The Kite Runner
Chapters 7 - 9
The summaries have been taken from the
BookRags guide to The Kite Runner.
You will receive the full guide in a revision
pack after Christmas.
Chapter 7 Summary
“In the end I ran.“
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The sky is described as ‘a blameless blue’ (p.53). What significance does this
take on later in the chapter?
The night before the kite tournament, Hassan dreams of rumours of a monster in
the lake. Only he and Amir swim safely in the lake. Hassan believes the dream
signifies something. Amir ignores Hassan's fears and expresses nervousness
about the tournament. Hassan assures him of victory and prays for it. Amir thinks
he may be an atheist, like his father.
At the neighborhood field, nearly fifty kites fly high. After hours of fighting and
dodging, Amir and Hassan fly one of the two remaining kites. He finally wins the
tournament and sees his father clap. He plans to present two kites to his father,
his own and that o the second place flier. Hassan runs to catch the second place
kite, smiling and promising to find it for Amir. Amir remembers this is the last of
Hassan's smiles that he sees.
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Hours later, Amir hunts for Hassan, hoping he has the desired kite. He
finds Hassan in an alley, with the blue kite. Assef and his gang surround
Hassan. Assef demands the kite, but Hassan refuses, wanting to keep
his promise to Amir. Amir watches for his hiding place as the gang beats
Hassan. Finally, Assef rapes Hassan as the other boys hold him down.
The look on Hassan's face reminds Amir of a sheep just before
slaughter. Amir weeps and runs home.
One the way, Amir catches up with Hassan. He receives the coveted
blue kite, but feels little joy in it. The two boys never discuss what
happened in the alley.
Commentary – ch.7
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We finally witness the event that Amir has been aluding to since
ch. 1.
Hassan doesn‘t fight what happens but accepts his fate-he gets
"the look of the lamb" in his eyes-because his loyalty to Amir
makes him willing to suffer even the violent act of rape.
Hosseini uses italicized memories to represent Amir's emotional
dissociation during the rape. In the alley, he is overcome by fear
and he sees images. He shows us that Amir is in a state of panic
and inner conflict. Still, he makes a conscious decision to
abandon Hassan, whom he feels on some level to be his
"sacrificial lamb" and "just a Hazara."
Commentary –ch.7
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In light of this, we can see the interruption of italicized
memories as a representation not only of Amir's confusion
and panic, but the moment when he became a true
coward.
We could dismiss the act of running away because Amir
was a frightened child, but after the rape, his fear of being
discovered and his capacity for betrayal only intensifies. As
Amir says in Chapter One, that moment in the alleyway
defined the rest of his life and, twenty-six years later, sent
him on a quest for redemption.
Chapter 8 Summary
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“Hassan milled about the periphery of my life after that. “
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Amir goes weeks without seeing much of Hassan. Ali asks
Amir something happened after the tournament. Amir denies
knowing anything and Hassan just says he is sick.
Anxious to get a way an also enjoy his father's newfound
pride, Amir suggest a day trip to Jalalabad. Baba agrees, but
before the day comes, he manages to invite a crowd. On the
way there, he brags on Amir's win in the kite-fighting
tournament.
Internally, however Amir sees himself as the monster in
Hassan's dream. He feels no joy in his time away with Baba.
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Once thy return, Hassan seeks Amir to makes amends for the
rift in their relationship. The continued loyalty from Hassan
brings more guilt to Amir. The continued guilt causes Amir to
ask Baba why they never hire new servants. Baba reacts with a
vehement denial. He says they are Hassan's family.
Weeks later, after school resumes, Hassan asks Amir to join him
at their tree for a story. Amir goes, but feels too much guilt to
enjoy the time. He pelts Hassan with pomegranates until the
red juice runs down his face. Hassan refuses o fight back. Amir
also notices that his relationship with Baba fades after he
questions Ali's job.
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Nevertheless, Baba throws Amir a large thirteenth birthday party.
Local merchant, thankful for Baba's generosity, donate food and
supplies. Baba even hires Ahmad Zahir, a famous Afghan pop singer.
Assef attends the party with his influential father. Baba reminds Amir
to politely accept Assef's gift. Amir throws the book, a biography of
Hitler, into a deserted field. Rahim Khan finds Amir sitting alone. He
tells Amir of his attempted marriage to a Hazara woman years prior.
Rahim Khan assures Amir that his family's intervention was for the
best. Amir receives a notebook from Rahim, in which to write his
stories. In the light of the fireworks that night, Amir sees Hassan
serving drink to Assef and his friends.
Commentary – ch. 8
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Amir's guilt begins to consume him immediately after the rape.
He becomes an insomniac. He cannot bear to be around Hassan,
who reminds him of his guilt by merely existing.
Instead of making him right his wrong, Amir's guilt leads him into a
cycle of wrongdoing.
The only thing that sickens Amir as much as his guilt is the fact that
Hassan will not do anything to stand up for himself. The incident
with the pomegranates embodies Hassan's insistence on 'taking the
high road' when it comes to violence and anger. Instead of pelting
Amir with pomegranates, he smashes one into his own forehead, as
though he is truly incapable of hurting someone else.
Chapter 9 Summary
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“…it was not the book but I who was unworthy.“
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The next morning, Amir sees the pile of gifts as blood money. He thinks
he only received the attention and gifts because of winning the
tournament, because that caused his father's attention. Baba presents
Amir with a bicycle and a watch. Amir only enjoys the notebook from
Rahim. As he gazes at the pile of gifts, he decides one of them has to go.
The next day, Ali presents Amir with an illustrated copy of the legends
the two boys have long enjoyed. After Ali and Hassan leave for the
market, Amir hides some of his birthday money and the watch from his
father under Hassan's mattress. He reports the theft to his father and
waits.
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Surprisingly, when Hassan and Ali join them in Baba's office,
Hassan confesses to the theft. Amir wants to tell the truth, but
fears what it will do to his waning relationship with his father.
However, all react with shock when Baba forgives Hassan.
Yet, Ali says they have decided to leave. He resigns his job. It is
then that Ami knows Hassan saw him that day in the alley and
has told his father the truth. Baba begs them to stay, crying and
pleading, to no avail.
Commentary – ch.9
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On the one hand, we cannot blame Amir for feeling
disconnected from Hassan and Ali; after all, he was raised to
know them as servants-cherished ones, but servants
nonetheless. Amir's name even means "prince," making it
seem as though he should hold such a view.
On the other hand, Hassan and Ali are human beings and it
is cruel of Amir to treat them as inferior. Amir's actions
toward his relatives, even though he does not know they
are, call into question the importance of family ties.
Discuss with a partner
In what way are the final lines of the
chapter poetic?
Activity for Homework
Write one page on the writer’s use of
imagery to create specific moods or
frame specific attitudes in the
opening six chapters.
Homework
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Writing:
Write a one page response for the following:
Discuss the fact that the characters' names have particular
meanings, Rahim = compassionate, Hassan = handsome,
Amir = prince.
DUE September 7th