The Kite Runner Chapter 20 Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What do the buildings and streets of Kabul look like?

Rubble, everything is in ruins; fatherless children are left to beg on the corners of every street.

What metaphor is used on page 246?

Jadeh Maywand had turned into a giant sand castle.

What is the metaphor comparing?

Comparing the street that used to sell kites is now full of buildings that barely stood, with caved in roofs and walls pierced with rocket shells.

What do the Taliban look like?

Beards and black turbans with Kalashnikovs on their shoulders. Signup and view all the answers

Who is the old beggar that they run into?

A professor who used to teach at the university alongside Amir's mother. Signup and view all the answers

What does the old beggar give Amir?

Information about his mother - more than he ever got from his father. Signup and view all the answers

What does Zaman who is in charge of the orphanage share about Sohrab?

That he is wonderful at this slingshot and that it goes with him everywhere. Signup and view all the answers

Does the Zaman who is in charge of the orphanage let Amir in?

True Signup and view all the answers

What are the conditions of the orphanage?

No hot water; barely any food; the Taliban refuse to help in any way; no heat either. Signup and view all the answers

Where is Sohrab?

A Taliban official took him a month ago. Signup and view all the answers

What do the Taliban soldiers come for every month?

They come for a boy; the keeper of the orphanage has no choice, but to let them take a boy otherwise he would be shot. Signup and view all the answers

What is Farid's reaction?

Farid tackles Zaman - almost strangling him to death - until Amir intervenes. Signup and view all the answers

Where can Amir locate the man who comes by every few months?

Ghazi stadium where the national team played soccer. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Setting of Kabul

Buildings and streets are in ruins, portrayed as rubble; left with fatherless children begging.
A metaphor describes Jadeh Maywand as a "giant sand castle," highlighting destruction.

Metaphorical Comparison

The vibrant kite-selling street has transformed into a desolate area, characterized by buildings with caved roofs and walls marked by rocket shells.

Appearance of the Taliban

Taliban members are depicted with distinctive beards, black turbans, and armed with Kalashnikov rifles.

Encounter with the Beggar

Amir and his companion meet an old beggar, a former professor who once worked alongside Amir's mother.
The beggar provides Amir with valuable insights about his mother, surpassing what he learned from his father.

Information about Sohrab

Zaman, the orphanage keeper, mentions Sohrab is exceptional with a slingshot and carries it everywhere.

Access to the Orphanage

Amir is allowed into the orphanage after pleading and claiming a familial connection as Sohrab's "half-uncle."

Orphanage Conditions

Living conditions are dire: lack of hot water, insufficient food, no heating, and complete negligence from the Taliban.

Sohrab's Situation

Sohrab has been taken by a Taliban official a month prior to Amir's arrival.

Taliban's Monthly Demands

Taliban soldiers visit monthly to take a boy from the orphanage; Zaman is forced to comply under threat of death.

Farid's Reaction

Out of anger and frustration, Farid attacks Zaman, nearly strangling him until Amir intervenes.

Locating the Abductor

Amir learns to locate the man who takes boys from the orphanage at Ghazi Stadium, the site of the national soccer team's games.

Description

Test your knowledge of Chapter 20 from 'The Kite Runner'. This quiz covers metaphors and imagery as well as the depiction of Kabul's environment post-war. Enhance your understanding of the text and its deeper meanings through these flashcards.