How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"Hassan. Don't worry. We are Hajis."
He placed his immense hand on my knee and squeezed it until I yelped.
"This time we don't run." (8.29-31)
Papa's all about sticking together and finding strength in family connectedness. Because they are Hajis, and because they are family, they're going to bring Mallory down. That mean old lady across the street doesn't stand a chance.
Quote #5
And as I passed Papa at the iron gates, as each new generation is meant to do, he wept unabashedly and wiped his grief-stricken face with a white handkerchief. And I remember, as if it were yesterday, his words as I passed.
"Remember, sweet boy, you are a Haji." (11.153-154)
This is it: Hassan is leaving his family behind and starting his new life. When he goes, Papa asks him to stay true to his family roots and always remember where he came from. When all is said and done, Hassan does just this very thing.
Quote #6
She was like Mother. Didn't say a lot, but when she did, my heavens, it would hit you harder than any of Papa's tirades. (12.137)
Hassan is attracted to Margaret partly because she reminds him of his mother. Not in a creepy way, but in a way that reminds him of all the best qualities of the woman he loved most as a kid.