Why does Amir dream that he is Hassan's murderer?

• A. Because he carries guilt over Hassan's rape and Amir's leaving for the USA.
• B. Because he fears being caught by the Taliban.
• C. Because he wants to protect Hassan's memory.
• D. Because he is haunted by a past war crime.

Answer: (A)

Guilt and the need for atonement drive this dream. Amir feels responsible for what happened to Hassan—the rape—and for his own choice to leave Hassan and Baba behind when they flee to the United States. Because those acts weigh so heavily on him, his mind makes him the killer in Hassan’s memory as a way to express the moral burden he carries. The dream externalizes the punishment he believes he deserves, showing that distance and success abroad don’t erase the harm he feels he caused.

The other options miss the core feeling at work: fear of the Taliban points to a threat in the world, not a personal theft of Hassan’s life; wanting to protect Hassan’s memory would lean toward honoring him, not embodying a fatal act; and framing it as a past war crime shifts the focus to a broader historical wrong rather than Amir’s intimate betrayal and guilt.