Why does Amir avoid giving his hand to the fortune-teller?

• A. He is frightened by what the reading might mean for him.
• B. He doubts fortune-tellers.
• C. He fears the fortune-teller's power.
• D. He is in a hurry.

Answer: (A)

The moment tests Amir’s fear of facing uncomfortable truths about himself. He goes to the fortune-teller hoping to hear something that might help him understand his life, but he’s also deeply anxious about what the reading could reveal about his future—and, more importantly, about him personally. Amir has lived with guilt over his treatment of Hassan and what that did to their relationship with Baba, and the idea that a palm reading could expose that guilt or foretell consequences tied to his choices is terrifying to him. That fear makes him pull back from having his hand read.

The other options don’t fit as well. He isn’t shown as doubting fortune-tellers in general, nor primarily fearing the fortune-teller’s power; it’s the possible content of the reading and what it might reveal about his life that unsettles him. The hurry option isn’t the driving factor in that moment either.