Characters

• General Iqbal Teheri
  • Decorated Afghani General who worked for Ministry of Defense
• Mrs. Dobbins
  • Welfare eligibility officer
• Mr. and Mrs. Nguyen
  • Own a market where Baba loses his temper
• Soraya Teheri
  • Sickle Shaped birthmark
  • daughter of General Teheri

Locations

• Bay Area
• Fremont, CA
• Lake Elizabeth Park, Fremont
  • Baba and Amir spend time walking through this park
• Shor Bazaar, Peshawar
  • Baba used to walk down its aisles

Dates

• 1980s
  • Amir and Baba try to adjust to life in America
• 1983
  • Baba angered in the Nguyen’s market
  • Summer: Amir graduates from highschool at age 20
• 1984
  • Amir and Baba start selling at swap meets

Themes/Motifs

• Baba’s virtue, strength

Plot

• Amir and Baba adjust to life in America
• Baba works as a Day manager of a gasoline station
• Amir graduates high school and decides to go to school for English
• Amir enrolls in junior college
• Amir sees Soraya at swap meet

Thoughts

One of the more interesting parts of this chapter is the plight of refugees who used to be professionals in their countries. People who were military officers, doctors, professors in their home countries are reduced to working menial jobs. Since I am the child of refugees, this is not a unknown idea, but may be surprising to other Americans.