English Notes: The Kite Runner Key Events

The issue with The Kite Runner, apart from it being just a shite book, is that, due to its length, in the exam you could well be wasting a good 10 minutes sifting through it to find quotes. You don't want to waste your time, and you don't want to end up with shit, half-assed quotes because you didn't have time to find anything better, so here is the key shit of the novel, that could be useful for a range of section B questions. This isn't a full chapter-by-chapter summary of the whole novel, just where shit happens that you could talk about, depending on the question.

Chapter 1:
Retrospective, chronology used to link to the past, we don't yet learn Amir's name; just everyone else's.

Chapter 2:
Description of Hassan, description of their childhood, religion talked about a bit (the thing with the mirror), cultural context talked about a lot (Hazaras), Baba ignoring/excluding Amir

Chapter 3:
Description of Baba, shit about the orphanage, religion talked about again (sin/stealing and how Baba is different to religious guys), Amir being a useless disappointment of a son

Chapter 4:
Parallels between Baba&Ali and Amir&Hassan, more shit about their childhood, Amir being an asshole (the changing of the words, 'imbecile', etc and at the end where he says all Hassan is is an illiterate servant or some shit like that), Rostam and Sohrab, Amir's first story, Rahim Khan being fatherly

Chapter 5:
Context stuff about the russian invasion, Assef first introduced and Hassan does the shit with the slingshot, Amir being a jealous dick (When Hassan gets his lip fixed as his birthday present)

Chapter 6:
First talking about the Kite Tournament, Hassan showing he'll bend over backwards for Amir and letting him win at cards and shit

Chapter 7:
The actual kite tournament, the rape

Chapter 8:
Nothing too interesting, just awkwardness between them. Only thing worth noting is where Amir asks if they can get new servants and Baba loses his shit. Also when Amir asks Hassan to hit him, and he refuses, so he keeps chucking pomegranates at him and Hassan still doesn't fight back, he just picks up a pomegranate and smashes it on his own head.

Chapter 9:
Amir getting Hassan accused of stealing and just being an asshole, Hassan 'saving him' again by taking the blame. Hassan and Ali leaving 

Chapter 10:
Them traveling out of Afghanistan, Amir feeling sick and shit and Baba being all heroic. 

Chapter 11:
Baba hating America, and Soraya introduced towards the end

Chapter 12:
Baba getting cancer, and then Amir deciding to ask for Soraya's hand in marriage

Chapter 13: 
Stuff about inequalities for women (Soraya being treated like a slut, when if a guy did it he'd be a lad) and Baba dies. They think about having a kid, but learn Soraya can't have kids.

Chapter 14:
Rahim Khan rings

Chapter 15:
Cultural context shit

Chapter 16:
Told  from Rahim Khan's perspective, stuff about Hassan as an adult

Chapter 17:
Hassan's letter, and Amir deciding to go and get Sohrab

Chapter 18:
Bugger-all happens here

Chapter 19:
Stuff with Farid. I'd say the only thing worth noting is the last line, where Amir shoves money under their mattress like he did when he framed Hassan - shows character development.

Chapter 20:
Kabul is a shithole now, we're told Sohrab is good with a slingshot like his father.

Chapter 21:
Amir goes back to his old house for a bit, stoning of the woman

Chapter 22:
Assef reappears and Amir stands up to him a little bit. Amir gets the shit beat out of him, but laughs as he's getting hit, then Sohrab does the slingshot thing and gets Assef in the eye, essentially saving them both.

Chapter 23:
Bugger-all happens here.

Chapter 24:
Amir tells Sohrab he wants to take him to America, the bloke who's in charge of this tells him it's near impossible, then Sohrab tries to kill himself.

Chapter 25:
The hospital, then Amir takes Sohrab home, then they fly kites and that's basically it.