Why does Farid dislike Amir?

• A. He insults Farid's combat record.
• B. He took Farid's place as family patriarch.
• C. He refused to pay for Farid's medical treatment.
• D. He is a defector who fled to America and abandoned his watan.

Answer: (D)

The main idea being tested here is loyalty to one’s homeland and how exile shapes someone’s view of a person who leaves. Farid’s attitude toward Amir reflects a common Afghan perspective that staying with your people during hardship shows loyalty, while leaving for a better life abroad is seen as abandoning the homeland (watan). Amir’s departure to America signals to Farid that Amir has forsaken his country, which fuels his distrust and dislike. This tension highlights how the novel probes what it means to stay, endure, or escape, and how those choices affect relationships.

Other possibilities don’t fit as well because they don’t align with what motivates Farid in that moment. The story doesn’t present Farid as someone who judges Amir for a combat record, nor does it revolve around family leadership or medical payments. The essence of Farid’s reaction is tied to Amir’s departure from Afghanistan and the implied betrayal of staying with one’s people, which is why this option is the most persuasive reflection of Farid’s mindset.