Why does Farid's comment about Sohrab being Shi'a make Amir think Afghanistan is a 'hopeless place'?

• A. Probably because Amir feels like nothing has changed since his time living in Afghanistan, even after having gone through a war.
• B. Because Shi'a identity guarantees safety and stability in the country.
• C. Because the memory of war lingers for different reasons.
• D. Because the presence of Shi'a indicates progress and reform.

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how identity and the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan shape Amir’s sense of hope or hopelessness. Farid’s remark that Sohrab is Shi’a immediately signals to Amir that the country remains divided and dangerous for people like Sohrab. In Afghanistan, Hazara Shi’a communities have faced persecution and violence for years, so hearing that Sohrab belongs to this group makes Amir read the landscape as one where sectarian hatred and danger persist rather than fade away. That realization reinforces his feeling that, despite any personal escape or past experiences, nothing has truly changed for the better in Afghanistan; the country remains a place where fear and oppression continue to shape everyday life.

Because this view focuses on the persistence of danger tied to identity and the social/political climate, it isn’t about Shi’a identity guaranteeing safety, nor about progress or reform. It’s not merely the memory of war in general, but the specific implication that the same threats and divisions are still present.