Rahim Khan told Amir that he has found Hassan. He said that he lives in a small mud hut with a beautiful Haraza woman named Farzana, who happens to be pregnant. He said that as Hassan spoke to him, he found out that Ali, his father, was killed by a land mine. Since Rahim Khan is Baba’s closest friend, Baba wanted him to take care of his house, so he told Hassan and Farzana that they could get out of their mud hut and come live in a nice home. Rahim Khan shared with Amir that he told Hassan about Baba. Rahim Khan also told Amir that he asked a lot of questions about him. He wondered where he was living, if he was married, if he had children, and he wondered if they’d ever see each other again. Even though they were aloud to stay in Baba’s house, out of respect, they wanted to live in the servants home behind the house. Farzana gives birth, but sadly it was a still born. A few months later, she is pregnant again. It was the year 1990; it was an extraordinary year because Hassan’s mother, Sanaubar shows up at the front gates of Baba’s house. She is found in poor health with rags on her body. She got to witness the birth of her first grandchild. She was a grandmother of a boy, named Sohrab. The Soviets have now left the country; however the Taliban has now taken control of the country. After they gained control, they banned kite flying, which was a bond that Sohrab and his father shared. I had the opportunity to go kite flying. It is a lot of fun seeing how high they can go. I can only imagine how Shorab and Hasssan felt about the ban on kite flying. Kite flying made them happy, as it did for me. Without it, they wouldn't have anything to experence with eachother anymore.
Amir is now talking to Rahim Khan. He asks him if Hassan and his family are still living in Baba’s house. But then, Rahim Khan hands him a letter with a picture of Hassan. He talks about how much the Kabul has changed since they were kids. He said that if Amir ever decided to return to Kabul that he would have a friend waiting with open arms. The conversation then turns to Rahim Khan. He said that he had gotten a phone call from a neighbor saying that the Taliban have found Hassan and his family living in Baba’s home. Even though Hassan said that he was keeping the house for a friend, they killed him anyways, along with his beautiful wife. This meant that their son, Sohrab was now an orphan due to the Taliban. Being an orphan was a normal thing during this time period in Afghan history. The Taliban didn’t care who you were and what you were doing; if they didn’t agree with it, they would make you pay the punishment for it. He said that an American couple that he knows has kindly taken him into their orphanage. Before Ali died, he shared with Rahim Khan that he was unable to have children, so Baba didn’t want him to suffer any longer. Hassan never knew this. Amir is very angry about the fact that he was never told that Amir was his half brother. He felt like he had been cheated out of having a father that was always there for him. Amir is now realizing why Baba treated Hassan the way he did. Ali had told Rahim Khan that they didn’t want to tell Amir and Hassan because he wasn’t considered to be the right thing to do as an Afghan. They were different people, so it was considered to be acceptable. I would be so mad if I hadn’t known this secret my whole life. Even though they considered eachother brothers because they were so close, they never knew that they were real brothers.
In chapter 18, Amir is starting to realize how much he and Baba were alike. They both had heart their dearest friends in some way, shape, or form. Amir feels so bad for what happened to Amir, so he wants to regain himself by doing something good in Kabul. Rahim Khan had mentioned that he wanted Sohrab to with the American’s he knew, but he said he wasn’t quite sure if that’s really where he ended up after he lost his mother and father. Knowing this, Amir felt like it was his responsibility to find Sohrab and prove to everyone that he’s not the person he used to be.
Rahim Khan takes what Amir said to heart. He arranges for his good friend, Farid to take Amir to find Sohrab. Farid tells Amir that things have definitely changed since Amir has lived in the United States for the past 20 years. He told Amir that he never really was a native of Afghanistan; he was always a tourist because he was fortunate enough to live in a big house and was able to eat three meals a day unlike most Afghans. They stop that night to stay at Farid’s brother’s house. He makes them feel at home, but they are only able to give them vegetables because the Taliban are only allowed meat anymore. Amir notices that Farid’s nephews kept looking at him; he believes that they are looking at his watch, when in reality they are looking at his food. They are all skin and bones, and probably have not eaten at all that day. Amir feels bad for eating their food, so he leaves a wad full of money under his mattress. Not having enough food to eat everyday would have major affects on me. Especially being an American I have not felt the effects of starvation. I got the opportunity to go to Ukraine on a mission trip, and got to experience the effects that going hungry has on people. Without food and the essientials for living, there really is no hope for people. We are so forunate not to have to worry about these types of issues in America. It makes be humbled when I think that if they can be happy for what they have, why can 't we as Americans have that same attitude.
As they continued their drive through the city of Kabul the next day, Amir recognizes places where he used to go as a young boy, but now they are nothing but places of rubble. He also notices that there are no more trees. Farid tells him that the Taliban have cut them all down to use as firewood. Just then, a truck of many Taliban patrol people pass by. He said they will do anything to make you do something wrong just so they have the opportunity to kill you. As they continued their journey towards the orphanage, they come upon this beggar. After finding more about who the person was, he said that he was a writer and he knew Sofia Akram, which happened to be Amir’s mom. So Amir asked him several questions about his mother. He felt that he had learned more about his mom than his dad had ever told him. They finally find the orphanage. They show the director of the orphanage, Zaman, a picture of Sohrab. He says he has never seen him before. After convincing the man to tell them about Sohrab, he tells them that he doesn’t know exactly where he is, but he may have an idea. He tells them that a Taliban solider comes by once a month to buy a kid. He said they had recently bought Sohrab, but they may be too late. If not, they could go to the Ghazi Stadium and find someone there that might know more about him.
I really hope that they find Sohrab. In order for Amir to move on in his life, he needs to find him so he can feel like he made up for hurting his best friend, his brother Hassan. I believe that they will find Sohrab, it will just be a harder process than Amir will be expecting because if Sohrab really is in the hands of the Taliban, then he could potentially lose his life in order to save Sohrab’s.
Amir is now talking to Rahim Khan. He asks him if Hassan and his family are still living in Baba’s house. But then, Rahim Khan hands him a letter with a picture of Hassan. He talks about how much the Kabul has changed since they were kids. He said that if Amir ever decided to return to Kabul that he would have a friend waiting with open arms. The conversation then turns to Rahim Khan. He said that he had gotten a phone call from a neighbor saying that the Taliban have found Hassan and his family living in Baba’s home. Even though Hassan said that he was keeping the house for a friend, they killed him anyways, along with his beautiful wife. This meant that their son, Sohrab was now an orphan due to the Taliban. Being an orphan was a normal thing during this time period in Afghan history. The Taliban didn’t care who you were and what you were doing; if they didn’t agree with it, they would make you pay the punishment for it. He said that an American couple that he knows has kindly taken him into their orphanage. Before Ali died, he shared with Rahim Khan that he was unable to have children, so Baba didn’t want him to suffer any longer. Hassan never knew this. Amir is very angry about the fact that he was never told that Amir was his half brother. He felt like he had been cheated out of having a father that was always there for him. Amir is now realizing why Baba treated Hassan the way he did. Ali had told Rahim Khan that they didn’t want to tell Amir and Hassan because he wasn’t considered to be the right thing to do as an Afghan. They were different people, so it was considered to be acceptable. I would be so mad if I hadn’t known this secret my whole life. Even though they considered eachother brothers because they were so close, they never knew that they were real brothers.
In chapter 18, Amir is starting to realize how much he and Baba were alike. They both had heart their dearest friends in some way, shape, or form. Amir feels so bad for what happened to Amir, so he wants to regain himself by doing something good in Kabul. Rahim Khan had mentioned that he wanted Sohrab to with the American’s he knew, but he said he wasn’t quite sure if that’s really where he ended up after he lost his mother and father. Knowing this, Amir felt like it was his responsibility to find Sohrab and prove to everyone that he’s not the person he used to be.
Rahim Khan takes what Amir said to heart. He arranges for his good friend, Farid to take Amir to find Sohrab. Farid tells Amir that things have definitely changed since Amir has lived in the United States for the past 20 years. He told Amir that he never really was a native of Afghanistan; he was always a tourist because he was fortunate enough to live in a big house and was able to eat three meals a day unlike most Afghans. They stop that night to stay at Farid’s brother’s house. He makes them feel at home, but they are only able to give them vegetables because the Taliban are only allowed meat anymore. Amir notices that Farid’s nephews kept looking at him; he believes that they are looking at his watch, when in reality they are looking at his food. They are all skin and bones, and probably have not eaten at all that day. Amir feels bad for eating their food, so he leaves a wad full of money under his mattress. Not having enough food to eat everyday would have major affects on me. Especially being an American I have not felt the effects of starvation. I got the opportunity to go to Ukraine on a mission trip, and got to experience the effects that going hungry has on people. Without food and the essientials for living, there really is no hope for people. We are so forunate not to have to worry about these types of issues in America. It makes be humbled when I think that if they can be happy for what they have, why can 't we as Americans have that same attitude.
As they continued their drive through the city of Kabul the next day, Amir recognizes places where he used to go as a young boy, but now they are nothing but places of rubble. He also notices that there are no more trees. Farid tells him that the Taliban have cut them all down to use as firewood. Just then, a truck of many Taliban patrol people pass by. He said they will do anything to make you do something wrong just so they have the opportunity to kill you. As they continued their journey towards the orphanage, they come upon this beggar. After finding more about who the person was, he said that he was a writer and he knew Sofia Akram, which happened to be Amir’s mom. So Amir asked him several questions about his mother. He felt that he had learned more about his mom than his dad had ever told him. They finally find the orphanage. They show the director of the orphanage, Zaman, a picture of Sohrab. He says he has never seen him before. After convincing the man to tell them about Sohrab, he tells them that he doesn’t know exactly where he is, but he may have an idea. He tells them that a Taliban solider comes by once a month to buy a kid. He said they had recently bought Sohrab, but they may be too late. If not, they could go to the Ghazi Stadium and find someone there that might know more about him.
I really hope that they find Sohrab. In order for Amir to move on in his life, he needs to find him so he can feel like he made up for hurting his best friend, his brother Hassan. I believe that they will find Sohrab, it will just be a harder process than Amir will be expecting because if Sohrab really is in the hands of the Taliban, then he could potentially lose his life in order to save Sohrab’s.