The Kite Runner, Chapters 14-21
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1. Why is a Amir so quiet as he hangs up the phone? Rahim Khan is sick
2. What does Aflatoon’s name mean in Farsi? Plato, philosopher
3. What is different about Soraya’s appearance? (190-1) she is heavier, hair gray, still pretty
4. Amir says that “fifteen years of marriage had turned” he and Soraya into what? mind readers (191)
5. What does Amir notice as he sits at Golden Gate Park? Man/son playing, kites (192)
6. What does Amir now realize that Rahim Khan knows about his past? That Hassan was raped and that
Amir lied about Hassan stealing (192)
7. What did Rahim Khan tell Amir just before hanging up? “There is a way to be good again.” (192)
8. What injury has the General suffered? Broken hip (192-3)
9. What did Khala Jamila do while the General was in the hospital that reminded Amir of Afghanistan?
Sing (193)
10. How has Soraya’s relationship with her father changed? He listens to her, walk together (193), they
are healing and feeling redemption
11. What was Soraya’s savior? Sleep
12. What was Amir’s savior? Reading
13. As he drifts off to sleep, what image comes to Amir’s mind? Hassan, running, happy, “For you, a
thousand times over!”
14. Why is Amir having trouble sleeping? Knows what he must do; cannot be a coward any longer (194),
he must confront the past
Themes/Elements: the persistence of the past (Rahim Khan calls, all memories return, image of Hassan),
the presence of the kite (very different here, not combat and competition but pure joy); redemption
(Soraya and her father); disappointment (Amir sees man with son and he can have no children and has
lost his own father); loyalty (Hassan’s loyalty was unwavering, Amir must do the same for Rahim Khan
and possibly Hassan)
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What does Gholam tell Amir about Pakistani and Afghani people? Like brothers, Muslims must help
Muslims (195)
What is the tone of Amir’s description of present day Peshawar? Lively, rich, smells good, music,
crowded (196)
Gholam tells Amir that most Afghani’s in Peshawar live in what condition? Poor, but starting businesses
How did Baba react the last time he saw Rahim Khan in person? Cried (196)
What did a creative writing teacher at San Jose State once tell Amir? “Avoid them like the plague.” (197)
Why is Rahim Khan’s physical condition like an “elephant in the room?” (197) it is so obvious how
terribly sick he is but no one says anything
Rahim Khan says the Taliban don’t allow people to be what? human (198)
Why was Rahim Khan beaten at a soccer game? (199) the man next to him cheered too loudly
Why did people in Kabul knock holes in their walls? (199) to get quickly past dangerous areas
What has happened to the orphanage Baba built? (200) collateral damage, destroyed
How does Rahim Khan respond when Amir asks him how he is? “Dying” (201)
What is ghamkhori? Self-pity
What is Zendagi migzara? Life goes on.
Who was living in Baba’s house with Rahim Khan? Hassan (202)
Themes/Elements: Afghanis as a people seem to accept fate, don’t fight it; disappointment (Rahim sick,
Kabul and homes destroyed)
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Who begins the narration in this chapter? Rahim Khan
What is the main reason Rahim Khan looks for Hassan in 1986? Lonely (203)
How does Rahim Khan feel about living in Baba’s house? (204) it isn’t right, Baba designed it
How does Hassan react when Rahim Khan visits? (205) kisses hand
How has Ali died? (206) landmine, “Is there a more Afghan way of dying?”
Who is Farzana? Hassan’s wife (206)
How did Baba react when Ali got polio? (206) cried
How does Hassan react when Rahim Khan tells him of Baba? Cries (207)
What is zendagi? Life (207)
What is ihitram? Respect (208)
Where does Hassan move when he returns with Rahim Khan? (208) his old shack
Why does Hassan wear black for forty days? Mourning Baba (208)
What happened to a whole section of the “Wall of Ailing Corn?” rocket destroys (208)
What happens to Farzana’s first child? (209) stillborn
Who returns in 1990? (209) Hassan’s mother, Sanaubar
Hassan never asks Sanaubar what? (211) where she’s been or why she’s left
What does Hassan name his son? Sohrab (211)
What does Hassan’s son call Sanaubar? “Sasa” (211)
Sanaubar is buried in a cemetery by what landmark? (211) pomegranate tree
Rahim Khan says what always hurts the most? (211) to have and lose than to never have at all; echoes
Shakespeare
Hassan takes Sohrab to the zoo to see what? Marjan the lion (212)
Rahim Khan says that Sohrab reminds him of whom? (212) Amir
What does Hassan say when he learns the Taliban have taken control of Afghanistan? “God help the
Hazaras now.” (213)
A few weeks after taking power, the Taliban ban what? kite flying (213)
Themes/Elements: redemption (Sanaubar is a good grandmother but was a terrible mother);
forgiveness (Hassan does not judge his mother); honor (Hassan will not move into Baba’s house); loyalty
(Hassan mourns Baba’s death because he does not forget the debt he owes him)
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What is in the envelope Rahim Khan gives Amir? (215) a photo of Hassan and Sohrab
What has Hassan learned to do while Amir was in America? (215) read and write
Why was Farzana beaten in the market and what does this say about the place of women in Talibancontrolled Afghanistan? (216) she spoke too loudly
In one of his letters, Hassan says he hopes his son does not grow up to be what like his father? (217)
stupid
What does Hassan mention about the pomegranate tree? (217) barren
What dreams has Hassan been having? (218) horrible ones of corpses and death but also of kites
flying—symbol of hope, return of innocence
What excuse do the Taliban give for moving into Baba’s house? (219) not fit for a Hazara and they will
“keep it safe” until Rahim returns
How do the Taliban justify killing Hassan and Farzana? (219) self-defense
What favor does Rahim Khan ask of Amir? To bring Sohrab to Pakistan (220)
How does Rahim Khan respond when Amir says that he can pay someone to go get Sohrab? (221) it isn’t
a matter of money, he is insulted
Baba used to tell Rahim Khan that “a boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who” cannot
do what? (221) stand up to anything
Rahim Khan tells Amir that he has been far too what? “Hard on youself” (222)
How many children did Ali have with his first wife? None (222)
How many children did Ali’s first wife have with her second husband? 3 (222)
Why did Rahim Khan not tell Amir who Hassan’s true father was? (223) “a shameful situation,” would
have dishonored Baba
Why does Amir feel his whole life has been a “lie,” and why is he so angry with Rahim Khan? (223)
Hassan was his brother and he treated him horribly, he is most likely most angry with himself
Themes/Elements: lies/truth (Baba’s comment on stealing when you lie; both Hassan and Amir have
been lied to; irony—Amir angry at being lied to, but he lied to have Hassan banished from his home);
redemption (Hassan learned to read and write although he grew up illiterate); prejudice and cruelty (the
Taliban prey on the weak, women and the Hazaras, because they can; Baba would not take
responsibility for fathering a child with a Hazara because of “shame”)
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Amir says, “How could I have been so ___________?” (224) blind
In the restaurant, Amir notices that where the legs of the table make an X there is a ring of what ? brass
balls (224)
What is nang or namoos? Honor (224)
According to Amir, why was Baba the worst kind of thief? (224) what he stole was sacred, his knowing
he has a brother, Hassan’s identity, and Ali’s honor at impregnating his wife
What does Amir now realize about himself and Baba? They were so much alike (226)
Rahim Khan has asked Amir to visit him to make up for whose sins? Baba’s and Amir’s (226)
How can the “cycle of lies, betrayals, and secrets” end? (227) with Sohrab
Baba said that Amir’s biggest problem was what? (227) someone always fought his battles
In one of his first acts of courage, Amir tells Rahim Khan he is going where? Kabul
When Rahim Khan says he will pray for Amir, what is it that he might be praying for exactly? 1. Literally,
that Amir finds Sohrab; 2. That Amir finally acts like a man and assumes responsibility; 3. Spiritually,
that, through finding Sohrab, Amir can forgive himself and quit punishing himself—that he can find his
redemption
Themes/Elements: redemption (Amir has a chance to redeem both himself and his father); lies/truth
(Amir must admit that the truth was always there in front of him but he refused to see it)
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What is ironic about the condition of the sign “The Khyber Pass Welcomes You?” (229) it is riddled with
bullets, hardly “welcoming”
In what way is Amir the same as he’s always been since he was a child? (228) gets sick in car
What is Farid’s attitude towards Amir? Doesn’t like him, doesn’t trust him or why he’s there
What does tashakor mean? Thank you
What is Farid’s cure for car sickness? (229) suck on a raw lemon
Amir said that “it was better to be miserable than _________.” Rude (229)
At what age did Farid go to war? 14 (230)
How was Farid’s father killed? Killed by helicopter gunship (230)
Why does Farid only have five children now? (230) two killed by mine, he loses fingers and toes
Amir has never worn what before? Pakol, a traditional hat
What was perhaps the most important item in Amir’s possession? (230) fake beard
Amir says he has one last chance at what? (231) redemption
Once he crossed into Afghanistan, what does Amir notice about the landscape? (231) poverty
Amir says that he feels like what in his own country? (231) tourist
What is a mehmani? Party (232)
How accurate is the description Farid gives of Amir’s life in Afghanistan? (232)
How is the old man Farid points to “the real Afghanistan?” (232) poor, broken, hopeless
Farid says that Amir has “always” been what? (232) a tourist in his own land
What can’t Amir find when he closes his eyes in Jalalabad? (234) sweetness of sugar cane
What does Farid give to the green eyed woman at the house that he denies to Amir? Smile (234)
What is a dzod? (235) robber
How would you characterize the relationship between Farid and Wahid? (235) warm, joking
What was the novel A Season for Gypsies about? (235) nothing of the real Afghanistan, purely escapist
What does Wahid suggest Amir write about? (236) Afghan under Taliban
What is ironic when Wahid tells Amir, “You know best, of course”? (236) actually, Wahid knows best
How does Wahid react when Farid says that Amir has returned to Afghanistan to sell his old family home
and make money? (236) angry, thinks Farid is being disrespectful to a guest
Why does Wahid think Amir is “an honorable man”? he is going to save Sohrab (238)
Why doesn’t Wahid give Amir any meat? (238) only Taliban can afford meat
What is a hadia? (238) gift
What does Amir think Wahid’s children are looking at? His watch (238)
What do the boys do with the watch, and what previous event does this echo? (239) they lose interest,
just as Amir did when he was a kid and was given a watch by Baba (103-4)
What does Farid say it was wrong of him to do? (239) to assume why Amir was in Afghanistan
What is Amir’s nightmare? (240) he is killing Hassan
What does Amir now understand about Wahid’s boys looking at his watch? (241) they were really
looking at his food
Just before he leaves Wahid’s house, what does Amir do when no one is looking? (242) leaves money
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What is the road to Kabul now like? (243) war has devastated it
Who, according to Farid, are sometimes luckier than refugees? (244) dead
How long does it take to get to Kabul? (244) 4 hours
What does Amir notice about most the beggars? (245) mostly children
What was now a “rare commodity” in Afghanistan? (245) fathers
What is the Topeh chasht? (245) noon cannon
Who was Saifo? (246) he sold kites when Amir was young
Why are there no trees in Kabul? (246) cut down for firewood or to take away cover for snipers
The Taliban are called the “__________ Patrol.” (247) Beard
Where should Amir keep his eyes when the Taliban are near? (248) his feet
Who did the old beggar know? (249) Amir’s mother
What does Amir learn about his mother? (250) she was happy but afraid being pregnant, very educated
What is the tone of the passage in which the orphanage is described? (251) dismal, shattered
How many orphans live in the facility? (253) 250
Who has taken Sohrab? (255) Talib official
Why does Farid attack the director of the orphanage? (255) he’s selling children
What is broken is Farid’s attack? (258) director’s glasses
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