Sohrab is rushed to the emergency room. In the hospital waiting area, Amir uses a sheet as a prayer rug and prays for the first time in more than fifteen years. Eventually he falls asleep in a chair and dreams of Sohrab in the bloody water and the razor blade he used to cut himself. When Sohrab awakes, Amir asks how he feels, but Sohrab doesn’t answer. Amir reads to him, but Sohrab pays no attention. Sohrab tells Amir he is tired of everything. He wants his old life back and says Amir should have left him in the water. Amir says he was coming to explain that they found a way for Sohrab to go to America. But Sohrab stops speaking entirely. Sohrab probably felt like Amir had betrayed by not keeping his promise of taking him to America. So he just wanted Amir to leave him out of his life because of the pain he had caused him. Amir wasn’t trying to hurt Sohrab, he just didn’t realize how hard it would be for Sohrab to leave the country.
But eventually Amir does get Sohrab into the U.S. They arrive in San Francisco in August 2001. General Taheri and Jamila come over for dinner, and while Soraya and Jamila set the table, Amir tells General Taheri about the Taliban and Kabul. General Taheri tip-toes around the subject of Sohrab at first but finally asks why Amir brought back a Hazara boy. Amir says Baba slept with a servant woman. Their son, Hassan, is now dead. Sohrab is Hassan’s son and Amir’s nephew. Amir tells General Taheri never to call Sohrab a “Hazara boy” in his presence again. After September 11th and the American bombing of Afghanistan that followed, Kabul and Pakistan began to have a place on the map. General Taheri was the typical Afghan man, so having a prejudice feeling against the “Hazara boy,” was a normal thing, but Amir was offended because he knew that Hazara’s weren’t any different than he was. In fact, they were family.
One rainy day in March 2002, Amir takes Sohrab, Soraya, and Kamila to a gathering of Afghans at a park. Sohrab, still isn’t speaking to Amir and his wife. So, Amir finds a kite seller, and with the new kite he walks over to Sohrab. While Amir checks the string, he talks about Hassan. Then, with the kite ready, he asks Sohrab if he wants to fly it. Sohrab doesn’t answer, but as Amir runs, sending the kite into the air, Sohrab follows him. When Amir offers again, Sohrab takes the string. All Sohrab really wanted back was his mother and father. He didn’t want a new life, new things, he just wanted his family. Sohrab knew that his father was a great kite flyer, so by flying kites he probably felt like his father was right there beside him protecting him from the world.
Amir and Sohrab saw a green kite approaches for a battle, Amir notices Sohrab looks excited. He shows Sohrab what used to be Hassan’s favorite trick, and quickly they have the other kite on the defensive. In one move, Amir and Sohrab cut the other kite’s string, cutting it loose. People cheered all around them, and a brief smile started to appear on Sohrab’s face. That smile was all that Amir needed to know that he had finally done what Baba wanted him to do all his life. He wanted him to be a man that did the right thing, no matter the cost. Amir now knew what life was all about!
But eventually Amir does get Sohrab into the U.S. They arrive in San Francisco in August 2001. General Taheri and Jamila come over for dinner, and while Soraya and Jamila set the table, Amir tells General Taheri about the Taliban and Kabul. General Taheri tip-toes around the subject of Sohrab at first but finally asks why Amir brought back a Hazara boy. Amir says Baba slept with a servant woman. Their son, Hassan, is now dead. Sohrab is Hassan’s son and Amir’s nephew. Amir tells General Taheri never to call Sohrab a “Hazara boy” in his presence again. After September 11th and the American bombing of Afghanistan that followed, Kabul and Pakistan began to have a place on the map. General Taheri was the typical Afghan man, so having a prejudice feeling against the “Hazara boy,” was a normal thing, but Amir was offended because he knew that Hazara’s weren’t any different than he was. In fact, they were family.
One rainy day in March 2002, Amir takes Sohrab, Soraya, and Kamila to a gathering of Afghans at a park. Sohrab, still isn’t speaking to Amir and his wife. So, Amir finds a kite seller, and with the new kite he walks over to Sohrab. While Amir checks the string, he talks about Hassan. Then, with the kite ready, he asks Sohrab if he wants to fly it. Sohrab doesn’t answer, but as Amir runs, sending the kite into the air, Sohrab follows him. When Amir offers again, Sohrab takes the string. All Sohrab really wanted back was his mother and father. He didn’t want a new life, new things, he just wanted his family. Sohrab knew that his father was a great kite flyer, so by flying kites he probably felt like his father was right there beside him protecting him from the world.
Amir and Sohrab saw a green kite approaches for a battle, Amir notices Sohrab looks excited. He shows Sohrab what used to be Hassan’s favorite trick, and quickly they have the other kite on the defensive. In one move, Amir and Sohrab cut the other kite’s string, cutting it loose. People cheered all around them, and a brief smile started to appear on Sohrab’s face. That smile was all that Amir needed to know that he had finally done what Baba wanted him to do all his life. He wanted him to be a man that did the right thing, no matter the cost. Amir now knew what life was all about!