THE KITE RUNNER
Chapters 5,6,7 and 8
SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 5
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In this chapter, we get a first glimpse of the future
events in Afghanistan, ‘The earth shook a little and
we heard the rat-a-tat-tat of gunfire’. The future
events in the book are foreshadowed in this sentence,
the onomatopoeia brings the idea of gunfire to life,
helping the reader to get into the mind of the
characters.
This is also the chapter in which Assef and his friends
first torment Hassan and Amir, Hassan draws the
slingshot and threatens Assef with the line ‘I will
change your name to one eyed-Assef’, this is ironic as
it shows Hassan in control, whereas in the future
events, the roles are reversed.
Baba also pays for Hassan to get his lip fixed which is
also ironic as that is a factor that makes him stand
out as a Hazara, even when it is change he is not
treated as an equal.
SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 6
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In chapter 6, Amir tests his and Hassan’s friendship, he
says, ‘would you ask me to do that?’ when Amir asks if he
would eat dirt for him. It is clear that Hassan would do
anything for Amir, however Amir is willing to test that
friendship. In the later chapters we wonder if Amir is a
true friend to Hassan as he does not stand up for him.
Baba also buys Hassan a kite for his birthday, we
understand that they are close and Baba treats them well,
but all fits into place when we later find out that Baba is in
fact Hassan’s real father. Amir is always jealous of the way
that Baba treats Hassan and he eventually finds out why.
This is also the night before the kite running tournament,
Hassan states that he thinks Amir will ‘make Baba proud’,
this ironic as the events that occur on that day would far
from make his father proud of him if he only knew the
truth.
SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 7
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Hassan has a dream in which Amir and Hassan go
swimming in the monster invested waters and
become heroes for convincing that there is no monster
in the lake
Amir is under pressure during The Kite Tournament
as he wants to win to make Baba proud of him for
once
Amir and Hassan win The Kite Tournament and
Hassan promises to get the last fallen kite for Amir
Hassan runs into Assef, Wali and Kamal who
threaten him to give the kite to them however Hassan
is loyal to Amir and refuses to give it to them
As punishment for not giving Assef the kite, Assef
rapes Hassan
Amir is hidden and watches Hassan getting raped yet
does nothing to stop it and acts like he does not know
afterwards
QUOTES OF CHAPTER 7
“like paper sharks roaming for prey”
 “For you a thousand times over!”
 “And then? Well… happily ever after, of course.
What else?”
 “They’d cornered some kind of wild animal that
only Assef could tame”
 “A loyal Hazara. Loyal as a dog”
 “I call for help but the wind drowns my cries”
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SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 8
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Ali talks to Amir about Hassan being distant and
Amir acts like he does not know what is wrong
Baba gives Amir more attention after winning The
Kite Tournament
Hassan kept trying to rekindle their friendship but
Amir is constantly distant
Amir questions Baba and asks him to get new
servants and Baba reacts in a very angry ashamed
way and refuses to replace Ali and Hassan
Amir is trying to make Hassan get revenge on him
and hit him with pomegranates so that he doesn’t feel
as guilty but Hassan refuses and hits himself instead
At Amir’s birthday party Assef gives him a
autobiography of Hitler
Hassan is serving drinks at the party and Assef and
his friends taunt him yet again.
QUOTES OF CHAPTER 8
“It had grabbed Hassan by the ankles, dragged
him to the murky bottom. I was that monster.”
 “I’d stand there, gasping in my own little airless
bubble of atmosphere”
 “And Hassan… Hassan’s not going anywhere, do
you understand?”
 “ I wished he’d give me the punishment I craved,
so maybe I could finally sleep at night.”
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CREATIVE RESPONSE:
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