Chapter 3

Question 1

What does the complex nature of Amir’s and Baba’s relationship combine of?

Answer 1

love and fear and hate

Question 2

What does Baba say that all sins are a variation of?

Answer 2

the one and only sin-theft

Question 3

“A boy ___ _____ _____ ___ ___ ______ becomes a man who can’t stand up for anything”

Answer 3

who can’t stand up for himself

Question 4

What is unique to chapter 3 ?

Answer 4

it develops the complex characters of Baba and Amir

Question 5

Amir desires to be alone with his father, lying in order to do this, what characteristic does this show?

Answer 5

the characteristic of a desperate child

Question 6

The domino effect that a single lie has on the rest of a person’s life, and atoning for that lie is what in the novel?

Answer 6

an important thematic topic

Question 7

What is important about the jealous tone of Amir’s memories?

Answer 7

it reflects how he is now war of his jealousy

Question 8

What is important in Amir’s parental figures which explains why he is a desperate child?

Answer 8

his mother is gone physically and his father is gone emotionally; thus Amir is a an orphan living in a privileged “orphanage”

Question 9

What can be said about Amir as a child?

Answer 9

he is an orphan living in a privileged “orphanage”

Question 10

How can Amir’s character be described, similar to his father?

Answer 10

as morally ambiguous

Question 11

What quote reveals Baba’s character through demonstrating his break from other Muslims and illustrating the insightful nature of his character

Answer 11

“God help us all if Afghanistan falls into their hands’

Question 12

What is significant about the prophetic line, “God help us all if Afghanistan falls into their hands’

Answer 12

this demonstrates Baba’s break from other Muslims and illustrating the insightful nature of his character. This statement as well portrays him as more liberal than what Amir admits, depicting him as a traditional father who desires a masculine son. Amir often sees himself as the one ting his father could not mould to his desire.

Question 13

Amir- “I was always _____ _____ ____ ____ from other people”

Answer 13

learning things about Baba

Question 14

The juxtaposition of Baba’s shame for Amir and the way Amir correspondingly treats Hassan demonstrates what?

Answer 14

the similar way that siblings fight for parental affection

Question 15

What are the first 3 chapters focused on?

Answer 15

characterisation

Question 16

What is evidence of the fact that Baba does not listen to religious authorities?

Answer 16

he disregarded Mullah Fatiullah Khan saying that it is a sin to drink alcohol. “piss on the beards of all those self-righteous monkeys”

Question 17

What does Baba say about Mullah Fatiullah Khan and other religious authorities?

Answer 17

“piss on the beards of all those self righteous monkeys”

Question 18

What can be said for the relationship between Hassan and Amir?

Answer 18

they act as each others substitute parents. They are like brothers who are on occasion reminded that one is a Pashtun and one is a Hazara

Question 19

How does Hosseini familiarise his readers with Afghanistan?

Answer 19

using economic, ethnic and religious themes

Question 20

How can the religious differences between Amir and Hassan be reflected to Hosseini’s audience?

Answer 20

Catholic and Protestant

Question 21

When did Babe say “God help us all if Afghanistan ever falls into their hands” (Taliban)

Answer 21

after calling Mullah Fatiullah Khan and those like him “self righteous monkeys”

Question 22

What does Baba say is the only sin?

Answer 22

“That is theft”

Question 23

What does the image of Baba wrestling a black bear suggest?

Answer 23

that Baba is a strong, powerful man whom Amir has love and pride for as a man; but contempt for as a father. Amir mythologises his father, continually presenting stories of his great stature. Subsequently his desire to live up to his father’s wishes is futile as alike his father’s public persona, this goal is a myth rather than a reality.

Question 24

What is ironic about Baba building the orphanage as a benefactor?

Answer 24

as Amir highlights the poor relationship between him and his father

Question 25

What is interesting about the fact that Amir

“I wanted Babe all to myself”?

Answer 25

the narrative voice here is simple, almost childlike, reflecting the perspective of his memories. As such, Amir mythologises Baba, an attitude which seems to form a large part of Amir’s stories about his father throughout the novel

Question 26

Amir identifies himself as the one thing that his father could have “_____…..__ ___ ______”, he is not malleable alike business.

Answer 26

molded… to his liking

Question 27

What creates a barrier between Amir and Baba?

Answer 27

the extreme opposition of their behaviour, in this chapter Amir makes random comments about him having cancer and demonstrates one of the threads running through the novel of Amir being unable to bond with his father.

Question 28

By preventing Hassan from going to the lake, Amir in turn avoids the guilty which he feels about these cruel episodes of removing him from Baba’s affections. What does this foreshadow?

Answer 28

the way Amir drives Hassan away after his rape

Question 29

What is the significance of the opening of the orphanage?

Answer 29

as we see Baba in as a publicly idealised figure, reflecting Baba’s real charisma and abilities which are more than just simply romanticised views of his son.

Question 30

While having a very different personality to his father, Amir still wishes to emulate Baba. What does this contradiction power in the novel?

Answer 30

it powers Amir’s story towards reconciliation with his father and acceptance of who he is

Question 31

How is Amir’s immaturity shown in the end of the chapter?

Answer 31

by the fact that the people who congradulate his father tousle Amir’s hair as a symbol of this immaturity and not yet being ready to assume the mantle of his father