The Kite Runner - Chapter Key Quotes & Possible Interpretations Flashcards
What key quotes are there in chapter 3?
(1) Talking about his father’s impressive abilities, Amir says - “no one ever doubted the veracity of any story about Baba”
- suggests Baba was truly as impressive as Amir tells us he was
- shows Amir’s great respect for his father, respect bordering on awe
- conveys possibility that Amir’s impression of his father comes from others reactions to him
(2) Baba tells the young Amir something which he fails to understand. Amir is upset and tells us “Baba heaved a sigh of impatience”
- Amir is a lesser man than his father, and so constantly disappoints Baba
- Amir sees Baba as such a strong man that he cannot help but feel less able
- Baba cannot empathise with a son who is very different from him and this emerges as disapproval
What key quotes are there in chapter 6?
(1) During a conversation Amir asks Hassan if he would ‘Eat dirt if I told you to’
- Amir is testing Hassan’s loyalty to him
- Amir is jealous of Hassan and the thought of forcing the boy to eat dirt pleases him
- ‘Eating dirt’ is a concept tied up with being at the lowest level of society. By using this image, Amir is showing his awareness of the different social levels he and Hassan inhabit
(2) After Hassan has used the Muslim phrase ‘Inshallah’ meaning ‘God willing’ Amir describes him as ‘so goddamm pure, you always felt like a phony around him’
- Amir is jealous of Hassan’s depth of belief and is embarrassed that he cannot share it
- By using the word ‘goddamm’ Amir shows his disrespect for religion and also reminds the reader of his American identity
- The word ‘phony’ can be used to sum up how Amir feels much of the time - like an actor playing a part
What key quotes are there in chapter 8?
(1) When Amir tells his father that Hassan is unwell, Baba looks worried. Amir says he “couldn’t help hating the way his brow furrowed with worry”
- Demonstrates, Amir’s jealousy over Baba’s feelings for Hassan
- Later, when we learn Baba is Hassan’s father, this expression of worry makes sense to us
- Amir’s use of the word ‘hate’ can be seen to be associated with his father as well as Hassan because he resents his strong desire to please his father
(2) At his own birthday party, Amir nearly tells Rahim Khan about witnessing the attack on Hassan, but stops himself. He wonders what Rahim would think and concludes “He’d hate me, and rightfully”
- Fear of other people’s reactions is what prevents Amir from telling them what he witnessed
- Rahim’s opinions of Amir is as important to him as Baba’s
- As readers, we suspect Rahim wouldn’t have this reaction. In this way, we can see that it’s actually Amir who hates himself, rather than it coming from others
What key quotes are there in chapter 11?
(1) Introducing their move to the USA, Amir says that “Baba loved the idea of America”
- Quotation shows that, like Amir, Baba is quite westernised
- Italics used for ‘idea’ show us that while Baba might like the things America stands for, he doesn’t feel the same way about the reality of the place
- Seemingly positive statement, but the emphasis on ‘idea’ warns us that problems will emerge
(2) Amir describes America as, “Someplace with no ghosts, no memories, and no sins”
- USA would seem to be an ideal place for Amir as, if this description is true, it will allow him to escape the guilt from his past
- An objective view of America would suggest this description isn’t true, and as a result, we are led to question Amir’s truthfulness as a character
- Fact Amir sees the USA this way suggests he is again ignoring his problems rather than facing up to them
What key quotes are there in chapter 18?
(1) Having learned Baba was Hassan’s father, Amir remembers Baba’s lesson that lying was the same as stealing, and stealing was the worst sin. He thinks “fifteen years after I’d buried him, I was learning that Baba has been a thief”
- Despite fifteen years having passed, Amir is still so caught up in his image of his father as a perfect man that a single failing feels like betrayal
- Amir is upset because this new knowledge has revealed his father to be less than an ‘ideal mean’ he had imagined him to be
- Amir’s indignation is misplaced. He himself has kept secrets and even worse, betrayed his friend
(2) Thinking of Baba’s actions, Amir realises his own offences and thinks, “like father, like son”
- Amir refers to this phrase as a cliché, but it’s not one that Amir has previously felt able to apply to himself as he always saw himself as so different from his father
- The phrase is used dismissively, to cast both Amir and Baba as bad men who wronged their friends. However, by the end of the novel, Amir will also have acquired some of Baba’s better attributes
- Amir is disappointed to find his father is just a man, like him
What key quotes are there in chapter 25?
(1) Amir tells the story of how he realised that Afghan culture was different and that all any Afghan wanted to know was “Was there happiness at the end”
- Amir is a novelist and so the concept of a happy ending is important to him. He is aware, however, that happy endings are not guaranteed in real life
- Shows Amir’s awareness that he may now live in America but will always be an Afghan. He has finally accepted his heritage
- Hosseini is communicating knowingly with readers who, as the conclusion of the book draws closer, want to know if there will be happiness at the end
(2) As Amir sets off to run the kite for Sohrab, he utters Hassan’s old phrase “For you, a thousand times over”
- Amir is showing he no longer thinks of himself as better than his ex-servant
- As a final act of penance, Amir has swapped places. Sohrab is now in Amir’s position, and Amir is Sohrab’s servant
- With one Afghan child saved from the Taliban, the use of the word ‘thousand’ reminds us that there are many more to be saved
