Question about The Kite Runner.?

Question

I just finished read The Kite Runner and found question that I can't answer on website. If you have a I dia for this question, let me hear it :)

"As Amir remembers an Afghan celebration in which a sheep must be sacrificed, he talks about seeing 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." Why do you think Amir recalls this memory when he witnesses Hassan's tragedy in the alleyway? "

Answer 1

I read the book too, although i can't find the answers on the net as well, i shall just answer this question (: It was a nice book, i loved it =D

I think Amir recalls this memory when he witnesses Hassan's tragedy in the alleyway as Amir not want Hassan to be raped, but yet he still carried on watching without stepping out to help, because he wanted to watch the look of accpetance in Hassan's eyes. Remember that Hassan's first words were actually Amir, Amir's names. It shows how much he wanted Amir to accept him, despite the fact that they were from two different groups of people. Amir always played with Hassan, but usually when he did not have his own friends around, but he was bored. Hassan had always taken the blame for Amir as well, and i think he saw it in this way that by helping Amir get beaten up by the bad people, and even by being raped, it was a sorta sacrifice that could make Amir touched by him. But the thing is, Hassan never asked for anything back. In fact, even when he was married and had a child, he still remembered Amir and he never once blamed Amir. He still treated Amir as his best friend. It is like killing the sheep. The nightmare of watching Hassan being raped haunts Amir constantly throughout the book, yet he still thinks. Remember a part of the story whereby Amir asks Hassan whether he would be willing to eat dirt for him and Hassan replies by " Amir Jan, i would do it if you told me to. but i was thinking, would you really ask me to do it?" And Amir replies by saying no, although he himself is not very clear of it in his heart. But that was it, Amir would always test Hassan's loyalty, and Hassan would in turn test Amir's conscience. In fact, Amir had always done a lot of things to tease Hassan of the fact that he was not as knowledgeble as him, and Hassan never once bothered. Amir had actually felt guilty when Ali and Hassan left because he left the money and watch on their bed, but because he wanted so much for his father to accept him, he allowed them to leave. He had wanted so much to stop them, but he knew he couldn't.


Lol,hope i managed to help (:

Answer 2

It is possible that he watched the spiritual death of his friend...and the look on his friend's face was a mirror for the face he would carry...Amir would carry...for the next few decades...
Watching his friend's rape was mirrored by his labeling him a thief...a secondary rape ifyou will...
and Amir did nothing about either transgression..... for many years.
The death of the sheep triggers the shame and guilt he carries ..... first watching and doing nothing...then condemming his friend.
The Death of the sheep...the death of Hassan's spirit by the bully Assef...and Amir who is dying on the inside...
the demon of jealousy, Amir's perception that Hassan is favoured by Baba...his own father...now giving birth to a poison he will carry inside him...for the next few decades...

Answer 3

Not totally sure about this

Answer 4

it depends...