What was the major defining moment for the main character?

The main defining moment for Amir was deciding to go back to Aghanistan to visit Rahim Khan who was dying. The entire story Amir had been deceitful and prideless. Hassan had stuck up for Amir the entire story and he repays him by letting him be raped by Assef and framing him as a theif. At this point in the story Amir succombs to all the guilt for Hassan and everything else he left in Afghanistan. Amir never found out what happened to Hassan and later found out he was his brother, he and his father had died and he had a child that was in an orphange. He saves Hassans child and faces his childhood nemesis Assef. He is saved by a slingshot shot by Sohrab blinding Assef. Amir takes Sohrab back with him too California after tons of struggle. Amir finally has some type of change of heart and faces all of his fears. He ends the story as a changed man and a hero.

Independent Reading

"I had one last chance to make a decision. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan-the way he'd stood up for me all those times in the past-and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end, I ran(Hosseini 77)." The entire story has made the main character, Amir, seem like a total coward. During this passage; Hassan, Amir's servant, is caught searching for Amir's last cut kite from the kite flying competition by neighborhood bullies. The winning kite is very important and the bullies offer peace if he hands over the kite. Hassan promised Amir he would gather the kite for him and told the bullies no and took a beating and assualt for him. Amir stood by like a coward and didn't help Hassan at all. Even after Hassan won the kite competition to impress his father he still feels terrible for not helping Hassan.
Questions
Will Amir do something in the future to prove he is not a coward?
Will Hassan face the bullies again?

9/23/08

"His blue eyes flicked to Hassan. "Afghanistan is the land of Pashtuns. It always has been, always will be. We are the true Afghans, the pure Afghans, not this Flat-Nose here. His people pollute our homeland, our watan. They dirty our blood." He made a sweeping, grandiose gesture with his hands. "Afghanistan for Pashtuns, I say. That's my vision(40 Hosseini)." The whole novel Amir has talked about his friend Hassan and how he made Hassan do things that were mischievous. He talked about their difference Hassan being Shi'a and Amir Sunni briefly. Also how Hassan was Amir's servant whom he treated as a brother. It wasn't until after the night of gunfire and explosions when they talked to the neighborhood bully Assef that they began to find out what was happening. The monarchy of Afghanistan was demolished and a Republic influenced by Russia was established.

Questions
What does a Republic mean for the relationship between Hassan and Amir?
Will the explosions and Gunfire in the streets continue?

9/16/08

"Now who's oversimplifying?'' Baba said. "Look, I know there's a fondness between you and him and I'm happy about that. Envious, but happy. I mean that. He needs someone who....understands him, because God knows I don't. But something about Amir troubles me in a way that I can't express. It's like..." I could see him searching, reaching for the right words. He lowered his voice, but i heard him anyway. "If I hadn't seen the doctor pull him out of my wife with my own eyes, I'd never believe he's my son." This passage wraps up the first couple chapters of Kite Runner. The narrator Amir, is listening to his father talk with one of his friends. His father is one of the most powerful men in Kabul. He's disappointed because his son doesn't stand up for himself and follow in his father's footsteps by being a leader. Amir and his father actually have very little in common. Amir and his best friend Hassan both lost their mothers and live with their fathers. They never met their mothers and I have a feeling that they will play a big part in the novel. Amir mentions a specific date severally times throughout the first few chapters, a frigid winter day in 1975. The story so far is just a flashback of Amir's childhood. He refers to those times as his times of sinning.
Questions:
When will Amir discuss the fridgid day in 1975.
What happened to Hassan and Amir's mothers.