What is significant about the fact that Sohrab is the one who stops Assef? How is it accomplished?

• A. Sohrab stops by telling everyone to stop and then fires a brass ball from a slingshot into Assef's left eye.
• B. Sohrab distracts Assef with a toy.
• C. Amir stops the fight by restraining Assef.
• D. Farid stops the fight with force.

Answer: (A)

Sohrab’s action is significant because it shows him taking control and protecting both himself and Amir in a moment when fear has dominated them for so long. He asserts his agency by first halting the violence with a command to stop, signaling that he won’t be a passive target anymore. Then he delivers a decisive counterstrike—shooting a brass ball from a slingshot into Assef’s left eye—which cripples the bully and ends the threat. This combination of shifting the power dynamics and acting with courage marks a turning point: Sohrab moves from being a victim to a defender, enabling Amir's and Sohrab’s escape and illustrating a hard-won moment of justice within the brutal world they inhabit.