Kite Runner : Chapter 10-11
Chapter 10 (p. 116-131)
1. Read the first two pages of the chapter, and state as many changes to Amir’s situation as you can.
2. What is clearly still the same? How do you know?
3. What is the significance of the sentence, “I vomited on a tangle of weeds, my retching and groaning drowned in the
deafening roar of the MiG.” (p. 120)
4. a) Name at least three qualities that Baba demonstrates as he deals with the Russian soldier. Provide support for each.
b) Why does Amir think, “I too wondered if I was really Baba’s son.” (p. 122)
5. To what drug do you think the older Russian soldier refers?
6. Comment on Baba’s treatment of Karim on pgs. 124-125.
7. a) Why has Kamal withered? b) What is your response?
8. Briefly list the most depressing aspects of the refugees’ experience in the basement and the truck.
9. a) What is the significance of Amir’s memory?
b) Quote and explain the metaphor Amir uses to compare his past life with his present life.
10. It is said that people become numb to tragedy when there is too much of it. How does the author convey a sense of
numbness or make the reader feel numb by the chapter’s end?
Vocabulary: tarpaulin (116) lucrative (117) embankment (117) snuff (126) encapsulated (129)
Chapter 11 (p. 132-150)
1. Baba is a man who thinks for himself and is not afraid of what others’ opinions of him. Give two examples that support
this statement: one from p. 132 and one from p. 133.
2. a) Baba’s response to Mr. Nguyen’s request for ID is very much in character. Support this statement.
b) Although Baba is still the same man, his status and image are very different from what they were when Amir was a
young boy. Prove the truth of this statement with at least three examples.
3. a) Why does Amir feel guilty for wanting to enroll in creative writing classes in college?
b) Explain why he decides to stand his ground.
c) Considering Baba’s sacrifices and disapproval, do you think he has made the right decision?
4. Explain what it is about America that Amir loves.
5. What are some unique characteristics of the Afghan section of the San Jose flea market?
6. What do you think is Baba’s meaning when he says, “ . . . what happens. . ..sometimes even (in) a single day can change
the course of a whole lifetime, Amir. (p. 150)
Vocabulary: dissertation (132) unkempt (143)haggle (v) (145) blue-collar (133) navigate (145)