Kite Runner Chapter 5

Chapter 5 starts with Amir and his family waking up to gunfire. It turns out that the King's cousin had taken reign and turned the nation into a republic. I think this new government will play a big part because they might seperate Amir and Hassan. They go to climb the tree but are stopped by Assef, the neighborhood bully. Assef is about to beat up Amir for protecting Hassan, whom Assef hates because he isn't "pure Afghan." Assef takes out his brass knuckles and is about to punch Amir when Hassan takes out his slingshot and aims it right at Assef's eye. Amir describes, "There was a flurry of rapid movement behind me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hassan bend down and stand up quickly. Assef's eyes flicked to something behind me and widened with surpires. I saw that same look of astonishment on Kamal and Wali's faces as they too saw what had happened behind me. I turned and came face to face with Hassan's slingshot." (41) Assef and his posse run away and Amir is extremely thankful of Hassan. The chapter ends with a plastic surgeon fixing Hassan's cleft lip. Again, the chapter ends with more foreshadowing. "He was smiling...which was ironic. BEcause that was the winter that Hassan stopped smiling" (47). Something big is right around the corner.