Amir
What does Amir decide to study in college?
Creative writing
What activity did Hassan do with his kid in the winter?
He took his son kite running.
What theme does this quote relate to?
"There was so much goodness in my life. So much happiness. I wondered whether I deserved any of it>" (Hosseini 193)
Guilt and Redemption
Why does Baba refuse treatment for his cancer?
Because the doctor who diagnosed him was Russian. Baba is also very stubborn.
Who does Baba wish was at Amir's graduation?
He wishes Hassan was at Amir's graduation (Hosseini 141).
Who calls Amir and asks him to return to Afghanistan?
Rahim Khan
What is the name of Hassan's living child?
Sohrab
What literary device is used in this quote?
"Then, a thing made of skin and bones pretending to be Rahim Khan opened the door." (Hosseini 207)
Metaphor
Why do Amir and Soraya rush their engagement period?
The rush the engagement period because Baba did not have long to live.
What was Baba diagnosed with? (specific name)
Oat Cell Carcinoma
Why did Hassan not want to move into the house with Rahim Khan?
Because he was worried that when Amir returned, that it would look like Hassan was taking his place.
What theme does this quote represent?
"So my father took me up to my bedroom and sat me in front of the dresser mirror. He handed me a pair of scissors and calmly told me to cut off all my hair. He watched me while I did it." (Hosseini 189)
Man's Inhumanity
Amir realizes the impact Baba had on the community, both in Fremont and in Afghanistan. He realizes how many people were helped by Baba.
What truth bomb does Rahim Khan expose to Amir?
Rahim Khan states that Ali was sterile, and implies that Baba was Hassan's father. Meaning that Hassan and Amir are half brothers.
What make Amir think that him and Baba are more alike than he thought?
He thinks this because he and Baba betrayed their best friends. Baba impregnated Ali's wife from him and Amir did not defend Hassan during his sexual assault.
Why do Rahim Kahan and Hassan teach Sohrab to read and write?
They teach Sohrab to read and write "... so he does not grow up stupid like his father" (Hosseini 228).
Why is this quote ironic?
"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." (Hosseini 150)
This is ironic because Baba does not know how the day in Winter of 1975 has changed Amir's entire life.
What did Soraya find "so unfair" after her cousins wedding?
So was frustrated that men can go to nightclubs and get women pregnant before marriage, but she is still ridiculed for the mistakes she made when she ran away with her previous boyfriend.
What happens to Amir that connects to the theme resilience of the human spirit?
He finally gets a published book. After years of continuing to chase his dream, despite criticism, he becomes a published author.
How does Hosseini hint to readers that Amir is still a little selfish?
When Amir and Soraya are getting tested for infertility, Amir exclaims that he "...passed with flying colours" (Hosseini 195)
Who unexpectedly returned to Hassan's life?
His mother/Sanaubar
What does the dried up pomegranate tree that "... hasn't borne fruit in years..." symbolize (Hosseini 229)?
It symbolizes that the friendship of Amir and Hassan has "dried up" or died.
When Amir is reflecting on Hassan's harelip surgery, what does he realize?
Why was Hassen worried about the Taliban taking over Afghanistan?
He was worried for the fate his family, and the other Hazaras. In 1998, the Taliban "...massacred the Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif" (Hosseini 225).