A. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini tells the story of Amir Qadiri and his servant Hassan. The story begins in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1978. Amir and Hassan are best friends, and Hassan will do anything for Amir. After Amir wins the kite flying competition, Hassan runs to get the last fallen kite for Amir. After Hassan gets the kite, he is cornered in an alley by a local bully named Assef. Hassan refuses to give up the kite, and is raped by Assef. Amir sees what is happening but is too scared to defend Hassan. This event changes their lives, as Hassan only reminds Amir of his cowardice. Amir and his father, Baba, are forced to flee Afghanistan due to the Soviet Invasion of 1979. A few years later, Amir and Baba settle in to the San Francisco Bay area. They lead a working class life, far different from their rich lifestyle in Kabul. Amir receives a degree from a local community college and is an aspiring writer. Amir eventually marries Soraya, a Pashtun like himself, and becomes a published author. Baba passes away from cancer in 2000. Amir receives a telephone call from Rahim Khan, an old family friend, telling him that he has the opportunity to redeem himself for the incident with Hassan. Amir meets Rahim Khan in Pakistan, where he is told that Hassan was actually his brother. Hassan died a few years before, but …show more content…
“I stood up and picked up an overripe pomegranate from the ground. “What would you do if I hit you with this?” I said, tossing the fruit up and down … I don’t know how many times I hit him. All I know is that, when I finally stopped, exhausted and panting, Hassan was smeared in red like he’d been shot by a firing squad. I fell to my knees, tired, spent, frustrated. Then Hassan did pick up a pomegranate. He walked around me. He opened it and crushed it against his own forehead. “There,” he croaked, red dripping down his face like blood. “Are you satisfied? Do you feel better?” He turned around and started down the hill” (Hosseini