CH 9-15

Dear Reader,
                   During the Kite Runner in chapter Amir finds himself in a fuel truck being smuggled out of Kabul to Peshawar. Within the fuel capsule which is black as night, Amir finds himself struggling to breath. He says " You open your mouth. Open it so wide your jaws creak. You order your lungs to draw air, NOW,  you need air, need it NOW. But your airways ignore you " (120). This passage I can particulary relate to because I have a fear of suffication. Just thought of not being to breathe and having your lungs srivel trying to reach the least bit of oxygen really gets to me. Drowning would be bad but breathing in air but not being able to get the oxygen seems so much worse. Its pretty much a tease for your lungs, that your able to inhale yet you arent able to live from it. This form of suffication is almost what happens to Amir because the air is so thick and full of toxins his lungs a struggling to find oxygen in each fuel filled breath. This whole scene in the cement is full of common fears, darkness, strangers, claustrophobia, sufication, and unbearable smell. When reading this scene in the novel did any those fears or other fears relate to you?
                   One part in the story which I didn't really understand on was in chapter 11 when Amir explains Baba's love for America and his conterversial politics. Amir recounts what Baba would say to him "There are only three real men in this world, Amir," he'd say. He'd count them off on his fingers: America the brash savior, Britian, and Israel" (125). It baffled me that Baba could believe this. America and Britian have truely been powerful countries over the last centuries yet he lost me with Israel. See Israel isnt really a world power, it was created as pernament home for Jews, as sadly enough they've been kicked out of their homes, abused, and resettled countless times over the last thousand years. Not discounting the country but I don't get why Baba considers Israel one of the three "real men" countries when he could have said French or Spain which are far more powerful countries on the world scale. Do you have any clue what Baba's reasoning could be?
                        The different events in these chapters seem to all revolve around one focus: Amir becoming a man. He gets married and loses his innocence. Baba dies and he becomes fully responsible for himself. He publishes a novel and starts his Carreer as a writter. He moves away from that dependence and reliance on Baba and becomes an independent man. This section is kind of like a coming of age theme. That is why these chapters reminded me of To Kill a  Mockingbird which focused on the growing up and coming of age of Scout and Jem. The novel follows them as they mature and learn to take reponsibilty just like Amir is taking responsibilty and maturing. While reading The Kite Runner has it reminded you of any novels? Also what are your thoughts of the novel so far.
                                                                       Sincerely,
                                                                                      Benjamin Sawyer  

ch 9 - 15

               The book in some spots does not agree with what I think of the world.  Baba sometimes says things throughout the book that I dont agree with.  One example of this is when Baba is telling Amir about the important countries in the world.  Baba says, "There are only three real me in the world, Amir," (Hosseini 125).  The Amir thinks what Baba is going to say next, "He'd count them off his fingers: America the brash savior, Britain, and Israel.  The rest of them, they're like gossiping old women," (Hosseini 125).  When Baba says this, he means that the only countries in the world that matter are the United States, Britain, and Israel.  Baba also means that the rest of the countries in the world don't matter at all.  This is the part of the statement that I disagree with alot.  There are many countries that the world depends on for something.  Do you agree with me that those arn't the only three important countries?
               My views of the people in Afghanistan and Pakistan have changed a lot throughout the course of the book.  Before I started reading I had though of all the people in that part of the world to be terrible people that hated Americans.  I now realize that some of the people are nice and do like America like Baba and Amir do.  When the man driving Amir said to Amir, "Afghani people and Pakistani people they are like brothers, I tell you.  Muslims have to helo Muslims," (Hosseini 195).  When the taxi driver said this it helped me to realize that the majority of the people living in that part of the world are actually nice.  Becasue of the war on terrorism that is occuring in the real world and the story I had just assumed all Afghani people were bad.  What do you think now of the people living in Pakistan and Afghanistan?  What did you used to think of these people?
               The novel also reminded me of one major problem that is not only occuring in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but throughout the whole world.  This issue is poverty.  In the story there is a very dramatic scene of what Amir is seeing while beeing driven through Afghan Town.  Amir describes what he sees as by thinking, "I saw sweetshops and carpet vendors, kabob stalls, kids with dirt-caked hands selling cigarettes," (Hosseini 196).  This made me think of all of the poor kids in th world.  It also reminded me about how lucky I am to not be in that situation.  There are times that all people feel like they have the worst life on the planet, but this reminds me that there is always someone worse.  I could be one of those poor children selling cigarettes on the side of the street.  What did this scene make you think of?  Did it change how you think about the people in less fortunate areas?

Dear Reader,

    One event that occured in The Kite Runner that shocked me happened on page 105.  Amir put Afghani money, and his watch under Hassan’s pillow to frame him so that him and Ali would be fired.  When Baba asked Hassan if he stole the items he was acused of taking, he admitted to it.  This shocked Amir because he knew that he was the one that put the money and watch under his pillow.  He then thinks to himself, “Then I understood: This was Hassan’s final sacrafice for me.”  I was suprised that Hassan was able to remain loyal to his best friend after he had seen him get raped and not done one thing to stop it, and was currently trying to rid him and his father of their job and home.  I think this period of the novel showed a tremendous amount of Hassan’s character.  He is a truly pure person that does everything for the people he loves even when they don’t deserve it.  I think Hassan is an amazing, and extremely strong person and I look up to him for those reasons.  What do you think about Hassan’s character?
    One time where I saw a difference in culture was on page 188.  Amir and Soraya were having difficulty in attempting to start a family and become parents.  A doctor reccomended that they try adoption.  When the news of this reached Soraya’s father he gave Amir and Soraya a long speech.  He said, “People here (In America) marry for love, family name and ancestry never even come into the equation.”  In Afghanistan family name is an extremely important factor in family life.  People know who everyone is, and who there ancestors are.  If someone were to adopt no one would know where they were brought up, whose genes they had, what kind of blood they had.  None of that would be present.  In America it would not matter; as long as the child was healthy everyone was happy as well.  This was one of the many times in the story that I found clashing views on a certain subject between the two vastly different cultures.  It really interested me to see why Afghani’s viewed adoption the way that they did.  Did this part of the novel interest you?  Why or why not?  Did you see many differences between the two cultures throughout The Kite Runner?
    A quote that was very interesting was on page 165.  When Amir And Soraya first got engaged she told him of her past with other men in case he wanted to change his mind about the marrige.  She didn’t want to start of the marrige with secrecy and lies.  Amir does not change his mind, and admires the fact that she is able to reaveal her secrets, unlike him, who is still holding onto several secrets involving Hassan.  He thinks in his mind, “I envied her.  Her secret was out.  Spoken.  Dealt with.  I opened my mouth and almost told her how I’d betrayed Hassan, lied, driven him out, and destroyed a forty-year relationship between Baba and Ali.  But I didn’t.”  This really stood out to me, and I thought that he would reveal all of the secrets he held onto from his past, seeing so as his soon-to-be wife could, then so could he.  It shocked me when he didn’t say anything, and kept it to himself.  He was so close to being completely honest and truthful, and letting go of that portion of his life.  To me, this showed character.  Amir was  becoming closer to speaking out about what happened.  I hope in the future of the story to see him actually do so.  Do you think Amir will reveal his past?  What was your reaction to this portion of the novel?
                        Sincerely, Destiny Messier

Dear Reader,

            A quote from the book Kite Runner that stood out to me was when Amir was in the basement.  He was trying to think of happy things to get his mind off of where he was, as Baba had instructed him to.  Amir began thinking of when he was in the field with Hassan flying kites and then says to himself, “I didn’t remember what month that was, or what year even. I only knew the memory lived in me, a perfectly encapsulated morsel of a good past, a brushstroke of the color gray, barren canvas that our lives had become.” (Hosseini 123) In this part Amir and Baba are trying to get to Pakistan and are traveling under very harsh conditions, so happy thoughts are all they have to enjoy the day. But then these thoughts make Amir realize how bad things are really going. This happy memory which he loved, opened his eyes to see how terrible his life is right now. He does not know what is going to happen to him and Baba and he is scared, but the happy memory and the urge to make more wonderful memories are what give him hope. I can relate to this quote.  Often, in hard situations, it is best to think of something happy, the thoughts may make you see that things aren’t the best right now, but  you still want to go forward and strive to have more happy memories.  That is what gives you hope. You know there have been good times in your life and that means they will come again.  I am sure many other people can relate to this too. I think Amir still really cares about Hassan even after making him lie and then leave, don’t you think so?

Another quote that greatly stood out to me, in the story, is what Amir was thinking to himself after he found out his book was published, he said, “There was so much goodness in my life. So much happiness. I wondered if I deserved any of it.”(Hosseini 183). Though Amir is happy with a loving wife and he just got his first book published, after he hears about the publishing he thinks of what Rahim Khan said to him on how he is going to be a great writer.  The thought of Rahim Khan brought made him think of Hassan, which then reminded him of his deep regret for not helping Hassan when he was getting raped. There are so many good things in Amir’s life right now and all he can think about is if he deserves it or not because he did not stand up for Hassan and then made him lie. In this chapter Amir  transitions more into a man with his wedding., letting go of his father and the book publishing, so the fact that with all of this success he is still holding on to his regret shows that this is very significant to him. This quote also relates to me and I’m sure, many other people. Everyone has something they deeply regret and the thought of it will always, in a way, be there no matter what is going on. Everyone has something they wish they could have changed or done better no matter what is happening in their lives, and that is also what I believe this quote is trying to say, do you agree?

            A very important quote I found in the text is when Amir was back in Afghanistan talking to Rahim Khan. They had been talking for a while and then Rahim Khan brought up how Hassan had been living with him for a while. In shock Amir said Hassan’s name out loud for the first time in years.  He thought to himself as the regrets and memories that came with his name came flooding back, “Those thorny old barbs of guilt bore into  me once more, as if speaking his name had broken a spell, set them free to torment me anew.” (Hosseini 202) The guilt he feels from not helping Hassan when he was getting raped, the lying so he would leave, thinking that that would make him feel better, still haunts him and is still a big part of Amir’s life. No matter what is going on Amir is always thinking about it.  To say Hassan’s name again and to talk about him again made the pain and guilt creep back  worse than ever and torment Amir. The conversation then continues with Amir promising to talk about Hassan, and we can predict that he will not enjoy the conversation as his memories of regret  flood back to him with every mention of Hassan’s name. This part of Kite Runner is like a scene from the story the Odyssey. In that story Odysseus is very upset with himself for letting his men get eaten by the six headed monster Scylla. Odysseus is very ,loyal to his men and he just watched as they died, and then later went on to say that watching that was the most pain and sadness he had felt the whole journey.  Here the two stories are very alike, don’t you think so?

            Sincerely, Ally Amaral

ch 1 - 8

              "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini reminds me of the epic poem called The Odyssey by Homer.  These two stories have similarities with the internal conflicts that the main characters are struggling with.  Both Amir and Odysseus have internal feelings of guilt because of something they had done to another person.  Amir expresses the guilt that he feels when he says, "I was glad I didn't have to return his gaze," (Hosseini 78) after he sees Hassan walking back home.  This shows how Amir did not even want to look Hassan in the eyes because of the guilt he was feeling for not trying to help Hassan in the fight and let him get raped.  Odysseus also feels guilt for some of the things that he brings upon his soldiers.  An example of how Odyssues shows guilt is how he tries to get ready to fight the Scylla even though there is nothing he could do to fight it.  Odysseus and Amir felt the same type of guilt because they both set other people up for failure.  In Amir's case he did not protect Hassan and Hassan got raped.  In Odysseus' case, he set up Scylla to kill six of his men.

              The book also has one main point that I feel relates to the world we are living in now.  This is that both the book and real world have the problem of bullying.  In "The Kite Runner" Assef is the bully and his main target is a kid named Hassan who is a servants son.  It is shown how Assef bullies Hassan when Assef asks for a drink and , "Assef grinning, kneading Hassan in the chest with a knuckle," (Hosseini 100).  This type of incident also occurs in the modern day in the United State.  Bullies push and shove the weaker kids that may be different in some way.  This is exactly what is happening to Hassan.  Bullying in the book and in the real world are bad and cause problems. 

                 Throughout the story I have also thought of childhood differently.  There was one quote said by Baba that really made me think about how I want to be as a kid and adult.  This is when he said, "A boy who won't stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up to anything," (Hosseini 22).  When Baba said that it made me think about and consider how parents should raise their children.  I feel that kids not being able to stand up for themselves has to do with the amount of freedom that the parent gives to the child.  A kid that is told to stay inside and do homework or chores all day will never have the experiences of a child that rides their bike all over the place.  These experiences will teach the kids about decisions and standing up for themselves.  The book has changed me to make me feel like being more free to do whatever you want is better than being imprisoned in a house being told to do schoolwork and chores. 

ben sawyer reader response #1

Dear Reader,
                    "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini portrays the life of Amir who lives in pakistan with his father, a succesful buisnessman. So far in the story Amir is desperatly trying to win his fathers love as he feels he is not the son his father wanted and he feels he has to make it up to his dad since his mom died while delivering him. This need for acceptance particularly shows through when Amir's "Baba" or father says that he thinks Amir will win the kite fighting competition this year. Amir sees this as an opprotunity and thinks " I was going to win, and I was going to run that last kite. Then I'd bring it home and show it to Baba. Show Him once and for all that his son was worthy" (Hosseini 57). This concept of children proving themselves to their parents is prevelant in alot of families today. Like Amir, children sometimes feel like they're letting down their parents and that they need to prove themselfs. In order to prove themselfs children may want to win a competion or achieve a goal like Amir did in the kite competion. Have you ever felt the need to prove yourself to your parents?
                    In the story so far there have been multiple sections which have clashed with my views on the world. One specific example is when Hassan is being raped by Assef in the alley after retrieving the kite for Amir. As Amir onlooks the scene in horror he desribes what he sees " He kept one hand on Hassan's back and undid his own belt buckle with his free hand. He unzipped his jeans dropped his underwear. He positioned himself behind Hassan" (75 Hosselini). This graphic scene completely clashed with my thoughts on the world, mainly because im blinded of what happens in other places than America. A early teenage boy raping another teenage boy to teach him a lesson? This is unknown to Americans. My stomach was turned after reading this section being so graphic and unheard of to me. Its hard to believe that this happens somewhere in the world. As a reader what was your mental reponse to this section?
                  Overall im really enjoying the book so far. Although it was a little slow to start, as im sure you would agree, the book is beggining to pick up. I particularly enjoyed the kite fighting section since I had no clue such an intresting sport existed. Which part did you enjoy the most so far? The story is pretty dark to due its topic yet I kinda of enjoy its harsh reality. At parts its very graphic but it shows what life was like in Afgan during the 1970's. This time period was before Afganistan became well known for its volient extremists and government turmoil. I didnt think this time period was very violent yet its turning out to be the opposite of that. Before reading 'The Kite Runner" how did you think Afganistan was during the 1970's? Also what are your thoughts on the book so far?
                                                                              Sincerely,
                                                                                              Ben Sawyer
  
                

Dear Reader,

    The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini makes many connections to other pieces of writing.  One connection I found was between The Kite Runner and Speak by Laurie Halse.  On page 86 when Amir is at Kaka Homayoun’s house in Jalalabad he thinks to himself, “ ‘I watched Hassan get raped,’ I said to no one.”  The afternoon that Hassan was raped by Assef, Wali, and Kamal, Amir had the opportunity to stop the rape from happening, but instead he ran away.  When he ran away he didn’t even get help.  He could of done something to stop it, but he chose to let it happen.  In Speak, the same thing happened.  Melissa Sordino was at a summer party when she got raped.  There were many other people there, and there must of been at least one person who knew what was happening.  No one got help for her either, they just let the misfortune occur.  The Kite Runner is also like Speak in the sense that both of the victims of the rape, Hassan and Melinda, did not tell anyone themselves.  I feel like there are many other connections that could be made from this novel to other novels.  Have you found any connections between this story and other ones?
    Something I can relate to from The Kite Runner is on page 46.  Baba is giving Hassan his birthday present when Amir thinks to himself, “It wasn’t fair.  Hassan hadn’t done anything to earn Baba’s affections....”  Amir is jealous that his father cares for Hassan so much.  Sometimes he wishes he was Baba’s favorite, and that Baba treated him better than he treated Hassan.  Although it sounds terrible, I can relate to Amir being jealous, and I know that many other people can too.  I know that when I like someone a lot, and I see other people all over them the green eyed monster comes out.  Although they’re not mine I still get envious of everyone that person is close to, and I wsih they would treat me like they treated those people, or even better.  When you desire someones affections so desperately you can’t help the evil side of you that emerges.  Can you relate to Amir in this situation?  Have there been other times in the novel where you were able to relate to him, or any other character?
    One quote that really spoke out to me was on page 55.  Amir asks Hassan if he would eat dirt if Amir told him to do so.  Hassan than asks in return if Amir would ever ask that.  Amir says no, but afterwards thinks to himself, “That’s the thing about people who mean everything they say.  They think everyone else does too.”  The quote really opened my eyes.  When people are extremely truthful, such as myself, it makes them view everyone else as a truthful person as well.  It shows me that you need to be careful when you are faced to judge someones words as truthful or deceitful.  You can not be so naive as to see everyone as a truthful, wonderful human being.  Although in most cases that could be true, the world is full of horrible people at the same time.  You need to decide if the person you are talking to is who you think they are or not.  What does this quote mean to you?  How do you see my views on the quote? 

                                     Sincerely, Destiny Messier

Response on chptrs. 1-8

Dear reader,

             An important quote that I would agree with is when Baba is talking to Rahim Khan about Amir and says, “A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything.”(Hosseini 22). Amir is very much unlike Baba in that Amir spends his days with books, rather than things like soccer balls. Amir never stands up for himself when other boys pick on him and Baba is very concerned about that. I agree with this quote; if you cannot stand up for yourself how are you ever going to stand up for anything you believe in? Being able to present yourself as who you are to the world is just as important as the things you see around you. Baba sees this and tries to explain that to Rahim Khan also.

            Another significant quote that stood out to me was after the gunfire when Amir, Hassan, and Ali were all huddled together and Amir says, “Huddled together in the dining room and waiting for the sun to rise, none of us had any notion that a way of life had ended. If not quite yet, at least it is the beginning of the end.”(Hosseini 36).  In that moment, Mir knew that everything just changed and that their way of life had just ended or was about to. They then find out the monarchy in Afghanistan had just ended, and the start of a republic. I find that this quote shows that in a second the world can change and it could be the end of what you’re used to in a split second; I agree that that can happen. In one instant the way their government had been for the past 40 years, under the rule of  Zahir Shah, was now over.  The republic government under the rule of Doud Khan had started and is about to change their lives, so in a second everything was different. I feel that that things like that are possible and unexpected, don’t you think so?

            Another important quote that stood out to me was when Amir was debating whether or not to help Hassan when he was getting raped by Assef, he said, “I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into the alley, stand up for Hassan-the way he’d stood up for me all those times in the past - and accept whatever could happen to me. Or I could run.” (Hosseini 77) This was a big internal conflict for him which I feel relates to the first important quote. Amir is still unable to stand up and fight for himself, so he was also unable to stand up and fight for Hassan, his best friend. This is showing that, so far, Amir has not grown much and still has a lot to learn about life and is in a way a true child. He ran away from the fight and waited for Hassan’s return.  Amir was not able to look at Hassan the same way, knowing that what he had done was wrong and he should have helped him. I consider being able to stand up for yourself and others is very important. Being able to help yourself and the people and things that are important to you is a big factor, and something that can change your life, don’t you agree?