The Kite Runner (Blog B)

This second section of Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner is an extremely eventful one! Amir's selfishness is only getting worse. "It should have been just the two of us-that was the way I wanted it" (Hosseini 82) Amir states when Baba invites more people to go along with them to Jalalabad. His anger and jealousy also worsens toward Hassan. He tries to get Hassan and his father fired by creating an entire set up, making it look as if Hassan had stolen some of his birthday money and watch. "Baba came right out and asked" (Hosseini 105) and "Hassan's reply was a single word" (Hosseini 105) describes the moment that Baba confronts Hassan and Ali about the situation and to Amir's surprise, Baba didn't think twice to forgive him. "They'ed both been crying; I could tell from their red, puffed-up eyes" (Hosseini 105) was a great describtion of how the whole scheme effected both Ali and Hassan so greatly.

Not long after Ali and Hassan decide that it is time for them to leave. Amir is overjoyed until he finds out that him and Baba are also moving due to the Russian invasion. I agree with others who have said that they would have liked this novel to elaberate a bit more on the invastion because I am not very familiar with it either.

While making their way to the United States Baba and Amir encounter being lied to about their source of transportation, spending nights in a dark basement taken over by rats, traveling in the tank of a gas truck, and finally by bus, make their way to Fremont, California. It is very different for the two of them to live in the United States because they are no longer the well known and rich people they once were in Kabul. "On the floor: oranges, an overturned magazine rack, a broken jar of beef jerky, and shards of glass at Baba's feet" (Hosseini 127) was the result of the grocery strore owner asking Baba for an ID with his check. He is not used to the United State's customs yet. He is also not used to being the one receiving charity so when he acquires food stamps he is said to have "walked out of the walfare office like a man cured of a tumor" (Hosseini 131).

Baba is severly ill now. He has cancer, though he doesn't want anyone to know about it. He is also turning down the chemo as help to fight the disease. With this situation Amir is still only thinking of himself, wishing Baba would agree to the medicine so that he would still be around for him. Doctors encourages the radiation treatment, but Baba still declines the offer to better himself. I think this is his way of saying that it is time for Amir to make his own way and that he needs to start looking at the bigger picture in life.

Amir meets Soraya at the flea market and they are now engaged to get married. She tells Amir her secret while Amir holds his, telling readers "I envied her. Her secret was out" (Hosseini 165). He was about to let her know what he has been keeping in for so long, but doesn't. Hopefully he will eventually.