Homework#7 Wed-Thrus 11

I was greatly surprised in the book that the author, Kahled Hosseini decided to kill Hassan so early and still in Afghanistan. However from a story line and movie point of view this makes since because this is the main stessor in the book and paired with the main conflict which is Hassan’s son. Amir doesn’t want him and thinks that Rahim Kahn is trying to push him on him until he figures out that Hassan is his half brother.

In the scene where Amir figures out Hassan is dead and that he is his half brother is a key scene and the main stressor of the main conflict of the story so far. In the book Amir goes to see  Rahim Kahn because ironically he is dying of the same thing Amir’s father  died of years earlier Cancer. Rahim Kahn tells him about Hassan and his wife and breaks the news not only that he is dead but that he is Hassan’s half brother because he says “Ali was sterile…I think you know who”(Hosseini 222) Before this particular line Rahim Khan was trying to convince Amir to go and get Hassan’s son out of an orphanage since Hassan had been killed however he refused.

I feel that when Amir figures out Hassan is his half brother it brings all of that pinned up emotion and guilt for not helping Hassan and multiplies it because Hassan is now dead, he feels like he can never make up for what he did.(Hosseini 222-223) On top of the fact that he had always treated Hassan as more of a servant than a friend or a brother. He feels he would treated him differently of they were family and because his father did not tell him who he was he is dead.  Through all of this intense emotion not once did Amir say anything about Hassan’s son and since Hassan said “And I could almost feel the emptiness in Soraya’s womb….Like a newborn child.”  There may yet be some hope for them adopting Hassan’s son since he is like Amir in many ways and is now his own flesh and blood. (Hosseini 211-213)  

1. Why didn't Amir take Sohrab?

2. Will he  now that he knows Sohrab is family?

3. Why do you think the author brought Hassan's mother back into the picture?