Chapter 4

Question 1

How does Chapter 4 open?

Answer 1

with a back story of Ali and Baba

Question 2

How does Amir rationalise the relationship between Ali and Baba and himself and Hassan?

Answer 2

through the history of region, religion and culture

Question 3

How does Amir try to prove his superiority over Hassan?

Answer 3

through his literacy

Question 4

What does the story “Shahnamah” which Amir reads to Hassan significant in doing?

Answer 4

in contrasting Amir to the admiral, heroic character

Question 5

What is significant of the fact that Hassan and Amir appear to mirror rate relationship of Baba and Ali?

Answer 5

the social class of Hazara’s have determined their definitive position as inferior beings within the Afghani social hierarchy.

Question 6

What are the two types of Muslims?

Answer 6

Sunni and Shi’a

Question 7

How does Amir compare his first 12 years growing up with Hassan?

Answer 7

to a “long lazy summer day”

Question 8

Amir compares the first 12 years growing up with Hassan to a “long lazy summer day” which contrasts to what?

Answer 8

to the shocking event of the winter day that moved Amir from the innocence of childhood to the harsh reality of adulthood

Question 9

Instead of using a single year to symbolise stages of Amir’s life, what does Hosseini do?

Answer 9

he uses the seasons to symbolise different emotional states in Amir’s existence

Question 10

What is the story emphasised from the Shahnamah which Amir reads to Hassan?

Answer 10

the story of mistaken identities and fathers and sons. supporting the thematic topic of relationships which is at the heart of the Kite Runner

Question 11

What quote supports the fact that Amir did not back down to Baba when he refused to read his short story?

Answer 11

he stood in front of him for “one of the longest minutes of my life”

Question 12

What is significant about the point that Amir did not back down to Baba when he refused to read his short story and stood in front of his for “one of the longest minutes of my life”?

Answer 12

he illustrated his similar strong willed nature to his father

Question 13

What demonstrates Hassan’s knowledge and intelligence

Answer 13

the fact that Hassan says “people…. will read you stories”

Question 14

What does the character of Hassan serve as?

Answer 14

a foil to demonstrates Amir’s shortcomings and to provide a point of comparison

Question 15

What continues to build suspense as more information is revealed?

Answer 15

Hosseini’s style and narrative technique

Question 16

What makes the Kite Runner a contemporary classic?

Answer 16

the recurring motifs mixed with the character and thematic development

Question 17

What car does Baba drive which Amir notices was driven in the American movie “Bullitt”?

Answer 17

a ford mustang

Question 18

What films and drinks do Hassan and Amir watch and drink?

Answer 18

Western movies staring American actors such as Charles Bronson
Coca Cola

Question 19

What is Assef’s aim?

Answer 19

a culturally pure, Pashtun people which Hazaras and American culture in Afghanistan threatens

Question 20

In this chapter, what does Amir realise?

Answer 20

his gift for storytelling

Question 21

What was Hassan’s cleft lip a symbol and reminder of?

Answer 21

the fact that he is a poor servant boy, when it is repaired, the balance is upset

Question 22

What has Amir’s guilt done?

Answer 22

it ended his childhood and haunted his adulthood

Question 23

What theme does the story of “Rostam and Sohrab” explore?

Answer 23

the theme of love and tension between fathers and sons.

Question 24

Why is 1933 a significant year?

Answer 24

as this is the year of Baba’s birth and the year that Zahir Shah started his 40 year peaceful reign of Afghanistan; this is important because the fall of Zahir Shah indicates the fall of Baba, the figure of western liberal society, and Afghanistan itself.

Question 25

What is the name of the story which Amir read to Hassan but changed the ending to his own?

Answer 25

“Rostam and Sohrab”

Question 26

Why is the motif of the Western as a film genre so relevant?

Answer 26

this is because of its clear delineation of good guys and bad guys and justice winning ou.

Question 27

Why is it significant that Amir changes the story of “Rostam and Sohrab” and does not teach Hassan how to read?

Answer 27

as in this way Amir maintains his power over the servant, to which his jealousy could not bear Hassan exceeding his own abilities.

Question 28

What does the pomegranate tree in the disused cementer symbolise?

Answer 28

it is symbolic of life and plenty, but also of the sweetness of the bond between brothers. The fact that it is disused forms it into a place of both life and death; a place in which the real world could not reach them. In addition, according to the Koran, pomegranates are one of the fruits that Muslims will find in the garden of paradise to cure envy and hatred.

Question 29

What does it suggest by the fact that Hassan can see the plot hole in Amir’s first story?

Answer 29

as this demonstrates Hassan’s ability to see things clearly as opposed to Amir’s more emotional and muddied thinking. Hassan’s intelligence is something which augments Amir’s social appropriation, suggesting that Hosseini believes that Pashtun prejudice aligns with jealousy and ethnic intolerance. Such can be seen when his subconscious refers to Hassan as an “illiterate Hazara,” which demonstrates his envy and bitterness towards his servants astuteness.