Looking Back

At several points in the novel, Khaled Hosseini narrates a moment that recalls a previous moment in the text. For each of the examples below do the following:

a) Find the previous moment in the text that Hosseini refers to.

b) Explain in writing how the present moment compares to or contrasts with the past moment.

c) Explain in writing why you tink Hosseini refers to the moment from the past. Is his purpose to create a point of contrast with the previous moment? Does he try to develop a character, theme, or idea?

The scences to analyze are:

1. Amir's putting the money under the mattress at Wahid's house.

2. The sheep reference to Sohrab.

3. Amir's laughter when Assef beats him.

4. Amir's kite running for Sohrab.



1. Hosseini refers to Amir putting the money under the mattress at Wahid's house at the very end of chapter 19, last couple of paragraphs (page 241-242). Amir does the same thing in both instances, he places money under the bed for someone to find. Although, his motive to why Amir placed the money under the bed is different. The first time Amir places the money under Hassan's bed so Baba would send him and Ali away because Amir could no longer live with the pain of knowing what happened to Hassan and he did nothing to stop it. But then the second time that Amir leaves money under the bed at Wahid's house he is not trying to run away from his past, he is only trying to correct it. He leaves the money under the bed because he know it is the right thing to do, because they need the money to live and that is what his father would have done. I believe that Hosseini refers to this moment again because he wants Amir to realize his past and try to make something right again. Hosseini is trying to develop Amir's character, trying to get Amir to relize who he really is; he might not be identical to his father but there are some similarities.

2. Hosseini refers talks about the sheep in reference to Sohrab in chapter 22 (page 285). When Amir is talking to Assef about all he wants is the boy, he sees the way Sohrab looks, just like how the sheep looked before the mullah would kill it. Amir can remember the way the eyes were pleading, like how Sohrab's eyes were pleading to save him. Hosseini is trying to depicting Sohrab's need to be saved. Hosseini also refers to Hassan's eyes like the sheep with Hassan is being raped. Again Hosseini is depicting Hassan's need to be saved. Also, because Amir sees this need in Sohrab's eyes, he know he has to do something to save him because when he say it in Hassan's eyes he did nothing.

3. Hosseini refers to Amir's laughter when Assef beats him in chapter 22 (page 288). When Amir and Hassan went up to the tree in the cemetary, Amir throws pomegranates at Hassan to provoke him to fight back, but Hassan does nothing; he simply sits there and takes it. Because Hassan didn't fight back and didn't get mad, Amir feels like he never truely got his justice for witnessing Hassan being raped. Although, when Assef beats up Amir, he finally feels like justices has been served. Here Hosseini is also trying to have Amir come to grib with his past and face it.

4. Hosseini refers to Amir's kite running for Sohrab at the very end of the book (page 371). This reference again is when Amir finally lets go and he is finally good again. Amir know that he has done bad in the past and he was a coward because he wasn't very nice to Hassan and he didn't stand up for him even though Hassan always stood up for him. Although, when Amir finds out that Hassan is his half-brother and Sohrab is his nephew, then he feels that he can finally make things right again. Hosseini is showing that even though you make mistakes in the past doesn't mean that you have to live with those wrongs your whole life; you can do something to make yourself "good again."