Kite Runner Discussion

[kmareader]

A few quotes/analysis for an English class...

"'It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime, Amir,' he said" (Hosseini 142).

I personally liked this quote because it referenced a theme that seems to apply in most of the books our class has read. This theme of how quickly everything can change was used pretty heavily in The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy.
After this one event in Amir's life, everything changes. His loss of innocence, his loss of a brother, his loss of his home, all of it happens rapidly. I'm very curious to see how this further develops. Also, the fact that Baba said this feels rather important, maybe that he knows a lot more about everything that went on than he has made apparent to Amir.

"And I could almost feel the emptiness in Soraya's womb, like it was a living, breathing thing. It had seeped into our marriage, that emptiness, into our laughs, and our lovemaking. And late at night, in the darkness of our room, I'd feel it rising from Soraya and settling between us. Sleeping between us. Like a newborn child" (Hosseini 189).

Very, very obvious extended metaphor/personification of Amir and Soraya's inability to have children. It creates such vivid imagery, helps the reader to understand how this problem affects Amir and Soraya. As much as they want to be okay and not let it affect their marriage, they acknowledge that some things were going to change as a result. There is also quite a bit of irony here, especially in the last phrase, because their inability to have a child becomes like a child in the way everything changes. I just felt this quote was pretty neat because it used so many different elements to convey how much this inability to have children changes everything.

[Mou]

Consider these quotes:

"I heard snippets of their conversations, a soccer game in Union City next weekend, a new Afghan restaurant in Santa Clara. Life moving on already, leaving Baba behind"(175).

As a child, Amir saw Baba as the man who lead life. He was the man of parties, socials, and benefactors. Now that Baba passed away, Amir realized that life is much bigger and dynamic than within the sphere of influence of his father. Life is something that each person defines for himself.

"America was a river, roaring along unmindful of the past. I could wade into this river...[and] let the waters carry me someplace far. Someplace with no ghosts, no memories, and no sins" (136).

At this point, this is good foreshadowing of how America provides a haven for Amir to escape from his past life. It is a place that he can be reborn and be forgiven of his sins. This passage is a strong implication that Amir will ultimately have the chance to redeem his sins.

[Mocha Bean]

"'Blood is a powerful thing, Bachem'...maybe this was my punishment." (188)

I think this shows not only how Amir is being punished, but it also represents how Baba was punished. Since blood is so important, Hassan being Baba's son but not being treated the same must have tortured Baba. Amir talks of how he represented the guilt that Baba had, and Hassan represented the good things that Baba had.

"The park shimmered with snow so fresh, so dazzling white, it burned my eyes" (370)

Snow represents purity and cleanness. In this scene of the book, the main characters are trying to regain their innocence and childhood. The kite flying scene occurs at the start of the year showing new beginnings. The fact the that snow "burned [Amir's] eyes" shows how his innocence now is a pain for him, and it will never be the same as it once was.

Many things in this novel are mentioned as "God's Will". I thought it was interesting that it was said to be God's Will that Amir did not have kids since Hassan's son ended up in his care, and Sohrab was born around the same time Amir wanted kids. Also, Assef also called what he was doing with the Taliban 'God's Will'. Since the Taliban indirectly ended up giving a Amir a son, and redemning him from his life of guilt, it would seem as though it was indeed the will of what was to happen.

[optimisticnad]

I love this book! Read it last year sometime and I said it was the best book I read in ...2008 (that was last year right?). I thought it was so simple and yet beautifully written, some of the stuff he was describing he was on spot on with because I'm from a similar background. It was sad and bitter..how much of the plot am I allowed to give away? And who is the kite runner? Hassan or Amir?

[Buh4Bee]

I also loved this book. It was so well done.

[cl@rinetguy42]

In chapter 4, the reader sees an example of the significance of language:
“My favorite part of reading to Hassan was when we came across a big word that he didn’t know. I’d tease him, expose his ignorance. One time, I was reading him a Mullah Nasruddin story and he stopped me. ‘What does that word mean?’ ‘Which one?’ ‘Imbecile.’ ‘You don’t know what it means?’ I said, grinning. ‘Nay, Amir agha.’ ‘But it’s such a common word!’ ‘Still, I don’t know it.’ If he felt the sting of my tease, his smiling face didn’t show it. ‘Well, everyone in my school knows what it means,’ I said. ‘Let’s see. Imbecile. It means smart, intelligent. I’ll use it in a sentence for you. ‘When it comes to words, Hassan is an imbecile.’ ‘Aaah,’ he said nodding. (28-29)"

This passage demonstrates the theme of social class in the Afghan society. Hassan is illiterate because of his social status and so he asks Amir for help when he does not understand a word. Amir makes fun of Hassan and tells him the incorrect definition of the word. When Amir gives the exact opposite of the definition of the word “imbecile” he is using language and Hassan’s ignorance to taunt Hassan. Amir’s treatment of Hassan, however cruel it might be, is acceptable in their society due to the social classes.

[weezyhaahhh]

I also loved this book. It was so well done.

only 9 chapters in and I already enjoy this book greatly.

In class today, we discussed the significance of several passages on the language of the novel. My passage, which was briefly mentioned by the teacher, was the scene where Hassan asks for the definition of "imbecile", and Amir mockingly says it means "smart and intelligent". This passage shows one of the main points discussed today: the separation between classes and the stratification of formal education. This passage also shows irony. One is the given definition of "imbecile". Though Amir mocks Hassan and calls him a "smart and intelligent" imbecile at words, Hassan actually possesses some street smarts (innate wisdom versus the educated) as he can find The Hole in Amir's story. Toward the end of the scene, Amir also to having guilt, but later. His feelings can foreshadow of what is to come. Along with several other phrases, the reader can see that Amir holds himself accountable for something that happens to his "brother".

[cl@rinetguy42]

I chose the following passages from Chapters 1-5 of Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner:

Snippet 1: "Then he would remind us that there was a brotherhood between people who had fed from the same breast, a kinship that not even time could break"(11).
I had a very significant and strong personal response to the above snippet of the novel. I am generally fascniated by the spiritual bonds that can form between human beings, and how the essence of true, honest, and enduring love abiding in such bonds can completely transcend cultural and social bounds that humans place on themselves. The relationship between the narrator, Amir, and Hassan in the novel springs and sustains itself off of a connection between them in their infancy. The above quote is part of a passage that goes on to describe how Hassan and Amir "took our first steps on the same lawn in the same yard. And, under the same roof, we spoke our first words. Mine was Baba. His was Amir. My name." This passage is significant for many reasons; it identifies our narrator, establishes the relationship between Hassan and Amir, and foreshadows the consequences of the relationship due to the society into which it is born. The events of the narrator's life following the life-altering winter of 1975 seem to have been "laid in those first words" from the beginning. This passage establishes the relationship between the two boys as one that will be tested and suppressed by society because of its existence outside of socially acceptable Love Laws

I also see that their is a strong relationship between Amir and Hassan. This can be seen in Hassan's interest in Amir's stories: "I grabbed the story and hurried downstairs to the foyer where Ali and Hassan were sleeping on a mattress.. I shook Hassan awake and asked him if he wanted to hear a story...'I wrote it myself,' I whispered... 'Then I have to heard it, 'he said, already pulling the blanket off him. (33)" Despite being woken up in the middle of the night, Hassan is still interested in hearing Amir's story. Hassan cares for Amir deeply and wants to make Amir happy by listening to Amir's story.

[asdf99]

In this section of the novel we see the relationships between characters at first grow very tight, but later some of these unfortunately dissimulate.
• “My neck and back were like coiled springs, and my eyes stung. Still, I had been mean to Hassan. I almost apologized, then didn’t. Hassan understood I was just nervous. Hassan always understood about me.” (60)
Amir and Hassan have an interestingly developing relationship. Amir begins to question himself about how he treats Hassan. He admits to feeling him being almost a brother, but also thinks constantly that Hassan is of a lower class.
Amir also begins to develop a growing guilt here, being that Hassan is always sacrificing for him. Hassan is portrayed as a Christ Figure in the way that he always puts Amir before himself (more about this in next passages).
• “Sitting on piles of scrap and rubble, was the blue kite. My key to Baba’s heart.” (71)
The game of kite running represents much more to Amir than it does to any other kid. He sees it as the only way to gain affection from his father, the only way to make him proud. He feels that he grows up in the shadow of Baba’s accomplishments, not being able to rise to his level and impress his father.

• “I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan- the way he’d stood up for me all those times in the past- and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run.” (77)
This passage shows the ultimatum that Amir came to when he watched Hassan get bullied in the alley. This decision later causes Amir to break his friendship with Hassan, and later causes Ali taking Hassan away from Baba’s family.
• “Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba. Was it a fair price? The answer floated to my conscious mind before I could thwart it: He was just a Hazara, wasn’t he?” (77)
This passage shows the irony in Amir’s decision making. He believes that the kite is the only way to Baba’s heart, but blatantly ignores that his actions in this scenario could have gotten there. Baba always stands up for what he believes in, and is never a coward (as we later see in the car scene when they are traveling to Pakistan). Amir acts like a coward and runs away rather than helping Hassan who he grew up with and who cares for him more than anybody. By doing the right thing, he could have become something that Baba could be proud of, a hero who saved his friend at a time of need.
• “In Kabul, it rarely rained in the summer. Blue skies stood tall and far, the sun like a branding iron searing the back of your neck. But it rained the afternoon Baba took Ali and Hassan to the bus station. Thunderheads rolled in, painted the sky iron gray. Within minutes, sheets of rain were sweeping in, the steady hiss of falling water swelling in my ears.” (108)
Weather symbolism!!! Of course a sad event that changes both Amir’s and Baba’s lives has to be during heavy rain! The heavy rain during the separation of Hassan and Amir can symbolize the cleansing of them. Amir is finally somewhat ridded of his extreme guilt and sleepless nights while Hassan finally gets away from his biggest reminder of the incident.

[heath24]

One minor character that seemed to have an affect on Amir was the General Sahib. On pg 152 he tells Amir, "It's my duty to remind you that you are among your pees in this flea market. His expressionless eyes bore into me. You see everyone here is a storyteller." The General represents the values of Amir's culture and seems similar to Baba. This look he gives Amir reminds me of how Amir describes Baba's looks that stop him from saying or doing something. He also serves the purpose of comparing relationships in the novel. We learn that the General has not been the most caring father and especially husband. This comparison further shows his compassion and also reveals the guilt he still feels about Hassan.
The relationship between Baba and Amir also develops more in these chapters as Amir becomes an adult. I believe that Baba accepts Amir more after the hardships they endure together. After graduating high school Baba even tells Amir that he is proud of him. These chapters show that Amir has for the most part achieved in getting what he wanted from his first words.

[gujuprinz]

Example of irony:
"He'd kept that promise with Hassan. Now it was my turn" (p.286)

This is an example of irony because after all the years, Amir has come back to save Hasssan's son, when Amir couldnt defend Hassan the day he got shot. This is ironic because it shows that Assef had finished his "business" by killing Hassan, and now it was Amir's turn. But Amir had returned for Hassan's son, and not actually for Hassan. This makes it possible that Amir is not going to get himself make a mistake of getting himself killed like Hassan did!

[cl@rinetguy42]

An example of irony can be found in chapter 22: “I don’t know at what point I started laughing. But I did. It hurt to laugh, hurt my jaws, my ribs, my throat. But I was laughing and laughing. And the harder I laughed, the harder he kicked me, punched me, scratched me. .. ‘WHAT’S SO FUNNY?’ Assef bellowed. Another rib snapped, this time left lower. What was so funny was that, for the first time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace. (289)” This passage shows irony because, despite the complete agony that Amir is in, he laughs while Assef is beating him. Amir laughs because he is relieved from some of his guilt because he knows that he deserves this punishment for how he treated Hassan as a boy. This goes along with the theme of guilt and justice. Amir has felt guilty all of his life for how he did not help Hassan in the alley while he was being hurt by Assef, and so he is relieved because he feels that the beating he is receiving from Assef is justice for his own past actions.

Example of irony:
"He'd kept that promise with Hassan. Now it was my turn" (p.286)

This is an example of irony because after all the years, Amir has come back to save Hasssan's son, when Amir couldnt defend Hassan the day he got shot. This is ironic because it shows that Assef had finished his "business" by killing Hassan, and now it was Amir's turn. But Amir had returned for Hassan's son, and not actually for Hassan. This makes it possible that Amir is not going to get himself make a mistake of getting himself killed like Hassan did!

I also see this quote as ironic. When someone is about to fight someone else, one does not expect that person to go into a fight expecting that they would be defeated. Amir goes into this fight knowing that he will not win, but he knows that he has to for Hassan. He has to fight Assef in order to "be good again."

[asdf99]

The Tragedy of Sohrab and Rostam is very much related to The Kite Runner. Hosseini references this myth throughout the book to show the relationship between his novels characters and events and the myth.
The character of Sohrab in the myth can be related to both Amir and Hassan.
• “ “If you’re Rostam.” He said, “you slew me while some evil humor had confused your mind. I tried in every way to draw you forth, But not an atom of yoru love was stirred.” (650)
o This passage in the myth represents Amir and Baba’s relationship. Throughout most of the novel Amir longs for Baba’s acceptance and tries in every way to receive some love from him.
• Sohrab in the myth can also be related to Hassan in the aspect of fatherhood. Sohrab is the result of a single encounter between Rostam and Tamine. Sohrab does not meet his father for most of his life. The same is seen with Hassan in The Kite Runner. Hassan is also the result of an encounter between Baba and Sanaubar, and does not know that Baba is his father for most of his life.
• “ “What does this mean? Why are you sad at heart?” He told them of his strange and baffling deed. Of how he’d slain the one he held most dear.”
o This passage shows the similarity between the mistake of Amir and the mistake of Sohrab. Amir’s mistake of not saving Hassan from Assef affects the rest of his life as he struggles to repent his sins, just like Sohrab feels in the myth.

[cl@rinetguy42]

Another reference to Hassan as a Christ figure can be found in Chapter 16: "Then, in mourning for your father, Hassan wore black for the next forty days. (208)"
Just as Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days, Hassan shows mourning for Amir's father for 40 days.

[Geekzilla93]

After reading the Tragedy of Sohrab and Rostam, I saw so many comparisons between it and The Kite Runner.

First of all talk about irony, which of course fills the pages of the Kite Runner. It was completely depressing how Sohrab spends so much of his time looking for his father and his father ends up being the man who slays him, and in Rostam's point of view he kills the person he cares for the most in the world.

Second I saw so much of a comparison between both Hassan and Sohrab.
Both Baba and Rostam are seen as these great men who in secret had some sort of realtionship with women they were not supposed to be with (Baba: a Hazara, Rostam: a Turkish princess) and in result their sons are born without their knowledge. So when Sohrab and Hazan grow up niether know who their father's are and yet both of them end up dying for them in some way. Sohrab dies by his father's hand not knowing it was his father at first, and Hassan dies in trying to protect the house for Baba and Amir without knowing that Baba was actually his father.

Most definitely, our class looked into a nice condensed version of the story as well. The parallels are quite obvious once the reader reaches the twist of the Kite Runner. There is another concept that is deeply explained in the myth and that is the weight of forgiveness and the guilt that comes from committing a terrible thing.

Amir was already weighed down by guilt from what he failed to do for Hassan despite the fact Hassan would defend him a "thousand times over". Hassan is represented as a Christ figure throughout the novel and one of the qualities of a Christ figure is that s/he is a very forgiving character. This is shown by Hassan as he tries to revive his relationship with Amir post-trauma and when he forgives his own mother without a second thought, despite the fact she abandoned him and his father and did so cruelly. There is also the chance that if he found out the truth about his blood, he would have probably forgiven Baba as well. Hassan is the definition of a christ figure, it is portrayed through the wounds upon his hands, the fact he was killed by a wound to his head, and the open arm imagry he had upon catching the blue kite for Amir. There is also the sequence with the lamb.

So Hassan really does forgive Amir, despite his betrayal, because he continually sends letters that Amir never recieves. But even though Hassan forgave Amir, Amir never feels relief. The guilt still weighs him down.
Sohrab forgives Rostam and says that there is no need to shed tears, his death was fate and of course fate cannot be fought against. Hassan is like Sohrab, he is sacrificed, but he forgives.
Amir does not feel relief from the guilt until he had faced his violent retribution through his second confrontation with Aseef.

Another reference to Hassan as a Christ figure can be found in Chapter 16: "Then, in mourning for your father, Hassan wore black for the next forty days. (208)"
Just as Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days, Hassan shows mourning for Amir's father for 40 days.

There are many references to Hassan being a Christ figure throughout the novel. Our class learned about christ figures from a book called How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster.
Here are a few of the characteristics that Hassan fits into:

1. Crucified, wounds in the hands, feet, side, and head.
Hassan had scars from the kite string upon his fingers and he was killed by a bullet to the head. He shed his own blood only for others sake, whether it was to hold the tar for Amir or to protect the land he was raised upon.

2. In agony.
This one isn't very subtle. It is obvious that Hassan suffers post-trauma, his body withers, and Amir even says at one point that Hassan looked old Not aged, but old. His body withers, the youth peels off and Hassan is rather withdrawn.

3. Self-sacrificing.
Well...this one is obvious. Amir even describes the look in Hassan's eyes and compared it to the look that lambs and sheep had before they were sacrificed for a higher purpose. Hassan sacrifices his well-being to get the kite for Amir and his life to protect the land he was raised on. Hassan had only shed his blood throughout the entire novel just for others and this was symbolized by the time Amir pelted him with pomegrantes in seek of retribution.

4. Often portrayed with arms outstretched
Amir remarked about how incredible it was that Hassan always knew where the kite would land and even described one awe taking moment where Hassan had outstretched his arms and the kite fell right into them.

5. Believed to have had a confrontation with the Devil.
Aseef is a man who idolizes Hitler, believes in ethnic cleansing, kills brutally and unmercifully, treats execution like a ball game, rapes and molests, and knows the scripture perectly (it is said that the Devil can quote scripture as well) All of these qualities make Aseef a devil-esque character in my point of view.

6. Last seen in the company of many thieves.
The people who took his life were trying to steal his land.

7. Very forgiving.
I highlighted on this in my previous post.

8. Came to redeem an unworthy world.
Amir describes a vivid dream he had about being trapped in a snow storm. He is rescued by these out reaching scarred hands and pulled into a peaceful meadow where everything is okay. Hassan is a pure and sincere character, he doesn't seem to be flawed and he seems to be of a much higher moral character than any of the other characters described in the novel.

I think the book was good, yet I wouldn't consider it a great book.

It was nice to read, interesting, moving etc. However, I think that Hosseini took it a little too far from time to time, especially in the end, where Hassan's son didn't get the visa for the US. There have been so many, for my taste too many, turns in the story and so many terrible strokes of fate that made the book kitschy. I mean come on, who really thought that Hassan's son wouldn't be able to stay in the US??

I think he also described the conflict between Pashtos and Hazaras a little too one sided, presenting stereotypes that could have been avoided (Hazara=servant; Pashto=Master).

Yet, I'm reading "a thousand splendid suns" at the moment because I considered the Kite Runner a good read. But again Hosseini's story is not really ecxiting because the fates of the characters are so stereotypical and do not really tell a new story.

Ben.

One thing I enjoyed about Hosseini's novels is that they are honest and do a pretty well job at portraying the culture of those areas. He wasn't trying to give us a happy ending where Amir led Sohrab to the beautiful western world where culture is much less biased and everything is good. He is trying to show us that these difficulties are real.
The caste system is very real and sometimes it can be very master-servant esque thing. There are many stories of people being rejected from society and forced to live on the outskirts of land simply because of their blood. The caste system is very brutal in many cases and the portrayal that Hosseini showed of the system is very accurate. I remember from when I was raised in the south asian area, thre were only two types of people. The really rich people with the plethora of servants and money...then there were the amputated beggars rolling around on broken skateboards trying to beg for some money. I do not remember there being much of a middle class. I recommend reading The God of Small Things, it also does an excellent portrayal of the caste system.

Now...the visa issue is true in real life. It is difficult to get a visa to the states, it is difficult to adopt a child who is a registered orphan overseas even when the country has a stable government. It is also not that rare of an occasioan that people in the south asian culture do not have a birth certificate or or something of the like. Think of how incredibly hard, if not impossible, it is to bring over a child who is not a 'registered orphan', who has no birth certificate and is from a very war torn country to the states. This war torn country also doesn't agree much to adopting as well.
It is hard to get a visa to the states, and the general public will think its a very cruel system, but it is real.

I believe that one thing that people have trouble comprehending about this book is the fact that it seems blood is more important than ethics.
In that culture, blood and family honor is deeply important. People are generally not known for their independent personalities, they are known by their family name.
The sad thing is, people do not have control over their blood and one social faux pas could result in shame for every generation to come afterwards.

Baba did not tell Hassan the truth because he was aware of the dishonor it would bring to him, so he was tortured by the betrayal he brought to Hassan because of his actions. Blood matters a lot, being married to first cousins is also considered not that abnormal because it is more like one is preserving the family and blood line. So that is why adopting is considered such a taboo, not only does it suggest infertility of the couple, but no one knows the blood of that child and whose genes s/he carries.
Americans are very independent people who view people as individuals and not as a person belonging to this specific unit, so adopting isn't considered taboo because we are not a very collectivisitic society.

Sure but that this one beggar turns out to have known his mother? It was as if he wanted to condition us to expect other coincidences. In fact he even remarks that people from outside Afghanistan might be surprised at the frequency of coincidence there.



Why indeed not? But they were already as close as if they had been brothers.



Not necessarily, since Rahmin Khan had maintained contact with him, but the author would have had one hell of a time writing the scene in which Amir apologizes to him! Rather than attempt to write this without getting schmaltzy he invokes this deus ex machina in reverse: Hassan is dispatched by the Taliban and Sohrab turns out not only to have inherited his father's outstanding skill with a slingshot but - as Hassan himself would have done - he rescues Amir! Phooey! And much as we may have wished for retribution for the wicked Assem, he owed us NOT to provide that since in reality the bad guys - the really bad guys - more often than not go unpunished. Or at least they are not punished right before their victims' eyes.

Now the first point you mentioned is just a quirk that many south asians tend to have. Since blood is so important in collectivistic cultures such as Afghanistan's, it really isn't all that uncommon for people to indirectly know each other from meeting past ancestors. I'm a person who was born in a south asian country but moved to the states, people I have never met before will recognize me as belonging to such and such family and they will know members of my immediate family without even directly meeting them.
It really isn't that strange of a concept for someone from such a society where everyone is interconnected.

The point about bad guys not being punished, I bring up a previous point again. Hosseini isn't writing an ideal hero's quest, he is trying to stick to reality. And the reality is, is that in that time period, in that specific place, the 'bad guys' could get away with it. The concept of 'bad guys' and 'good guys' is a rather perception view. Remember, the Taliban were once considered heros for saving Afghanistan before they became corrupted and power hungry. So Hosseini isn't writing a neat romantic story with a nice happy ending, he is trying to portray reality, and Afghanistan in that time period (and even today) is not a very happy place with ideal endings.

"'Blood is a powerful thing, Bachem'...maybe this was my punishment." (188)

I think this shows not only how Amir is being punished, but it also represents how Baba was punished. Since blood is so important, Hassan being Baba's son but not being treated the same must have tortured Baba. Amir talks of how he represented the guilt that Baba had, and Hassan represented the good things that Baba had.

"The park shimmered with snow so fresh, so dazzling white, it burned my eyes" (370)

Snow represents purity and cleanness. In this scene of the book, the main characters are trying to regain their innocence and childhood. The kite flying scene occurs at the start of the year showing new beginnings. The fact the that snow "burned [Amir's] eyes" shows how his innocence now is a pain for him, and it will never be the same as it once was.

Many things in this novel are mentioned as "God's Will". I thought it was interesting that it was said to be God's Will that Amir did not have kids since Hassan's son ended up in his care, and Sohrab was born around the same time Amir wanted kids. Also, Assef also called what he was doing with the Taliban 'God's Will'. Since the Taliban indirectly ended up giving a Amir a son, and redemning him from his life of guilt, it would seem as though it was indeed the will of what was to happen.

I would like to add on about the snow thing with a symbolism for winter time, while winter time in Kabul is a very god period, symbolically, it usually represents the end of life. Spring- birth, Summer- growth, Fall- Memories/harvest, Winter- death.
Hassan's rape fell into winter and Amir describes how it seems that Hassan has aged. Hassan is old, not looking a bit more mature, but old after the trauma Hassan experienced. Hassan's innocence was stolen that winter, so a part of him died.

Now about the God's Will point...I really never thought about it that way and that really did open my eyes. It also creates another parallel to the myth of Rostam and Sohrab, Sohrab's dying words were something like 'don't shed tears, for my death was fate, there is no use in shedding tears for fate'. Fate and God's will can be equal to a point simply because both involves powers that we cannot control or resist.