Chapter 1-3
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
·
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
13. Why do you think Amir
no longer wanted to play with Hassan?
14. Which character’s
character seems to be more emotionally mature? Explain.
15. Why did Amir throw
pomegranates at Hassan?
16. What is the
significance behind Assef’s birthday present for Amir?
17. What story did Rahim
Kahn tell Amir on his birthday? Why?
18. What gift did he give
him?
19. Why didn’t anyone
tell the truth?
20. What did Amir hide
under Hassan’s bed? Why?
21. Why did Hassan lie?
22. Why did Hassan and
Ali leave?
23. Where did Amir and Baba
flee to?
24. Why could people no
longer be trusted in Afghanistan?
·
Chapter 11 and 12
1.
Where did they move 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?
Chapter 13
15. Why wasn’t Soraya
present at the beginning of the engagement party?
16. Discuss wedding
traditions. Traditionally, the bride’s family pays for American/Christian
weddings. Who paid for Amir’s wedding?
17. What is a mosque?
18. When did Baba die?
19. What did Baba do the
night before he died?
20. Why didn’t the
General work?
21. Why didn’t the
General want Jamila to sing in public?
22. What year was Amir’s
first book published?
23. Why do people whisper
behind Soraya’s back?
24. Why did the doctor
say they couldn’t have children?
25. Where did Amir buy a
house?
·
Chapter 14-16
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 17-18
17. What happened to
Hassan?Farzana?
18. What did the Taliban
say about it?
19. Where is Sohrab?
20. What did Rahim Khan
want Amir to do?
21. What did Amir find
out about Hassan, Ali, and Baba?
22. Why was he so upset?
23. Why is Amir more like
Baba than he thought he was? (page 226)
24. Why did Amir decide
to go to Kabul?
·
Chapter 19
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 20
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 21
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 22
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 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”?
