What was General Taheri's reaction to Amir giving Soraya a short story?

• A. He encouraged Amir to write more for Soraya.
• B. He dropped the story in the garbage and scolded Amir.
• C. He invited Amir to a formal reading.
• D. He praised Amir's boldness.

Answer: (B)

This moment tests how family authority and cultural expectations shape reactions to romance and artistic gesture. General Taheri represents a pragmatic, controlling view of marriage and reputation. When Amir gives Soraya a short story, Taheri reads it and immediately discards it, then scolds Amir for wasting time on writing instead of pursuing practical, respectable pursuits. He treats the gift as inappropriate or frivolous for earning a daughter’s hand, signaling that artistic gestures and romantic idealism don’t earn him approval or status.

This reaction contrasts with any idea of encouragement or celebratory attention; there’s no formal reading, no praise, and no assertion that writing shows value. Instead, Taheri’s response reinforces his insistence on practicality, propriety, and control over his daughter’s life, highlighting the tension between Amir’s imaginative aspirations and the older generation’s hard-nosed expectations.