The+Kite+Runner

Study Guide Questions Chapters 1-10

 * Chapter 1-3 Study Guide Questions**
 * 1) How old did the narrator say he was when he became “what [he] is today”?
 * 2) Identify Amir, Baba, Hassan, Ali, and Rahim Kahan.
 * 3) Who worked for whom?
 * 4) What happened to Amir’s mother?
 * 5) What happened to Hassan’s mother?
 * 6) Define Hazara, Shi’a Muslin, Sunni Muslim, Pashtuns, and Farsi.
 * 7) Discuss textbooks and objectivity. (see page 9)
 * 8) What does the narrator seem to foreshadow at the end of chapter 2? What is the tone?
 * 9) In Chapter 3, on page 22, what do you think Baba is talking about when he states that there is “something missing” with Amir?


 * Chapter 4-7 Study Guide Questions**
 * 1) Why do you think Amir states that he never though of Hassan as his friend?
 * 2) Why couldn’t Hassan read?
 * 3) What does “jan” mean? Is there an English word that is similar?
 * 4) When did the bombing/fighting begin in Afghanistan, according to Amir?
 * 5) Identify Assef.
 * 6) Discuss similarities between oppressed peoples (pages 40-1)
 * 7) What did Baba give Hassan for his birthday?
 * 8) Explain kite running.
 * 9) Why did Amir feel he must win the tournament?
 * 10) What parallel is the narrator illustrating on page 76? Why?
 * 11) What happened to Hassan?
 * 12) What would you have done if you were Amir?


 * Chapter 8-10 Study Guide Questions**
 * 1) Why do you think Amir no longer wanted to play with Hassan?
 * 2) Which character’s character seems to be more emotionally mature? Explain.
 * 3) Why did Amir throw pomegranates at Hassan?
 * 4) What is the significance behind Assef’s birthday present for Amir?
 * 5) What story did Rahim Kahn tell Amir on his birthday? Why?
 * 6) What gift did he give him?
 * 7) Why didn’t anyone tell the truth?
 * 8) What did Amir hide under Hassan’s bed? Why?
 * 9) Why did Hassan lie?
 * 10) Why did Hassan and Ali leave?
 * 11) Where did Amir and Baba flee to?
 * 12) Why could people no longer be trusted in Afghanistan?


 * Chapter 11 and 12 Study Guide Questions**
 * 1) Where did they move to after Pakistan?
 * 2) What job did Baba get?
 * 3) Why didn’t he want food stamps?
 * 4) What did Baba give Amir for his birthday? Why?
 * 5) What did Amir decide to study in college?
 * 6) How did Baba feel about Amir’s decision?
 * 7) Why did the author say he “embraced America”? (p. 136)
 * 8) What did Baba and Amir do to supplement their income?
 * 9) Reflect on Baba’s comment at the end of chapter 11.
 * 10) What dating customs and traditions does American culture have? Southern culture? Compare and contrast with Afghanistan dating cultures/rituals.
 * 11) Discuss gender (p. 149)
 * 12) What type of cancer does Baba have?
 * 13) Discuss parental relations (p. 156). Compare and contrast relations today in America versus Afghanistan culture.
 * 14) What do you think about the proposal?

1- Why wasn’t Soraya present at the beginning of the engagement party? 2- Discuss wedding traditions. Traditionally, the bride’s family pays for American/Christian weddings. Who paid for Amir’s wedding? 3- What is a mosque? 4- When did Baba die? 5- What did Baba do the night before he died? 6- Why didn’t the General work? 7- Why didn’t the General want Jamila to sing in public? 8- What year was Amir’s first book published? 9- Why do people whisper behind Soraya’s back? 10- Why did the doctor say they couldn’t have children? 11- Where did Amir buy a house?
 * Chapter 13 Study Guide Questions**

1- Who called Amir and asked him to come to Pakistan? 2- How long have Amir and Soraya been married at this point? (15 years) 3- How long did Amir plan to be gone for? 4- Where did Rahim Khan live? (Peshawar in Pakistan) 5- Who lived in Baba’s house after he and Amir fled Kabul? 6- Why were the Afghans glad to have the Taliban in the beginning? 7- Why did Rahim Khan want Hassan to come live with him? 8- What was Hassan’s house like? 9- What was his wife’s name? 10- What had happened to Ali? 11- Why do you think Hassan changed his mind and moved with his family to live in Baba’s house with Rahim Khan? 12- Why wouldn’t Hassan move into the main house? 13- Who was the old woman who showed up on their door step? 14- Why do you think Hassan forgave Sanaubar? What does that tell you about Hassan’s character? Would you have forgiven your mother? 15- What was Hassan’s son’s name? 16- What year did the Taliban take over Kabul? What year did they massacre the Hazaras?
 * Chapter 14-16**

1- What happened to Hassan? Farzana? 2- What did the Taliban say about it? 3- Where is Sohrab? 4- What did Rahim Khan want Amir to do? 5- What did Amir find out about Hassan, Ali, and Baba? 6- Why was he so upset? 7- Why is Amir more like Baba than he thought he was? (page 226) 8- Why did Amir decide to go to Kabul?
 * Chapter 17-18**

1- What was the name of Amir’s cab driver? 2- What did Amir have to wear? Why? 3- What is a burqa? Pakol? 4- Why was the cab driver so rude to Amir? 5- Why didn’t the women make eye contact? 6- How did Farid’s brother Wahid treat Amir? 7- What did Amir give the children? Why? 8- Describe Amir’s dream. What is the significance? 9- Amir planted money under the mattress just like he did twenty-six years before. What is the significance of this?
 * Chapter 19 Study Guide Questions**

1- Why is Farid treating Amir differently now? 2- Why were “fathers a rare commodity in Afghanistan”? (p. 245) 3- What advice did Farid give Amir regarding the Taliban? 4- What did Amir learn about his mother? From whom? 5- Why are children with mothers but not fathers considered orphans in Afghanistan? Why can’t their mothers take care of them? 6- Why did Farid become so upset with the orphanage director? 7- What was Zaman’s excuse for his behavior? 8- What would you do if you were in Zaman’s position?
 * Chapter 20 Study Guide Questions**

1- Why were the houses in Amir’s old neighborhood still in good shape? 2- What did Amir need to see the most at his old house? 3- What made Amir stop laughing and think that maybe Afghanistan was a hopeless place? 4- What was the half time show for the soccer game? 5- What crime did the couple commit? 6- What was their punishment? 7- Who was the executioner?
 * Chapter 21 Study Guide Questions**

1- What does Amir notice about the “John Lennon’s” arm? 2- What did the “John Lennon” notice about Amir? 3- What has happened to Sohrab? 4- Who did “John Lennon” turn out to be? 5- Assef said Amir could take Sohrab on one condition. What was that condition and why? 6- What did Assef tell his guards when he asked them to leave? 7- What happened? 8- Why did Amir laugh? 9- Explain how everything came full circle. Was it ironic? 10- Why did Amir tell Sohrab the truth about his relationship with Hassan? 11- What did Amir promise Sohrab? 12- What did Sohrab agree to do? 13- What steps did Amir have to take in order to bring Sohrab home?
 * Chapter 22 Study Guide Questions**


 * Chapter 23**
 * 1) Describe Amir’s injuries.
 * 2) Which of Amir’s injuries was ironic? Why?
 * 3) What did Sohrab say when Amir introduced himself?
 * 4) Why do you think Sohrab didn’t want to talk?
 * 5) Why did Rahim Khan say Baba was so hard on Amir growing up? Do you think that is fair?
 * 6) Why do you think Rahim Khan wants to die alone? What would you want if you were in his situation?
 * 7) Why did Amir begin crying with Farid said, “For you a thousand times over” (305)?
 * 8) Where are John and Betty Caldwell?
 * 9) Why do you think Rahim Khan lied?
 * 10) Where do you think Sohrab belongs?


 * Chapter 24**
 * 1) What did Amir mean when he said, “Islamabad was the city Kabul could have become someday” (311).
 * 2) How much did Amir give Farid?
 * 3) Where did Sohrab go?
 * 4) Amir remembers someone once saying, “There are a lot of children in Afghanistan, but little childhood” (318). What does that mean?
 * 5) Why does Sohrab think he might go to hell?
 * 6) What did Andrews at the American embassy say?
 * 7) Why do you think Sohrab took such longs baths every night?
 * 8) What does the immigration lawyer say may be Amir’s best shot at adopting Sohrab?
 * 9) What happened to Sohrab?


 * Chapter 25**
 * 1) Why did Amir pray for the first time since Baba died?
 * 2) What was the last thing Sohrab said for almost a year? Why?
 * 3) What did Amir tell his family about Sohrab?
 * 4) What gave Amir a glimpse of hope for Sohrab’s future?
 * 5) What is the significance of Amir telling Sohrab, “for you, a thousand times over”?