The Kite Runner, chapter 1

What does the narrator mean when he says "the past claws its way out"?

• The past is easy to forget

• The past can be buried forever

• The past keeps coming back no matter what

• The past is not important

Why does the narrator go for a walk after receiving the phone call?

• To get some exercise

• To think about his past

• To look at boats on the lake

• To fly kites in the park

What do the red kites remind the narrator of?

• His current life in San Francisco

• His friend Rahim Khan

• His childhood friend Hassan

• The windmills in the park

What does Rahim Khan's statement "There is a way to be good again" suggest?

• The narrator has done nothing wrong

• The narrator has a chance to make up for past mistakes

• The narrator should ignore his past

• The narrator is already a good person

How does the narrator describe the winter of 1975?

• As a happy time in his life

• As an ordinary winter

• As a time that changed everything

• As the year he moved to San Francisco

The author uses kites as a symbol in this passage. What do you think the kites represent, and how do they connect to the narrator's memories and feelings about his past? Provide examples from the text to support your ideas.