When Did Amir Read Hassan His Story

Credits

Readability Age Range

15 and up

Publisher

Riverhead Books

Awards

Alex Honor, 2004

Yr Published

2013

Volume Review

The Kite Runner past Khaled Hosseini has been reviewed past Focus on the Family'due south marriage and parenting magazine.

Plot Summary

Amir is a immature boy in Kabul, Transitional islamic state of afghanistan, during the 1970s. He lives with his father, whom he calls "Baba," and their servants, Ali and Hassan. Ali is one of Baba's oldest friends, but considering he is Hazara, a race of Afghan descended from Moguls, he is considered lower class and must work every bit a servant. Hassan is Ali's son and Amir's closest friend. Because Hassan is as well Hazara, he is not immune to go to schoolhouse with Amir and must piece of work with Ali.

Amir spends most of his free time playing with Hassan and reading to him, just often plays tricks on his friend by making up the wrong endings to the stories. Although Amir loves Hassan and thinks of him more than as a brother than a retainer, he cannot help being jealous of him because of the way Baba also loves Hassan. Amir, who is desperate for his male parent'due south approval, doesn't understand why his begetter buys Hassan birthday presents or insists on taking him with them on family unit outings. Even though Amir sometimes treats him cruelly, Hassan always forgives Amir. Hassan stands up to the bullies who pick on them in the streets. One male child, Assef, vows to go his revenge on them later on Hassan threatens him with a slingshot to stop him from beating Amir.

Each winter, all of Kabul celebrates a kite tournament. Boys and immature men fly kites and attempt to cut each other'southward strings until 1 kite is left in the sky. Victory belongs not only to the boy who flies the remaining kite, simply also to the boy who retrieves the last kite to fall. Amir and Hassan take practiced as a team for years — Amir flying the kite, and Hassan holding the string and running after the fallen ones. When Amir is 12 years one-time, and Hassan eleven, they vow to win both prizes in the tournament. Amir believes his victory volition finally make his father proud of him.

The twenty-four hours of the tournament arrives, and Amir is terrified he volition fail. Hassan gives him the courage to fly the kite. The 2 work together, Hassan property the string, Amir pulling it to dance in the sky and fight with the other kites. At the end of the day, Amir's is the only kite flying. Hassan runs through the streets, promising to retrieve the last fallen kite so Amir's victory will be consummate. Amir winds his kite in, then searches for Hassan. He finds his friend trapped by Assef and two other boys. Hassan has found the kite, but Assef wants it. When Hassan refuses to merchandise the kite for his freedom, the boys attack and rape him. Amir watches from the shadows, wishing he had the backbone to help his friend. Instead, he runs away earlier the boys and Hassan encounter him.

Amir'southward guilt at having let Hassan exist sodomized destroys their friendship. He cannot look at Hassan without remembering all his friend did in social club to get the kite. His guilty conscience eats away at him. Afterwards his 13th birthday party, Amir plants money and a watch in Hassan'south firm in order to frame him for stealing. Baba questions Hassan, who admits to the theft, even though he is innocent. Although Baba has ever said that stealing is the worst offense a man can commit, he is willing to forgive Hassan. Ali steps frontwards and tells Baba that he and Hassan are leaving. For the first time in his life, Amir sees his father cry. Baba begs Ali to stay, but Ali refuses. The servant looks at Amir, and the male child knows that Hassan has told him everything — about the rape, nearly Amir'south rejection of him and well-nigh him framing Hassan for the theft. It is the last time Amir will see his friend alive.

V years afterward, Baba and Amir escape from the Russian takeover of Afghanistan by smuggling themselves out of Kabul in an empty fuel truck. Eventually they travel to America and settle in California. Baba works as a mechanic while Amir finishes high school and starts junior college to report English language so he tin become a author. Earlier Baba dies of cancer, Amir meets and marries Soraya, a young woman too from Transitional islamic state of afghanistan. Amir becomes a writer while Soraya becomes a instructor. The ii are happy, fifty-fifty though Amir is never able to forget the sins he committed as a child. When he and his wife are unable to have children, he believes it is a punishment for what he did.

In 2001 Amir receives a phone telephone call from his father's quondam business partner, Rahim Khan. Khan had also been Amir's confidant and had encouraged Amir to write. Although Amir never told Rahim Khan what he did, he suspects the human being knows. Khan tells Amir that he is dying and wishes to see him one more time. Before hanging up, he suggests that there is a way Amir tin can redeem himself.

Amir flies to Pakistan to meet with Rahim Khan. Rahim tells Amir of the horrendous state of Afghanistan since the war with Russian federation and the Taliban takeover in 1996. He fills Amir in on all that has happened to his friend Hassan, including his and his wife's murders at the easily of Taliban officials. Khan then begs Amir to return to Afghanistan to bring Hassan'south son, Sohrab, to Pakistan. When Amir initially balks at the request, Khan tells him the truth nearly Hassan'south parentage: he was Amir's half-brother, Baba'due south son.

Amir agrees to try and retrieve his nephew from an orphanage in Kabul. The journey is treacherous, and Amir is shocked past the scars left from the war with Russian federation and the brutality of Taliban rule. When Amir finally locates the orphanage that housed Sohrab, he learns the boy has been sold to a Taliban officer. Amir arranges a meeting to see if he tin buy the boy's freedom. The Taliban officer turns out to be Assef, the babyhood bully who'd raped Hassan. Assef is molesting Sohrab. When Amir offers to buy the male child, Assef refuses. He beats Amir about to death, and it is only when Sohrab manages to shoot Assef's middle with a slingshot that the two escape.

It takes many weeks for Amir to recover from his injuries, during which he asks Sohrab if he would like to alive with him in America. Although agape to leave his land, Sohrab is more afraid of having to return to an orphanage. He agrees to go with Amir, simply regime red tape holds up the process. When Amir tells Sohrab he may have to render to an orphanage merely until they can become all the paperwork cleared, the boy tries to commit suicide. Amir remains with Sohrab until he is able to travel and then brings him to California. Though Sohrab survived the suicide, he has become a mute, psychologically unable to speak to anyone. Many months after, Sohrab nonetheless has not spoken or smiled. Amir and Soraya have him to the park where fellow Afghans celebrate the Afghan new year. Sohrab notices some kites flying, something he used to do with his begetter. After Amir manages to win a fight with another kite, Sohrab smiles. It is a small footstep, just one Amir hopes will blossom into healing.

Christian Behavior

Rahim Khan initially begs Amir to bring Sohrab to an orphanage in Pakistan that is run by a kind Christian couple. A Taliban official, who later turns out to be Assef, approaches a homo sentenced to death. His arms are spread out like Jesus on the Cross. Assef throws the outset stone to stone the man to death.

Other Belief Systems

Although many of the references to organized religion correlate to a Christian worldview, the reader must remember that Afghanistan is a Muslim nation, so nigh, if not all, of the allusions are to Allah and the Muslim faith. As a kid, Hassan gives coin to accept his fortune read. Hassan's father, Ali, prays every time his son leaves the house.

Baba says the devil shines mirrors to distract Muslims from their prayers. Teachers trounce their students if they mispronounce Standard arabic words because they desire to be sure Allah hears their prayers correctly. Baba believes the greatest sin is theft considering it incorporates all other sins. Even murder is the theft of a human being'south life. Baba is not overtly religious and looks downwards on those who are. He believes God has more of import things to do than worry well-nigh people drinking or eating pork. Amir recalls the yearly cede of a lamb by the mullah, or priest, in atonement for their sins.

A adult female refugee prays for deliverance, and her husband fingers prayer beads as they are smuggled in the fuel truck. When Baba contracts cancer, Amir prays the verses from the Koran that he learned equally a child. A cleric demands the expiry of two adulterers by stoning because they have thrown stones at Allah'due south laws. Sohrab believes he is full of sin because of how Assef and the other officers molested him. Amir assures him that it was non his sin but theirs. After Sohrab attempts suicide, Amir reaches out in desperation to the faith he abased. He prays toward Mecca and vows to dedicate himself to Allah and his teachings if he will salve the boy's life.

Authority Roles

One of the primary sources of conflict throughout the book is betwixt Amir and his father. Baba is a proud man of courage and strength who tin't empathise his son's passive nature. He is distant from Amir, unable to show his son the affection he craves. When a Russian soldier demands to rape a young Afghan adult female in lodge to allow the truckload of fellow refugees across the border, Baba stands up to him and saves the adult female from violence. Rahim Khan gives Amir the encouragement he needs to pursue his writing dreams. Although more patient with Amir, it is ultimately Khan'southward demands that force Amir to accept his failures and seek to rectify the harm he has caused. Soraya relates a story from her past in which her begetter threatened to shoot her boyfriend and himself if she didn't return habitation with him. Throughout the book, parents are very concerned with the appearance of the family. Anybody must be seen following the customs set by their ancestors. One graphic symbol comments that Afghans love customs merely abhor rules. The strict rules of the Taliban regime are seen destroying the Afghan society and mode of life. For example, quondam professors now beg in the streets for food because Taliban officials believe their teachings were too Western.

Profanity & Violence

The world of The Kite Runner is harsh, and much profanity is spoken including the f-give-and-take, b–tard, a–, d–northward, h—, southward— and c–t. Other objectionable words include fart, p— and balls. God'due south name is used in vain with forbid, d–n and forsaken. Jesus' name is likewise taken in vain.

Assef's brutality started when he was a child, and Amir relates various stories of his violence. Assef once flake a male child's ear off; he hitting Hassan in the head with a rock; he beats other children with brass knuckles, and his idol is Adolph Hitler. Hassan aims his sling shot at Assef's eye in guild to stop him from beating Amir. Amir describes the hurting he felt beingness circumcised at age 10. Amir turns away before he actually sees Hassan existence raped, merely he hears information technology. He likewise sees blood staining Hassan'south pants when he comes home. Baba tries to choke a smuggler who lied to them. While waiting in a dismal basement with other refugees, Amir hears a friend's father relate how his son had been raped. When the friend dies from the fumes in the fuel truck, the father steals a baby-sit's gun and commits suicide.

When he returns to Afghanistan every bit an adult, Amir hears many stories of expiry and violence brought by the Russian occupiers and the Taliban. He learns that Taliban officials accused Hassan of living illegally in Baba'southward house and so executed him in the street when he denied information technology. They shot his married woman when she tried to protect him. Amir and his driver watch a couple being stoned for adultery. The stoning takes place in the middle of a soccer game. In one case the accused are dead, soldiers throw their bodies on the back of a pickup truck, and the game continues.

Assef's attack on Amir is brutally and graphically described. Assef beats him with brass duke, breaking his ribs, his jaw, his nose and rupturing his spleen. Sohrab obliterates Assef's eye with his slingshot.

Sexual Content

A soldier makes crude gestures at Hassan, intimating that he had sex activity with the boy'due south female parent. She is described equally walking in a way that made men want to have sexual activity with her. Earlier they marry, Soraya tells Amir about her by relationship. Although he would have preferred to marry a virgin, he will not condemn her because of his past mistakes. Later on they are married, Amir talks well-nigh their trouble having children and reminisces about their lovemaking.

Assef and his gang rape Hassan. Another man tells Baba most his son'due south rape by a gang in Kabul. Sohrab is dressed as a girl, complete with make-up, and forced by Assef to trip the light fantastic for Amir. Assef caresses the male child as he talks to Amir.

Discussion Topics

Additional Comments

Lying: Amir lies to Baba when he says Hassan stole his coin and picket. Amir reads to Hassan, but sometimes changes the ending of the story to flim-flam him.

Alcohol/Smoking: Baba and other men often drink and smoke cigars.

Motion picture tie-in: Producers often use a book as a springboard for a picture idea or to earn a specific rating. Because of this, a flick may differ from the novel. To better understand how this book and the movie differ, compare the book review with Plugged In's movie review for The Kite Runner.

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Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to make up one's mind whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book'due south review does non plant an endorsement past Focus on the Family.

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Source: https://www.pluggedin.com/book-reviews/kite-runner/