Quotations Chapter 21-25

"A man who has no conscience, no goodness, does not suffer." p. 301

• Amir reads the letter Rahim Khan wrote to him explaining important information.
• Rahim Khan is relating this quote to the experience that hasn't left Amir's mind since it occurred. He is basically saying that if Amir hadn't been feeling terrible about not sticking up for Hassan years before, then Amir wouldn't be a good person. Amir has suffered all these years but it means he knows he can do better and has a conscience. 

"Perspective was (is) a luxury when your head was (is) constantly buzzing with a swarm of demons." p. 356

• Amir talks about Sohrab's struggle to bring himself back to the real world.
• Sohrab is always reminded of what he is been through and cannot get it off his mind. He can't answer questions or give his perspective because he always has it on his mind. 

References 21-25

Les Miserables; p. 328

• "A Les Miserables poster was nailed to the wall behind Andrews next to a topographical map of the U.S." p. 328
• Les Miserables was a french novel and later made into a musical.

September 11, 2001; p. 36(could not find in book)

•  Terrorist training camps were built and stationed in Afghanistan. September 11th 2001, the day two planes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York City, and a plane crashed into the pentagon. This caused lots of destruction and deaths. After 9/11, the taliban refused to hand over Osama Bin Laden which lead to a United States led coalition military campaign.

Chapter 21-25 Questions

1. In chapters 21-22 the cruelty of the Taliban is clearly in evidence by the look of the destroyed villages and broken-down soviet tanks.

2. Amir finally sees Sohrab and realizes that Assef is the Taliban official. My reaction to Assef's reappearance as a Talib was I was very surprised. He justifies his transformation by using an epiphany he had in jail. No, I don't think this is a transformation because just because he is in a different setting doesn't mean he actually changed.

3. Three turning points of the plot are: Assef and Amir meeting up again which was awkward and still hadn't settled the past, Amir and Assef fight, and Amir and Sohrab run off together.

4. I was very shocked when I read what Rahim Khan had sent to Amir. I didn't see it coming, and I think it was perfect timing for Amir to get this letter. I think Baba is a good man, just because he makes a mistake doesn't mean he is a bad person.

5. In a way, I think there are parallels between the concept of my parents and Amir and Baba's. Amir tried so hard to impress or please Baba, but never felt like it was enough. I can relate to this.

6. Amir and Sohrab travel to Islamabad to get away from the violence and get to safety. Amir means by, "there are a lot of children in Afghanistan, but little childhood," that kids don't get to have much of a childhood in Afghanistan due to the unsafe conditions and violence. Hassan's childhood ended early due to getting raped and Sohrab was in an orphanage and then was sexually abused by Assef.

7.  A mullah is a muslim who is educated in islamic theology.

8. Raymond Andrews is the U.S. Embassy and in the book he is the one who proposed an idea to Amir on how he could get Sohrab to America.

9. Soraya agrees to adobt Sohrab.

10. Soraya's uncle Sharif helps Sohrab by getting him into America.

11. Amir promises to Sohrab that he will never go to the orphanage again, but he finds out he might have to in order to get him to America.

12. Sohrab tries to kill himself in the bathroom, this is significant because Amir is really trying to pay Hassan back for the sin he made and he is trying to make Sohrab's life better.

13. For the first seven months Sohrab is in Chicago he is very quiet, he hardly ever talks.

14. General Taheri is worried about a Hazara living with Amir. Amir tells him that he is not to refer to Sohrab as a Hazari boy.

15. They gather at Lake Elizabeth Park for Afghan's New year.

16. Sohrab sneaks a smile when Amir runs the kite for him.

17. This is another full circle because Amir runs the kite for Sohrab, just like Hassan did for Amir.

Questions: Chapters 15-20

1. In Chapter 15, Amir meets with dying Rahim Kahn in Peshawar.

2. Amir thinks that cliches are always correct, and Amir uses the cliche "an elephant in the room" to describe his meeting with Rahim Khan because he knows he isn't telling him everything and he's hiding something.

3. Afghanistan has been seized by the Taliban in Chapter 15.

4. Hassan was living in a small village, where he had married and had a kid whom died. He has another kid, but Hassan died, then his son becomes an orphan.

5. Farzana is Hassan's wife and Sohrab is his son.

6. In 1996, the Taliban massacred the Hazara's.

7. In the letter Hassan wrote to Amir, Hassan is friendly and nice, and it's obvious he misses Amir. Amir is shocked and notices he died a few days after he had written it. He was very sad.

8. Amir is overwhelmed and confused with his assigned task. He doesn't agree with it at first. I do not think that Rahim Khan's dying wish is unfair because Amir owes it to Hassan to make up for his mistake years ago.

9. The cliche, "like father, like son," relates to Baba and Amir because they have experienced similar things. In particular, they have both hurt or betrayed the people who would bend over backward just to save them.

10. The clues that hint at the secret revealed in chapters 17-18 are like how Hassan and Amir interacted with each other and their relationship.

11. Farid means that he never noticed that he had been there, with all of his money he was distracted by these details. Farid's impression of emigrant Afghans who return to visit Afghanistan is that they usually come back happy and with lots of money.

12. The realizations that come to Amir are that he is a new, uncomfortable person in his own home country, and he was sheltered.

13. When Amir sees Kabul for the first time since he left he focuses on the beggars.

14. Zaman defends his actions by saying they are getting money from it, and that he only takes a few of them.

Quotations: Chapters 15-20

"A boy who won't stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up for anything." p. 221

• Rahim Khan referred back to what Baba had said prior to Rahim and Amir's conversation. 
• This made Amir debate back in forth in his head about what the right thing to do was, listen to Rahim Khan or listen to his dying father. This is what Amir is slowly becoming, a boy who couldn't stand up for himself, is now a man who can't stand up for anything as an adult.

Vocabulary Chapters 15-20

Nonchalantly: cooly unconcerned

• "My driver, a chain-smoking, sweaty little man who introduced himself as Gholam, drove nonchalantly and recklessly, averting collisions by the thinnest of margins, all without so much as a pause..." p. 195
• The boys nonchalantly looked at the crowd of girls running toward them.
• Synonyms: casually, indifferently
• Antonyms: -

Incessant: continuing without interruption

"My driver, a chain-smoking, sweaty little man who introduced himself as Gholam, drove nonchalantly and recklessly, averting collisions by the thinnest of margins, all without so much as a pause in the incessant stream of words spewing from his mouth:..." p. 195

The gymnast took several incessant runs to prepare for her competition this weekend.

Synonyms: nonstop, continuing, constant

Antonyms: occasional, interrupted, stopping

Garrulous: excessively talkative

• "A little past the redbrick buildings of Peshawar University, we entered an area my garrulous driver referred to as 'Afghan Town.'"
• When I am nervous, I become very garrulous.
• Synonyms: mouthy, effusive
• Antonyms: mum, still, silent, reserved

Collateral: security pledged for the payment of a loan 

• "'Collateral damage,' Rahim Khan said." p. 200
• A lot of businesses go through collateral damage.
• Synonyms: accessory, incident,
• Antonyms: different, dissimilar

Melancholic: gloomy

• "We're melancholic people, we Afghans, aren't we?" p. 201
• When someone goes through a divorce they usually become very melancholic.
• Synonyms: gloomy, wistful
• Antonyms: cheerful, happy

Wallow: to roll about or lie in water

• "Often, we wallow too much in ghamkhori and self-pity." p. 201
• When something bad happens in your life, you can either wallow or move on quickly.
• Synonyms: lurch, totter
• Antonyms: steady, 

Pragmatic: of or pertaining to a practical point of view

• "But I am not surrendering to fate here, I am being pragmatic." p. 201
• The pragmatic solution isn't always the easiest one. 
• Synonyms: logical, realistic
• Antonyms: irrational, inefficient

Presumptuous: full of it

• "It was presumptuous of me to just show up and ask you to drop everything." p. 207
• The presumptuous athlete walked down the halls of the high school with his head up high.
• Synonyms: arrogant, overconfident
• Antonyms: modest, humble

Proverbial: characteristics of a proverb; traditional

• "Kabul in those days, Amir jan, was as close as you could get to proverbial hell on earth." p. 212
• Most cultures have proverbial way of doing things, others don't.
• Synonyms: customary, legendary, accepted
• Antonyms: abnormal, different

Oblivion: the state of being completely forgotten or unknown

• "I wished he had let me live on in my oblivion." p. 226
• The new girl in school was sitting in oblivion, wishing she could go back home.
• Synonyms: disregard, neglect
• Antonyms: respect, awareness, understanding

Empathy: vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, and attitudes of another

• "There was no empathy in his eyes." p. 228
• The teacher gave no empathy to the student who wasn't ready to present.
• Synonyms: pity, sympathy
• Antonyms: hatred, apathy

Animosity: a feeling of strong dislike

• "Farid gave me another dismissive look, this one with a hint of barely suppressed animosity, and went back to smoking his cigarette." p. 228
• Some people, especially Democrats, have animosity toward Gay Rights.
• Synonyms: resentment, displeasure
• Antonyms: like, support

Surly: bad tempered; unfriendly, hostile

• "His tone bordered on the surly." p. 229
• By the end of the winter in Maine, most people are very surly. 
• Synonyms: irritable, rude
• Antonyms: cheerful, happy, nice

Rueful: causing sorrow or pity

• (COULDNT FIND)
• The death of her grandmother made her very rueful.
• Synonyms: mournful, sad
• Antonyms: happy

Deliberate: carefully considered

• "I was afraid I'd deliberate, ruminate, agonize, rationalize, and talk myself into not going." p. 231
• In high school, I deliberate each decision I make, because they are so vital to my future.
• Synonyms: careful, cautious
• Antonyms: careless, unmindful

Ruminate: to think about seriously

•  "I was afraid I'd deliberate, ruminate, agonize, rationalize, and talk myself into not going." p. 231
• By next year, I need to sit down and ruminate with my parents about college.
• Synonyms: brainstorm, ponder
• Antonyms: ignore, neglect

Contemptuous: arrogant, iscolent

• "Farid said, speaking to Wahid but fixing me with a contemptuous gaze." p. 236
• I wasn't paying attention in class when the teacher called on me, she gave me a contemptuous glare.
• Synonyms: snobbish, sneerful
• Antonyms: flattering, praising

Furtive: sneaky, secretive

• "...stealing furtive glances at my digital wristwatch." p. 238
• There was one cookie left, and I used furtive skills to snatch it from the kitchen
• Synonyms: creepy, crafty
• Antonyms: open, honest, truthful

Morosely: unhappily

• "'Welcome back,' he said morosely." p. 244
• The girl sat at home with her family morosely, while her friends had fun at the mall.
• Synonyms: gloomily, joylessly
• Antonyms: happily

Benevolence: charity

• "'A word of thanks for your benevolence, Agha sahib.'" p. 248
• It feels so good to contribute to benevolence.
• Synonyms: kindness, compassion
• Antonyms: cruelty, harshness

Profoundly: deeply

• "...'Because I'm so profoundly happy, Dr. Rasul..." p. 250
• I have a profound love for sports.
• Synonyms: greatly, extremely
• Antonyms: incompletely, partially

Chapters 21-25 VOCAB

Gingerly: with great caution or care

• "Gingerly, I walked up the drive way where the tufts of weed now grew between the sun-faded bricks." p. 261
• I walked up and down the path gingerly, looking for the earring I lost.
• Synonyms: cautious, hesitant
• Antonyms: rash, careless

Succulent: rich in desirable qualities

• "The kabob was as succulent and delicious as I remembered." p. 265
• The cake looked much more succulent than the brussel sprouts.
• Synonyms: luscious, tasty, yummy
• Antonyms: unappetizing, dry

Morbidly: affected by, caused by, or characteristic of disease

• "I found it morbidly fascinating that he hadn't changed clothes after the executions earlier that day." p. 275
• The little girl was morbidly affected by her mother's addiction of smoking cigarettes.
• Synonyms: gruesomely, insanely
• Antonyms: -

Surreal: characteristics of a dream

• "The moment felt  surreal- no, not surreal, absurd- it had knocked the breath out of me, brought the world around me to a standstill." p. 281
• The first time a mother sees her child is so surreal, a moment to remember forever. 
• Synonyms: hypnagogic
• Antonyms: real

Epiphany: moment of insight

• "But one day I had an epiphany." p. 281
•  After a long day of trying to figure things out in my life, I had an epiphany.
• Synonyms: realization, inspiration
• Antonyms: confusion, secret

Impunity: exemption from punishment

• "....-Amir, the socially legitimate half, the half that represented the riches that he had inherited and the sin-with-inpunity privileges that came with them." p. 301
• The very well behaved student was in impunity while the teacher wrote others up for detention.
• Synonyms: exemption, exception
• Antonyms: veto, denial

Remorse: deep and painful regret for wrongdoing

• "And this is what I want you to understand, that good, real good, was born out of your father's remorse." 
• I felt remorse after talking bad about one of my friends.
• Synonyms: pity, shame, 
• Antonyms: happiness, joy

Shrewd: sharp in practical manners

• "'My boys are young, but they are very shrewd.'" p. 304
• Jules is a very shrewd in manners when it comes to eating dinner with her boyfriend's family.
• Synonyms: wise, slick, 
• Antonyms: slow, stupid, dull

Pondered: to consider something deeply

• "I stole looks at him while he pondered his cards." p. 306
• I held my phone in my hand as I pondered the reply I would send to my mother.
• Synonyms: debate, consider, weigh
• Antonyms: ignore, disregard
  
  

Paunchy: having a large potbelly

• "The manager, a paunchy man with sweat patches under his arms, kept flashing smiles and telling me that no one in the bank had touched his money." p. 308
• I remember my grandfather as the paunchy man he was; he always had his arms rested on his stomach.
• Synonyms: plump, potbellied
• Antonyms: thin, little, lean
  
  

Reproachful: insulting

• "...them under Fayyaz's reproachful glare." p. 316
• The players gave the coach a reproachful glare after hearing they had to keep running.
• Synonyms: rude, offensive
• Antonyms: respectful, complimentary
  
  

Obligatory: required as a matter of obligation

• "I heard the officer, his voice tired and uninterested, asking his obligatory questions."
• Teachers give obligatory tests given to them by the state, for example the PSATs.
• Synonyms: mandatory, unavoidable
• Antonyms: optional, unnecessary
  
  

Irrevocably: not to be revoked or recalled

• "What had happened in that room with Assef had irrevocably bound us." p. 320
• The aftershock of the accident will remain irrevocably in my memory forever.
• Synonyms: definitely, permanently
• Antonyms: doubtfully, questionably
  
  

Squalid: foul and repulsive

• "I had found the boy in squalid conditions, wasting away in an orphanage."
• The squalid weather conditions made me want to stay inside and watch netflix.
• Synonyms: filthy, muddy, poor
• Antonyms: clean, clear, good
  
  

Fabricated: to make by art

• "'Let's assume the story you gave me is true, though I'd bet my pension a good deal of it is either fabricated or omitted." p. 330
• The couple had their home fabricated to make it easier for the builders.
• Synonyms: brainstorm, put together
• Antonyms: demolish, destroy
  
  

Reputable: held in good repute

• "'I'm saying that if you want to help, send money to a reputable relief organization.'" p. 331
• I want to stay fairly reputable throughout my years in high school.
• Synonyms: prominent, trustworthy, well-known
• Antonyms: common, notorious, unknown
  
  

Turmoil: a state of great commotion

• "...and I brought Hassan's son from Afghanistan to America, lifting him from the certainty of turmoil and dropping him in a turmoil of uncertainty." p. 356
• The man was in a state of turmoil, he finalized his divorce and his father passed away, all in a weeks time.
• Synonyms: disorder, distress
• Antonyms: calm, peaceful
  
  

Profusely: given freely and in large amount

• "...and if you do, you will be scorned and made to apologize profusely for having committed the sin of Spoiling the End." p. 357
• The heavy man sweat profusely as he ran a lap around the track.
• Synonyms: lavishly, abundantly
• Antonyms:-