The Kite Runner

Chapter Six

Brief Summary:

1- The chapter is divided into four shorter sections. The first section
mentions the winter and how the schools shut down during the icy season.
It mentions the flying and running of kites. Kites, according to Amir, are
the only things that connect him to his father.

2- The next section describes the kite-fighting tournaments. Kites are

flown, and their strings, coated with glass, enable flyers to be victorious in
their fights. Hassan and Amir are better kite fighters than kite makers, and
Baba always purchases identical kites for both Amir and Hassan. The
assistant to the kite fighter, Hassan to Amir, holds the spool (a cylindrical
device), feeds the line, and chases the kites that have been cut down —
hence the name, the kite runner. The last fallen kite of the tournament is
the most coveted (desired) prize. Hassan is the greatest kite runner. One
time, while waiting for a kite to land, Amir turns a simple little comment
made by Hassan, "I'd sooner eat dirt" into a challenge of the hierarchy and
nature of their relationship. Hassan not only answers but also challenges
Amir's integrity with his reply, questioning if Amir would ever ask such a
thing.

3- The third section of this chapter mentions the winter of 1975 as Amir
reveals this is the last time he sees Hassan run a kite. Four days before the
start of the tournament, Baba hints that Amir might win the tournament
this year. Amir is determined not to fail Baba.

4- In the final section, historical information about most Iranians being

Shi'a Muslims is revealed during the night before the tournament. Later,
Baba comments about the jealousy many Afghanis have when people
assert that Iran is becoming a world power and Afghanistan is remaining a
two-bit player in the world market, claiming he would rather be hurt by the
truth than find comfort in a lie. The section closes with Hassan stating he
likes where he lives because "it's my home.”

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Analysis:

1- The first episode serves as the exposition to the chapter, transitioning

from the growing-up narrative to the specifics (rules or prescriptions) of
kite flying, returning to one of the most important symbols in the text —
the kite. Hassan is identified as the kite runner. Based on the information
Amir has already supplied, Hassan is probably involved in the incident that
has been hinted at since the opening line of The Kite Runner.

2- The most significant line in the chapter may be when Hassan asks Amir,
"Would I ever lie to you?" Not only does it address the thematic topic of
truthfulness, but it also illustrates the difference between the two
characters. Amir's jealousy and confusion about the nature of relationships
— his with Hassan, Hassan's with Ali, Baba's with Ali, and most
importantly, Baba's with Hassan — are indicative of his struggle with
truthfulness and the aftereffects that Amir's actions have on all of these
relationships. Amir explicitly (specifically) mentions Hassan's loyalty and
integrity.

3- Another interesting juxtaposition (nearness) is the comparison of

smiles: Amir's smile is forced, whereas Hassan's is natural. Forcing
himself to smile indicates that Amir is not happy. This is another example
of appearance versus reality, which is another prevalent (popular) motif
in the novel. Things are not always what they seem. Yet, Hassan seems to
be too good to be true; Hassan seems to live for others; Hassan is an ideal
friend and brother.

4- Two seemingly minor lines have great importance. The first occurs
during Amir's discussion of kite fighting. At one point, Amir states that
"Afghans cherish customs but abhor rules." This emphasizes a sense of
cultural tradition — a tradition that many Afghanis will hold onto, even
when they are no longer in Afghanistan. The hating of rules brings to mind
the saying, "The only rule is 'there are no rules.'" The second line is an
explicit comment about God — "if He exists" — which demonstrates
Amir's ambivalence (contradictory attitudes or feelings) about a
supreme being. This lack of faith, yet desire to turn toward something
greater than himself, permeates (spread) the novel.

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5- Not wanting to fail his father, readers will find Amir ends up failing
both Hassan and himself. The curious thing is that even though Baba says,
"better to get hurt by the truth than comforted with a lie," this may not,
ironically, be truthful. Baba specifically refers to the political situation in
Afghanistan, but his comment also refers to personal relationships as well.

Poetic Devices:

Amir's descriptions of wintertime in Kabul reinforce the feeling of

freedom that is suggested by the kites. He uses poetic imagery to paint a
picture of the city of his childhood: “The sky is seamless and blue, the
snow so white my eyes burn”, and he describes “the soft pattering of snow
against my window at night” and “the way fresh snow crunched under my
black rubber boots”. By using such language he can convey the
remembered love he feels for his home city and the beauty which it could
achieve in this season.
Quotes
1- Baba smoked his pipe and talked. I pretended to listen. But I
couldn't listen, not really, because Baba's casual little comment had
planted a seed in my head: the resolution that I would win that
winter's tournament. I was going to win. There was no other viable
option. I was going to win, and I was going to run that last kite. Then
I'd bring it home and show it to Baba. Show him once and for all that
his son was worthy. Then maybe my life as a ghost in this house would
finally be over. I let myself dream: I imagined conversation and
laughter over dinner instead of silence broken only by the clinking of
silverware and the occasional grunt. I envisioned us taking a Friday
drive in Baba's car to Paghman, stopping on the way at Ghargha Lake
for some fried trout and potatoes. We'd go to the zoo to see Marjan the
lion, and maybe Baba wouldn't yawn and steal looks at his wristwatch
all the time. Maybe Baba would even read one of my stories. I'd write
him a hundred if I thought he'd read one. Maybe he'd call me Amir
jan like Rahim Khan did.

* We’re getting a little choked up (to have trouble talking because of

crying or strong emotion). Seriously, it's tough to hear how much Amir
craves his father's attention. Amir wants the following, in no particular
order: to not be a ghost in his house; to be worthy in his father's eyes; to
talk to his father at dinner; to go on outings with his father; to have his
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father's attention on these outings; to hear his father express affection for
him. However, we wonder if Baba's to blame. Baba must spend a great
deal of his energy trying to both show and hide his love for his other son
Hassan. It's a case of confusion, miscommunication, and silence.

2- 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.

There's an innocence to Amir's insomnia (restlessness) here. Although

Hosseini doesn't spend a lot of time talking about Amir's sleeplessness, he
does mention it a few times. Amir starts to have trouble sleeping after he
betrays Hassan – and Amir never really resolves his sleeplessness in the
novel. At this point, though, Amir stays up during the night because
nervous energy prevents him from falling asleep. Later guilt, anxiety, and
all the darker forces of the brain will torment Amir.

3- He turned to me. A few sweat beads rolled from his bald scalp.
"Would I ever lie to you, Amir agha?” Suddenly I decided to toy with
him a little. "I don't know. Would you?"
"I'd sooner eat dirt," he said with a look of indignation.
"Really? You'd do that?” He threw me a puzzled look. "Do what?”
"Eat dirt if I told you to," I said. I knew I was being cruel, like when
I'd taunt him if he didn't know some big word. But there was
something fascinating – albeit in a sick way – about teasing Hassan.
Kind of like when we used to play insect torture. Except now, he was
the ant and I was holding the magnifying glass.

Notice how Hosseini prepares us for Amir's major betrayal of Hassan.

Hosseini has Amir betray Hassan – or at least be cruel to Hassan – in all
sorts of small ways. He inserts his own stories into the tales he reads to
Hassan. He flaunts his literacy. He doesn't defend Hassan from the
neighborhood boys and almost blurts (shares) out that Hassan is only his
servant and not a friend.
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