The Kite Runner Chapter Nine of The Kite Runner Amir is faced with a pile of birthday presents, but felt so guilty about not saving Hassan from being raped by Assef that he felt that it was all “blood money” “Baba would have never thrown me a party like that if I hadn’t won the tournament.” Amir had Hassan’s blood on his hands. Baba gave Amir a brand new Schwinn Stingray “the king of bicycles”. “only a handful of kids in all ofKabul owned a new Stingray and now I was one of them.” The bike frame was coloured red and all Amir could associate the colour with was blood. Amir decided that “One of us had to go.” Ali gives Amir a birthday present. It was a beautiful hardback book. All the pictures were hand-drawn. Ali said that it was not a gift that was worthy enough of Amir. Amir wanted to tell Ali is was not the book, but I who was unworthy…I ended up tossing the book on the heap of gifts in the corner of my room. But my eyes kept going back to it, so I buried it at the bottom. Amir plants his new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under the mattress on Hassan’s bed. The I knocked on Baba’s door and told what I hoped would be the last in a long line of shameful lies. They were all called into Baba’ study. They’d both been crying; …they stood before Baba hand in hand, and I wondered how and when I’d become capable of causing this kind of pain.” Hassan said that he had stolen the watch. I flinched, like I’d been slapped. My heart sank and I almost blurted out the truth. Then I understood: This was Hassan’s final sacrifice for me. If he’d said no Baba would have believed him because we all knew Hassan never lied…I would have to explain and I would be revealed for what I really was. Baba would never ever forgive me. And that led to another understanding: Hassan knew. He knew I’d seen everything in that alley, that I’d stood there and done nothing. He knew I had betrayed him and yet he was rescuing me once again…I loved him in that moment, loved him more than I had ever loved anyone, and I wanted to tell them all that I was the snake in the grass, the monster in the lake. I wasn’t worthy of this sacrifice; I was a liar, a cheat, and a thief….except that a part of me was glad….this would be over soon. Baba would dismiss the, there would be some pain, but life would move on. I wanted that, to move on, to forget, to start with a clean slate. I wanted to be able to breathe again. Baba tells Hassan that he forgives him even though he had told Amir that he considered theft to be the worst sin. “there is no act more wretched than stealing.” Amir was even more devastated. “if Baba could forgive that, then why couldn’t be forgive me for not being the son he’d always wanted? Ali tells Baba that they are leaving. “life here is impossible for us now, Agha sahib.” Amir notices that Ali draws Hassan to him in a protective gesture. I knew whom Ali was protecting him from. Ali glanced my way and in his cold, unforgiving look, I saw that Hassan had told him. ..everything, about what Assef and his friends had done to him, about the kite, about me. Amir felt relieved. I was glad that someone knew me for who I really was; I was tired of pretending. Baba begs them to stay and Amir finally understands the depth of pain he has brought to everyone. Ali didn’t tell Baba, why. I could imagine the two of them in that dim little hut, weeping, Hassan pleading him not to give me away. But I couldn’t imagine the restraint it must have taken Alit to keep that promise. Baba cries. Metaphor – but it rained the afternoon Baba took Ali and Hassan to the bus stations. Thunderheads rolled in, painted the sky iron gray. I was sorry, but I didn’t cry and I didn’t chase the car.
Chapter Nine of The Kite Runner
Amir is faced with a pile of birthday presents, but felt so guilty about not saving Hassan from being raped by Assef that he felt that it was all “blood money” “Baba would have never thrown me a party like that if I hadn’t won the tournament.” Amir had Hassan’s blood on his hands.
Baba gave Amir a brand new Schwinn Stingray “the king of bicycles”. “only a handful of kids in all of Kabul owned a new Stingray and now I was one of them.” The bike frame was coloured red and all Amir could associate the colour with was blood.
Amir decided that “One of us had to go.”
Ali gives Amir a birthday present. It was a beautiful hardback book. All the pictures were hand-drawn.
Ali said that it was not a gift that was worthy enough of Amir. Amir wanted to tell Ali is was not the book, but I who was unworthy…I ended up tossing the book on the heap of gifts in the corner of my room. But my eyes kept going back to it, so I buried it at the bottom.
Amir plants his new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under the mattress on Hassan’s bed. The I knocked on Baba’s door and told what I hoped would be the last in a long line of shameful lies.
They were all called into Baba’ study. They’d both been crying; …they stood before Baba hand in hand, and I wondered how and when I’d become capable of causing this kind of pain.”
Hassan said that he had stolen the watch. I flinched, like I’d been slapped. My heart sank and I almost blurted out the truth. Then I understood: This was Hassan’s final sacrifice for me. If he’d said no Baba would have believed him because we all knew Hassan never lied…I would have to explain and I would be revealed for what I really was. Baba would never ever forgive me. And that led to another understanding: Hassan knew. He knew I’d seen everything in that alley, that I’d stood there and done nothing. He knew I had betrayed him and yet he was rescuing me once again…I loved him in that moment, loved him more than I had ever loved anyone, and I wanted to tell them all that I was the snake in the grass, the monster in the lake. I wasn’t worthy of this sacrifice; I was a liar, a cheat, and a thief….except that a part of me was glad….this would be over soon. Baba would dismiss the, there would be some pain, but life would move on. I wanted that, to move on, to forget, to start with a clean slate. I wanted to be able to breathe again.
Baba tells Hassan that he forgives him even though he had told Amir that he considered theft to be the worst sin. “there is no act more wretched than stealing.”
Amir was even more devastated. “if Baba could forgive that, then why couldn’t be forgive me for not being the son he’d always wanted?
Ali tells Baba that they are leaving. “life here is impossible for us now, Agha sahib.”
Amir notices that Ali draws Hassan to him in a protective gesture. I knew whom Ali was protecting him from. Ali glanced my way and in his cold, unforgiving look, I saw that Hassan had told him. ..everything, about what Assef and his friends had done to him, about the kite, about me.
Amir felt relieved. I was glad that someone knew me for who I really was; I was tired of pretending.
Baba begs them to stay and Amir finally understands the depth of pain he has brought to everyone.
Ali didn’t tell Baba, why. I could imagine the two of them in that dim little hut, weeping, Hassan pleading him not to give me away. But I couldn’t imagine the restraint it must have taken Alit to keep that promise.
Baba cries.
Metaphor – but it rained the afternoon Baba took Ali and Hassan to the bus stations. Thunderheads rolled in, painted the sky iron gray.
I was sorry, but I didn’t cry and I didn’t chase the car.