| A worried Ali asked Amir about Hassan's torn shirt and bloodied pants the night of the tournament, but Amir pretended not to know what happened. They walk in silence, and when Hassan asks if Amir will read to him, Amir changes his mind and wants to go home. After the rape, Hassan did not spend time with Amir although he still did his chores. Baba eventually finds it unbearable and secretly plans their escape. Amir lived in the wealthy area of Afghanistan with the servants, people of the middle and upper class. Hassan took off to run the blue kite and Amir followed after bringing his kite home. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. To some degree he is correct, at least initially. On the other hand, Hassan, always a loyal source of emotional support, is so eager to read Amirs story that he insists on hearing the story as soon as he learns of it. GradeSaver, 29 September 2007 Web. As though echoing Baba's grief, the skies opened up and it stormed during the dry season in Kabul. . Amir did something that was truly brave and noble. I fell to my knees, tired, spent, frustrated (92-93). By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? By breaking up the chapter with harried memories, Hosseini makes it clear that Amir was in a state of panic and internal conflict. People find peace of mind through redeeming themselves or making up for their past actions. He is this because he has done evil stuff in his life. Not affiliated with Harvard College. Amir told Hassan that he should stop harassing him. The next morning Amir opens his presents. He could not wait for winter to end and school to begin, even though he had fun with Baba. Hassans words, shouted to Amir as Hassan runs Amirs blue kite, reveals Hassans unending loyalty and love for Amir. Runs the orphanage but cannot provide for all of the children. He picks an overripe pomegranate and begins to pelt Hassan. The Kite Runner, a novel written by Khaled Hosseini, and is about relationships; specifically the relationships between Amir, Hassan, Baba, Rahim Khan, Soraya, and Sohrab and how the complex relationships in our lives overlap and connect to make us the people we are. You could die in a place like this, I thought. Please wait while we process your payment. Punishment, Amir feels, would at least begin to make up for the way he wronged Hassan. Amir cannot help revisiting the old places of his childhood, but like everything else in Afghanistan, even the pomegranate tree has wilted. When they arrived, their eyes were red from crying. In this quote we see that Hassan does not throw the pomegranate at Amir, even though Amir thought he was going to since Hassan finally made some movement with a pomegranate. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. After the rape, Amir and Hassan spend less time together. When Amir throws the pomegranates at Hassan, he is begging for Hassan to absolve him by hurting him. He remembers the blue kite and Hassan's pants lying on the ground. If Hassan didnt sacrifice himself, Amir wouldnt have become a better person. For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! Like so much else in Kabul, my fathers house was the picture of fallen splendor. Please contact Adobe Support. More books than SparkNotes. Please wait while we process your payment. Renews May 8, 2023 Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. The roof sagged and the plaster was cracked. Hassan proves his love and loyalty to Amir are unshakable, whereas Amir proves that his love and loyalty are weak. Similarly, to resolve the tension between Hassan and Amir, Ali decides that they will leave. . Why does Amir ask Baba if he has seen Amirs new watch? This takes place after Hassan's rape when Amir tries hanging out with him for the first time, which doesn't go well. When he got home, Amir buried the book at the bottom of his pile of presents so it would not torment him with guilt. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Hassans words, spoken to Rahim Khan, foreshadow his own death by the hand of the Taliban later in the book. Amir's actions toward his relatives, even though he does not know they are, call into question the importance of family ties. Assef told both his friends to rape Hassan, but they refused. | To his shock, Baba forgave Hassan, but Ali and Hassan had already resolved to leave. Amir, Guilt is like a scar; it is a painful reminder of an unpleasant situation and is ugly until accepted and moved on from. Those words made it formal: the tree was ours The pomegranate tree Is also used as a symbol to demonstrate that Amir and Hassan treat each other as equals even thou Hassan is a hasar and Amir is of a higher class then Hassan and his father is one of the greatest and wealthiest men in Kabul. They would meet secretly at night and imagine a life together. Many years later, when Amir returns to rescue Sohrab, he goes to the tree. Amir feels very guilty. . After years of war, and now under Taliban rule, the wealth and beauty have been largely destroyed. All rights reserved. Redemption" (65). TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. Amir even recalls carving, "Amir and Hassan, the sultans . Baba and Amir leave Kabul in a truck bound for Jalalabad. Then Rahim Khan told Amir that he could confide in him, but Amir could not bring himself to tell his friend what he had done. Why or why not? He begins to throw pomegranates at Hassan trying to provoke him and get a reaction so he'll feel somewhat punished/relieved by not intervening during his rape. Instead of pelting Amir with pomegranates, he smashes one into his own forehead, as though he is truly incapable of hurting someone else. The boys returned home and proud Baba wrapped Amir in his arms. What are Ali and Hassan's distinct physical characteristics? Continue to start your free trial. Learn. The look would haunt him forever after. He throws pomegranates at Hassan, waiting for a reaction so that he can feel less guilty-"Get up! Hassan is a very brave person, but in the fight with Assef and his friends he does not go down fighting. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% In the story, a young Amir fails to protect his friend Hassan from the antagonist, Assef, which results in the profound guilt that follows him into his adult life. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Hassan lied and said that he had stolen Amir's wristwatch and money. The experience left a scar on both Hassan and Amir. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% Loosing a good friend that was so loyal and good to him must've hurt dearly but because of all the guilt he had he couldn't do nothing but drive Hassan away. His father shows little interest, which Amir takes as yet another sign of his fathers lack of approval. You can view our. Overall, the pomegranate tree is a symbol of Amir and Hassan's childhood friendship, and its health represents the state and nature of their friendship. Hassan wouldn't fight him but "Hasssan did pick up a pomegranate. All of this leads to the author using symbolism, irony and imagery. From another perspective, Hassan and Ali are human beings and it is cruel of Amir to treat them as inferior. Dont have an account? There was a pomegranate tree near the entrance to the cemetery. He invited Amir to come play volleyball at his house and to bring along Hassan, but Amir refused. Please wait while we process your payment. When school started, Amir was relieved to have homework to keep him busy. However, Hassan refuses to throw the pomegranates at him. If you feel that this video content violates the Adobe Terms of Use, you may report this content by filling out this quick form. A broad entryway flanked by rosebushes led to the sprawling house of marble floors and wide windows. Baba becomes furious and says that he will never replace Ali and Hassan. The horrid conditions show the lengths Baba will go so that Amir can have a better life. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. This makes Amir feel even worse, as it proves that Amir himself is weak and cowardly as compared with Hassan. 3. Amir is feeling very uncomfortable that he refuses to read to Hassan like he normally does and they leave. Amir is filled with self-loathing after Hassan's rape. The pomegranate tree was where Hassan an d amir went . on 50-99 accounts. In Chapter Seven, we finally witness Hassan's rape, to which Amir has been alluding since Chapter One. This is a very important quote from this chapter because I think that hes saying that to Hassan, but actually saying that to himself because he thinks hes a coward for not helping Hassan while he was being raped. The tree withstood a lot. When Hassan said nothing, he threw the fruit at him and demanded that Hassan throw one back. Just like Rahim Khan said he would over the phone. Want 100 or more? Historical Context Essay: The Kite Runner and The Taliban, Literary Context Essay: Coming-of-Age Stories, Khaled Hosseini and The Kite Runner Background. The sky was a cloudless blue that day, and I saw a tiny jet leaving behind twin white trails. Baba proudly tells everyone about the kite tournament, but Amir does not enjoy it. Since Amir couldn't tell Hassan that he saw what he had saw and was so guilty he lost a good friend. The chapter is interrupted by another italicized memory. Amir, as a young boy, has just written a story. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Maybe he'd call me Amir jan like Rahim Khan did. . Hassan not knowing Amir knows, he tries to go back to normal but he can't because Amir is uncomfortable with what he knows. Hassan, however, will not retaliate, and this becomes the greatest torment for Amir. The true victory for Amir was seeing Baba hollering with pride. You can view our. . In it, the two boys amazed the people of Kabul by swimming in a lake and proving it contained no monster. "For you, a thousand time over!" The History of Afghanistan during the Time of The Kite Runner, Read the Study Guide for The Kite Runner, Amirs Quest for Salvation in The Kite Runner, A Journey for Redemption in The Kite Runner, Redemption in Kahled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, Emotional Intertextuality Between Death of a Salesman and The Kite Runner, View the lesson plan for The Kite Runner, View Wikipedia Entries for The Kite Runner. When they arrive they have a large traditional Afghan dinner. One afternoon he asks Hassan to walk up the hill with him so he can read him a story. Even though Amir finally had the intimacy with Baba he had wanted all his life, his guilt made him feel emptier than ever. Rahim Khan found him and told him a story. This is important because in this specific scene, Amir has shown he is the person who possesses the more banal characteristics of evil. That summer of 1976, Amir turns thirteen is forced to have a birthday party, by Baba. The front steps had crumbled. This line, spoken later in the novel by Amir to Hassans son Sohrab, represents the durable bonds of loyalty and friendship that exist between Amir and Hassan. They showtime stages that one goes through when they are on a path toward forgiveness. The pomegranate tree is significant throughout "The Kite Runner" because it symbolizes the friendship between Amir and Hassan. When Amir took his new bike for a ride, Ali and Hassan were in the yard cleaning up the mess from the party. As Hassan refused to fight back, Amir threw countless pomegranates at him until he was stained in blood-red juice. Everywhere I turned, I saw signs of his loyalty, his goddamn unwavering loyalty. Amir in the story tries to make the reader feel sympathy for him so that the reader forgets about the. This then starts Amir's quest of redemption. His father uses expensive materials, such as marble and crystal, and the house has four bathrooms, which is extravagant. When Rahim Khans father becomes angry because Rahim Khan wants to marry a Hazara woman, he resolves the problem not by moving his own family, but by sending away the Hazara woman and her family. He finally found Hassan facing Assef and his two friends, who were trying to steal the kite from him. for a customized plan. His actions come out of his deep-seated belief that Baba blames him for his mother's death. Russian takeover. Later, we find out that even after Amir drove him out of Baba's house, Hassan considered Amir "the best friend he ever had" and passed onto Sohrab his belief in nonviolence. His true wish, however, is for Baba to acknowledge his special talent for writing. Wed love to have you back! Baba, Ali, and their sons gathered in the yard to sacrifice a lamb for Eid-e-Qorban, in honor of the prophet Ibrahim's near sacrifice of his son. Now an adult living in California, Amir returns to Kabul at Rahim Khans summons. He thinks to himself that either he or Hassan must leave. . May 1, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 Because the past claws its way out. Baba forgives Hassan, but Ali says they must leave. Not surprisingly, Rahim's first name means "compassionate"; he is the person who understands people and protects them both by keeping their secrets and by making them atone. Historical Context Essay: The Kite Runner and The Taliban, Literary Context Essay: Coming-of-Age Stories, Khaled Hosseini and The Kite Runner Background. (one code per order). $24.99 And maybe, just maybe, I would finally be pardoned for killing my mother." But all Hassan does is throw the pomegranate on himself as a last sign of loyalty-"are you satisfied? That night, he asked Baba if they could go to Jalalabad; ever since Amir won the tournament, Baba had not denied him anything. 20% Discount, Discount Code Subscribe now. Adobe Systems Incorporated. After awkwardly excusing himself, he unwrapped the present alone; it was a biography of Hitler, which he threw into the bushes. The first is of Ali's words about his kinship with Hassan because they had the same nursemaid. One day, after Amir refused to walk to the market with him, Hassan asked Amir what he had done wrong. A beautiful ending and a wonderful book. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. After they picked pomegranates, Amir asked Hassan what he would do if he threw a pomegranate at him. In the novel, Amir wants Hassan to hit him with pomegranates to inflict pain and lessen his guilt; instead, Hassan smashes the pomegranates over . Only their five-year-old son, Ali, survived. Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! At this, Amir's carsickness overwhelmed him and he vomited. What Hassan represents to Amir and to other characters in the novel, are the crucial driving forced behind the actions of the characters. Hassan is always so loyal and treats Amir as real friends, just as he said after the tournament, "For you, a thousand times over! From this statement, we also know that Rahim Khan is in many ways more of a father to Amir than Baba. Explain the complex situation that Amir finds himself in when Assef and his parents show up to his party. When Amir said he didn't want to fly a kite, Hassan told him, "no monster," and convinced him to proceed. May 1, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 In the end it is Assef who "heals" Amir by hurting him. He knew Baba never would have thrown him such an extravagant party if he had not won the tournament, and to him the victory was inseparable from Hassan's rape. Amir's inability to confront what happened changes the dynamics of his entire life to revolve around . creating and saving your own notes as you read. Write To Us. Amir lived in the wealthy area of Afghanistan with the servants, people of the middle and upper . One of Amirs constant fears is realized: Hassan emerges as the stronger, better person. It was a moment in which he could demonstrate everybody that he was good at something. Everyone agreed that my father, my Baba, had built the most beautiful house in the Wazir Akbar Khan district, a new and affluent neighborhood in the northern part of Kabul. Ali stopped Amir to give him a present from himself and Hassan, a new copy of the Shahnamah, the book from which he had so often read to Hassan. Amir says this because Hassan doesnt want to throw at him a pomegranate, after Amir has thrown one to him. Please contact Adobe Support. After they picked pomegranates, Amir asked Hassan what he would do if he threw a pomegranate at him. He returns to the tree to find it still labelled with the words he and Hassan carved into it twenty-six years before. Learn. Answered by Aslan 5 years ago 1/20/2018 5:42 PM. Why did Baba lie about Hassan being his son? Amirs fathers words echo in his mind as he recalls the experience, A boy who won't stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up to anything (Hosseini, 2003). So, Amir throws pomegranates at Hassan which only makes Hassan smeared in red like hed been shot by a firing squad., Because the past claws its way out. (1) I chose this quote as the most memorable quote because It is something that almost everyone can relate too. Next, Amir begins to ignore Hassan, effectively torturing him with silence and compounding his injury. This absolutely devastates Amir, because this is the final attempt for Amir to get his redemption with Hassan. The paint, once sparkling white, had faded to ghostly gray and eroded in parts . Our Presence: anthony castellitto the irishman; on 50-99 accounts. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% I ran because. Amir turns all his self hate onto Hassan and hits him. Then the boys were lauded as heroes and became the lake's owners. At the beginning of the novel Hosseni shows how close Amir and Hassan are and where their friendship is at in this point of the story. Amir has guilt because he chases Hassan out, I flinched, like Id been slapped Then I understood: This was Hassans final sacrifice for me And that led to another understanding: Hassan knew. "There was a pomegranate tree near the entrance to the cemetery one summer day I used one of Ali's kitchen knives to carve our names.." This showing how close and Amir and Hassan are. What is the significance of Alis first wife? Hassan admits to stealing the watch, even though he didnt do it. In light of this, we can see the interruption of italicized memories as a representation not only of Amir's confusion and panic, but the moment when he became a true coward. While sitting on a hill together, eating pomegranates, Amir asks what Hassan would do if he threw a pomegranate at him. In the end, Amir tries to get rid of Hassan and frames him for the loss of his watch. Close to loosing each other Hosseni tells us what happened between the two. Why does Amir accept Soraya even after she tells him of her past? Why does Amir ask Baba if he has seen Amirs new watch? . You'll also receive an email with the link. The incident with the pomegranates embodies Hassan's insistence on 'taking the high road' when it comes to violence and anger. were broken. "Amir suddenly picks up a pomegranate and asks Hassan what he would do if he threw it at him. After that, the boys avoid each other. As they aired out the van on the roadside, Amir saw Hassan's bloodied pants in his head. The pomegranate tree is significant throughout "The Kite Runner" because it symbolizes the friendship between Amir and Hassan. In the book the Kite runner the symbolism of the pomegranate tree is used to resemble Amir and Hassan's relationship, but thru out the book the symbolism changes and transforms into a reminder of Amir's sins of when he abandon Hassan and betrayed his trust and respect for Amir. Why doesnt Amir help Hassan in the alley? Why does Amir sometimes treat Hassan badly in childhood? Rather, he accepts his fate-he gets "the look of the lamb" in his eyes-because his loyalty to Amir makes him willing to suffer even the terribly violent act of rape. Hassan, however, refuses to fight Amir, denying him the catharsis of punishment. During the trip to Jalalabad, he tries to rid himself of this weight. Amir will never be able to fully forgive himself for what happened in the winter of 1975, however, by working to become a better person, he can slowly redeem himself and move forward with his life. "The Kite Runner Chapters 7-9 Summary and Analysis". In the beginning of the story something bad happens to Hassan, Amir says,In the end, I ran. You'll also receive an email with the link. An important symbol in The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, is the pomegranate tree in Amir's yard. Amir throws a pomegranate at Hassan and demands he fight back, but Hassan still does nothing. Test. Amir was an awful person because he did not care about Hassans loyalty for him. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! Why does Amir want Hassan to leave Babas household? Amir is looking for some kind of penance, some pain Hassan might inflict upon Amir to make him feel better. The air wasnt right, it was too thick, almost solid. Hassan joined him eagerly. Hassan says nothing, which irritates Amir. According to Rahim Khan, Baba was hard on Amir because he was trying to raise him to be like himself but more righteous. Amir cannot tolerate this truth and engineers a plan to make Ali and Hassan leave. Amir throws pomegranates at Hassan trying to get him to throw back Amir recalls, "I stood up and picked up an overripe pomegranate that had fallen to the ground. Write To Us. Throughout the novel Hosseini depicts Amir's struggle to redeem himself ever since he witnessed the rape of Hassan . Amir cannot hide his discomfort, embarrassing Baba and forcing him to apologize. Sometimes it can end up there. (one code per order). His familys rejection of her would have been too painful in the long run. One day, Amir asks Baba if he would ever get new servants. The Question and Answer section for The Kite Runner is a great Family ties also bring Amir a new sense of entitlement to Sohrab. Chapters Seven, Eight and Nine contain clues that Hassan and Amir are brothers and bring into question the idea of family. (one code per order). Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. The Kabul that Amir remembers is symbolically dead, and in need of drastic change to redeem itself.This tells us that although the tree and Hassan are dead, the survival of the engraving shows their relationship is still alive as Amir has found a way to redeem himself. Asnes, Tania. Study focus: Symbolism. One of the things that I liked about the book, was that it was fairly fast paced and not as dull or slow as some of the other books that I have read throughout other classes. As Amir, Baba, and everyone else slept in the same room, Amir confessed to the darkness, "I watched Hassan get raped." Hassan joined him eagerly. The symbol of the Pomegranate Tree in The Kite Runner In Khaled Hosseini's novel, The Kite Runner, the changing depiction of the pomegranate tree symbolizes the changes in Amir and Hassan's relationship, and is woven into the novel's central theme of sin and redemption. The final guilt Amir struggles with is his guilt of apathy where he physically commits the action and instead of standing as a bystander becomes the person who committed the act, which gives him a different form of guilt. The tragedy play Macbeth by William Shakespeare and the novel Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini are both stories about devastated characters who are plagued by their own guilt. Amir and Hassan were a great team and theirs was one of the last two kites left in the sky. But when Rahim Khan told his father, his father became enraged and sent the girl and her family away. "Amir says he is tired of trying to forget. He has his driver take him by the familys house. Further ironies stemming from Amirs sacrifice of Hassan come to light in this section. As Hassan refused to fight back, Amir threw countless pomegranates at him until he was stained in blood-red juice. But Hassan is a part of the household, so Amir can never escape him completely. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. The Kite Runner tells the story of Amir, the son of a wealthy Afghan and member of the ruling caste of Pashtuns. Some of them are manifestations of doom: the sacrifice of the lamb and the visit to the fortuneteller. Some thought it was the prettiest house in all of Kabul. He had almost married a Hazara woman, but his family was outraged at the proposition and sent her and her family out of town. The girl was a Hazara. Why does Hassan smash the pomegranate? Amir is so selfish that he ends up forcing Hassan and Ali out of the house rather than risking the loss of Baba's pride in him. These lines, written by Hassan in a letter to Amir shortly before Hassans death, reveal that his devotion to Amir has not been broken by Amirs betrayal and his absence over the years.
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