How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
He threw open the refrigerator door and stuck his head inside; according to the medical examiner, he was gobbling the leftovers so fast that a chunk of chicken leg got lodged in his throat. (13.109)
Poor Papa meets his death while he is eating. This is an important event in Hassan's life, though sad, and it happens because of food. This isn't something that he adds to the story for drama either, like his food analogies. It kind of tells us that food happens to play a role that he doesn't even have control of.
Quote #8
The smell of searing lamb's flesh and cumin and bubbling fat came to us in the wind, and the simplicity of it all—the roasting meat, the mint tea, the cheerful familiar chatter—it took my breath away. (15.74)
Hassan starts to realize the key to his happiness and success when he sees this simple meal prepared by a family on the side of the road. He is struck by the convergence of simplicity and happiness, and recognizes that elaborate meals aren't necessarily superior.
Quote #9
For this vision of the chickens headed to slaughter reminded me that there are many points in life when we cannot see what awaits us around the corner, and it is precisely at such times, when our path forward is unclear, that we must bravely keep our nerve, resolutely putting one foot before the other as we march blindly into the dark. (17.48)
Here's another inspirational analogy that Hassan finds, though oddly he gets his inspiration from chickens being killed. Here's a guy who has probably been the butcher before and handled meat thousands of times, but he finds comfort in the helplessness of those chickens, dutifully playing their part.