What phrase does Amir whisper after Hassan and Farzana are killed?

• A. No. No. No.
• B. Forgive me.
• C. Goodbye.
• D. It is over.

Answer: (A)

The question tests how Amir processes a traumatic moment and how the text uses a brief, repetitive utterance to convey denial and shock. When Amir learns that Hassan and Farzana have been killed, his immediate reaction is a gut, instinctive negation rather than a confession, farewell, or declaration of closure. The whispered refrain “No. No. No.” captures that raw, involuntary denial—an attempt to block the unbearable reality and to refuse to accept what has happened. It aligns with Amir’s pattern throughout the novel of internalizing guilt and avoiding open emotional confrontation.

Context helps: Hassan’s fate is the culmination of Amir’s long-buried guilt about betraying his friend. In that moment, the voice in Amir’s head speaks in a clipped, almost inaudible way, emphasizing how pain and horror overwhelm him and how he’s kept emotional distance from his past. The other options would push the moment in a different emotional direction—seeking forgiveness, bidding farewell, or declaring that it’s finished—none of which match the immediate, choking denial that the scene conveys.