Rahim Khan, Baba's business partner and friend, attempts to help both men make right their wrongdoings. He calls Amir in 2001 from Pakistan so Amir can come to Afghanistan to come and adopt Hassan's now orphaned son.
Amir and Baba have similar motives, in trying to clear their conscience from the wrongdoings they did earlier in their lives. Amir wishes to make right his ignorance in Hassan's assault, while Baba seeks forgiveness for the adultery he committed which led to Hassan's birth.
Settings
Southern California, USA, more precisely San Francisco, is the location where the novel takes place between 1980-2002. It is here where Amir and Baba find refuge, and later where Amir and Soroya live.
The next setting is the Middle East in the 1980's, when Russia invaded and controlled Afghanistan. Later in the decade, the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan.
The first setting of the novel is Afghanistan in the 1970's. As this setting covers many settings, the weather is constantly changing.
Characters
Assef is one of the antagonists in the novel. Assef is the individual who sexually assaulted Hassan and changed the mood of the novel. Amir meets Assef again later in the novel when Amir returns to find ,and later adopt Hassan's orphaned child. When Amir and Assef encounter each other once more, Assef is a prominent figure in the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Hassan is another major character in the novel. He is known for his loyalty to Amir. It is the sexual assault that he faces which changes the plot of the novel, and leaves Amir trying to clear his conscience throughout the entirety of the novel.
Baba is Amir's father, and the good friend of Ali. He is a rich man who owns a carpet business. Baba had many friends and admirers. He died of lung cancer in San Francisco after he and Amir had fled Afghanistan.
Amir is the narrator of the novel and main character. He is the son of Baba, and is best friends with Hassan. His actions throughout the novel cause pivotal plot changes. Amir marries Soroya in the USA when he is a man.
Main topic
Theme
Discrimination
Discrimination is a prominent theme throughout the novel. Ali and Hassan are discriminated against because they are Hazaras. Amir is discriminated against upon returning to Afghanistan because he had fled to the USA for refuge while other Afghani's had stayed and suffered during the turmoil in Afghanistan in the 1980's.
Society and Class
Society is a large factor in the novel. Hazaras, such as
Ali and Hassan, are a lower class in Afghanistan in the 1970's. This class system is dependant on the type of Muslim that is practiced. This class system causes Ali and Hassan to be discriminated against.
Morality
Amir struggles with being moral as he witnesses the
sexual assault of his friend and servant, Hassan, yet he does not report it. Baba also has difficulty being moral as he sleeps with Sanaubar, the wife of his servant and best friend.
