The Kite Runner

Question 1

“The past claws its way out.”
Chapter 1

Answer 1

Personifies the past as a monster, highlighting Amir’s childish mentality.
Emphasises the theme of guilt - Amir is ashamed of something

Question 2

“For you, a thousand times over.”
Chapter 1

Answer 2

Highlights Hassan’s limitless loyalty and devotion, which ends up being his downfall.
Theme of repentance

Question 3

“And made me what I am today.”
Chapter 1

Answer 3

‘What’ - dehumanising, highlights he is ashamed of his past
Cyclical structure of chapter 1 emphasises the importance of the event that happened in the winter of 1975, and defined him.

Question 4

“Hassan never denied me anything.”
Chapter 2

Answer 4

Highlights Hassan’s loyalty and dependence.

Question 5

“A modest little mud hut where Hassan lived with his father.”
Chapter 2

Answer 5

The contrast between Amir and Hassan’s houses reflects their uneven relationship and uneven power dynamic, which later on, Amir uses to his advantage, along with everyone else.

Question 6

“You! The hazara!”
Chapter 2

Answer 6

Referring to Hassan
Hazara’s are a persecuted ethnic group
Dehumanising

Question 7

“What a tight little sugary cunt she had!”
Chapter 2

Answer 7

Highlights the sexualisation of women and societal attitudes

Question 8

“His was Amir. My name”
Chapter 2

Answer 8

Portrays Amir’s influence over Hassan.
Foreshadowing

Question 9

“You can’t love a person who loves that way without fearing him too. Maybe even hating him a little.”
Chapter 3

Answer 9

Highlights Amir and Baba’s dysfunctional relationship which is prominent throughout the novel.

Question 10

“I mean to speak to you man to man. Do you think you can handle that for once?”
Baba, Chapter 3

Answer 10

Highlights the theme of relationships,
Baba treats Amir like a baby, and shows he doesn’t see him as a ‘man’

Question 11

“In school, we used to play a game called Sherjangi, or Battle Of The Poems.”
Chapter 3

Answer 11

Amir is more like his mother, rather than his father, therefore people do not view him as masculine, which as a result, puts a strain on his relationship with his father.

Question 12

“If I hadn’t seen the doctor pull him out of my wife with my own eyes, I’d never believe he was my son.”
Baba, chapter 3

Answer 12

Amir’s love of reading and lack of forcefulness results in him lacking a sound relationship with Baba.
Instead, Rahim Khan steps in and acts like a father figure to Amir, willing to accept him for his ‘flaws’.

Question 13

“Then, Baba and I drove off in his black Ford Mustang.”
Chapter 4

Answer 13

Baba is representative of the liberal, Americanised side of Afghanistan that will be eradicated in years to come.

Question 14

“I used one of Ali’s kitchen knives to carve our names on it: Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul.”
Chapter 4

Answer 14

Symbol of their happy childhood and friendship, which will be strained as a result of guilt and religion.

Question 15

“Or the dying Sohrab who only longed for his father’s love? Personally, I couldn’t see the tragedy in Rostam’s fate, didn’t all fathers in their secret hearts harbour a desire to kill their sons?”
Chapter 4

Answer 15

This story will echo throughout the novel as a symbol of the father/son relationship.
Amir understands the love/hate nature of his relationship with Baba.

Question 16

“That same night, I wrote my first short story…”
Chapter 4

Answer 16

Writing about his past guilt will become part of Amir’s redemptive process.

Question 17

“Your friend,
Rahim.”
Chapter 4

Answer 17

Rahim Khan acts as a step in father for Amir, giving him the attention and praise he craves.

Question 18

“What does he know, that illiterate Hazara? He’ll never be anything but a cook. How dare he criticize you?
Well, I began. But I never got to finish that sentence”
Chapter 4

Answer 18

Amir shows his selfishness and vanity, he always wants to be better than Hassan, and uses his wealth and education to put him down.
The Pashtun idea of Hazara’s as inferior is deeply ingrained in Amir’s subconscious.

Question 19

“I mean, with those tight little eyes, how does he see anything?”
Chapter 7

Answer 19

An example of institutional racism, attacking Hassan’s culture

Question 20

“Amir agha won the tournament and I ran this kite for him. I ran it fairly. This is his kite.”
Hassan, Chapter 7

Answer 20

Highlights Hassan’s utter determination and loyalty to Amir, despite he knows he will be punished for it.

Question 21

“I opened my mouth, almost said something. Almost. The rest of my life might have turned out differently if I had. But I didn’t. I just watched. Paralyzed.”
Chapter 7

Answer 21

The crux of the novel - this is the event Amir has been referring to.

Question 22

“On the other side of the wall, a rooster crows.”
Chapter 7

Answer 22

Biblical reference- ‘before the rooster crows 3 times, you will betray me.’

Question 23

“It was the look of the lamb.”
Chapter 7

Answer 23

Lamb - religious imagery
Like Jesus, Hassan sacrificed and suffered for Amir, emphasising Hassan’s devotion and utter loyalty to Amir.
Getting raped is the greatest shame because of masculine culture

Question 24

“Then a smile played on my father’s lips. He opened his arms. I put the life down and walked into his thick hairy arms. I buried my face in the warmth of his chest and wept. Baba held me close to him, rocking me back and forth. In his arms, I forgot what I had done. And that was good.”
Chapter 7

Answer 24

Portrayal of love and acceptance which is all he ever wanted from Baba. In Amir’s eyes, it makes up for Hassan’s suffering because his father portrayed love to him.

Question 25

“Ahesta boro, Mah-e-man, ahesta boro.
Go slowly, my lovely moon, go slowly.”
Chapter 10

Answer 25

Highlights the corruption of Afghanistan culture

Question 26

“It was living in America that gave him an ulcer.”
Chapter 11

Answer 26

Baba is physically ill, which is a broken portrayal of masculinity, usually presented as a strong male.

Question 27

“A city of harelipped ghosts.”
Chapter 11

Answer 27

Amir doesn’t truly escape from Kabul, his memories live with him.
This highlights the ever presence of Hassan and Amir’s guilt as a result.

Question 28

“Afghan families were working an entire section of the San Jose flea market.”
Chapter 11

Answer 28

Community to embrace their sense of comradeship. So many refugees shows the unsafety of Afghanistan.

Question 29

“It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime, Amir.”
Chapter 11

Answer 29

Links to the winter of 1975. The day Assef raped Hassan, which ruined both their lives.
Soraya has no identity, it belongs to her father.

Question 30

“The same song the Russian solder at the Mahipar checkpoint had sung the night Baba and I left Kabul:
Me morning into a key and throw it into the well,
Go slowly, my lovely moon, go slowly.
Let the morning sun forget to rise in the east,
Go slowly, my lovely moon, go slowly.”
Chapter 13

Answer 30

Prolepsis: Amir’s destiny is to go back to Kabul.

Question 31

“Baba never woke up.”
Chapter 13

Answer 31

Another one of Amir’s relationships ruined - he needs to return to Kabul.

Question 32

“Soraya told me that her mother had wanted to sing at our wedding, only one song, but the general gave her one his looks and the matter was buried.”
Chapter 13

Answer 32

Highlights the patriarchal society - women must follow men’s domain.
Also shows that women are confined to only the domestic role.