Read chapter 9 of The Kite Runner. Then complete the following questions. The questions refer to a memory Amir recalls in chapter 7.
Questions:
On pages 76-77, Amir remembers an Afghan celebration in which a sheep must be sacrificed. He talks about the sheep’s eyes moments before its death.
“I don’t know why I watch this yearly ritual in our backyard; my nightmares persist long after the bloodstains on the grass have faded. But I always watch. I watch because of that look of acceptance in the animal’s eyes. Absurdly, I imagine the animal understands. I imagine the animal sees that its imminent demise is for a higher purpose” (76).
Questions:
1) Why do you think Amir recalls this memory when he witnesses Hassan’s attack in the alleyway?
2) What symbolic meanings do you think are contained in the above passage? Is Hassan represented? Is Afghanistan as a nation represented? Find examples from the text and offer additional possibilities.
3) What is the “higher purpose” for which the lamb is sacrificed?
4) What sacrifices has Hassan made for Amir? Has there been a “higher purpose”?
5) How is Amir’s watching this ritual each year like his watching the attack of Hassan in the alleyway? How is it different?
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