hindi music; the sputting of rickshaws, and the jingling bells of horse-drawn carts. Rich scents, both pleasent and not so pleasent, drifted to me through the passenger window, the spicy aroma of pakora and the nihari Baba had loved so much blended with the sting of diesel fumes, the stench of rot, garbage, and feces." (pg 196)

 

"when the Taliban rolled in and kicked the Alliance out of Kabul, I actually danced on the street." Rahim Khan said."And believes me, I wasn't alone. People were celebrating at Chaman, at Deh-Mazang,greeting the Taliban in the streets,climbing their tanks and posing for pictures with them." (pg 200)

 Chapter 16

When Hassin baby died

"Then later that fall, Farzana gave birth to a stillborn baby girl, Hassan kissed the baby's life less face and we buried her inthe backyard near the sweetbrier bushes. we coved the mound with leaves from the poplar trees.I said a prayer for her.(pg 209)

 Chapter 17

When Amir is talking to Rahim Khan.

"A donkey was braying and someone shouting something in Urdu. The sun was beginning to set, glittering red through the cracks between the ramshackeled buildings" (hardcover pg. 188). This describes the setting of the atmosphere for Amir and Rahim's visit.

 When Amir is describing what is in the polaroid photogragh.

"A tall man dressed in a white turban and a green-striped chapan stood with a little boy in front of a set of wrought-iron gates. Sunlight slanted in from the left, casting a shadow on half of his round face"(hardcover pg 189).

"It was in the way he stood, his feet slightly apart, his arms comfortly crossed on his chest, his head tilted a little toward the sun. Mostly in the way he smiled. (hardcover pg 189).

"The little boy stood barefoot, one arm wrapped aroung the man's thigh, his shaved head resting against his father's hip. He too was grinning and squinting". (hardcover pg 189).

 When Amir was told of the killing of Hassan and his wife.

"But my neighbor said the Talibs were looking at the big house like-how did he say it?-yes, like 'wolves looking at a flock of sheep" (hardcover pg 192).

 Amir reflection on Hassan's death.

"Then I saw something else: a man dressed in a herringbone vest pressing the mussle of his Kalashnikov to the back of Hassan's head. The blast echoes through the street of my father's house. Hassan slumps to the asphalt, his life of unrequited loyalty drifting from him like the wind blown kites he used to chase" (hardcover pg 192).

 Amir describing Rehim Kahan

"...then he was coughing again. When he stopped, he looked older than a few moments before, like he was aging with each coughing fit" (hardcover pg 193).

 When Amir finds out that Hassan is his brother.

"I felt like a man sliding down a steep cliff, clutching at shrubs and tangles of brambles and coming up empty-handed. The room was swooping up and down, swaying side to side" (hardcover pg 195).

 Chapter 18

When Amir stormed out of the apartment and left Rahim Khan's building.

" The sun had almost set and left the sky swathed in smothers of purple and red." "The street was a noisy lane in a maze of alleyways choked with pedestrians, bicycles, and rickshaws. Billboards hung posters, displayed sultry actresses dancing with handsome, brown-skinned men in fields of marigolds" (hardcover pg 196).

 

When Amir was in the resturant.

"The waiter placed a teacup on the table before me. Where the table's legs crossed like an X, there was a ring of brass balls, each walnut-sized. One of the ball had come unscrewed" (hardcover pg 197).

 Amir with the new image of Baba

"And how was I going to reconcile this new image of Baba with the on that had been imprinted on my mind for so long, that of him in his old brown suit, hobbling up the Taheris' driveway to ask for Soraya's hand" (hardcover pg 197).

 Amir describing himself

"I was thirty-eight now. My hair was receding and streaked with gray, and lately I'd traced little crow's-feet etched around the corners of my eyes" (hardcover pg 198).

 Amir going back to talk to Rahim Khan

"He was just a dark silhouette bowing eastward against a bloodred sky. I waited for him to finish" (hardcover pg 199). 

 Chapter 19

There is detailed imagery of Amir and Farid’s entering Afghanistan. “We had crossed the border and the signs of poverty were everywhere. On either side of the road, I saw chains of little villages sprouting here and there, like discarded toys among the rocks, broken mud houses and huts consisting of little more than four wooden poles and tattered cloth as a roof. I saw children dressed in rags chasing a soccer ball outside the huts, (231).” Amir continues to describe the images of the soviet unions past presence with old tanks still in the streets. This imagery is very important as it to the reader understanding the risk and impact this journey will have on Amir.

 The next major imagery is as Amir and Farid visit to Wahid's home and the meal that they share. The house is described as, “The adobe ceiling was low, the dirt walls are entirely bare, and the only light came from a pair of lanterns set in a corner. We took off our shoes and stepped on the straw mat that covered the floor. Along one of the walls sat three young boys, cross legged, on a mattress covered with a blanket with shredded borders, (234).” ~MyahW 10/27

 Chapter 20

There are two main images portrayed within this chapter. This first is surrounded by Amir and Farid arriving in Kabul. This is Amir’s first time being back sense he was a young child. He is shocked with the destruction and poverty in the city that he was raised in which once had flourished. Amir describes that, “He (Farid) pointed to the crumbled, charred remains of a tiny village. It was just a tuft of blackened, roofless walls now. I saw a dog sleeping along one of the walls…We drove past the burned village, and the dog didn’t move, (244)” The dog represents the amount of despair that is felt by everyone and everything.

 The second is the imagery of the orphanage were Amir believes that Sohrab is living. Shocking imagery is described, “We followed him through dim, grimy hallways where bare food children dressed in frayed sweaters ambled around. We walked past rooms with no floor covering but matted carpets and windows shuttered with sheets of plastic. Skeleton frames of steel beds, most with no mattresses, filled the rooms, (253).” Amir is clearly taken back by the number of orphans and the condition of the orphanage.

Chapter 21

Amir describing how people had become desensitized to crime and death when going to Pashtunistan Square.

"A young man dangled from the end of a rope tied to a beam, his face puffy and blue, the clothes he'd worn on the last day of his life shredded, bloody. Hardly anyone seemed to notice him"(259).

Amir going back to a place where him and Hassan had once played.

"The Wall of Ailing Corn was still there, though I saw no corn ailing or otherwise, along that wall now. The paint had begun to peel and sections of it had sloughed off altogether"(262).

 Amir describing Baba's house after the war.

"It looked smaller. The roof sagged and the plaster was cracked. The windows to the living room, the foyer, and the upstairs guest bathroom werwe broken, patched haphazzardly with sheets of clear plastic or wooden boards nailed across the frames"(262).

 Ghazi stadium.

"Thousands or people milled about the tightly packed concrete terraces. Children played in the aisles and chased each other up and down the steps"(267).

 The soccer field where Amir, Hassan, and Baba went to watch the games.

"There were holes and craters everywhere, most notably a pair of deep holes in the ground behind the south-end goalposts"(268).

 Amir describing the Talib man that wore the sunglasses.

"The tall man's sparkling white garment glimmered in the afternoon sun. The hem of his loose shirt fluttered in the breeze, his arms spread like those of Jesus on the cross"(271).

"The Talib, looking absurdly like a baseball pitcher on the mound, hurled the stone at the blindfolded man in the hole"(271).

 Chapter 22

This is another reference to the brass balls.

"There was a coffee table by the sofa. The base was X-shaped, walnut-sized brass balls studded the ring where the metallic legs crossed. I'd seen a table like that before. Where? And then it came to me: at the crowded tea shop in Peshawar, that night I'd gone for a walk"(278).

 Amir recalling Soraya.

"I thought of Soraya. It calmed me. I thought of her sickle-shaped birthmark, the elegant curve of her neck, her luminous eyes"(278).

 Amir seeing Sohrab in person for the first time.

"The boy had his father's round moon face, his pointy stub of a chin, his twisted, seashell ears, and the same slight frame"(279).

 Amir describing the sights and feelings when he and Assef fought.

"Mostly, I remember this: His brass knuckles flashing in the afternoon light; how cold they felt with the first few blows and how quickly they warmed with blood"(288).

"Fingers grasping my hair, pulling my head back, the twinkle of stainless steel"(288-289).

 Amir describing the moment Sohrab stood up for him against Assef.

"His hand was cocked above shoulder, holding the cup of the slingshot at the end of the elastic band which was pulled all the way back. There was something in the cup, something shiny and yellow. I blinked the blood from my eyes and

saw it was one of the brass balls from the ring in the table base. Sohrab had the slingshot pointed to Assef's face"(290).

"The slingshot made a thwiiiiit sound when Sohrab released the cup. The Assef was screaming. He put his hand where his left eye had been just a moment ago. Blood oozed between his fingers"(291).

"The brass ball was still stuck in his empty eye socket."(291). 

Geographic Settings

Page history last edited by cougar4033@... 2 years ago The Significance of Geographic Settings to Imagery     The Kite Runner uses the many different geographical settings to provide vivid imagery in the first 79 pages.  The first geographical setting was on page 1 “crouching behind a crumbling mud wall peeking into the alley near the frozen creek.” Also on page 1 “I went for a long walk on Spreckels Lake on the northern edge of Golden Gate Park.”  These geographical settings can help the reader image where the story is taking place and actually visualize the setting. On page 3 the story relates about the boys climbing the “poplar trees in the driveway”, it goes on to explain why the trees were and important part in Hassan and Amir’s childhood.  Amir describes on page 4 the house where in grew up “The poplar trees lined the redbrick driveway, which led to a pair of wrought-iron gates. They in turn opened into an extension of the driveway into my father’s estate. The house sat on the left side of the brick path, the backyard at the end of it.” This was important in the story because it explains a key setting that is often mentioned in the book.  On page six it describes where Hassan was born “in that little shack,” this important to understand that the two boys grew up in completely different positions in live.  (Amir a palace and Hassan a shack) In the next couple of settings Amir is talking about how he and Hassan were always doing things together; even though he never really considered him his “friend”. On page 26 he says “We chased the Kochi, the nomads who passed through on their ways to the mountains of the north.” It goes on to say “I’d make Hassan sit on the Wall of Ailing Corn and fire pebbles with is slingshot at the camels’ rears. Then again on page 26, “We saw our first Western together” “at the Cinema Park, across the street from my favorite bookstore.”  These passages explain how close the boys actually were.   On page 27, the boys “trotted up a bowl-shaped hill, just north of my father’s property in Wazir Akbar Khan. There was an old abandoned cemetery atop the hill with rows of unmarked headstones and tangles of brushwood clogging the aisles. Seasons of rain and snow had turned the iron gate rusty and left the cemetery’s low white stone walls in decay.”  This hill was also an important setting since Amir and Hassan spent many days there together. This is where Amir would read to Hassan.  On page 37 “We crossed the residential street and were trekking through a barren patch of rough land that led to the hill” it goes on to the boys getting ambushed by Assef, Wali, and Kamal. This setting is where Hassan saved Amir and himself from getting beaten up, which is a vital part in the book.  Winter is an important setting since this is when the kite-fighting tournament is held. On page 48 it says “I find my driveway, my father’s car, the walls, the trees, the rooftops, and the hills buried under a foot of snow.” Winter is the children’s favorite season, when they don’t have school and focus on the kite-fighting.  On page 52-53 “Hassan and I were running a kite. I was chasing him through neighborhoods, hopping gutters, weaving through narrow streets.” It goes on to say “we ended up on a rutted dirt road near Istequal Middle School. There was a field on one side where lettuce grew in the summer, and a row of sour cherry trees on the other.” This passage is significant because it shows that Hassan is the best kite runner, which you also see as the story develops.  On page 60, “The streets glistened with fresh snow and the sky was a blameless blue. Snow blanketed every rooftop and weighed on the branches of the stunted mulberry trees that lined our street.” This description provides the imagery of what the day was like for the kite running tournament that ended in both happiness and tragedy for both Amir and Hassan. The Significance of Geographic Settings to Plot  The setting changes in “The Kite Runner” show the significant impact on the life of the narrator, Amir. The book begins with the time and place in "December 2001" (1) in San Francisco as evidenced by the narrator's "walk along Spreckels Lake on the northern edge of Gold Gate Park" (1) and the foreshadowing that the major event to be described has been affecting Amir for the last twenty-six years. By the setting moving in place and time over these years (by remembering the earlier time) the reader is able to understand and appreciate the major characters’ development and to feel the impact of the event that haunts the narrator. The settings give historical perspective and introduce the culture of Afghanistan, where ethnic, religious, and class distinctions play a major role in the conflicts of the story.

The physical setting is significant because it describes the comfortable childhood of Amir in "the Wazir Akbar Khan district, a new and affluent neighborhood in the northern part of Kabul." (4)  This is in contrast to the "mud shack" (6) where his servant/friend Hassan lived.  The stark difference in class and ethnic background are significant throughout the book.  For example, the backstreet where the rape occurs is shabby compared to the grand house where Amir is raised.  The time difference from the reflection of 2001 to the mid 1970's and the contrasts of winter and summer are significant to give the reader perspective of the changes that occur over time and in the different seasons of life for all the characters. The geographic settings also portray the impact of these changes in the lives of the characters over the many years of the story.  The one setting, however, that remains constant is the

flying of the kites by children with its tension, combat, and excitement.  This is significant because it shows the strength of this children's tradition and its appeal to the "young" in all of us. 

 292-end

pages 292-306 (256-269 hard cover edition)

 pg 294

     My right arm burns. The woman with the bifocals and sun shaped stud is hunched over my arm, attaching a clear plastic tubing to it. She says it's "the Potassium." "It stings like a bee, no?" she says. It does.

pg 295

  When Amir was talking about how Baba was wrestling with a bear.

pg 304

 When Amir talks about the beared man that has been coming into his room he thinks that it might be a Tali that is watching him because of the fight he had gotten into earlier.

pg 306

WHen Amir tryes to touch Soharb hand he pulls it away. probley thinking that Amir will do those offull things to him.

 Pages 307-321 (270-283 hard cover edition)

Page273-274 hard cover

Conflict between Amir and the manager of the hotel when Sohrab was missing. The manager was fanning himself and didn't seem as concerned as Amir was.  Amir was trying to get acrossed that he actually thought the child was missing and the manager told him he should have kept a better eye on him.

Page 275 hard cover

When the manager took Amir to find Sohrab.  The manager said,"The thing about you Afghanis is that...well, you people are a little reckless."  Amir was tired and although the words hurt, he luaghed and let it go. 

 Pages 322-336 (284-297 hard cover edition)

 There is a brief conflict between Soraya and Amir. Amir had not called in several weeks and Soraya had become very worried. As Amir called Soraya she stated, “‘Why didn’t you call earlier? I’ve been sick with tashweesh! My mother’s praying and doing nazr every day’, (Hosseini, 325). ” There is more tension frustration expressed by Soraya till Amir is able to explain why he has not been in contact.

 The large conflict of this passage is between Amir and Raymond Andrews, a worker at the American Embassy. Amir had gone to the embassy to inquire about adopting Sohrab. Amir described briefly his story and why it was that he wanted to adopt Sohrab. When Amir was done speaking, Raymond Andrews stated harshly to Amir, “‘Give it up.’” This took Amir back. Raymond Andrews harshly went over all of the opsticals that Amir would have to go through to be able to adopt Sohrab, giving Amir little hope.  Amir responses to this with, “‘What are you saying, that I should throw him back on the streets?’, (Hosseini, 331).” Amir continues to make a final plea. Their conversation becomes very tense at this point as Amir asked Raymond Andrews, “ ‘Do you have children?’ (Hosseini, 331).” Mr. Andrews then asked Amir, “ ‘Have you promised this child you’ll take him with you?’ (Hosseini, 331).” Nearing the end of their conversation Raymond Andrews gives Amir a business card to an immigration lawyer. Amir leaves very frustrated with this interaction. 

 pages 337-350 (298-310 hard cover edition)

 pg 337

    Amir is trying to adopt Sorhab and get him a visa to be able to go to America with him but his lawyer is telling him that it's just not possible.

pg. 338

     There are no papers to prove that Amir and Sohrab are related and if they had them it would be much easier to adopt Sorhab and get him a visa.

pg. 339

     At this point about the only option is to send Sohrab back to an orphanage and then try to adopt him from America, but Amir promised Sorhab he wouldn't send him back to an orphanage.

pg. 341

     Amir tells Sorhab about the idea that involves Sorhab having to go to an orphanage and Sorhab begs Amir not to send him to an orphanage again.

Page 301 hard cover

"I want to tear myself from this place, from this reality, rise up like a cloud and float away, melt into this humid summer night and dissolve somewhere far, over the hills."

"Then I remembered I haven't prayed for fifteen years"

pg. 343-344

     Soraya found a way to get Sorhab into America and when Amir goes to tell Sorhab, Amir finds him the the bathtub filled with blood. Sorhab had cut his wrists, he couldn't go back to an orphanage so he was trying to commit suicide.

Pg. 303 hard cover

"That more than anything. I want to forget the eyes."

pg. 344

     They wouldn't let Amir into the room where Sorhab was being treated and Amir felt useless and like a failure.

pg., 345-346

     Amir hadn't prayed in over 15 years but now, under these circumstances, he knew he had to pray and ask that Sorhab be saved. He said he would do anything.

pg. 346

     Amir feels that Hassan's death was his fault and he doesn't want Sorhab's blood on his hands too.

     Amir wonders how he will tell Soraya what had happened.

Pg. 306 hard cover

"I wondered what his last thought had been as he had raised the blade and brought it down".

pg. 348

     Amir learns that Sorhab is still alive but in very serious condition. So he is happy he is alive but worried that anything could go wrong and he could die.

Pg.308 hard cover

"...when he had read the Shahnamah for himself and discovered that I had deceived him all those times."

pg. 350

     Amir couldn't stay in the hotel anymore because of what had happened in the bathroom.              Page 310 hard cover

"Now I was the one under the microscope, the one who had to prove my worthiness. I deserved this." 

 Pages 351-364 (311-324 hard cover edition)

Page 311 hard cover

"...lifting him from the certainty of turmoil and dropping him in a turmoil of uncertainty."

 Page 313 hard cover

"Awake. And with demons of my own."

 Page 321 hard cover

"...but suddenly I was 12 again and all the old instincts came rushing back."

 Page 324 hard cover

"It was only a smile, nothing more."

"I ran."

 The Monster in the Lake

Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory

The morning of the kite-fighting tournament, Hassan tells Amir about a dream he had: The two of them at Ghargha Lake. However, no one's in the water because apparently there's a monster in there. In Hassan's dream, Amir jumps into the water anyway and Hassan follows. They swim out into the middle of the lake and the people on the shore cheer. The lake is renamed "Lake of Amir and Hassan, Sultans of Kabul." So what does Hassan's dream mean?

It's possible Hassan made up the dream. Amir is very nervous on the morning of the tournament. Hassan could be trying to comfort him through this story. Don't worry, Hassan is saying, a monster isn't waiting for you out in the streets of Kabul. Hassan's truthfulness probably isn't worth too much consideration.

Another fact, however, is worth quite a bit of consideration: later that day, Assef rapes Hassan in the streets of Kabul while Amir stands by and watches. Does this mean Amir is the monster in the lake and that Hassan is horribly wrong? Is Amir's jealousy of Hassan the monster? Or is Assef the monster? Much like the people on the shore, Baba and Rahim Khan cheer for Amir when he wins the kite tournament. Does this mean Baba and Rahim Khan are oblivious of the monster?

This is a complicated little dream. There's probably no one way to interpret it. We can't even say for sure if Hassan is wrong about the monster. If Amir redeems himself later in the novel and overcomes his past, doesn't that mean he and Hassan scare away the monster? That Amir gets rid of the monster inside himself? We can say one thing for sure: even Shmoop's Department of Parapsychology and Dreams had a tough time with this one

 The Pomegranate Tree

Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory

On a hill north of Baba's house, there's an abandoned cemetery with a pomegranate tree. This hill is where Amir and Hassan often play together. They climb the tree, eat fruit, and often Amir reads to Hassan. So, it is a place where the boys grow close to each – they even carve their names in the tree: "Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul." (Hmm...didn't we just talk about a lake by the same name?) If it sounds almost like romance – or "bromance" – that's because it is. Hosseini uses the pomegranate tree to impress upon us the closeness of Amir and Hassan's friendship.

It's all in order to break our hearts. After the rape scene, when Amir and Hassan visit their tree, things just aren't the same. Amir even tortures Hassan, pelting him with pomegranates. Amir is frustrated that Hassan won't fight back – and, in a larger sense, that Hassan won't hold Amir accountable for the rape. Amir wants Hassan to accuse him of betrayal and to rough him up. At least things would be out in the open then. As it is, Hassan remains loyal and silent, bearing the burden of the rape on his own. Thus Amir throws the pomegranates at Hassan to get him to fight back. What once was the site of intense, brotherly love is now filled with Amir's bitterness, guilt, and anger.

There's even a third visit to the tree. With Afghanistan devastated by two wars, Amir returns to Kabul to look for Sohrab, Hassan's son. He stops by the pomegranate tree only to find it shriveled and nearly dead.

Baba and the Black Bear

Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory

Early in the novel, as we're getting to know Baba, Amir relates one of the legends about his father. Apparently Baba wrestled a black bear in Baluchistan and has the scars to prove it. Now, we know what you're thinking: no one could wrestle a bear and live to tell the tale. But Amir reassures us this story isn't typical Afghan laaf (exaggeration). The story has obviously affected Amir because he imagines it "countless times" and even dreams about it (3.1). And here's the interesting part. In his dreams, Amir can't tell Baba apart from the bear.

On one level, you can interpret the bear story fairly simply: it tells us just how towering of a figure Baba is to Amir. This guy is no joke – he wrestles bears. The fact that Amir believes the story, too, tells us a little about their relationship. It's one of distant awe. But there's also the oddity of the bear and Baba morphing into each other. Perhaps Baba becomes a fearful beast to Amir? Or perhaps Baba, in wrestling with his sins, merges with them? We're not totally sure. But Baba and Amir both wrestle with major betrayals in the book. At one point Amir explicitly compares the troubles and hardships of Baba's life to a bear Baba couldn't beat (see 13.51).

Later in the novel, when he's in the hospital in Peshawar, Amir has a hallucination. In the hallucination, Baba is in Baluchistan fighting the bear. It's a rip-roaring fight. Fur flying and all that. When the dust clears, Amir gets a good look at the person wrestling the bear. It's not Baba – it's Amir. Now Amir has taken on the fight with the bear. Does this mean Amir achieves some sort of manhood – or only that he's taken on his father's sins? (They could be the same thing.) If we keep in mind the earlier dream in which Amir can't tell his father apart from the bear, an interesting interpretation pops up. Perhaps when Amir wrestles with the bear he is really wrestling with his father. We'll say this for Amir and Baba – Hosseini has them wrestling with one of the most dangerous animals on the planet. We would choose a cuddly kitten or maybe a lame gerbil.

Kite Fighting

Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory

Most of the major themes of the novel find their way into the image of Amir and Hassan flying kites. Don't believe us? Here we go! First off, when Amir later tries to remember something happy, he pictures himself and Hassan flying kites. At first, there's such freedom and innocence in the activity for Amir and Hassan. However, the kites also become reminders of how Amir betrayed Hassan – abandoning Hassan to the nefarious Assef. We can go on. Kite fighting also represents, to Amir, a way to win his father's love. In fact, he does, though only briefly. Finally, when Amir and Sohrab fly kites at the very end of the novel, the kites allows Amir to return to the past without intense guilt. They're almost redemptive, mnemonic (something that assists your memory) images by the end of the novel. Of course, Hosseini refuses to definitively answer the question of Amir's redemption. So perhaps it makes the most sense to say the kites hold the possibility of redemption.

In any event, we do think they're fabulous images: violent, glass-sheathed strings attached to something light, something free. How's that for an image which contains both the tenderness and cruelty of the novel?