Cliff Notes - The Kite Runner: Chapter 6, Summary lyrics

Chapter 6 is divided into four shorter sections. The first section mentions the winter and how the schools shut down during the icy season. And it mentions the flying and running of kites. Kites, according to Amir, are the only things that connect him to his father. The next section describes the kite-fighting tournaments. Kites are flown, and their strings, coated with gla**, enable flyers to be victorious in their fights. Ha**an and Amir are better kite fighters than kite makers, and Baba always purchases identical kites for both Amir and Ha**an. The a**istant to the kite fighter, Ha**an to Amir, holds the spool and feeds the line, and chases the kites that have been cut down — hence the name, the kite runner. The last fallen kite of the tournament is the most coveted prize. Ha**an is the greatest kite runner. One time, while waiting for a kite to land, Amir turns a simple little comment made by Ha**an, "I'd sooner eat dirt" into a challenge of the hierarchy and nature of their relationship. Ha**an not only answers but also is able to challenge Amir's integrity with his own reply, questioning if Amir would ever ask such a thing. At the end of this episode — in an aside — Amir questions the existence of God. The third section of this chapter mentions the winter of 1975 as Amir reveals this is the last time he sees Ha**an run a kite. Four days prior to the start of the tournament, Baba hints that Amir might win the tournament this year. Amir is determined not to fail Baba. In the final section, historical information about most Iranians being Shi'a m**ms is revealed during the night before the tournament. Later, Baba comments about the jealousy many Afghanis have when people a**ert that Iran is becoming a world power and Afghanistan is remaining a two-bit player in the world market, claiming he would rather be hurt by the truth than find comfort in a lie. The section closes with Ha**an stating he likes where he lives because "it's my home."