Chapters 15&16&17&18

1. Chapters 15&16&17&18

2. Chapter 15 Summary: Rahim Khan tells the History of Afghanistan to Amir. He mentions the Taliban and how they ended up having full control of their country. He confides in Amir that he is very ill and believes that he is soon going to die. He tells Amir that Hassan lived with him in Baba’s house.

3. Chapter 16 Summary: Rahim tells his story about Hassan living with him. He talks about how he went to visit Hassan to ask him to move back home with him to Kabul. Hassan tells Rahim Khan that Ali was killed along with his cousin by a land mine 2 years ago. Hassan meets Sanaubar (his mother) who delivers Sohrab. She helped raise the child until he was 4 and then she died.

4. Chapter 17 Summary: Amir questions about Hassan asking if he is still in the house, and in response, Rahim gives him the letter and the picture. In the letter Hassan explains that the Taliban has taken over. He also explains about Sohrab and how he grew up to be exactly like his father. He expresses his wishes to see Amir in the future. Rahim explains how Hassan and his wife were killed by the Taliban and that Sohrab was put into an orphanage. Rahim tells Amir that he needs to go and retreive him for he is too ill. He reveals the secret that Hassan is Amir’s half brother. In shock, Amir leaves.

5. Chapter 18 Summary: Amir is reminiscing about his time with his Hassan and all the signs that Amir was in fact his brother. He starts to blame himself for Hassan’s death because if he hadn’t of framed Hassan, Baba would’ve taken them to America. He wished that Rahim hadn’t called him because he now has to go and find Sohrab to rectify his past wrongs. He goes back to Rahim’s apartment and tells him he is going to search for Sohrab in Kabul.

6. Question 1.Read back over chapter 15 . How does the history of Afghanistan come alive in these chapters? 2.Remind yourself of chapter 17. Imagine you are Rahim. Write a diary entry involving your thoughts and feelings of Amir’s response after telling him about Hassan.

7. Question 1 help Figurative Language • Sensual Imagery Political History • Northern Alliance • Taliban Semantic Fields • Afghanistan history • Senses • Nostalgia Asyndetic lists • Peshawar is presented as a clogged city filled with sounds and smells, some not so pleasant • “jingling of horse-drawn carts” with the “sting of diesel fumes” and “stench of rot, garbage and feces”

8. Advice DON’T PANIC Remember systematic framework Discuss the effect of the language Just Remember to PEE all over your exams