The Kite Runner Chapter 6 Quotes
The Kite Runner Chapter 6 Quotes
How we cite the quotes:
Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
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. (6.29-34)
Jeez, Amir. 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 out that Hassan is only his servant and not a friend.
Quote 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. (6.7)
There's an innocence to Amir's insomnia 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.
Quote 3
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. (6.45)
We're getting a little choked up. 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 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 colossal confusion, miscommunication, and silence.