TH KITE RUNNER: Full Chapter Summary's

CODEY CARTLEDGE: THE KITE RUNNER: ENGLISH: TRUDI:
CHAPTER SUMMARYS:
THE KITE RUNNER

CHAPTER ONE:
December 2001
Amir will narrate the whole book, except for Chapter 16, which is narrated by Rahim Khan. This first
chapter is very cryptic if you haven't read the rest of the book, or at least read a summary of the plot.
There, we've warned you.
Amir tells us something happened in the winter of 1975 and this event made him what he is today. He
gives us some scattered images: a crumbling mud wall, an alley, a frozen creek.
Amir remembers a phone call last summer from his friend RahimKhan. He feels like a past of "unatoned
sins" is calling himup. So he takes a walk and looks at some kites, which remind him of someone named
Hassan.
During the walk, Amir sits on a park bench. He thinks of Baba and Ali, and Kabul, Afghanistan.
The chapter ends where it began: "I thought of the life I had lived until the winter of 1975 came along and
changed everything. And made me what I am today" (1.3).

CHAPTER 2:
Amirand Hassanget into harmlessmischief togetheraskids.Hassanoftentakesthe blame if the twotroublemakers
getcaught.
Amirdescribeshischildhoodhome,builtbyhisfather.Ithasrosebushes,marblefloors,mosaictiles,andgold-
stitchedtapestries.Oh,anda crystal chandelier.
Baba, Amir'sfather,hasa smokingroomin the house buthe doesn'tletAmirhang outthere.Go away,Amir.
Some of Baba's cabinetshave a fewpictures:Amir'sgrandfatherandKingNadirShahandone of Amir'sfatherand
motheron theirwedding night.NowordyetonAmir'smother.Finally,there'sone of little Amirinhisfather'sarms;
RahimKhan standsoff to the side.
Amirtakesus inside the little shackwhere Ali andHassan,theirservants,live.It'snowhere nearasopulentasBaba's
house.
AmirtellsushismotherdiedgivingbirthtohimandHassan's mother – her name was Sanaubar– leftsoonafter
Hassan wasborn.
One day,as Amir andHassan are walkingpastthe militarybarracks,some soldiersheckle Hassan.Apparently,his
mumwas quite beautifulandalittle free withherfavours.Butthe soldiersare reallycrude,andAmirtriesto
comfortHassan.
More descriptionof Hassan'smother:Sanaubar,itseems,wasreallygorgeousand"notoriouslyunscrupulous."
Now,AmirtellsusaboutHassan's father:the lowermusclesonAli'sface were paralyzedbypolio.Alialsowalkswith
a limp.The neighbourhoodkidschase Ali aroundandcall himBabaluor "Boogeyman."Grow up,kids.
We hearmore about an emergingtension:ethnicity.Ali,Sanaubar,andHassanare Hazaras, while AmirandBabaare
Pashtuns.Lookingthroughhismother'soldhistorybooks,Amirdiscoversthe inequalitybetweenthe twoethnicities.
Pashtunsare the privilegedmajority.
We learnSanaubartauntedAli alongwiththe neighbourhoodkids.ButAli doesn'tfeel the needtofightbackagainst
hisassailants.He lovesHassansomuch itdoesn'tbotherhim.
Little storyfromthe midwife astoldtothe neighbour'sservant:whenHassanwasborn(witha cleftlip),Sanaubar
saidto Ali:"Nowyouhave yourown idiotchildtodoall yoursmilingforyou!"(2.30).
Amirtellsushe and Hassan hadthe same wetnurse (because SanaubarleftAli andAmir'smotherpassedawayin
childbirth).Alitellsthe boysthere is"abrotherhoodbetweenpeoplewhohadfedfromthe same breast,a kinship
that not eventime couldbreak"(2.34).You'll wantto rememberthat.
Amir'sfirstwordis "Baba."Hassan's is"Amir."

CHAPTER 3:
Thischapter ismore or lessconcernedwithAmir'srelationshipwithhisfather,Baba.Amirbeginsbytellingsome
storiesaboutBaba andslowlyshiftsintoBaba'sdisappointmentinAmir.Amirdoesn'ttell these storiesinstrict
chronological order.
Amirstarts withthiscrazy storyabout howBaba wrestledablackbear.He swearsit'snot laaf,"thatAfghan
tendencytoexaggerate"(3.1).SometimesAmirdreamsaboutBabaand the blackbear; inhisdreams,Amircan't tell
the bear andBaba apart.
AmirtellsusRahimKhangave Baba hisnickname,"Toophanagha,or'Mr. Hurricane'"(3.2).
In the 1960s, Baba buildsanorphanage.EventhoughBabahas noarchitectural experience,he finishesthe
orphanage.Babafundsthe entire project.
Baba and Amircelebrate the completionof the orphanage bygoingtoGhargha Lake.Baba asksAmir tobring along
Hassan,but AmirliesandtellsBabathat Hassan "hasthe runs" (3.5).Baba prettymuchignoresAmirwhile theyeat
beside the lake.
Duringthe openingceremonyforthe orphanage,Baba'shatfliesoff inthe wind.He'sgivingaspeech;Amirpicksup
the hat and handsit to Baba. Baba recoversmarvelouslyandthere'slotsof applause.Amirisveryproud – of his
fatherand himself.
Amirslipsina fewwordsonhis mother:"one of Kabul'smostrespected,beautiful,andvirtuousladies.[...] [N]ot
onlydidshe teachclassicFarsi literature atthe university,she wasadescendentof the royal family"(3.11).
In the fifthgrade,Amirreturnshome fromschool andtellsBabaaboutMullahFatiullahKhan,histeacher.Amir
repeatswhatthe Mullahsaid about drinking:"those whodrankwouldanswerfortheirsinonthe dayof Qiuamat,
JudgmentDay"(3.13).
As luckwouldhave it,Babais pouringhimselfawhiskeyfromthe bar.He proceedstoridicule the Mullah.Andhe
tellsAmirall sinsproceedfromasingle sin,whichistheft.E.g."Whenyoukill aman yousteal hislife"or"Whenyou
tell a lie,yousteal someone'srighttotruth"(3.32). Baba getsprettyworkedup;he evensaysif a man were tosteal a
loaf of bread he would"spitonsuch a man" and "if I evercrosspathswithhim, God helphim"(3.34).
Somehow,Amirhaswokenupthe bear-furyof Baba.AmirfeelslikeBabahateshima little –didn'the didsteal his
mother'slife bybeingborn?
Cut to school.Amiralwayswinsaclassroomgame called Sherjangi ("Battle of the Poems").Itworkslike this:One
personrecitesaline of poetry,thenthe nextpersonrecitesaline thatbeginswiththe letterthatendedthe firstline.
Amirisdominantinthisgame and evenbeatsthe restof hisclass.Andhe reads all hismother'sbooks.
Baba isn'tOK withall thisliterature andreadingstuff.BabatriestogetAmirinterestedinsoccerinstead,butAmiris
hopeless:"Ishambledaboutthe fieldonscragglylegs[...]"(3.40).
At some point,BabatakesAmir to a Buzkashi tournament.Inthissport,one manridesaroundon horseswitha goat
carcass while abunch of othermen,alsoon horses,doeverythingtheycantostophim fromdroppingthe deadgoat
ina scoringcircle.(Thisislike kill-the-man-with-the-ballonlyonhorsesandwitha goat.) Onthisparticularday, the
mainridergetstrampledandAmircrieson the way home.Babais notpleased.
That verynight,AmirsecretlylistensinasRahimKhanand Baba talkabout himinthe study.Baba thinksAmiri s
weakand that"a boywhocan't standup for himself becomesamanwhocan't stand up foranything"(3.66).Rahim
Khantriesto defendAmir,butBabastill sayssome prettyterrible thingsabouthisson.

CHAPTER 4:
Thischapter – simultaneously –developsAmir'srelationshipwithHassanandAmir'sburgeoninginterestinwriting.
Coincidence?Probablynot.
Amirtellsof the storyof Ali:TwowealthyyoungmenhighonhashishaccidentallyrunoveraHazara husbandand
wife.The judge ordersthe mentoenlistinthe army;inan act of kindness,the judge adoptsthe orphanleftbehind
by the Hazara couple.Thisjudge isAmir'sgrandfather.Ali andBabagrow uptogether.
Amirlaunchesintoadiscussionof ethnicityandfriendship.Onthe one hand,he and Hassan are fromdifferent
ethnicgroupsand have historyandsocietyinbetweenthem.Onthe other,theyhave the same nurse andgrowup
togetherinthe same household.Amirdoesn'tcome toa conclusionwhetherethnicitydrivesawedge betweenhim
and Hassan.
What followsare afewwarm-and-fuzzystoriesaboutAmirandHassangrowinguptogether.
The boys throwpebblesatgoats
Theygo see WesternsatCinemaParkand theygo to the bazaar.
Hassan preparesmealsforAmir,makesAmir'sbed,andpolisheshis shoes.
AmirreadsstoriestoHassan on a hill northof Baba's house.
Amirplaysa few"harmlesspranks"onHassan.He tellsHassan"imbecile"means"smart,intelligent"(4.20).
Amirand Hassanshare a favorite story:"RostamandSohrab" fromthe Shahnamah. It's a storyabout a fatherwho
killshisnemesis,whoactuallyturnsouttobe hisson.
Amirplaysanothertrickon Hassan.Insteadof readingfroma book,Amirstartsto make up hisownstory,although
he flipsthroughthe pagesas if he'sreadingfrom them.Hassanlovesit.ThispromptsAmirto write hisfirstshort
story.
Amir,proudof hisstory,triestoshowit to Baba. Baba isn'tinterestedatall;RahimKhancomesto the rescue and
readsAmir'sstory.RahimKhan evenwritesAmiranice note about the story.
EmboldenedbyRahimKhan'spraise,AmirreadshisstorytoHassan.Hassan isenthralledandeventellsAmirhe'll be
"a great writer"(4.55).However,Hassanpointsouta plothole.AmirknowsHassanisright,but he'salsoangry. He
thinkssome meanthings.

CHAPTER 5:
In thischapter,there'sa sort of hodgepodge of eventswhichsetupforeventstocome in Chapter7.
So,war comesto Afghanistan.It'sJuly17, 1973. Ali,Hassan,andAmirhuddle togetherinthe livingroomwhile
gunfire andexplosionsthunderaroundthemuntil morning.Babashowsupsafe andsoundat sunrise,havingmadeit
throughor around the blockedroads.
Amirand Hassandecide togo climbtheirpomegranate tree.(Inanearlierchapter,theycarvedtheirnamesinthis
tree.) Ontheirwaythere,trouble strikesinthe formof Assef,Wali,andKamal,three neighborhoodboys.
We learna little aboutAssef:he usesbrassknuckles,hasaGerman mother,andisknownfor hismeanness.Ohyeah,
he also tormentsAli alot.
Assef startstalkingsome nonsenseaboutthe new leaderDaoudKhanand how he'sgoingto have a man-to-mantalk
withDaoudKhan nexttime Daoudisoverat hishouse.Assef will tell himaboutHitlerandethniccleansingandhow
Afghanistanneedstogetridof the Hazaras. Amirwantsto get outof there.(Don'tforgetHassanis a Hazara.) Assef,
like always,hasotherideas:he takeshisbrassknucklesoutof hispocket.
Hassan comesto the rescue.Ina single movement,he picksupa rock,takeshisslingshotoutof hisback pocket,
placesthe rock inthe cup,pullsbackthe elasticband,andaimsit at Assef'slefteye.Kobe Bryantprobablyisn'tthis
coordinated.
Assef andhiscrewback off.
It's Hassan's birthday.BabaalwaysgetsHassansomethingspecial,like aClintEastwoodcowboyhatortrain set.
Thinkawesome toysinsteadof reindeersweaters.Thisyear,Babapresentsone Dr.Kumar,fromNew Delhi,to
Hassan.What the deuce?Dr.Kumar performssurgeryonHassan,correctinghisharelip.
Amirtellsusthe scar from the surgeryhealsbythe followingwinter.Atwhichtime Hassanstopssmiling.
(Foreshadowing…)

CHAPTER 6:
In thischapter,we getthe skinnyonwinterkite fightingtournaments,andAmir'sdreamsof winningthisyear's
tournament.Payattention.
Amirloveswintertime,likemostotherAfghankids.Why?It'spretty,there'ssnow,noschool,and,mostimportantly,
kite flying.Babaloveskite fighting,too,soit'sa rare connectionforthem.
Amirtellsusa little aboutkite fighting.He andHassanusedto make theirownkiteswithbamboo,glue,string,and
paper.To make the kite a fightingkite,the boyscoatthe stringin glassandglue.(The pointof the kite fightisto cut
the otherkite'sstringwithyourstring – thusthe glass.)
There'salsokite running,whichseemsjustasimportantaskite fighting.Once akite iscut,the kite runnerschase
afterthe releasedkite andtryto run itdown.The big deal kite torun isthe tournamentrunner-up–the lastkite cut.
Hassan,as it turns,is an expertkite runner.
One winterday,Hassanand Amirrun a kite.Hassanis a betterkite runnerthanAmir – faster,more athletic,and
withbetterinstincts –and Amirstrugglestokeepup.Hassanruns awayfrom the kite that'sjust beencut.Amir
follows,andtheyrestona fieldbya middle school.
Amirdoesn'tbelieve the kite isgoinglandanywhere nearwhere Hassanhasledthem.Sohe asksHassan if Hassan
wouldeverlie tohim.Hassansaysno, and thathe'd "soonereatdirt"(6.31). AmirtoyswithHassan. Inthe end,Amir
makesnice andthe kite floatsdowntowhere they're sitting.
Four daysbefore the kite-fightingtournament,BabacasuallytellsAmirhe thinksAmirisgoingtowinthisyear.Amir
starts to imagine all the wonderful thingshe andBaba will dotogetherandhow the twoof themwill growcloser.
Now,Amirreallywantstowinthistournament.
The chapter endswithHassanand Amirplayingcardsthe nightbefore the tournament.There'ssome talkabout
Daoud Khan,televisions,andhowAmirwill buyHassanatelevision someday.HassanthinksAmirwill winthe
tournamentthe nextday.Amirwinsthe card game but hasthe distinctfeelingHassanlethimwin.

CHAPTER 7:
Thisis The Big Chapter.The chapters precedingthisone prepare youforthisevent;the chaptersfollowingthisone
deal withitsaftershocks.
While Amireatsbreakfast,Hassanrecountsadreamhe hadthe nightbefore.They're bothatGhargha Lake,along
withRahimKhan,Baba, Ali,andtons of otherpeople.Noone isswimminginthe waterbecause there'samonsterat
the bottom.Amir,however,jumpsintothe lake;HassanfollowsandswimsbehindAmir.There'snomonster.The
crowd onthe shore cheers.
Hassan andAmirwalkout intothe street for the kite-fightingtournament.Strangelyenough,Amirsuddenlygets
coldfeet.Hassanencourageshim:"Remember,Amiragha.There'snomonster,justabeautiful day"(7.19).Theytoss
the kite intothe air.
The numberof kitesinthe skydwindles.Soon, justAmir'skite andablue kite are left.Amirgetsaluckygust of wind
and cuts the blue kite.He winsthe tournament.Babacheersfromthe rooftop.Inthese tournaments,people collect
or "run" the defeatedkites,butthe second-place kiteisconsideredthe greatestprize.Hassanrunsoff afterthe blue
kite.
Amirtakeshiskite back to Baba's house andthenheadsoff to findHassan.Aftera little wandering,he spotsHassan
inan alley.Assef,Wali,andKamal are staringHassandown.Hassanhas the blue kite.Noone seesAmir.
Hassan triestodefendhimself bythrowingarockat Assef .He doeshit Assef,butthe three boysthrow Hassanto
the ground.
Amirinterruptsthe narrative here withafewmemoriesanda dream.Inthe firstmemory,Ali remindsAmirthathe
and Hassanfedfrom the same breast.In the secondmemory,HassanandAmirgo to a fortune-teller.The fortune-
tellertakesacoinfrom Hassanand readsHassan's palmand face.Visiblydisturbed,the fortune-tellergivesHassan
hiscoinback. Amirdraws backwhenthe fortune-tellercomesovertohim.Inthe dream, Amiris lostinthe snow.
The windisblowingsohard itimmediatelyeraseshisfootsteps.Someone withparallel gashesonhishand – Baba?–
reachesoutto Amirand they're suddenlyinasummery,light-filledfield.
Cut back to the scene inthe alley.Somethingisup:Wali andKamal don't wantto participate inwhateverAssef has
planned.Assef pullsdownhispantsandrapesHassan.
Amirswitchestothe future tense.It'sthe nextday, whichisthe feastof Eid-e-Qorban.The feastcommemorates
Ibrahim'ssacrifice of hissonIsaac. Accordingtothe custom, eachfamilysacrificesasheep.Ali,Baba,Hassan,and
Amirwatch as the mullahslitsthe sheep'sthroat.
Cut back to the alleyscene.Amirhasone lastchance to intervene.Butinsteadhe justrunsaway.
AmirmeetsHassanina ravine nearthe alley.Eachis onhisway back to Baba's house.Amirdoesn'ttell Hassanhe
saw whathappened.
Hassan isabout to tell Amir,buthe composeshimself andsimplyhandsAmirthe blue kite.Hassanisa mess:his
voice cracks,he has a dark stainon the seatof hispants.Amirpretendsnottonotice.Hassanlimpsaway.
Amirreturnsto Baba's house withthe kite.BabagathersAmirup intohisarms.Amir weeps.

CHAPTER 8:
Thischapter describesthe weeks(andyear) followingthe kite-fightingtournament.
AmirrarelyseesHassan – he wakestofindhisbreakfastalreadycooked,hisclothesfolded.Ali asksAmirif anything
iswrong withHassan,but Amir treatsAli prettypoorlyand,worse,doesn'ttell Aliaboutthe alley.
Amirasks Baba if theycan go to JalalabadonFriday.Baba asksif Hassan wantsto come along.AmirwantsBaba all to
himself sohe saysHassanis sick.
Much to Amir'sdismay,Baba invitestonsof relativestotravel withthem.(Enoughtofill threevans.Andyouthought
your familyvacationswere bad.) The vansbounce along.One of Amir'scousinscongratulatesAmironwinningthe
kite-fightingtournament.Amirthrowsupall overherdress.
That night,everyone eatslotsof food.People playpokerandhave a few drinks.Amirismiserable.Aftereveryone
has fallenasleep –the mensleepingonthe livingroomflooralongwithAmir –Amirblurtsout to no one in
particular:"I watchedHassanget raped"(8.40). Noone wakesupor hearshim.Amir'sinsomniastartsthatnight.
Back in Kabul,there'smore silence anddistance betweenAmirandHassan.Noteventhe Shahnamahcanbringthem
together.Thiscontinuesforthe restof the winter.Amir hangsoutwithBaba occasionally,butseemstospendalot
of time readinginhisroom.
At one pointduringthe winter,HassanasksAmirif he'sdone anythingwrong.AmirprettymuchtellsHassanthathe
justwantsto be alone.
Rightbefore school starts upagain,Amir asksBaba if theycan get new servants.Babaisfurious.Amirknowshe's
reallydrivenawedge betweenhimself andBabanow.
That summer,Hassanand Amirwalkup tothe hill withtheirpomegranatetree.Amirstartsto reada story to Hassan,
but losesinterest.He picksanoverripe pomegranateandbeginstopeltHassan.AmirwantsHassanto fightback,but
Hassan won't.Eventually,Hassanpicksupapomegranate andwalksoverto Amirandcrushesit againsthis
forehead.
The chapter endswith Amir'sthirteenthbirthdayparty.Babainvitestonsof people,there'sheapsof goodfood,and
evenAhmadZahir,the popmusician.
Assef showsupwitha giftforAmir.There'san oddrapport betweenBabaandAssef asBaba asks Assef aboutsoccer.
In one of the mostawkwardexchangesinthe book,Assef givesAmirhispresentandAmirstalksoff.Amiropensthe
presentonhisown.It's a biographyof Hitler.Ugh.Amirtossesitintothe grass.
RahimKhan showsup.(He'ssuch a nice guy!) He shootsthe breeze withAmirandthentellsAmirastory abouthow
he almostmarrieda Hazara woman.Hisparentsand siblings,though,were outragedatthe prospectof welcominga
Hazara womaninto the family.The marriage didn'thappen.RahimKhangivesAmirhisgift:it's a leather-bound
writingjournal.
Oh yeah,there are fireworksatthe party.Some fireworksgooff.

CHAPTER 9:
The day afterhisbirthdayparty,Amiropensall hispresents.He getstwofromBaba: a SchwinnStingray,whichis
"the kingof all bicycles,"andabrand-newwristwatch(9.2).He throwsmostof hisgiftsin the cornerbecause he
realizesBabawouldn'thave thrownhimsucha lavishpartyif he hadn't wonthe kite-fightingtournament.So,they
feel alittle like "bloodmoney"(9.1).
Ali andHassan give Amira reallynice hardbackcopyof Shahnamah.Itprobablytooksome scrimpingandsavingon
Ali andHassan's part to affordthispresent.
In the lowestof all lowdeeds,Amirputshisnew wristwatchandawadof cash underHassan'smattress.He tells
Baba hisstuff ismissing.Babatalksto Ali;Ali findsAmir'sstuff intheirhouse.The tworeturntoBaba's house,having
had a good cry together.BabaasksHassan if he stole the watch and money.Surprisinglyenough –evenforAmir–
Hassan says, "Yes."Baba immediatelyforgivesHassan,whichagainsurprisesAmir.Isn'ttheftthe worstof all sins?In
any case,Ali andHassan decide toleave.
Baba pleadswithAli tostay.Ali refuses.
In the pouringrain(dramatic,right?),BabadrivesAli andHassanto the bus station.Amirconsidersrunningoutto
the car to confess,buthe staysat the window.

CHAPTER 10:
March 1981
The chapter openswithBabaand Amircrammedintothe back of an oldRussiantruck.They're withotherrefugees
on theirwayto Pakistan.Afghanistanhasgottentoodangerous.Neighborshave turnedagainsteachother,and
everyone seemstobe a spyfor the Russians.
Amirstarts to feel sickandsomeone asksKarim,the driver,topull over.He doeseventuallyandAmirgetsout.A
MiG (a Russianfighterjet – haven'tyouseenTopGun?) fliesoverhead.
Theypull upto a checkpoint.The Russiansoldiermanning itseemsalittle drunk.He tellsKarimhe'll letthe truck
pass if he getsto spendsome special alone time withone of the womeninthe truck.
Baba isoutraged.Amirgrabs Baba's leg,butto no avail.Babagetsup and tellsthe Russiantoshove it.The soldier
takesout hisgunout of hisholster.(Nail-bitingtension.) The gungoesoff,butnoone gets hit.A superiorofficer
showsupand givesthe soldieraverymildscolding.Theymake itthroughthe checkpoint.
Cut to Jalalabad.Theyarrive ata one-storyhouse,andKarimtellseveryonethe badnews:Notruckto Peshawar.
Baba goescrazy and grabs Karimby the throat andalmoststrangleshim.He wouldhave,infact,if it weren'tforthe
pleasof a youngwoman.
In the basementof the house,more refugeeshave beenwaitingforweeks.Amongthemare Kamal andhisfather.In
an odd twistof events,itturnsoutKamal'smothercaught a stray bulletinKabul.Kamal wasalsorapedinKabul.
Because there'snotruck to take themto Peshawar,Karimcomesupwithan alternative.Hiscousinownsafuel
truck, whichwouldworkjustfine.The refugeespile intothe bellyof the fuel truck.Almostimmediately,Amir'seyes
and nose start to burn.Fumes!BabatellsAmir:"Thinkof somethinggood"(10.73).He pictureshimself andHassanin
a field.They're flyingakite.
The fuel truck makesitto Pakistan.A busis goingto take themthe restof the way to Peshawar.Amir(andsome of
the otherrefugees) crawl aroundonthe ground,weakenedbythe fumes.Kamal isn'tbreathing.Hisfatheris
stunned.He somehowgetsaholdof Karim'sgun and shootshimself inthe head.
The chapter endswithAmirdry-heavingonthe side of the road.

CHAPTER 11:
Fremont,California.1980s
Baba and Amirhave movedtoAmerica. Certainly,it'sanimprovementoverwar-tornAfghanistan,butit'salsonot
smoothsailing.
WalkinginLake ElizabethPark,BabaenlightensAmirwithhispolitics:there are onlyafew "real men"in
international politics.America,Britain,andIsrael.(Babaseemstolove directnessininternational affairs.) Babaalso
lovesRonaldReagan – whichmakessense.Reagancalledthe SovietUnion –whoinvadedAfghanistan –"the Evil
Empire,"Reaganalsohadthat AmericancowboybravadoAmirandBaba worshippedfromafarforyears in
Afghanistan.
However,Babaisn'tadjustingwell toAmerica.He turnshisneighborhoodconvenience store upside downbecause
theywon'ttake hischeckwithoutID.(InBaba's defense,he'sshoppedthere fortwoyears.) Amirgetshimout of the
store,butthere'sa lot of yellingabouthonorandsuch.
AmirrevealsthatBaba worksat a gas station.He worksa twelve-hourshiftsix daysaweek.Thisimage sumsitup:
"Baba's face drawn andpale underthe brightfluorescentlights"(11.28).
For a while,BabaandAmirwere on welfare.The dayBabagetsa job,he goesto the welfare office andreturnshis
foodstamps.
Amirgraduatesfromhighschool.Baba isactuallyreallyproudof Amir;unlike the attentionAmirgotforwinningthe
kite-fightingtournament,thisaffectionseemslong-lasting.
Theygo out and celebrate.Babadrinkslotsof beer,sayssome disparagingthingsaboutRussians,andbuyseveryone
drinks.
He has Amirdrive toendof theirblockwhere agiftwaitsforAmir.It's a Ford Gran Torino.There'ssome crying,
widespreadhappiness,andahand-squeeze.Babasays:"I wishHassanhad beenwithustoday"(11.44). Amirfeels
profoundlyguilty.
Amirisgoingto enroll injuniorcollege the nextfall.He andBabadiscussmajorsthe morningaftergraduation.Amir
sayshe's goingto majorin Creative Writing.Babaisn'ttoohappy.
AmirdriveshisFordGran Torino arounda lot.He feels"free"orsomething.America,forthe mostpart,has allowed
Amirto escape hispast.
Baba sellshiscar. He buysa '71 Volkswagenbus.Theystartbuyingupstuff atyard salesandgoingto the San Jose
fleamarket.
At the fleamarket,BabaintroducesAmirtoGeneral Taheri whoworkedforthe Ministryof Defense inKabul.There's
an exchange betweenHisLordshipTaheri andAmiraboutwriting.The General wondersif Amirwillwrite about
Afghanistanoreconomicsorsome otherimportanttopic.Nope.Amirisgoingtowrite fiction.
Some lovelyladybringsthe General acupof coffee.It'shisdaughter,Soraya.Amirissmitten.
On the wayhome from the fleamarket,Amirrealizeshe knowsthe name "Taheri"fromsome rumorshe heard.
Baba isn'tone to gossip,butAmirpresseshimandhe says: "All I've heardisthat there wasa man once and
things...didn'tgowell"(11.101).Apparently,becauseof thisincident,noone hasapproachedSorayaas a suitorsince
then.
Didwe sayAmiris smitten?

CHAPTER 12:
AmirrememberslongnightsinAfghanistan(specificallythe firstnightof winteroryelda) whenhe stayeduplate
withHassan.Currentlyhe staysup late thinkingof Soraya.Or,as Amircallsher,"My SwapMeetPrincess.“Amir
oftengoesoverto the Taheri'stable at the fleamarkettosteal glancesat Soraya.This isturningintoa full-fledged
obsession.Or,assome wouldcall it,a romance.
One day at the fleamarket,AmirasksBaba if he wantsa Coke.Baba knowswhat'sup:Amiris goingoverto talkto
Soraya.He givesAmira little speechaboutnangandnamoos(honourand pride).Amirsays he won'tembarrass
anyone. Amirgoesovertochat up the lovelylady.He probablystaysalittle toolongbyAfghanstandards.But it's
goingso well!SorayaevenasksaboutAmir'swritingandhe promisestobringhera story sometime.Justwhen
thingsare gettinga little steamy(accordingtoAfghanstandardsaconversationthislongisapparentlyrisqué),
Soraya's motherwalksup.She asksAmirto stay; he politelyrefuses.
AmirkeepsthinkingaboutSoraya.Andgoingovertothe Taheri boothat the flea market.
One fine fleamarketSaturday,AmirandSorayaare talkingatthe Taheri booth.SorayatellsAmirhow she wantsto
become a teacher.She alsotellsAmirastoryabout how she taught one of the Taheri familyservantstoread.Now
she wantsto be a teacher.
The conversationisgoingwell.Amirreachesintohispocketandhandsherone of hisstories(justashe promised).
Justthen,the General showsup.He givesAmiralittle talking-toandtakesthe storyfromSoraya.He putsit inthe
garbage and remindsAmir– quite subtlyforamilitaryman – that Amirshouldcheckhimself before he wrecks
himself. Laterthatveryweek,Babagetsa cold.It seemsharmless,butthenAmircatchesBabahackingupblood.Not
a good sign. Theygo to a countyhospital since Babadoesn'thave healthinsurance.The doctorfindsaspoton Baba's
lung,andsendsBaba to a pulmonaryclinic.Amirprays. Atfirst,theymeetwithaRussianpulmonologist.Babaisn't
happysince,well,Russiadidalot of bad thingsto Afghanistan.Actually,the doctorwasbornin Michigan,butthat's
not enoughforBaba.They switchdoctors. The new doctor givesBabahisprognosis.The cancerwill be fatal. Baba
doesn'twantAmirto tell anyone abouthisillness.
For a while,Babadoeswell.He still goestothe fleamarket.Buthe slowlywearsdown.He callsinsicktothe gas
stationone day.By Halloween,Babanolongergetsoutof the car to bargainat the yard sales.ByThanksgiving,he
can't make it past noon.By Christmas,Amirisdrivingthe vanonhisown.Baba losesweight.The SundayafterNew
Year's Day, Baba hasa seizure andcollapsesatthe fleamarket. The doctorat the hospital goesoverBaba'sCAT
scans withAmir.Itdoesn'tlookgood.The cancer has spreadintoBaba's brain.The doctor recommendssteroids,
anti-seizure medication,andpalliativeradiation.
General Taheri,KhanumTaheri,andSorayavisitBabaand Amirat the hospital.Twodayslater,the hospital
dischargesBaba.A radiationspecialisttriestotalkBabaintogettingradiationtreatment,buthe refuses.
Baba isrestingon the couch.Amirasks Baba to visitGeneral Taheri andformallyrequestSoraya'shandinmarriage.
He doesthisnotonlybecause he lovesSoraya,butalsobecause hisfatherisdying.Amirknowsthe marriage will
please hisfather.Babacallsthe General andsetsup a meetingforthe nextday.
AmirdropsBaba off at the Taheri'shome.Amirgoesbackhome to waitfor Baba to call.The phone ringsaboutan
hour afterAmirdroppedBabaoff.The General has accepted.
However,Sorayaneedstotalkto Amir.SorayawantsAmirto know abouther past before theyproceedanyfurther.
Here'sthe story: Sorayawas livinginVirginiawithanothermanafterhavingrunawayfrom home.Lotsof gossip.
Soonenough,the General showsup.He takesSorayahome,where she discoversherlittle romphascausedKhanum
Taheri to have a stroke,paralyzingthe rightside of herface.End of story.
Amirstill wantstomarry Soraya. Remember,he'sgothisowncheckeredpast.If Amircalledthe weddingoff,it'dbe
the pot callingthe kettle black.No,it'dbe worse thanthat.
The chapter endswithAmir'sregrets.He wisheshe couldbe asopenas herand tell heraboutHassan and Ali.He
openshismouthbutdoesn'tsay anything.

CHAPTER 13:
The chapter openswithlafz,orthe ceremonyfor"givingword."Babaand Amirare at the Taheri'shouse toformally
ask the General toaccept Amirintotheirfamily.KhanumTaheri leadsBabaandAmirthrougha livingroompacked
withtwodozenguests.(Astraditionrequires,Sorayaisnotthere.) Babarequeststhatthe General acceptAmirasa
son-in-law.He does,whichresultsinapplause andgeneral goodcheer.
Soraya andAmirforgo the Shirini-khori,or"Eatingof the Sweets"ceremony.(It'san engagementpartyfollowedby
an engagementperiodof afewmonths.) Babaprobablywon'tlive thatlong.
Baba spendsalmosthiswhole life savingsonAmir'swedding.$35,000.
Soraya andAmirhave theirnika,or "swearing"ceremony.(Basically,the ceremony partof an Americanwedding.)
Amirthinksof Hassan: "I rememberwonderingif Hassantoohad married.Andif so,whose face he had seeninthe
mirrorunderthe veil?Whose henna-paintedhandshadhe held?"(13.30).
AmirsleepswithSorayaforthe firsttime.We have to giggle atthissentence:"Thatnight,Idiscoveredthe
tendernessof awoman"(13.31).
Soraya andAmirmove inwithBaba since he'sverysick.One day, Amircomeshome fromthe pharmacy withsome
of Baba's medicationandfindsSorayareading toBaba.She'sreadinghimAmir'sstories.Amircan'ttake it andleaves
the room crying.Baba finallysupportsAmir'swriting.
Abouta monthafterthe wedding,Babadiesinhissleep.
The funeral isheldat a mosque inHayward.Atthe gravesite,the mullahandanothermournerargue overwhichayat
of the Koranto recite.
Since he'smarriedto Sorayanow,Amirlearnsa few thingsaboutthe Taheris:aboutonce a month,the General has
blindingmigraine headaches;KhanumTaheri atone pointwasa famoussingerinKabul butquitwhenshe married
the General;KhanumTaheri lovesJohnnyCarson;KhanumTaheri alsolovestotalkabouther medical ailments.Amir
listens.
At heruncle'swedding,twomiddle-agedwomenupsetSoraya.Theymore orlesscall Sorayaun-virtuousa.k.a.a
slut.SorayatellsAmirmore abouthertime inVirginia:the nightthe General came forher,he had a gun withhim.
Two bulletsinthe chamber:one forhimself andone forSoraya'sboyfriend(if Sorayadidn'tgowithhim).Thankfully,
she did.The General handedhera pair of scissorsto cut off all herhair. She obligedhim.
So,Amirand Soraya are marriednow.Since Babahas died,theymove intoaone-bedroomapartment.Amirenrolls
at San Jose State and declaresEnglishashismajor;Sorayaenrollsayear laterand declaresEducation.General Taheri
isn'thappywithSoraya's major– he wantedherto be a lawyerorpolitician.
Amirfinisheshisfirstnovel.(It's"afather-sonstorysetinKabul" –soundfamiliar?) He sendsquerylettersout toa
dozenagenciesandgetsa requestforthe manuscript.Amirsendsthemthe manuscriptand,wonderof wonders,an
agentagreesto representhim.Inaboutthe time ittakesto squeeze apomegranate,Amirisa publishednovelist.
A lotof otherthingsare goingon while Amirbecomesasuccessful writer.The Sovietswithdraw fromAfghanistan;
civil warbreaksout inAfghanistan;the coldwarends;the BerlinWall comesdown;TiananmenSquare happens.And
Amirand Sorayastart tryingto have a kid.Amirand Soraya,however,can'tgetpregnant.Theygo see a doctor;Amir
passeshistests,butSoraya doesn't.She hassomethingcalled"UnexplainedInfertility,"whichapparentlyisn't
uncommon.
The young loverstell the General andKhanumTaheri.Sorayarelatessomeadvice:"The doctorsaidwe couldadopt"
(13.139). The General isn'tsure about adoption –he starts talkingabout"blood"and"family"etc.Inthe end,Amir
and Sorayadon't wantto adopt either.
The chapter endswithAmirandSoraya buyingahouse in Bernal Heights.

CHAPTER 14:
June 2001
The chapter openswithAmirloweringthe telephone.He'sjustgottenamysteriouscall fromRahimKhan,whois
sick.RahimKhan asksAmirto come back to Afghanistan:"Come.There isawayto be good again"(14.19).
Amirtakesa walkand seesa pairof redkites.Dun-dun-dun.
Amirdecidestogo to Afghanistantosee RahimKhan.He'sstill hastrouble sleeping,butafterhe finallyfallsasleep
he dreamsof Hassan:"the hemof hisgreenchapan [along cloak] draggingbehindhim, snow crunchingunderhis
blackboots[...]"(14.25).
The chapter endswithAmirona flightto Afghanistan.

CHAPTER 15:
AmirlandsinPeshawar.The cityremindshimof Kabul – the taxi drivertellsAmirthatmanyof his fellow Afghans
have endedupina sectionof the citycalled"AfghanTown."The driverdropsAmiroff atRahim Khan'sbuilding.
RahimKhan doesn'tlooksogood.
For the rest of the chapter,Amirand RahimKhan talkaboutAfghanistan,the past,andAmir's life inAmerica.Here's
whattheycover: Amir'smarriage toSoraya Taheri,Baba,and Amir'seducationandwriting.
The conversationturnstothe TalibanandAfghanistan.Itsoundslike Kabul turnedintoawar zone between1992
and 1996 and sowhenthe Talibantookover,the people welcomedthem.RahimKhantellsthisTalibanstory:in
1998, a Talibanofficial smackedRahimKhaninthe foreheadforcheeringtooloudlyatasoccer match.
AmirlearnsRahimKhanis dying.(Butmostreaderswill have figuredthisoutalready.)
RahimKhan bringsupHassan. He tellsAmir:"Ibroughtyou here because Iam goingto asksomethingof you.[...].
But before Ido,I want to tell youaboutHassan"(15.54).

CHAPTER 16:
Thischapter isinthe voice of RahimKhan.
RahimKhan livesinBaba'shouse afterAmirandBaba flee toAmerica.He'slonelyand,because he'sgettingold,is
havingtrouble keepingupthe house.RahimKhangoestoHazarajat (the central regionof Afghanistanandhome to
the Hazara ethnicgroup) tofindHassan.
RahimKhan findsHassaninBamiyan,one of the provincesof Hazarajat.
RahimKhan findsoutHassanhas married.Hiswife,Farzana,ispregnant.
WhenRahimKhan asksabout Ali,Hassanlooksdown.Ali walkedintoalandmine twoyearsago.
Finally,RahimKhanasksHassanto come back to Kabul withhimto care forBaba's house.Hassanasks aboutAmir
and learnsaboutBaba's death.
The nextday,Hassan and Farzana agree to come back to Kabul withRahimKhan.
Eventhoughthere'splenty of roominthe mainhouse,HassanandFarzana take up residence inthe oldservants'
quarters.
Farzana givesbirthtoa stillborngirl,butsoonFarzanagetspregnantagain.
Sanaubar,Hassan's motherwhoditchedhimandAli yearsago,suddenlyshowsupat the gate. She'sa wreck – weak,
coveredinsores,andslashedbya knife.Hassan& co. nurse herback to health.
SanaubardeliversHassan'schild.Farzana,andHassanname the childafterSohrab,Hassan'sfavorite characterinthe
Shahnamah.(Remember?It'sthe bookAmirusedtoread to Hassanall the time.)
Sanaubardiesinher sleep.The fightinginKabul intensifies.
Hassan soundslike aterrificfather.He teacheshissonSohrabhow to shoota slingshot,how toreadand write,and
howto run a kite.
The chapter endsominously:the Talibanhasbannedkite fightingand,intwoyears,theywill massacre the Hazaras
inMazar-i-Sharif.

CHAPTER 17:
RahimKhan givesAmiranenvelope.Inside are lettersfromHassananda Polaroidphotographof HassanandSohrab.
Here'swhat the letterssay:
Letter1: Hassanhopeshisletterwill somedayreachAmirinAmericaandthat Amirwill write back.Hassanstill thinks
aboutAmirand tellsFarzanaand Sohraball about Amir.
Letter2: Kabul haschanged.The Talibanhave imposedstrictrule:evenFarzanaispunishedinthe marketfor
speakingtooloudly.He bragsaboutSohrab – how good he iswitha slingshot,how he likesthe Shahnamah,etc.
Letter3: RahimKhanis verysickand will travel toPakistantosee some doctors.Hassanhas had a few violent
nightmaresbutalsodreamsthatRahim Khanwill getwell,Sohrabwill "grow uptobe a goodperson,a free person
[...],"andpeace will come toKabul.He hopesAmirwill visit.
All inall,the lettersare very warm– Hassan doesn'tholdanygrudgesagainstAmir.
RahimKhan deliversthe badnewstoAmir.A month afterhe arrivedinPeshawar,aneighborcalledandtoldhim
TalibofficialsexecutedHassanandFarzana.Eventhoughpeople inthe neighborhoodsupportedHassan'sstory,the
Talibsdidn'tbelieve RahimKhanleftthe house inhiscare.Sohrabisinan orphanage inKabul.
Now,RahimKhanrevealsthe reasonhe askedAmirtocome to Afghanistan:he wantsAmirtorescue Sohrabfrom
the orphanage.There are some people inPeshawarwhowilladopthim.
At first,Amirdoesn'twantanypart of RahimKhan'sscheme.RahimKhangiveshimthree reasons.First,Khanisa
dyingmanand he wantsAmirto dothis forhim.Second,Babaonce thoughtAmircouldn'tstandup for himself –
now,Amircan prove himwrong.Third,Hassan wasactuallyAmir'shalf-brother.
Of course,the lastreasonreallychangesthings.Apparently,Ali wassterile,andBabafatheredHassanwith
Sanaubar.
The chapter endswithAmirstormingoutof Rahim Khan's apartment.

CHAPTER 18:
We pickup rightwhere Chapter17 ended:AmirhasjustleftRahimKhan'sand isstormingthe streets,angryabout
Baba's liesandbetrayal.
Amirorderssome teain a teahouse.He startsto go overall the signs he didn'tunderstandasa boy,but whichare
abundantlyclearnow.
AmirremembersDr.KumarfixingHassan'sharelipandhow BabanevermissedHassan'sbirthday.
AmiralsoremembershowviolentlyBabareactedwhenAmirsuggestedtheygetnew servants.And how Babawept
whenHassanand Ali left.
AmirconsidersBaba'sprinciples:"There isonlyone sin.Andthatsinistheft[...]"(18.5).Babastole Ali'shonorand
stole Hassan'sidentityandAmir'sbrother.ButAmiralsoseeshow similarhe andBaba are:both betrayed"the
people whowouldhave giventheirlivesforus"(18.7).
Amirwondersif Ali andHassanwouldhave survivedif he hadn'tdriventhemoutof the house.Amirbeginsto
understandhow,bysavingSohrab,he mightatone forboth Baba's sinsand hisown.RahimKhan's phrase "There isa
wayto be goodagain"starts to make sense toAmir.
Amirgivesup.He'll travel toKabul and findSohrab.

CHAPTER 19:
The chapter openswithAmircarsickagain.Amirisin a car withFarid,his driver,onhiswayto Kabul to findSohrab.
AmirtriesFarid'shome remedyformotionsickness:alemon.Itdoesn'treallywork,butthere'ssome classtension
betweenAmirandFarid.Amircan'treallyrefuse the lemonwithoutseeminglikeasnob.
Theymake it throughthe checkpointatthe border.They've made itto Afghanistan.Amirseesaburned-outSoviet
tank.More tensionbetweenFaridandAmirsince AmirfledtoAmericaanddidn'texperiencethe upheavalof the
1980s and 1990s. FaridpullsoverandAmirgets sick.
Theystay the nightinJalalabadwithFarid'sbrother,Wahid.There are three youngragamuffinsrunningaroundwho
belongtoWahidand hiswife.WahidaskswhatAmirdoesinAmerica – Amirsays he'sa writer.Wahidasksif Amir
writesaboutAfghanistan.Amirgivesasummaryof some dreadful novel he wrote andsays,inresponse tothe
Afghanistanquestion,thathe'snot"[...] quite thatkindof writer"(19.56).Cue uncomfortable moment.Wahid
handlesitgracefully.
Wahid'swife serveseveryonetea.FaridaccusesAmirof returningtoAfghanistantosell hislandandmake money.
Wahidisn'thavingany of it. He tellsFaridto getsome manners.Whatdoesall thistell us?Faridhas some issueswith
wealthypeople;Amirfeelslike anoutsider;and Wahidisa good host.
Withsome prodding,Amirtellsthemwhyhe'sreallyinAfghanistan:torescue aHazara boynamedSohrab.Faridis
ashamedof himself.
Theyeat.Amirnoticesthat Wahid'skidsseemtobe staringat hiswristwatch.He givesittothembut theylose
interestinitveryquickly.Faridsayshe'll helpAmirfindSohrab.Everyoneretirestobed.
Amirhas a dreamabout Hassan(at leastwe thinkit'sa dream – it couldbe some sort of late-nightdaydreamsince
Amirhas trouble sleeping).Inthe dream,AmirseessoldiersaroundHassanat Baba's house;theyexecute him.Amir
catchesa glimpse of one of the soldier'sfaces:it'sAmir.
Amirwalksoutside.He feelsapangof nostalgiaforAfghanistan.He alsorealizesWahid'skidsweren'tstaringat his
watch at dinner– theywere staringat hisfood.
Faridand Amirskedaddle.Butbefore theyleave,Amirleavesawadof cash underneathamattressinWahid'shouse.

CHAPTER 20:
Amirand Fariddrive fromJalalabadtoKabul – there are "grimreminders"of the warseverywhere,like burnedtanks
(20.2).
Faridhas become "chattier"withAmireversince he learnedthe reasonforAmir'strip.TheyenterKabul.
Kabul isn'tquite the same,toput it mildly.Shoppingdistrictshave beenleveled,there are beggarseverywhere,and
the tree-linedboulevardsnolongerhave anytrees.The smell of diesel generators –the city'selectricityisunreliable
– burnsAmir'seyes.
A Toyotatruck filledwithTalibanmilitiadrivespast.Amirstaresatthemand Faridchastiseshim.
Amirtalksto a beggar.In the unlikeliestof coincidences,the beggarusedtoteachwithAmir'smotheratthe
university.Amirgetsafewdetailsabouthismother,whom, if youremember,diedgivingbirthtoAmir.She sounds
nice.
Amirand Faridpull upto the orphanage where theyhope tofindSohrab.It'sa mess:splinteredwalls,boarded
windows,crateredstreets,etc.The directorcomesoutto meetthem.
Whentheyshowthe directorthe photoof Sohrab,he barelylooksat itand says:"I am sorry. I have neverseenhim"
(20.71). Suspicious.Afterexplainingthey're notwiththe Taliban,thatthey're tryingtotake the childtoan American
couple,andthat Amiristhe boy's half-uncle,the directorletsthemin.
AmiralsomentionsthatSohrabisgood witha slingshot.Couldthisbe importantforlatereventsinthe novel?
It's not muchbetterinside.Some of the steel-frame bedsdon'tevenhave mattresses.The directorcomplainsabout
a lack of fundingfromthe Taliban.The sad thingis,he says,these kidsprobablyhave itbetterthanthe kidsonthe
street.The directoralsosaystheymay have arrivedtoolate to save Sohrab.
The directortellsAmirandFaridthat a Talibofficial comesbythe orphanage occasionallytobuychildren.Since the
directordoesn'thave anymoneyto runthe place,he takesthe money.
Faridgetscrazy angryand starts chokingthe director.Amirhasto convince Faridnotto kill the director.
The director,does,however,giveourheroessome veryuseful information:the Talibofficialwhobuysthe kidswill
be at Ghazi Stadiumthe nextday.

CHAPTER 21:
Amirand Fariddrive towardthe Wazir AkbarKhandistrict,where Baba'shouse is.Theysee a deadbodyhanging
neara restaurantAmirandBaba usedto frequent.Also,someonesellinghisprostheticleg.
Once theyget intothe Wazir Akbar,though,it'snotso bad. Mostlybecause the people behindthe Taliban –the
"real brainsof the government"asFaridsays – live here (21.12).
Amirinterruptsthe narrative withamemory:he'sback inhischildhooddayswithHassanandtheyfinda turtle
behindthe sweetbriarbushes.Theypaintitsshell redandmarcharoundwiththeir"fire-breathingmonstrosity,"
callingthemselvesgreatexplorers(21.15).
Amirkeepspokingaroundhisoldhouse.There'sajeepinthe drivewaywhere Babausedtopark hisblackMustang.
The Wall of AilingCornisstill there.Faridstartshonkingthe hornbecause Amirisdilly-dallyingonmemorylane.
There'sa little exchange betweenAmirandFaridaboutforgettingthe past.Faridsaysit makesiteasier"togo on" if
youjust forgetthe past;the newAmir,whoarrivedsomewhere aroundChapter14, wantsto rememberthe past.
Amirasks fortenmore minutes.He walksuptothe hill withthe pomegranate tree.(We atShmoopare getting
chokedup.Is itpossible tofeel nostalgicaboutafictional place?) The tree haswilted,butAmirfindshisandHassan's
inscription:"AmirandHassan.The Sultansof Kabul"(21.38). Faridhonksagain.
Amirand Faridget a hotel roominPashtunistanSquare.It'sa real dive,butstill costsAmir$75. No hot water,a
cracked toilet,abloodstain,anda wornmattress.AmirandFarid eatsome kabobsand tell MullahNasruddinjokes.
Faridfallsasleep.
The nextday,theygo to Ghazi Stadium.A streeturchintriestosell Amirsome "sexypictures"(21.67).The stadium
fieldisnowjusta dirtpatch insteadof lushgrass.It's a sorry soccer match:the playershave towearsweatpants
because of the Taliban'sdecencylaws.Talibofficialsroamthe aisleswithwhipslookingforanyfanswhocheertoo
loudly.Butthe real showhappensathalf-time.
Three redpickupsdrive ontothe field.Here'sourcastof characters:the Talibclericthe orphanage director
described,two blindfoldedadulterers,andsome Talibguards.The clericgivesascary sermonaboutsinand
punishingthe sinnerin"amannerbefittinghissin"(21.79).The two adulterershave beenplacedintwoholesinthe
ground.The clericstarts to stone them.Everysooften,a Talibman witha stethoscope checksthe heartbeatof the
adulterers.Once the adulterershave beenkilled,the Talibguardsloadthemupina truck and fill the holes.The
soccer game resumes.
Amirarrangesa meetingwiththe clericforlaterthatafternoon.

CHAPTER 22:
Faridpullsupto the cleric'shouse inWazir AkbarKhan,Amir'soldneighborhood.Faridsayshe'sgoingtowaitinthe
car. We guessyoujusthave to do some thingsonyour own.
ArmedguardsfriskAmirat the door. TheyshowAmirintoa sittingroomwhere he waitsnervously.(He wondersif
he'snot beingtrue to hiscowardice.Basically,he'sdoingsome mental gymnasticstojustifybailingonSohrab.)
The clericwalksin.He has ona goldwristwatch,JohnLennonsunglasses,anda white robe.He alsosmokes.Amir
spotstrack marks (fromdrug use) onhisarms. Hisrobe is still stainedfromthe stoningearlierthatday.Thisguy is
aboutas despicableasyoucan get.
The clerictalksabout the "real show"of August1998 whenthe TalibanmassacredHazaras inMazar-i-Sharif.Then
the clericshareshow"liberating"itwastokill all the Hazaras. If you hadn'talreadyguessedit,thisguyisa
psychopath.
Amirtellshimhe'shere forthe boy.Afterthreateningtohave Amir shotforleavinghiswatan(homeland) inatime
of war,the clerichas the boy broughtin.
It's Sohraball right.But he's gotbellsonhisankles.The guardis carryinga boom box.Thisisgettingweird.
One of the guardsturns on the boombox and Sohrab starts to dance.The guardsand the clericcheerand jeer,etc.
Once the song ends,the clericcallsSohraboverand strokeshisback.Thisguy isa pedophile,too.
Suddenlythe TalibclericasksAmirwhathappenedto"oldBabalu"(the meanneighborhoodnicknameforAli).He
sayssomethingaboutneverforgettingaface.It's Assef.
Amirofferstopay Assef forSohrab.Too bad.Assef isalreadyrich.Buthe doestell Amirhow he joinedthe Taliban:
some Parchami soldiers(partof the socialistpartwhosupportedSovietrule inAfghanistan) arrestedAssefandhis
father.Atthe jail,acommandantwouldbeatone of the prisonerseverynight.Onthe nighthe pickedAssef,Assef
has beentryingtopass kidneystonesforthree days.Sowhenthe commandantkicked Assef inthe ribs,he said
somethinglike"Godisgreat."The commandantkickedhimharderand harderbut Assef justlaughed.The
commandantthrewAssef backinhiscell.Assef givesAmirthe moral of the story:God ison Assef'sside andhe's
alive fora reason.
Amirasks if Assef'spurpose inlifeistorape children.There'sabrief exchange betweenAssef andAmiraboutethnic
cleansing.ThisguyAssef isareal jerk.It's hard to describe how evil he is.
Unexpectedly,Assef tellsAmirhe canhave Sohrab."What's the catch?" youmay ask.Well,Amirhasto fightAssef.
(Assef still holdsagrudge againstAmirfromthe time Hassanpulledaslingshotonhim.Assef saidhe'dgetboth
Hassan andAmir– so nowhe wants to fightAmir.)
The guards leave the room at Assef'srequest.Assef takesouthisfamousbrassknuckles.
Hosseini shifts –momentarily –to a scene ina hospital.Don'tgetscared:now we know Amirwill survive.
We're back at Assef'shouse.Assef actuallyturnsonthe musicbefore beginningthe beatthe daylightsoutof Amir.
There'sa lot of bleeding,shattering,breaking,ripping,andslamming.All donetoAmir.However,Amirstarts
laughingatsome point.He actuallyfeelsatpeace forthe firsttime since 1975 – the winterhe abandonedHassanin
the alleyway.
Suddenly,Sohrabtellseveryonetostop.Ourfighterslookup.Sohrabhas placeda brassball fromthe table inhis
slingshot.(Itsoundsheftyandsubstantial.) Aftersome uselesscommandstoSohrab,Assef getshisdue.Sohrablets
flyand the brassball smashesintoAssef'slefteye.Thisisthe same eye Hassanthreatenedtoblackenall those years
ago. Like father,like son –or something.
Sohraband Amirpeace out.They hopinFarid's car and they're off.

CHAPTER 23:
Amirisin the hospital.He'scominginand outof consciousness.He remembersridinginacar witha boy(Sohrab)
and someone who'sdrivingwaytoofast(Farid).Beeps,the facesof hisnurse anddoctor,Farid,and memoriesof
Soraya.
Amirevenimagineshe'sinthe Sulaiman MountainswithBaba.Babaseemstobe wrestlingabear.It'sa nastyfight.
Amirrealizesthathe isactuallywrestlingthe bear.He isBaba.He wakesupand seesSohraband Farid.Blacksout
again.
Amirisawake longenoughto addnamesto some facesand figure outwhat'sgoingon. Hisdoctor's name isArmand.
He's ina hospital inPeshawar.Assef broke afew of Amir'sribs,puncturedalung,splithisupperlipintwo(there'sa
nodto Hassan's harelip),andmore.Amircan'tevenopenhismouth.Buthe's goingto be OK.
Faridand SohrabvisitAmir.AmirformallymeetsSohrab – the showdownatAssef'sdidn'treallyallow time for
chitchat.FaridtellsAmirthatRahimKhan has lefthimaletter.
Here'sthe importantstuff fromRahimKhan'sletter:RahimKhansays Hassantoldhima few daysafterthe alleyway
incidentwhathappened.SoRahimKhanknewaboutthe rape all along.He alsosayshe's ashamedhe andBaba
didn'ttell AmirthatHassan washis half-brother–that theyliedforsomany years.
RahimKhan opensupa little aboutBaba,too:how muchBaba lovedAmir,how hardBaba was on Amir,howBaba
couldn'tlove Hassanopenly.Finally,RahimKhantellsAmirhe'slefthimsome moneyinabankin Peshawar.
Amirgetsa much-neededmorphineinjection.
Amirtakesa lookat his face ina mirrorthe nurse handshim.He looksterrible.He andFaridagree that the sooner
theygetout of Afghanistan,the better.Faridgoesoff tolookforThomasand BettyCaldwell,the Americancouplein
Peshawarwhoare supposedtoadoptSohrab.
Amirand Sohrabplaya card game calledpanjpar.SohrabtellsAmirthathisfather,Hassan,saidAmirwas"the best
friendhe everhad"(23.97).
A nurse'sassistanthelpsAmirwalkaround.AmirandSohrabplaypanjparthe whole nextday.ThatnightAmir
dreamsAssef isstandinginthe doorwaytohishospital room.Assef sayssomethingtothe effectthatAmirisreally
histwin,notHassan's, eventhoughHassanandAmirnursedfromthe same breast.Go away,Assef.
Amirdecidestoleave the hospital.Itseemskindof rash,buthe'sprobablygot toget out of Afghanistan.He'sgoing
to drop Sohraboff at the Caldwell orphanage andditchthiscountry.One problem:FaridinformsAmirthe Caldwells
don't exist.
Amirand Faridget RahimKhan'smoney fromthe bank.Theydecide Sohrabshouldgoto Islamabad,Pakistanwith
Amir.
Amirsleepsmostof the wayto Islamabad.Amirdreamsalot. He onlyremembersbitsandpiecesof the dreams,
whichseemmore,actually,likememories:Babamarinatinglamb;makinglove withSoraya;atripto the strawberry
fieldsinJalalabadwithBabaandHassan;the blooddrippingfromHassan'spantsafter the rape.

CHAPTER 24:
The chapter opensinIslamabad.Amirsaysit's"the cityKabul couldhave become someday"(24.1) withtree-lined
boulevardsandmodernarchitecture.
Amir,Farid,andSohrab geta hotel room(it'smuchnicerthan the dumpin Kabul – no bloodstains,cleantowels,
etc.).
FaridtellsAmirhe wantsto go home andsee hischildren.AmirtriestogetFaridto at leaststay the night,butno
luck.AmirgivesFaridan envelope withtwothousanddollarsinit – forhis troubles.Faridisshocked.Thisisa
substantial gift.Faridleaves.
Sohrabhas fallenasleep.Amirdecidestotake some of the painmedicationDr.Armand(the MD fromthe Peshawar
hospital) gave him.He zonksout.
WhenAmirwakesup,it's darkand Sohrab isgone.Ohflip.
Amirlimpsdowntothe front deskandasks the managerif he's seenSohrab.Noluck.AmirimaginesSohrablocked
ina car trunk, deadina ditch – you know,the usual parental worries.(Actually,he'sprobablyworriedthe Taliban
swipedSohrab.)
The manager andAmirfigure outSohrab musthave wanderedovertothe Shah Faisal Mosque,whichimpressed
Sohrabwhentheydrove past it. Afterannoyingthe hotel managerjustenough,Amirgetsthe managertodrive him
to the mosque.
AmirfindsSohrabat the mosque.He'ssittingonan islandof grass inthe parkinglot.The hotel managerdropsAmir
off and headsback tothe hotel.Amir sitsdownnexttoSohraband theyhave a little hearttoheart.
Sohrabtalksabout mosquesfora little bit.He asksAmiraboutAmir'sparents.The two talkaboutbeingorphansand
missingtheirparents.Sohrabisbeginningtoforgethisparents'faces.AmirgivesSohrabthe Polaroidphotoof
Hassan andSohrab.
The heart to heartcontinues.SohrabasksAmirif God will puthiminhell "forwhatI didto that man [Assef]"(24.75).
Amirtellshimof course not,and givesSohraba vague historyof hisand Hassan'sdealingswithAssef.Sohrabcries
for a little bit.He feels"dirty"because Assef sexuallyabusedhim.Infact,Sohrabdoesn'tevenwanthisfatherand
motherto see him,because he feelssosinful.Amircomfortshim.
ThenAmirasks The Big Question: "Wouldyoulike tocome live inAmericawithme andmywife?"(24.94).Sohrab
doesn'tanswer.
For a week,neitherAmirnorSohrabmentionAmir'soffer.Theygosightseeing,playcards,etc.Ata scenicspot inthe
city,the two have a picnic.Sohrabpointsouta hawkand asksAmirif there are hawksinSan Francisco.Amirdoesn't
reallyknow – butthe importantthingisthatSohrab acknowledgedAmir'soffertocome live withhimAmerica.
While picnicking,AmirblurtsoutthatHassanwas hisbrother.Sohrab is surprised:Hassanneversaidhe hada
brother.Amirexplains.Atfirst,Sohrabdoesn'tunderstandwhypeoplewould"hide itfromFatherandyou"(24.112).
Sohrabcatches on prettyquickly:Hassanwasa Hazara. NeithermentionthatBababetrayedSohrab'sgrandfather.
Later that afternoon,backat the hotel,SohrabandAmirwatch TV and talk aboutSan Francisco.While theytalk
aboutAmerica,twoclericsonTV discusswhetherornot a Muslimwill gotohell forwearingbaggypants.
Sohrabasks aboutthe weatherinSanFranciscoand the GoldenGate Bridge.Sohrabisscared to move to the US –
whatif Sorayaand Amirgettiredof him?What if theyputhimback in an orphanage?Amirpromisesthatwill never
happen.Sohrabagreestogo to AmericawithAmir.
That evening,AmirfinallycallsSoraya.It'sbeenamonthsince he'stalkedto her.He tellshereverything –about
Sohrab,Hassan,and hispast. He says he wantsthemto adopt Sohrab.Sorayaagreesto it.

Amirand Sohrabgo to the AmericanEmbassy.Amirneedstolookintothe logisticsof adoptingSohrab.WhileSohrab
sipssome lemonade inthe lobby,Amirtalkswithanofficial there namedRaymondAndrews.The newsisn'tgood:
chancesare the adoptionwon'tgo through.Amirdoesn'thave anywayto prove Sohrab's parentsare deadand
neitherdoeshe have anyproof he'sSohrab'shalf-uncle.RaymondAndrewssaysAmirshouldjustgive up.However,
as Amirleaves,he handsAmirthe businesscardof an immigrationlawyer.
On the wayout of the embassy,Amircausticallyremarkstothe secretary:"Yourbosscoulduse some manners"
(24.251). The secretaryinformsAmirthatMr. Andrewshasn'tbeenthe same since hisdaughtercommittedsuicide.
Ouch.
Back at the hotel,Sohrabtakesabath and AmircallsSoraya.Soraya saysshe calledKakaSharif,hercousin,whohas
connectionswithimmigrationservices.Sohrabhasbeenstrangelyquieteversince AmirmetwithRaymondAndrews
– it'sas if he sensespossible abandonment.Sohrabfinisheswithhisbathandfallsasleepinbed.Amirtakesabath
and shaveswithastraightrazor.
AmirmeetswithOmarFaisal,the immigrationlawyerRaymondAndrewsrecommended.He drivesouttoAmir's
hotel andtheytalkin EnglishwithSohrabinthe room.
Sohrab'sadoptionpresentslotsof problems:first,it'salwayshardtoadopt ina disaster;second,usuallythe US
ImmigrationandNaturalizationServices(INS) doesn'tlike tosendachildawayfromhis home country;third,Islamic
lawdoesn'trecognize adoption;andfourth,noadoptionagencyisgoingtosendsomeone toAfghanistan.
Basically,whatitcomesdownto isthis:Amirdoesn'thave anypapersto prove he'sSohrab's half-uncle andthe only
chance Amirhas of adoptingSohrabisto put himback inan orphanage.Thenan adoptionagencycouldOKAmirand
Soraya as parents.Of course,the real catch is that Amirhasjust promisedhe won'teverputSohrabback inan
orphanage.
Amirhas to breakthe newsto Sohrab,whichisn'tgoingto be easy.He tellsSohrabthatMr. Faisal says there isway
to getSohrab to America,butitmay take a while.Andthathe may have to put Sohrabinan orphanage for a little bit
inthe course of thisprocess.Sohrabdoesn'ttake the last part well atall.There'ssome sobbingandtrembling.
Sohrabfallsasleep.SodoesAmir.
The phone wakesupAmir.It's Soraya.The bathroomlightisonand AmirfiguresSohrabmustbe takinga bath.
Soraya tellsAmirthatKakaSharif has founda wayfor themto adoptSohrab.(Whydid Amirtell Sohrabtheywould
have to put himinan orphanage?Didn'tthe Kaka Sharif connectionseempromisingtohimearlier?)
Anyway,thisisgoodnews.Amirknocksonthe bathroomdoor to tell Sohrab,butthere'snoanswer.Amiropensthe
door.Sohrab hasslithiswristswiththe straightrazor.

CHAPTER 25:
Amirisat the hospital.Orderlieswheel Sohrabintothe emergencyward – Amirhasto stay inthe waitingroom.He's
beside himselfwithshockandpanic.
Amirgrabs some linensfromasupplycloset.He asksthe nurse whichwayis west,but she doesn'tunderstandhis
question.A policemannearbypoints.AmirkneelsdownandpraystoAllah,promisinghe'll fastandprayand make a
pilgrimage if onlyGodwill save Sohrab.(Amiralsoasksforgiveness.)
Late at night,Amirfallsasleep inthe waitingroom.Nowordyeton Sohrab.Amirhopesthisisall a dream.
Dr. Nawazwakesup Amir.Sohrabisalive.The doctorshad togive himseveral bloodtransfers,butSohrabmade it –
he wouldn'thave if he weren'tyoungandstrong.
Dr. Nawaztakes Amirto see Sohrabin the ICU. Amirfallsasleepagain.The nurse takeshimtoa nearbylounge
where he can getsome rest.It's morning.He dozesoff and hasa dreamwhere Dr.Nawazturns intoRaymond
Andrews.
AmirkeepswatchoverSohrabduringthe day and wandersaroundthe hospital atnight.The doctorsmove Sohrab
out of the ICU, whichis a goodsign.Amirgoesback to the hotel andtossesand turnsall night.Asexpected,the
hotel managerkicksAmiroutof the hotel inthe morning – suicide attempts are badfor business.Amirunderstands.
He leavesforthe hospital.
Amirstopsat a Persianbookstore.
Amirarrivesat the hospital.Sohrabisinhisnewroom, thoughhe'son suicide watch.AmirtriestalkingtoSohrabbut
withoutmuchsuccess.He eventriesreadingthe Shahnamahwhichhe boughtatthe Persianbookstore.Thatdoesn't
workeither.
Sohrabsays he's"tiredof everything"(25.47).He wishesAmirhadlefthiminthe bathtub.Or that he had hisoldlife
back – RahimKhan,Hassan,Farzana, andSanaubar.
AmirtellsSohrabhe can't give himhisoldlife back,butthat he can take Sohrabto Americanow – that'swhat he
wantedtotell Sohrabwhenhe knockedonthe bathroomdoor.
Amirasks forSohrab'sforgivenessandtellsSohrabhe'llnevergoback ona promise everagain.Sohrabdoesn't
respond.AsSohrabdriftsoff to sleepagain,he says,"Iam so khasta[tired]"(25.60).
SohrabneverreallyacceptsAmir'soffertake himtoAmerica.Buthe doesn'tdeclineiteither.Andthere'snowhere
else forSohrabto go, soAmirtakesSohrab withhimto America.
One night,back inhisand Soraya'shome in Fremont,California,Amircan'tsleep.He wandersintothe roomthey've
giventoSohrab.Amirpicksup the photographof Hassan and Sohrab,whichSohrabhas putunderhispillow.Amir
realizesthathe'sforgivenBabaforlovingHassan.
The nextnight,AmirandSoraya have the General andKhanumTaheri overfor dinner.Amirtellsthe General about
the state of Kabul and Afghanistan.
The General asksabout Sohrab – whydidAmirbringa Hazara boyback? KhanumTaheri and Sorayatry to intervene,
but Amirstandsup forhimself andtellsthe General verybluntlythatSohrabishisnephew.He tellsthe General
aboutBaba and Sanaubar andHassan. Andgivesthe General alittle piece of advice:"Youwill neveragainreferto
himas 'Hazara boy' inmy presence.He hasa name and itsSohrab"(25.98). Boo-yah.
So,all thistime,eversince the hospitalinIslamabad,Sohrabhasn'tsaidaword.He's beencompletelysilent.It'shard
on Soraya,whothoughtup all sorts of activitiesforheradoptedson.ButSohrabsleepsandissilent.

September11thhappens.Amirarrivedbackinthe StateswithSohrabin August,soabouta monthpassesbefore the
Towersfall.Suddenly,everyone istalkingaboutAfghanistanandthe citiesof Amir'schildhood.The USArmyinvades
Afghanistan.
Soraya andAmirget involvedincharityworkfora hospital onthe Afghan-Pakistani border.
Sohrabis still silent.
Shiftto March of 2002. KhanumTaheri,Amir,Soraya,andSohraball go to Lake ElizabethParktocelebrate the
AfghanNewYear.It's raining.Peopleare cookingtraditionaldishes,playingAhmadZahirsongs,andtellingMull ah
Nasruddinjokes.SohrabwandersaroundandAmirinformsusnoone reallycommentsonSohrab'smuteness
anymore – Sohrab hasjust become apart of "the background"(25.117).
In the afternoon,the rainstops.Someone firesupabarbecue andgrillskabobs; someone putsonsome newmusic
Amirhasn't heard.And,most,importantly,peopleare flyingkites.
Amirbuysa kite.He walksovertoSohrab andshowshimthe kite.He tellsSohrababoutthe old dayswhenHassan
was the bestkite runnerinall of Kabul.
Amirasks Sohrabif he wants to helphimflythe kite.Noanswer.SoAmirtakesoff runningandthe windliftshiskite
intothe air. AmirnoticesSohrabisstandingrightbeside him.
AlthoughSohrabdoesn'tanswerwhenAmirasksif he wantstoholdthe string,Sohrabdoestake the stringinhis
hands.It's a bigmoment.
A greenkite startsclosingin.(Don'tforgetthe fightingpartof Afghankite flying!) Sohrabhandsthe stringtoAmir
and Amir,veryconfidently,sayshe goingtoteachthe greenkite a lesson.
While Sohrabholdsthe spool,AmirdoesHassan's"oldlift-and-dive"trick.AmiristransportedbacktoKabul –
Hassan,crows, mulberries,sawdust,andAli dragginghisfoot.Amircutsthe greenkite!
The people watchingapplaud.Sohrabsmiles.AndwhenAmirasksSohrabif he wantsAmirto run the greenkite for
him,Amirthinkshe seesSohrabnod.
Before he takesoff,Amirsaysto Sohrab,justlike Hassansaidall those yearsago inKabul,"Foryou,a thousandtimes
over"(25.164)

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TH KITE RUNNER: Full Chapter Summary's