Chapters 7-15 (Kite Runner)

Chapters 7-15


It starts off on the morning of the kite tournament. Hassan had a dream they are at a lake with thousands of other people, but no one is swimming, because there is suppose to be a monster in the lake. Amir jumps into the lake and Hassan follows him. They swim to the middle of the lake and back to prove that there is in fact, no monster. Amir gets scared and wants to withdraw from the tournament but Hassan convinces him otherwise. Amir becomes surprised at how well Hassan knows him and he thinks that maybe Hassan made up the dream. The kite tournament starts, and the two boys send the kite in the air with Amir controlling the string and Hassan feeding it from the reel. Amir makes it to the last dozen and then the last half dozen. Amir ends up neck to neck with a blue kite. Finally, it comes down to the two of them. Amir cuts the blue kite and wins the tournament and sees his father clapping for him and Amir becomes happy that his father is finally proud of him. Hassan runs after the kite for Amir as a trophy. When Amir gets home he gives his kite to Ali and runs to find Hassan. Unfortunately, Amir is unable to find Hassan. People stop him to congratulate him which distracts him from finding Hassan. Finally, an old man, tells him that he saw Hassan run by being chased by three boys. Amir knows immediately who they are and anxiously tries to find Hassan. He finds Hassan in an alley caught against the three boys. However, Amir just stands and watches as they approach Hassan. The three boys try to take the blue kite from Hassan but he refuses to give it to them. Meanwhile, Amir stays hidden and doesn’t go to help his friend. The boys attack Hassan and Amir watches and remembers how the two of them had visited a fortune teller together and that the blind man was so shocked by what he felt in Hassan’s hand that he had not told him his fortune. Amir focuses on what is happening and realizes that the three boys plan on raping Hassan.Hassan accepts his fate. Amir, instead of helping his friend, turns and runs away. Later catching up with Hassan. Hassan doesn’t tell Amir what happened and when they go home, everything happens the way Amir wanted it to. His father is proud of him and gives him a hug as Amir hands Baba the blue kite. For the next week after the kite tournament, Amir scarcely sees Hassan. He still makes Amir’s breakfast and lays out his clothes, but he doesn’t stay around to talk to him and Amir can no longer hear him sing. Ali and Baba become worried about Hassan and ask Amir about him. Amir lies and says he is sick. Amir and Hassan’s friendship becomes very shaky after that. Hassan tries to rekindle their old friendship but Amir just pushes him away. That summer Amir turned 13 and his father throws a big birthday party for him which becomes a success. Rahim Khan tells Amir about the fact that he was once married to a Hazara girl named Homaira. His family was so shocked at what he had done that they sent her away and he never saw her again. This is Rahim’s way of trying to get Amir to tell him why he seems so unhappy and Amir almost tells him everything. He stops himself because he fears that Rahim would hate him. Rahim Khan then gives Amir his present: a leather-bound notebook to hold his stories. The next morning after Amir’s birthday party, he opens presents, however his presents do not bring him joy. Amir thinks that Baba would never have thrown him a party if he had not won the kite tournament. It is March 1981 in the book now, and Amir and Baba are in a truck fleeing from the Russians into Pakistan. When the truck stops they are in Mahipar Falls. Chapter 11 starts out in Fremont, California in the 1980’s. Amir and Baba have come to America and Baba loves the idea of America but doesn’t particularly like living in it. Amir recalls staying up late with Ali and Hassan telling stories about sultans and theives. Amir meets Soraya and begins to love her and seriously date her. At the same time however, his father dies. In the next two months, Amir is faced with two ceremonies that are very emotional to him, his wedding to Soraya and his father’s funeral. In chapter 14, Amir’s life goes back to the present with the phone call from Rahim Khan. He tells his wife he has to go to Pakistan. Amir realizes he has to face his demons and sins that he has committed. Amir arrives in Pakistan and is reminded of his hometown.