~Chapters 4-5~

Chapter 4 opens up with the sentence that says "Zahir Shah began his forty-year reign of Afghanistan." Any country that has the same dictator for forty years must have a very rocky economy. Amir mentions that as he doesn't view Hassan as a friend, neither did his father see Ali as a friend. This comes strange to me because you would think any two young children that spend day after day together, playing would only see each other as best friends. Also the kites came back into the story when Amir says, "Never mind that we spent entire winters flying kites, running kites." I started to see that Amir really does take advantage of Hassan, forcing him to do his dirty work, and allowing him to take the blame for it if caught. Such as when Amir mentions, "I'd make Hassan sit on the Wall of Ailing Corn and fire pebbles with his slingshot at the camels rears." Amir seemed as if he had no problem with Hassan doing everything for him, as he mentions that every morning Hassan would make him breakfast, make his bed, polish his shoes, etc. I understand now why Amir couldn't consider Hassan a friend, he was a slave for him. Amir mentions that when Hassan didn't understand a word he would tease him, why would Hassan stand for that? When Amir did become guilty of what he had done he would give him something old or broken. Not what a friend would do. What did Amir mean when he says, " Didn't all fathers in their secret hearts harbor a desire to kill their sons?" I think it is sweet when Amir hugs Hassan and calls him a prince, saying that he loves him. Amir obviously doesn't feel content around his father because when he shows him the short story he wrote, he says that it felt like an eternity with his glare. Rahim Khan seems like a sweet, genuine man. It is obvious that Amir has more love and admiration for Rahim than for his own father.

Chapter 5 starts out abrupt as the boys hear gunfire. Ali takes both of the boys in his arms and comforts them with his words. Where is Baba? Amir mentions that while Hassan is crying, his father pulls him in closer and Amir becomes jealous. Foreshadowing occurs when Amir mentions, "The generation of Afghan children whose ears would know nothing but the sounds of bombs and gunfire was not yet born." I understand this to say that Afghanistan has just begun war and it will never be the calm and peaceful place it once was. Also you can feel the tension building between the Pashtuns and Hazaras when a rock is thrown at the back of Hassan's head. The boys who threw it are of the Pashtun culture. The King was taken out of his forty year reign, which shows that the beginning of Chapter 4 was foreshadowing this occurence. Amir sees Hassan as a friend when they are alone, but when he is by other Pashtun's he treats Hassan as a servant. Even under a rule of new King, Kabul didn't change all that much. "People still worked Sunday through Thursday and on Fridays they had picnics." I feel that soon in the book the war will begin.