Kite Runner Chapter Summaries – Flashcards

- The time is currently December 2001, 26 years after an event that changed AMIR forever. Amir is haunted by a dream of "that deserted alley". Friend Rahim Khan calls -- Amir's "un-atoned sins" was also there. - Amir goes for a walk. It is sunny and he sees a pair of kites "[dancing]" in the sky. He remembers HASSAN - "For you, a thousand times over" - The winter of 1975 shaped who Amir is today. The winter symbolizes the 'death' of Amir's former self.

- Amir and Hassan play a lot together and get into mischief too (Shining mirrors and using a slingshot). Hassan never denied Amir anything and also never told on Amir. - Amir lives in beautiful house with his dad, BABA. Hassan lives in a mud hut with his dad, ALI, whom is a servant to Baba. Neither have a mother -- Amir's died when he was born and Hassan's ran away. Ali's wife, Sanaubar, ran away with performers because Ali had a severe limp caused by polio and the bottom half of his face was paralyzed. - RAHIM KHAN is Baba's BFF and business partner. - Soldier calls Hassan a Hazara. Says he had sex with his mother. - Ali and Hassan are Shia Muslim and ethnic Hazara. Ali also memorized the Koran. - Because of Ali's partial face paralysis, you can only tell what emotion he is feeling through his eyes. - Pashtuns oppressed the Hazaras because the Pashtuns were Sunni Muslim while the Hazaras were Shia Muslim. Hazaras are "mice-eating, flat-nosed, load-carrying donkeys". - Some people suspect Ali's marriage was arranged. - Ali sings; "On a high mountain I stood,/And cried the name of Ali, Lion of God./O Ali, Lion of God, King of Men,/Bring joy to our sorrowful hearts." - Hassan and Amir were fed by the same breast. Amir's first word was "Baba" and Hassan's was "Amir".

- Baba supposedly wrestled a bear. Rahim began the nickname "Mr. Hurricane". Baba is a big, strong man. Baba built an orphanage, though he had not architectural experience. Amir was told to bring Hassan, but lied and told Baba he had the runs. - Baba successfully ran a business and a rich merchant in Kabul. People scoffed at the idea that Baba would marry. He married a beautiful woman, Sofia Akrami. - Baba sees the world in black and white. Amir both loves and fears Baba. Baba believes that the only sin is theft, and every other crime is a variation of theft. Baba's father was killed by a thief. - "A man who takes what's not his to take, be it life or a loaf of naan...I spit on such a man." - Amir starts to think that Baba hates him because he was the cause of his mother's death. - Amir likes to read. Baba tries to get him into soccer, but Amir just isn't interested. - Baba wants Amir to stand up for himself.

- Ali's true parents were killed. He was adopted by Baba's father. Baba and Ali were childhood friends. Baba never referred to Ali as his friend though. The same for Amir and Hassan. - Amir feels some prejudice because his is Pashtun (Sunni) and Hassan is Hazara (Shia). - By the time Amir gets out of bed, Hassan had already washed up, prayed, and prepared AMIR'S breakfast. While Amir ate and complained about homework, Hassan made his bed, polished his shoes, ironed his daily clothes, and packed his books and pencils. While Amir went to school, Hassan stayed home and helped Ali with daily chores. - Amir and Hassan carve "Amir and Hassan, sultans of Kabul" into a pomegranate tree in a cemetery. They would eat the fruit and Amir would read to Hassan. - Amir says "'Imbecile' means smart, intelligent. 'When it comes to words, Hassan is an imbecile'." - After reading Hassan the "Rostam and Sohrab" story, Amir thinks don't "all fathers in their secret hearts harbor a desire to kill their sons?" - Amir writes a story about a man who discovers a cup that turns tears into pearls. He is a happy man, so he rarely sheds a tear. The greed gets to him and the story ends with the man with a bunch of pearls, knife in hand, weeping into a cup with his wife's slain body. - Baba doesn't read the story, but Rahim does and gives him kudos. - Hassan loves the story but asks "why did he have to be sad to cry? Why not smell an onion?". A cold, dark voice in Amir's head says "What does he know, that illiterate Hazara? He'll never be anything but a cook. How dare he criticize you?

- Gunfire and sirens go off at night (Akin to Kristallnacht) - End of the Afghanistan Amir knew - Daoud Khan ended the king's forty-year reign with a bloodless coup. - Hassan is hit in the back by a rock thrown by ASSEF and his friends, WALI and KAMAL. - Assef is German-Afghan and had stainless-steel brass knuckles. Like Hitler and the Jews, Assef believes the Hazaras pollute the land and he is going to talk to Daoud Khan about ridding them. For a moment Amir thinks of Hassan as his servant. - Assef is about to slug Amir but Hassan fires his slingshot. - Hassan gets surgery done on his lip as a birthday present. - Hassan stopped smiling the next winter.

- It is winter, every kid's favorite season in Kabul. Because school is out and they fly kites. - "I LOVED winter in Kabul". - Flying kites was one of the few things that Amir had in common with Baba. - A kite-flying tournament every Winter. - Hassan and Amir would build their kites. They were better kite fighters than kite makers. - Baba would by the two of them kites. Amir sometimes would ask for a better one, and Baba would buy it for him and Hassan. Amir wishes he could be the favorite. - "Afghans cherish custom and abhor rules." - When a kite is cut, kite runners chase the kite and try to be the one to get it. - Hassan is the best kite runner Amir had seen. - Hassan says he would eat dirt, if Amir told him to. Hassan displays his loyalty, but says "But I wonder, would you ever ask me to do such a thing, Amir?" Hassan is testing Amir's integrity. - [Fast forward] Winter of 1975 was the last time Hassan ran a kite. It snowed heavily [danger coming]. - Iran is full of Shia Muslims. - Hassan likes where he lives.

- Amir feels the heat of his father's glare as they prepare for the tournament. - Amir wins the kite tournament. Baba is finally proud of Amir. Baba motions for Amir to stop hugging Hassan. - Hassan runs off to get the blue kite. "Hassan, Com back with it!" "For you a thousand times over! (Hassan Smiles)" - The last time he saw Hassan smile except for 26 years later in a faded Polaroid photo - Amir searches for Hassan. - Hassan is confronted by Assef's and his cronies. - Memory time! "Amir and Hassan were fed by the same breast -- Sakina" They are at a fortune teller -- who peers into Hassan's future but gives Hassan his money back. - Dream time! Amir is lost in a snowstorm. A figure with gashes on his palm appears. The snow fades and they are in a green field with kites. - Hassan is raped. - Amir runs. - Baba hugs Amir.

- Barely see Hassan. All he does is sleep now - after doing his chores. - Amir DOESN'T tell Ali what happen and snaps at him. - Baba worries about the absence of Hassan. - Baba invites family to come to Jalalabad with himself and Amir. - Amir is finally friends with Baba but he isn't happy. - Amir admits that he saw Hassan get raped. But no one hears because they're all sleeping. - Amir is the monster in the lake. - He becomes an insomniac - Hassan asks to go to the tree. Amir reluctantly agrees. Hassan asks Amir to read to him, but Amir changes his mind and they both go home. - Hassan tries to rekindle his friendship with Amir. He says no and to stop harassing him. Amir cries. - Amir purposefully avoids Hassan. "Everywhere I turned, I saw signs of his loyalty, his gddam unwavering loyalty". - Amir asks Baba if he will get new servants. Baba is furious. "You bring me shame" "Hassan's not going anywhere" - Amir brings Hassan to the hill. - Amir asks what Hassan would do if he hit him with a pomegranate. Amir yells, "Hit me back!" - Hassan picks up a pomegranate and smashes himself with it. "Are you satisfied?" - It is Amir's 13th birthday. 400 people arrive, Assef is one of them. Assef says he personally picked out Amir's gift. - Assef if very polite and sociable with Baba. Assef invites Amir and Hassan to play volleyball. Amir denies and Baba apologizes. - The gift is a biography of Hitler. - Rahim Khan tells Amir that he nearly married a Hazara woman. His family was outraged. It was the two of them against thee world and "the world always wins". - Rahim Khan gives Amir a notebook for his stories. - Fireworks - Hassan is serving drinks to Assef and his cronies.

- Amir thinks one of them has to go. - Ali gives Amir a present. It's a new Shahnamah, the book Amir would read to Hassan. - Amir says that Hassan stole Amir's watch and money. - Hassan says he did. - Amir realizes that Hassan saw him. Hassan also knew that he was setting Hassan up. - Baba forgives Hassan, but Ali says that they must leave now. - Baba cries. - It rarely rained in summer at Kabul. But it did as Ali and Hassan left. Thunderheads rolled in.

- Baba and Amir leave Kabul. - Can't trust people in Kabul anymore. People told on each other (akin to 1940's Germany) - The Russian soldier says he want a half hour with the lady. - Baba steps up and tells him to have some decency - Amir thinks "Do you have to always be the hero?" - The Russian almost shoots Baba but another Russian soldiers stops him and allows the truck through. - Karim says that the next truck was broken and is waiting for it's parts to come in. Baba nearly kills Karim. - Baba and Amir have to stay in the basement with the others for a few short days. - Kamal and his father are there. - They all leave in a fuel truck. - The air is thick with fumes. - They arrive in Pakistan. - Kamal is dead and so is his daddy.

- Baba and Amir live in Cali now. - Baba works at a gas station. - Baba writes the convenient store a check. When asked for an ID he gets angry. - Baba has a difficult time adjusting to American life. - Amir thinks of America as a place to bury memories. - Amir suggests going back to Peshawar but Baba says he came to America for Amir's sake -- not his. - Baba refuses to have the food stamps. - Amir graduates high school. Baba is proud and smiles. - Baba takes Amir out for dinner then to a bar. - Amir gets a car as a birthday present. Baba says "You'll need it for college". - Baba wishes Hassan was with him. - Amir says that he's going to major in Creative Writing. Baba scoffs thinking that it isn't a useful degree. - Amir falls in love with Soraya Terheri.

- Amir finally talks to Soraya. - The general has 'honor and pride' - Amir declines the offer to sit down with Soraya's mother. This is the correct thing to do. - They talk while the general isn't around. - Soraya used her literacy and taught her servant. Amir teased Hassan about his illiteracy. - The general sees the two talking, throws away Amir's book, and tells him to be aware that he is surrounding by gossiping Afghans. - Baba has lung cancer. - Amir asks what he's supposed to do. Baba says that what he's been teaching him for years -- how to never have to ask that question. - Amir asks Baba if he can ask the General for Soraya's hand in marriage. - The general says okay. - Soraya tells her secret that she was a rebellious teen. Amir is envious that she could tell her secret but he couldn't tell his. - Soraya is much better than Amir. Courage is one of them.

- Goes to Taheris' house for the giving word. - The traditional wedding ceremonies were sped up because Baba didn't have much longer to live. - Baba spent 35K for the wedding -- nearly the balance of his life savings. - Amir wonders if Hassan married as well. - Soraya reads some of Amir's stories to Baba. - Shortly after, Baba dies. - Amir recalls the stories of Baba wrestling bears. Losing his wife, raising a son by himself, leaving his beloved home, poverty, indignity, and cancer. - Amir realizes that Baba shaped who he is. - Amir learns more about Soraya's family. The general does not work -- he thinks its below him. Jamila loves to sing, but the general forbids she sing in public. The general had a gun that night and made Soraya cut her hair. - Soraya hates the the misogyny. - Amir is different than any Afghan man she had ever met. - The general buys Amir a typewriter. - Amir gets a job. Years later, Amir gets a book published. Everyone is proud. - Amir and Soraya try to have a child. But it fails. They think to adopt but neither Amir or the general like the idea.

- We hit the summer and the call mentioned in the first chapter. - Rahim is sick. - It occurs to Amir that Rahim knows all about Amir's 'sins'. - Amir prepares to go to Pakistan. - The general injures his hip. The general's new frailty softened the tension between him and Soraya. He'd walk with her and sometimes sit in on her classes and take notes.

- Amir and Kahim meet. Kahim is very skinny. - Kahim lived in Baba's house. Hassan also lived there. - They talk for a bit and then talk about the Taliban. - The Taliban rid the country of the Alliance. They were praised - peace at last, but for a price. - Kahim begins to talk about Hassan

- Kahim goes to Hazarajat. Mostly because he is lonely - all his friends and family fled the country - He sees Hassan's house. - Hassan is married to another Hazara woman - Farzana. - Ali had been killed by a land mine two years before. - Rahim asks Hassan to come and live with him in Kabul. - Hassan cries when he hears that Baba is dead. - Hassan refuses to live in the house, out of respect, and lives in the mud house. - Farzana gives birth to a stillborn girl. They bury her. - Hassan's mother returns. - Farzana gives birth to Sohrab - the name of the character from one of Amir's books. - Sanaubar dies and is buried by the pomegranate tree. - The Taliban ban kite fighting and massacre Hazaras.

- Rahim hands Amir an envelope from Hassan. - Farzana is hit because she raised her voice to a deaf man. - Pomegranate tree had dried up and doesn't bear fruit anymore. - The Taliban find Hassan living in the house. Hassan was shot in the head. Farzana was shot too out of self-defense. - Sohrab was sent to an orphanage and the Taliban occupied the house until Rahim returned. - Rahim tells Amir that he must go to Kabul and taken Sohrab to an American couple. - Rahim says that Baba is worried that a boy who cannot stand up to anything is a man who can't stand up to anything." - Ali married before Sanaubar. It was a Hazara woman. She left Ali childless for three years, left, and bore three daughters. Ali was sterile. - Baba was Hassan's father. - Amir storms out because he's a little whiny child still.

- Amir puts together the evidence of Baba being the father. Fixing Hassan's harelip, never missing his birthday, saying that Ali and Hassan were never leaving, and weeping when they left. - Amir realizes that Baba was a thief. He took Amir's right to know he had a brother, from Hassan his identity, and from Ali his honor. - Amir also realizes that he is more alike to his father than he knew. - Amir tells Rahim that he is going to get that kid.

- Farid drives Amir - Amir says he feels like a tourist to his own country. Farid says that he's always been a tourist here. - Farid assumes that he came back to Afghanistan to sell Baba's land, pocket the money, and leave. - Amir tells Wahib and Farid that he is actually here searching for a Hazara boy. Wahib says that Amir is a true Afghan. - Amir has a dream that he was the shooter of Hassan. - Amir places a fistful of money underneath a mattress because the kids had not yet eaten.

- Kabul looks unrecognizable. Rubble and beggar everywhere. - Baba never denied a beggar. - Farid hisses to Amir to never look at the Taliban. - The old beggar knew Amir's mom and they talk about her for a while. - Amir's Mother says she's so afraid because she's so happy. And you're only happy when you're about to have something taken from you (Her Life) - Zaman is hesitant to talk about Sohrab. He says it may be too late to get Sohrab. A Talib official comes every month, takes a kid, and leaves money. - Zaman says to go to the stadium at half-time.

- They drive to Baba's house. it is broken but still recognizable. Amir reminisces. - They stay in a hotel and Farid exchanges some jokes and then asks why is he REALLY here. Why get this Shia boy. - The stadium and field are ruined. - Trucks come and a blindfolded man and woman are thrown out. The two are placed in holes in the ground. They are stoned to death. - Farid tells the Taliban official that he has personal business with the official.

- Amir goes alone to the official. - Amir begins to regret being brave. - The official take pleasure in the killing he's done. - Assef is the official. (Funny because I was beginning to wonder what happened to him) - Assef says that he can have Sohrab after Amir and him finished some business. Only one can leave. Assef pulls out his signature brass knuckles. - The fighting is interrupted by Sohrab's slingshot. He fires a brass ball right into Assef's eye socket. - They escape, yay!

- Amir is in the hospital - One of Amir's injurys is a cut down the middle of his lip. Like a harelip. - Rahim Khan is 'gone' but leaves Amir a note. - The note says that although what Amir did was wrong, he was just a troubled boy and that he's too hard on himself. There was a reason behind Baba's actions, he wanted to love Hassan but felt guilty and so he took it out on Amir. But Baba did have good come out of him, his generosity to the poor, the construction of the orphanage. "Your father, like you, was a tortured soul." - Amir asks Farid to take Sohrab too the American parents. - The American parents don't exist. They never did. - Amir leaves for Islamabad and takes Sohrab with him.

- The two are in Peshawar. Sohrab is gone and went to the mosque. - Sohrab asks if he will go to hell for what he did to Assef. Amir says he got what he deserved. - Sohrab says that he's so full of sin. - Amir asks if he wants to go to America with him. - Sohrab is worried that they won't love him anymore. - Amir tells Soraya everything. - Amir faces trouble adopting Sohrab. They need to prove he's an orphan, the country needs to accept. - They go to an immigration lawyer. - Lawyer says that there best bet is to stay in an orphanage for a couple years. Sohrab cries that he never wants to go to an orphanage. - Later, Soraya gets a way to keep Sohrab in the U.S. - Amir goes to the bathroom and screams.

- Sohrab cut himself. Nearly died. - When Sohrab wakes, he is silent. - Sohrab says he's tired of everything - He wants his old life back - The general asks why there is a Hazara boy here. Amir tells the tale and also says to never say that word in his presence -