introduction
kabul
Capital and largest city of Afghanistan and has been the capital of Afghanistan since 1776. Kabul is the nation's leading cultural and economic center. The ancient city lies on the Kabul River in a triangular-shaped valley between the steep Asmai and Sherdawaza mountain ranges.
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According to a 2015 estimate, the population of the city was around 3,678,033 which includes all the major ethnic groups. Rapid urbanization had made Kabul the world's 64th largest city and the fifth fastest-growing city in the world.
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An Afghan boy chases his friend riding a horse at the Qargha Lake . The Qargha lake located 9 km's out of Kabul is a popular destination for swimming and voting. The Spojmai Hotel located at Lake Qarghawas attacked by the Taliban in June of 2012.
photo by: daniel berehulak
photo by: daniel berehulak
the kite runner
brief summary |
it tells the story of Amir, who grows up in Afghanistan during the 1970s and '80s, and eventually moves to the San Francisco Bay Area. As the Russians and the Talibans invade their country, political power shifts and later take over strongly affect Amir's relationships. The novel includes graphic descriptions of extreme cruelty and violence and alcohol and drugs.
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amir returning to kabul |
As Amir looks back on his childhood, he realizes how much of a coward and disloyal friend he really was. Not only did Amir watch Hassan, his best friend get helplessly raped, but selfishly set him up by putting his own watch and money under Hassan's pillow in an attempt to have both him and Ali fired by Baba. Amir was so selfish he could not face Hassan any longer as he was a constant reminder of his cowardly decision to let him get raped rather than trying to help his best friend who was in need.
After all of this, Hassan chose to be loyal one final time by admitting to Baba in front of Amir that he did indeed steal Amir's belongings. Baba's reaction was surprising as he said he forgave him however Ali and Hassan already chose otherwise and said they could no longer stay, |
"Baba was pleading now. 'At least tell me why. I need to know!' Ali didn't tell Baba, just as he didn't protest when Hassan confessed to the stealing. I'll never really know why, but 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 Ali to keep that promise." (Hosseini 113)
kite running |
Amir was very different from his father, Baba. Amir was not athletic and did not enjoy sports while that was Baba's favourite hobby. Baba was a tall, thick built and well respected man in the area while Amir was much quieter, laid back, and his passion for writing did not make sense to Baba. Amir even overheard him once say,
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"If I hadn't seen the doctor pull him out of my wife with my own eyes, I'd never believe he's my son." (Hosseini 25) |
When Amir and Hassan won the kite-fighting tournament over hundreds of other flyers, Amir felt he had finally won Baba's acceptance, and Hassan demonstrated his loyalty again by going kite running to retrieve it for Amir as it would act as a trophy and reminder to Baba that they had won,
"Right now, I'm going to run that blue kite for you." "He was already turning the street corner, his rubber boots kicking up snow. He stopped, turned. He cupped his hand around his mouth. 'For you a thousand times over!' " (Hosseini 71)
This event is crucial to Amir's childhood and the reason he is searching for redemption because when Hassan went to go find the kite, Assef cornered him in an alley and raped him. Amir went looking for Hassan because he had not returned. Just as Assef started to beat him, Amir watched from afar and after the raping ran away thinking that Hassan had never seen him watching.
more kabul-related quotes from kite runner
Every winter, districts in Kabul held a kite-fighting tournament. And if you were a boy living in Kabul, the day of the tournament was undeniably the highlight of the cold season. I never slept the night before the tournament. I'd roll from side to side, make shadow animals on the wall, even sit on the balcony in the dark, a blanket wrapped around me. I felt like a soldier trying to sleep in the trenches the night before a major battle. And that wasn't so far off. In Kabul, fighting kites was a little like going to war. (6.7)