Betrayal and Loyalty
What does Hassan’s line “For you, a thousand times over” reveal about his relationship with Amir?
Hassan shows extreme loyalty and devotion to Amir.
Why does Amir want to win the kite tournament?
He hopes it will earn Baba’s approval.
Amir rarely enters Hassan’s home even though they are close friends. What does this reveal?
There is a social and ethnic hierarchy between them.
Early in the novel until Ch. 7, what do kites symbolize for Amir?
Childhood innocence, freedom, and the chance to gain Baba’s approval.
What does Amir mean when he describes America as a river that carries away sins?
He believes distance can remove responsibility for his past.
In Chapter 7, why does't Amir step up and protect Hassan?
This is a combination of self-preservation and focusing on securing Baba's approval by winning the Kite Tournament.
Why does Amir throw pomegranates at Hassan under the tree?
He wants Hassan to react so Amir will feel less guilty.
How does Hassan’s illiteracy affect his relationship with Amir?
It creates an imbalance of power that Amir sometimes exploits.
Hassan continues visiting the pomegranate tree even after it stops bearing fruit. What does this suggest?
He still values his friendship with Amir even though it has changed.
What idea is introduced when Rahim Khan tells Amir, “There is a way to be good again”?
Redemption requires deliberate action.
Why does Hassan confess to stealing even though he did not do it?
He wants to protect Amir.
Why does Amir frame Hassan for stealing Baba’s watch and money?
He hopes Hassan will leave and remove the source of his guilt.
Why does the novel portray Hassan’s loyalty as both admirable and tragic?
It shows him as a very kind person; however, the friendship is one-sided and negatively impacts Hassan's life in multiple instances.
In Hassan’s dream about the monster in the lake, what does the monster symbolize?
The challenges Amir and Hassan believe they can face together.
Why does Rahim hesitate to contact Amir earlier in the novel?
Amir had been avoiding confronting his past betrayal.
What action by Amir ultimately forces Hassan and Ali to leave Baba’s house?
Amir frames Hassan for stealing Baba’s watch and money.
What personal fear motivates Amir’s behavior during the kite tournament?
He fears never earning Baba’s approval.
How does Assef’s ideology represent extreme views about ethnicity in Afghanistan?
He believes Pashtuns are superior and that Hazaras should be removed from Afghansitan.
What does the blue kite Amir wins come to represent for him?
The price of his betrayal of Hassan.
“When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth.”
What moral idea is Baba expressing in this quote?
That every sin is a form of theft because wrongdoing takes something away from another person.
What decision by Ali shows that he understands Amir betrayed Hassan?
Ali chooses to leave Baba’s house with Hassan even after Baba forgives him.
Why does Amir believe the blue kite will finally change how Baba sees him?
He believes it will finally win his father's approval by showing that he is able to win a competition.
Why is Hassan’s role as kite runner symbolic of the power imbalance between the boys?
Hassan serves Amir by retrieving the kite while Amir receives the glory.
Why does Amir’s split lip after the fight with Assef carry symbolic meaning in the novel?
It symbolizes Amir sharing in the suffering that Hassan experienced.
When Rahim Khan tells Amir there is “a way to be good again,” what idea about redemption is he introducing?
That redemption requires action to make up for past wrongdoing.