The Kite Runner - Chapter 14

What Happens:

- Rahim Khan's phone call.

How Hosseini tells the story:

The chapter revolves around the phone call and how 'the past claws its way out.' (P1). Amir find himself in a difficult situation of whether returning to Pakistan is a good idea; this is not explicitly mentioned but can be found in 'Plight of the wolves'. Aflatoon/ Plato is introduced to us at this point, who was named by the General ; Plato was a philosopher who came up with the idea of recurring themes; this is the idea that the amount of interest fathers take in their sons will influence how the boy turns out. This can be applied to Amir and Baba in that Amir was not given much attention in the earlier years of his life as Baba was always working or did not care for Amir's company, this would have most likely led to Amir's timidness. The idea can also be applied to Hassan and Sohrab in that Sohrab grows up to be like his father as he was nurtured by him. The reference of Plato could be a use foreshadowing Sohrab's skill with a slingshot even though the reader by this point would not know about him.

We find more more relations to the past when Amir reflects. The kites re-appear 'The red with long blue tails' which is all that need be said for the reader to understand Amir's thoughts, but also the father and son playing football could be linked to the two boys playing with the football when Amir is searching for Hassan.

Amir finds out what he feared the most but already knew, that Rahim Khan knows all about what he did; this is not explicitly mentioned but can be derived from 'Come, there is a way to be a good again'.
This comment foreshadows what will happen; but it appears that Amir does not think about what the way is but reflects still on what happened.

Amir slips back into his insomnia with the presence of the 'moonlight pouring through the blinds' which can be cross referenced back to chapter 8 where he cannot sleep in Jallalabad. Amir would most likely see the 'way to be good again' as the way to break free of the plight; and to return the favour of 'a thousand times over'.