Quote: "... under the same roof, Hassan and I spoke our first words.

Mine was Baba.

His was Amir. My name.

Looking back on it now, I think the foundation for what happened in the winter of 1975—and all that followed—was already laid in those first words."

Paraphrase: This shows what the relationship between Amir and Hassan is like, how close they are, and also how much Amir looks up to Baba.

Analysis: Amir's and Hassan's first words reflect their relationship and different personalities: they grew up almost like brothers even though Hassan is Amir's servant and Hassan seems very kind and respectful while Amir is often a troublemaker. Based on how much the narrator refers to "looking back" on his past, Amir must be a very thoughtful, sentimental person and he must change a lot from when he was a child to an adult since he keeps bringing up his regrets. Amir is desperate to grow his relationship with Baba just like Hassan is desperate to bond with Amir, which could have lead to whatever happened that Amir regrets so deeply.

"Quote..."

Paraphrase Quote: Write one sentence summarizing the quote here.

Quote Analysis: Write 3-4 sentences analyzing the significance or deeper meaning of the quote here.

Quote: "I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid day in the winter of 1975. I remember the precise moment... peeking into the alley near the frozen creek... it's wrong what they say about the past, I've learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years."

Paraphrase: The narrator reflects on his life and how an incident from when he was twelve years old still affects him as an adult.

Analysis: The author personifies the past like it's a monster trying to escape from his childhood and into his future/present life. The reader does not know specifically what happened, but it's obvious it's had a negative effect on him throughout his life and he hasn't dealt with his childhood trauma yet. He says people are wrong about being able to "bury" the past, which is strange because that part sounds like he's talking about a person who has died, not a monster trying to "claw" it's way out of the ground.

Quote: "'Good,' Baba said, but his eyes wondered. 'Now, no matter what the mullah teaches, there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft. Do you understand that?'

'No, Baba jan,' I said, desperately wishing I did. I didn't want to disappoint him again."

Paraphrase: In a rare intimate moment between father and son, Baba explains to Amir that the only sin is theft, technically.

Analysis: Baba states one of the themes of the novel: every sin or wrongdoing is theft or stealing of some kind. (Finish this on your own!)