Chapters 6-9 Questions

1. During the winter of 1975 every boy in Kabul participated in the kite tournament. Some boys would make their own kites which left gashes on their fingers. Tar is another name for the string on a kite.

2. Amir feels a little resentful towards Hassan because he feels like Baba likes Hassan better. Amir feels like he isn't as important to Baba as Hassan is, Amir feels like a shadow behind Hassan which is why he says, "Show him once and for all his son was worthy. Then maybe my life as a ghost in this house will finally be over."

3. Amir's proudest moment was when he came in first place for kite competition.

4. Hassan is met in the alley by Assef and his gang. They talk for a little bit and Assef says this is Hassans payback for the slingshot. He says he will leave Hassan alone in return for the kite. Hassan says no. Assef then rapes Hassan and Wali and Kamal hold him down and watch.

5. Amir is the one that says that and its important because if he would have said something, he could have stopped what happened to Hassan. In my opinion Amir was a little scared and knew what was right but instead of acting on it he chickened and acted as if he never saw it.

6. Amir is remembering how close Hassan and him used to be. They have been together since birth. They fed from the same breast allowing a brotherhood between them. and Amir feels like he betrayed him.

7. Amirs family goes to Jalalabad.

8. Amir asks for new servants. Baba responds with how he grew up with Ali, and whatever was going on between Amir and Hassan would have to be worked out between the two of them. Baba also threatens to hit Amir if he says that again.

9. The pomegranate tree was inscribed with the words Amir carved in the tree with Ali's kitchen knife.    Amir and Hassan: The Sultans of Kabul... It's significant that he picks that tree because its not just any tree, it's their tree. The tree that symbolizes their friendship. Amir starts chucking pomegranates at Hassan and then asks for it in return. This is important because Amir wants to feel the pain that Hassan did hoping to take away his own.

10. Assef gives Amir a book. It was a biography of Hitler. It was significant because it was Assef's favorite book. It was almost like a comparison. Hitler was bad and so is Assef. Neither did good things. Assef knows that Amir saw what happened in the alley.

11. Amir puts the watch from his dad and money under Hassan's pillow. Amir wants Hassan to be accused of theft because that's the #1 unforgivable sin. I was shocked because no matter if Baba gets rid of Hassan he will always have the memory.

12. Hassan agrees to stealing Amir's watch and money.

13. Baba forgives Hassan.

14. Hassan and Ali were aloud to stay but decided to move away for good.

15. It's a turning point because Hassan and Ali moved away, but still the memories remain.

Chapter 1-5 References

1. Henry Kissinger, p.21
"Amir do you see that man sitting up there with those other men around him?" I did. "That's Henry Kissinger."
Political- Henry Kissinger was the 56th secretary of state, from September 22, 1973 to January 20, 1977.

2. Steve McQueen, Bullitt, p.27
"Then Baba and I drove off in his black Ford Mustang- a car that drew envious looks everywhere because it was the same car Steve McQueen had driven in Bullitt, a film that played in one theater for six months."
Movies, Actor- Steve McQueen was a popular actor that starred in many movies.

3. Zahir Shah, fall of afghan monarchy July 1973, p.36
"The king , Zahir Shah was away in Italy."
Power- Zahir was a Afghanistan ruler that came to rule at age 19.

Chapter 1-5 Vocabulary

Affluent:
Definition- having an abundance of wealth, property, or other material goods; prosperous; rich: an affluent person.
Sentence from book- " Everyone agreed that my father, my Baba, had built the most beautiful house in the Wazir Akbar Khan district, a new and affluent neighborhood in the northern part of Kabul." (pg.4)
My sentence- The king lived in a old but affluent neighborhood. 
Synonyms- rich, wealthy
Antonyms- poor

Intricate:
Definition- having many interrelated parts or facets; entangled or involved.
Sentence from book- " Intricate mosaic tiles, handpicked by Baba in Isfahan, covered the floors of the four bathrooms." (pg.4)
My sentence- Sandy traveled through the intricate maze.
Synonyms- knotty, tangled 
Antonyms- apparent, clear

Notoriously:
Definition- publicly or generally known, as for a particular trait.
Sentence from book- "people had raised eyebrows when Ali, a man who had memorized the Koran, married Sanaubar, a woman nineteen years younger, a beautiful but notoriously unscrupulous woman who lived up to her dishonorable name." (pg.8)
My sentence- The notoriously old woman disappeared after three years of living on her own. 
Synonyms- famous, widely known
Antonyms- unimportant, unknown

Unscrupulous:
Definition- having or showing no moral principles; not honest or fair.
Sentence in book- ""people had raised eyebrows when Ali, a man who had memorized the Koran, married Sanaubar, a woman nineteen years younger, a beautiful but notoriously unscrupulous woman who lived up to her dishonorable name." (pg.8)
My sentence- The unscrupulous man lied to the young girl and said he didn't take her dog.
Synonyms- selfish, petty
Antonyms- honest, fair

Congenital:
Definition- having by nature a specified character.
Sentence in book- " While Sanaubar's brilliant green eyes and impish face had, rumour has it, tempted countless men into sin, Ali had a congenital paralysis of his lower face muscles, a condition that rendered him unable to smile and left him perpetually grim-faced." (pg.8)
My sentence- The dog's congenital face was missing a ear.
Synonyms- natural, heredity 
Antonyms- acquired

Rendered:
Definition- provide or give.
Sentence in book-  " While Sanaubar's brilliant green eyes and impish face had, rumour has it, tempted countless men into sin, Ali had a congenital paralysis of his lower face muscles, a condition that rendered him unable to smile and left him perpetually grim-faced." (pg.8)
My sentence- Th teller rendered money to the family of five. 
Synonyms- accomplished, done
Antonyms- incomplete, undone

Oscillating:
Definition- move or swing back and forth at a regular speed.
Sentence in book- " I have heard that Sanaubar's suggestive strides and oscillating sent men to reveries of infidelity." (pg.8)
My sentence- While running my arms oscillated regularly during my race. 
Synonyms- toss, pitch
Antonyms- remain, stay 

Reveries:
Definition- a state of being pleasantly lost in one's thoughts; a daydream.
Sentence in book- " I have heard that Sanaubar's suggestive strides and oscillating sent men to reveries of infidelity." (pg.8)
My sentence- The young girl lost track of what they were doing in class as she reveried for 40 minutes.
Synonyms- fantasy, muse
Antonyms- nightmare

Garrulous:
Definition- excessively talkative in a rambling, roundabout manner, especially about trivial matters.
Sentence in book- "As confided to a neighbor's servant by the garrulous midwife, who had then in turn told anyone who would listen Sanaubar had taken one glance at the baby in Ali's arms, seen the cleft lip, and barked a bitter laugh." (pg.10)
My sentence- Alex Garrulously read off the clues to the puzzle.
Synonyms- chatty, mouthy 
Antonyms- quiet, silent 

Veracity: 
Definition- habitual observance of truth in speech or statement; truthfulness.
Sentence in book -" But no one ever doubted the veracity of any story about Baba." (pg.12)
My sentence- The old man never doubted the veracity of the young girls mother.
Synonyms- truthfulness, honesty 
Antonyms-lying, dishonesty 

Obstinate:
Definition- firmly or stubbornly adhering to one's purpose, opinion
Sentence in book- "Of course, Baba refused, and everyone shook their heads in dismay at his obstinate ways." (pg.13)
My sentence- The dogs obstinate ways were questionable.
Synonyms-firm, inflexible
Antonyms- felxible, obediant 

Havoc:
Definition-great destruction or devastation; ruinous damage.
Sentence in book- "He was preparing his speech for the next day, flipping through a havoc of written pages, making noted here and there with a pencil." (pg.14)
My sentence- The havoc done to Chris's house was replaceable.
Synonyms- devastation, catastrophe
Antonyms-blessing

Virtuous:
Definition- conforming to moral and ethical principles; morally excellent; upright
Sentence in book- " When people scoffed that Baba would never marry well - after all, he was not of royal blood- he wedded my mother, Sofia akrahmi, a highly educated woman universally regarded as one of the kabul's most respected, beautiful, and vigorous ladies." (pg.15)
My sentence- The virtuous dog was 5 years old.
Synonyms- noble, efficient 
Antonyms-bad 

Chortle:
Definition- to chuckle gleefully
Sentence in book- " But a chortle escaped through my nose and made a snorting sound." 
(pg.17)
My sentence- The little boy chortled at the magician.
Synonyms-cackle, chuckle 
Antonyms- cry 

Aloofness:
Definition-the quality or state of being distant, cold, or uninterested
Sentence in book- "That was how I escaped my fathers aloofness, in my dead mothers book." (pg.19)
My sentence- The winter air is aloofness.
Synonyms-distance
Antonyms- sympathy 

Melee:
Definition-a confused hand-to-hand fight or struggle among several people.
Sentence in book- "A chapandaz, a highly skilled horseman usually patronized by rich aficionados, has a snatch a goat or cattle carcass from the midst of a melee, carry that carcass with him around the stadium at full gallop, and dropped a scoring circle while a team of other chapandez chases him and does everything in his power - kick, claw, whip, punch- to snatch a carcass from him" (pg.20)
My sentence- A group of 8 year olds gathered around to watch a melee between 40 year olds.
Synonyms- clash, brawl
Antonyms-calm, harmony,peace

Valiant:
Definition-boldly courageous; brave; stout-hearted
Sentence in book-" Mostly, I will never forget Babas valiant efforts to conceal the disgusted look on his face as he drove in silence." (pg.21)
My sentence- The valiant woman saved her daughter from the robber.
Synonyms-heroic, noble
Antonyms- cowardly, timid

Contrite:
Definition-caused by or showing sincere remorse.
Sentence in book- " The police brought the somewhat contrite young men and the dead couple's five year old orphan boy before my grandfather, who was a highly regarded judge and a man of impeccable reputation." (pg.24)
My sentence- The man brought a contrite looking woman into the investigators office.
Synonyms- apologetic, sorry
Antonyms- hurtful, mean 

Impeccable: 
Definition- faultless; flawless; irreproachable
Sentence in book-  " The police brought the somewhat contrite young men and the dead couple's five year old orphan boy before my grandfather, who was a highly regarded judge and a man of impeccable reputation." (pg.24)
My sentence- The impeccable soldier just returned home after 4 years of Iraq.
Synonyms- exact, right 
Antonyms- flawed, defective

Vehemently:
Definition- strongly emotional; intense or passionate
Sentence in book- "Their father argued, but not too vehemently, and in the end everyone agreed that the punishment had been perhaps harsh but fair." (pg.24)
My sentence- The vehemently old man was very upset after losing his dog.
Synonyms- severally, awfully
Antonyms-calmly, gently

Imbecile:
Definition- a stupid person 
Sentence in book- "What does that word mean?" "Which one?" "Imbecile." (pg.28)
My sentence-The young girl was not a imbecile but very intelligent. 
Synonyms-simple, thick
Antonyms-intelligent, smart 

Nemesis:
Definition- something that a person cannot conquer, achieve
Sentence in book- "Rostam mortally wounds his valiant nemesis, Sohrab, is his long-lost son."(pg.29)
My sentence- I could not nemesis the task given. 
Synonyms- curse, rival
Antonyms-advantage, happiness

Oblivious:
Definition- unmindful; unconscious; unaware
Sentence in book- "Hassan of course, was oblivious to this."(pg.30)
My sentence- The oblivious man didn't know his microwave was on fire.
Synonyms-blind, forgetful
Antonyms- Mindful, aware

Feigned:
Definition- disguised
Sentence in book- "Baba nodded and gave a thin smile that conveyed little more than feigned interest." (pg.31)
My sentence- The clown feigned himself in face paint.
Synonyms- affected, sham
Antonyms- real, true

Irony:
Definition-an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected.
Sentence in book- "But the most impressive thing about your story is that it has irony." (pg.32)
My sentence- Books can either have dramatic irony or situational irony.
Synonyms- twist, paradox
Antonyms- approval, respect

Subtle:
Definition- thin, tenuous, or rarefied, as a fluid or an odor.
Sentence in book- "But Hassans face was my earliest memory and I knew all of its subtle nuances, knew each other and every twitch and flicker that ever rippled across it." (pg.42)
My sentence-The subtle girl was 10 years old.
Synonyms- Faint, slight
Antonyms- ignorant, stupid

Nuances:
Definition- a very slight difference or variation in color or tone.
Sentence in book-  "But Hassans face was my earliest memory and I knew all of its subtle nuances, knew each other and every twitch and flicker that ever rippled across it." (pg.42)
My sentence- The leaves nuances between summer and fall.
Synonyms- hint, nicety 
Antonyms- brightness, lot

Trepidation:
Definition-tremulous fear, alarm, or agitation; perturbation.
Sentence in book- "Neither one of us said much of anything as we walked home in trepidation, certain that Assef and his friends would ambush us every time we turned the corner." (page 43)
My sentence- The girl walked to the grocery store in trepidation, that someone was following her.
Synonyms- dread, terror 
Antonyms- beauty, calm

Chapter 1-5 Questions

1. The novel starts with a flashback because the narrator is providing us with information an Amir's past.

2. Hassan is Amir's best friend. Hassan has almost a perfectly round face, like a hardwood chinese doll, a flat broad nose that was slanted. He has narrow eyes that looked like bamboo leaves. and depending on the light were either gold, green or sapphire. He had tiny low-set ears and a pointed stub of a chin. The cleft lip was just left of midline and it was like a mistake, out of place, not suppose to be there. Hassan is a good boy who usually follows the rules but if Amir asked him enough he'd give in. He wouldn't deny Amir anything and was loyal. When he'd get in trouble he would always take the blame, he'd never rat Amir out. Hassan's first word was Amir. That is important because that laid down the foundation for what happened in 1975 and everything that followed. Hassan came into Amir's life because he fed from the same breast, took their first steps on the same lawn. and said their first words under the same roof. A difference between the boys is one is pashtun and one is hazara.

3. To be a hazara, you look a bit like chinese people. The Hazaras so far is Hassan, Ali, and Sanaubar.

4. The pashtuns did not like or get along with hazaras. They resolved to a lot of violence against them.The pashtuns so far is Amir, Baba, Assef, Kamal, and Wali.

5.Amir house has handpicked tiles that cover the floors of four bathrooms. Gold-stitched tapestries lined the walls, a chandelier hung from the ceiling, upstairs was Amir's room, Baba's room and his study also known as "The Smoking Room." The living room had a curved wall with custom-built cabinets, inside sat framed pictures. The curved wall led to the dining room, on the other end was a tall marble fireplace. There is a large sliding door that opens to a terrace overlooking two acres of backyard. He elaborates so much because his house is considered the most beautiful house in the district. The pictures reveal the importance of those people and events.

6. Sanaubar is Hassans mother and Ali's first cousin/wife. She is different from Amirs mom because Amirs mom died while giving birth as Sanaubar ran away five days after giving birth.

7. Ali is Hassans father. The neighborhood kids call him babalu or boogeyman. He was called this because of the way he walks. He walks with a limp.

8. Amir was/ is proud of his dad and to be his son at first. Like when Baba asked him to hold his hat, he made sure people noticed. Later on, he wished Rahim Kahn was his dad because his never believed in him or wouldn't really acknowledge him. For example with the book that Amir wrote, Rahim was the only one who showed interest besides Hassan.

9.The kings cousin is Daoud Khan. There were shootings and explosions that Daoud planned to end the kings forty-year reign with a bloodless coup.

10. Baba is Amirs father. Baba is well-known in Afghanistan. He has a lot of opinions about what is right and wrong for his son. One belief is that he shouldn't be always reading books and poems. He should be athletic and stand up for himself like Baba. Baba relates to religious leaders because he was born the year the king began his forty-year reign.

11. Baba gives Hassan a plastic surgeon named Dr. Kumar. This suggest that Baba likes things to be in place like things are suppose to be. Amir wishes he also had a scar of some sorts that would get Baba to sympathize for him. This present is ironic because it made Hassan smile for once in a long time.

12. Assef is the son of Babas friend, Mahmood. Assef is a pashtun. Assef was known for his brass knuckles. Assef believes that Hazara's should be banned and that the only reason they are still around is because of Amir and Baba.

13. Wali and Kamal are friends of Assef.

14. Assef, Wali, and kamal find Amir and hassan. Assef chucks a rock at Hassans back. As they were talking Assef was telling Amir how he knew Daoud and they had dinner together. He threatened to tell Daoud to get rid of hazaras. Also, when Hassan threatened to shoot Assef with the rock he backed down but said " This isn't the end."

15. Amir finds it ironic because he was smiling again like he did emerging from his mother's womb. It was ironic because that was the winter Hassan stopped smiling.

16. "But he's not my friend!" "He's my servant!"