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Pages 41 - 60. Go to the Beginning (Brought to you by jat impatientreader.com) Assef is just about ready to beat up Amir when Hassan produces a slingshot and threatens Assef. Assef walks away, but warns Amir that he's not through with him. Amir then remembers how in the winter of 1974, for his birthday, Baba gets Hassan plastic surgery to repair his cleft lip. In the next chapter, Amir remembers the winters in Afghanistan, and how everyone flew kites and fought them in battles to see who could cut each other's kite string. He remembers how it's the only thing that brought him and his father Baba together, and how Baba would take Hassan and him to a kite-maker, who would make them special kites. However, it wasn't just about the fighting, it was about the running after the kites after their strings had been cut and being the one to grab the last cut kite of the tournament. Amir and Hassan go running after a kite one day, and Amir marvels how Hassan seems to always know where the kite is going and where it will turn up. During one chase, they stop for a moment and Amir seems to delight in making fun of Hassan, but then he seems something briefly in Hassan's eyes that make him wonder who his friend really is. Amir then states that in the winter of 1975, he sees Hassan run a kite for the last time. The tournament was starting the next day, and suddenly Baba says to Amir that he is going to win the tournament. Amir feels pressure, but at the same time is determined not to disappoint Baba. Characters introduced: Dr. Kumar (plastic surgeon) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Amir and Hassan head to the kite flying tournament, but not before Amir has some misgivings about it. However, Hassan talks him out of his depression, and they start flying their kite. Amir thinks about what a beautiful day it is, and how all the kites look in the air. The tournament goes through the whole day, and soon only Amir's kite and another kite are flying. Then, Amir's kite cuts the other one's string, and the blue kite goes off. Hassan goes after it, saying he'll bring it back to Amir. After accepting congratulations, Amir gives his kite to Ali and goes looking for Hassan. He asks several people if they've seen him, but a number of them wonder why he's even spending time looking for a Hazara. But then the last person tells Amir that he saw a group of boys running after Hassan. Amir finally comes upon them in an alley. Hassan has been cornered by Assef and his two friends. Amir stays out of sight as Assef taunts Hassan with the knowledge that he is nothing but a servant to Amir, which Amir knows deep down is true. Just when he sees Assef attack Hassan, Amir has a memory of the woman who nursed both him and Hassan and of a fortune teller who tried to tell his fortune but Amir wouldn't let him. Then a memory of a dream comes to him where he's caught in a snowstorm and someone reaches out to him and they are suddenly standing in a field with kites flying around them. Amir snaps back to reality, and sees that Hassan is being held down while Assef sexually assaults him. Amir notes that Hassan has the look of a lamb, just like the ones that they kill every year around the tenth day of Dhul-Hijjah, a Muslim religious holiday. Amir runs, torn with guilt about leaving his friend and how it all seemed to go back to winning Baba's approval. He sees the three boys run past him laughing, then finally sees Hassan. He almost can't bear to admit to himself the first thing he notices is if the blue kite has any tears in it. He can't look at Hassan for fear that Hassan will know that he knows. He takes the kite and says nothing as Hassan walks away, then goes home and cries in Baba's arms. Characters introduced: Omar (son of a friend of Baba's) |
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