Dear Reader,
My views of the world were deeply challenged in chapter 15, when Amir first meets up with Rahim and he tells Amir where he got the scar of his face. Rahim says " The man next to me cheered lodly. Suddenly this yound bearded fellow who was patroling the aisles, eighteen years old at most by the look of him, he walked up to me and struck me on the forehead with the butt of his Kalashnikov" (Hosseini 199). This scene conflicted with my views of the world because its completely aganist human rights. But I guess under the Taliban, Afgans have no human rights. In real life it must be horrible in Afganistan, being under so strict of rules that they cant even cheer in a stadium without being smashed in the skull or not even cheer and still be smashed in the skull. If the stadiums in America for sporting events were like those run under the Tailban, I think everybody in the stadium would get the butt of an AK to the forehead. As a reader what was your reaction to this scene, did it clash with your views of the world?
As Rahim is recollecting recent years with Hassan he describes the reuinting of Hassan to Sanaubar, his long lost mom. After Hassan accepts that his mom is really home he goes to her; "He took Sanaubar's hand in both of his and told her she could not cry is she wanted to but needn't, she was home now, he said, home with her family." (Hosseini 210). This reuniting of mother to son reminded me greatly of a previous book I've read, The Odyssey. In The Odyssey there is also a reuniting scene between Odyseus who has been gone for twenty years and his son Telemacus who he last saw as a toddler. The two scenes are very similar because in both scenes a parent is reunited with the son after many years and there is alot of sobbing and catching up that occcurs. Is there any books you have read which you were reminded of during reuniting of Hassan and his mother?
Reaching the end of chapter twenty the orphanage director explains his sticky situation, after being beat upon by Faird for giving away the orphans. Zaman says " If I deny one child, he takes ten. So I let him take one and leave the judging to Allah. I swallow my pride and take his goddamn filthy..dirty money. Then I go to the bazaar and buy food for the children" ( Hosseini 257). Although giving away the orphans sounds wrong, I don't know if I would do any different than what Zaman is doing, if I was in his situation. I don't think theres anything else he could do. Assef is going to take children either way whether he gets permission or not, so Zaman myswell take the money and give away a kid so he can feed and save the rest of the children from starvation. Its a tough situation and I believe Zaman made the right and only choice he could have made. Do you agree with Zaman's decisions? If not explain how you would have handled it differently.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Sawyer
Monday, March 5, 2012
Dear Reader,
In this section of the book The Kite Runner, one quote that I found
very interesting is when Amir was going to Islamabad
Another quote in this story I found very
interesting was when Amir was standing over Sohrab’s bed looking at the Polaroid
photo of Hassan. Amir began thinking
about the letter that Rahim Khan sent
him along with the photo. In the letter
Rahim Khan stated that Baba was a man torn between two worlds, Hassan’s poor, unaccepted
world, and Amir’s, rich sociable world, but he then thought that since Baba
felt more sympathy for Hassan that he considered him his true son. Then he also
thought, “Closing Sohrabs door, I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded,
not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with the pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced
in the middle of the night”(Hosseini 359). In that moment he had realized that his
guilt and sadness with his relationship with his father was gone, he had made
peace with Baba and finally was able to stand up for himself like Baba had taught
him, so the thought that he was not considered Baba’s “real son” did not bother
him. I personally consider what this metaphor is stating is very important to
the world. This quote is explaining that forgiveness doesn’t really come with a
big bang, but it comes when the pain quietly slips away. Which I think also
shows that forgiveness was there all along, just covered up by pain, but once
that is gone, you are free to be happy and any thoughts of uncertainty can not
affect you, as in what happened to Amir. Would you agree that Amir is not
bothered by the thought Baba might have considered Hassan his real son?
Another quote that stood out to me was at the very
end of the book, when Amir was just getting Sohrab to fly the kite and seeing
him smile he said to himself, “For you, a thousand times over”(Hosseini 371).This
quote was also the last thing that Hassan said to Amir right before he went to
run the kite for him, and got raped. So Amir saying that to Hassan’s son and running
the kite for him, was like him repaying Hassan. Just like Hassan ran the kite
for Amir, Amir ran the kite for Sohrab, Hassa’s son. I feel like this really shows
Ami’s final stage of making up for letting Hasan get raoed so many years ago. Now
it appears that Amirs regret is finally gone and he can live with himself, knowing
that he made up form what happened to Hassan, through his son. The view of how
someone can do things to overcome their regret is something I would agree with,
and what I see happened here. This view of the world is something I would agree
with and believe in. If someone strongly regrets what they did, and finds ways
to make it better, then I would agree that that person should be forgiven, and
be able to live happily again. Just like
Amir can now finally do. Do you agree that Amir is now happy and no longer feels
regret?
Alexandra Amaral
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.imageenvision.com/150/16639-stock-photo-of-blue-kite-flying-in-sky-with-white-clouds-by-cathy-mckinty.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.imageenvision.com/photos/blue-kite&h=105&w=150&sz=33&tbnid=2YgvxiChXKaLSM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=120&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dphoto%2Bof%2Bblue%2Bkite%2Bin%2Bsky%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=photo+of+blue+kite+in+sky&docid=mnVPkQ5_MuLoeM&sa=X&ei=rpJVT8uwLsHx0gH6m-m7DQ&ved=0CCQQ9QEwAA&dur=944
Chapters 23-25
Dear Reader,
Towards the end of chapter 3 I was extremely surprised by what Farid announced to Amir when he was explaining his plans to leave the hospital. Farid says "There never was a John and Betty Caldwelll in Peshawar. According to the people at the constulate, they never existed. Not here in peshwar, anyhow" (Hosseini 308). This news particularly surprised me because I cant believe Rahim lied to Amir once again. I get why Rahim lied because if he didnt he probably wouldnt have been able to convince Amir to go after Sohrad. It just surprised me though that Rahim was able to lie so easily even after he apologized for keeping the secret about Hassan for so many years. Do you think Amir would have gone to save Sohrad if Rahim didn't lie about the Caldwells in Peshwar?
Another part of the novel which caught me by surprise was when Amir finds Sohrab in the Bathtub. Later in the hospital he describes what he saw " ... the bloody bathwater; the left arm dangling over the side of the tub, the blood soaked razor sitting on the toliet tank..." (Hosseini 348). This scene is a Horrific scene for more than one reason. First because Sohrab is only a boy with the rest of his life ahead of him, yet he is found with slit wrists covered in blood in the bathtub. This scene was also horrific because it made me wonder how bad the conditions had to be at that orphanage to drive a young boy to opt for suicide instead of going back to the orphanage. This scene also reminded me of Stuck in Neutral with its prevelant idea of Euthanasia or mercy killing. In The Kite Runner Sohrab is sort of performing mercy killing on himself to save him from the suffering at the orphanage.
Overall I thought The Kite Runner was an excelent book and Hosseini end the book perfectly. The line which has been prevelant throughout the book really brings everything together. When Sohrab and Amir cut the string of the other kite, Amir asks if he can run the kite for Sohrab and Sohrab smiles. When sohrab does this Amir says "For you, a thousand times over" (Hosseini 371). I think this part was really important in ending the book because at this moment Amir finally came to peace with himself for what he had done and shed his guilt as he ran the kite for Sohrab as Hassan had done for him in his childhood. He had saved Sohrab from his terrible life and abuse in Afganistan and brought him to America. This allows Amir to believe hes made up for what hes done when he didnt help Hassan as he got raped and shunned Hassan after words. This ending also allows the reader to imagine what happens next, leaving the life of Sohrab, Amir, and his wife open ended. As a reader did you enjoy the book and would you have eneded the book a different way or kept the same?
Sincerely,
Benjamin Sawyer
Towards the end of chapter 3 I was extremely surprised by what Farid announced to Amir when he was explaining his plans to leave the hospital. Farid says "There never was a John and Betty Caldwelll in Peshawar. According to the people at the constulate, they never existed. Not here in peshwar, anyhow" (Hosseini 308). This news particularly surprised me because I cant believe Rahim lied to Amir once again. I get why Rahim lied because if he didnt he probably wouldnt have been able to convince Amir to go after Sohrad. It just surprised me though that Rahim was able to lie so easily even after he apologized for keeping the secret about Hassan for so many years. Do you think Amir would have gone to save Sohrad if Rahim didn't lie about the Caldwells in Peshwar?
Another part of the novel which caught me by surprise was when Amir finds Sohrab in the Bathtub. Later in the hospital he describes what he saw " ... the bloody bathwater; the left arm dangling over the side of the tub, the blood soaked razor sitting on the toliet tank..." (Hosseini 348). This scene is a Horrific scene for more than one reason. First because Sohrab is only a boy with the rest of his life ahead of him, yet he is found with slit wrists covered in blood in the bathtub. This scene was also horrific because it made me wonder how bad the conditions had to be at that orphanage to drive a young boy to opt for suicide instead of going back to the orphanage. This scene also reminded me of Stuck in Neutral with its prevelant idea of Euthanasia or mercy killing. In The Kite Runner Sohrab is sort of performing mercy killing on himself to save him from the suffering at the orphanage.
Overall I thought The Kite Runner was an excelent book and Hosseini end the book perfectly. The line which has been prevelant throughout the book really brings everything together. When Sohrab and Amir cut the string of the other kite, Amir asks if he can run the kite for Sohrab and Sohrab smiles. When sohrab does this Amir says "For you, a thousand times over" (Hosseini 371). I think this part was really important in ending the book because at this moment Amir finally came to peace with himself for what he had done and shed his guilt as he ran the kite for Sohrab as Hassan had done for him in his childhood. He had saved Sohrab from his terrible life and abuse in Afganistan and brought him to America. This allows Amir to believe hes made up for what hes done when he didnt help Hassan as he got raped and shunned Hassan after words. This ending also allows the reader to imagine what happens next, leaving the life of Sohrab, Amir, and his wife open ended. As a reader did you enjoy the book and would you have eneded the book a different way or kept the same?
Sincerely,
Benjamin Sawyer
ch 23 - 25
There were some ideas in "The Kite Runner" that I can relate to, but there was one main concept that took place through almost the entire book. This was Amir trying to get over the guilt of watching Hassan get raped. There have been things in my life that I feel guilty for and it is very hard to get over the guilt. The things I have felt guilty for have not been as severe as watching a friend get raped, but they still can make you feel very bad about it. The part of this subject that I can relate to the most is how Amir feels at the very last lines of the book. He shows the joy of finally feeling like he made up for what he did. Amir shows this by thinking, "I ran. A grown man running with a swarm of screaming children. But I didn't care. I ran with the wind blowing in my face, and a smile as wideas the Valley of Panjsher on my lips. I ran,"
(Hosseini 371). Amir is finally completely happy. He does not have any nagging memories of his past. For me, this is one of the best feelings, and it seems like a very good feeling for Amir too. Do you feel very relieved after you solve a nagging problem like this?
One thing that was said during the story made me consider how people change. I had never thought of people changing alot. I think of them always being the same, never changing. The book changed my point of view with this. This happened when Amir narrates, "Images of the TV reflected in his green eyes as he watched, stone-faced, rocking back and forth," (Hosseini 312). This sentence showed me how people can change dramtically so easily. It only takes one event in a persons life to change everything about them. Before Sohrab's mother and father died he was a very good loveable child. After the death of his parents he never talked. He was a very different kid that did not socialize or seem very happy with anything. Do you think it is very easy for people to change so much like Sohrab did?
The book also showed me how bad of a place Kabul is. I had thought it was just a place where there were a few bad people but the majority was good. I was wrong. The story showed me this when Amir was telling Sohrab that he might have to go back to an orphanage for a little. Sohrab is deathly scared of this and he shows this by crying and saying, "I'm scared of that place. They'll hurt me! I don't want to go," (Hosseini 341). This is a lot of fear that Sohrab is showing. He is deadly scared of going back to this place. That shows how terrible he was treated there. I have been scared of things but never as scared as Sohrab was at that moment. Do you think it is reasonable for Sohrab to be as scraed as he was?
(Hosseini 371). Amir is finally completely happy. He does not have any nagging memories of his past. For me, this is one of the best feelings, and it seems like a very good feeling for Amir too. Do you feel very relieved after you solve a nagging problem like this?
One thing that was said during the story made me consider how people change. I had never thought of people changing alot. I think of them always being the same, never changing. The book changed my point of view with this. This happened when Amir narrates, "Images of the TV reflected in his green eyes as he watched, stone-faced, rocking back and forth," (Hosseini 312). This sentence showed me how people can change dramtically so easily. It only takes one event in a persons life to change everything about them. Before Sohrab's mother and father died he was a very good loveable child. After the death of his parents he never talked. He was a very different kid that did not socialize or seem very happy with anything. Do you think it is very easy for people to change so much like Sohrab did?
The book also showed me how bad of a place Kabul is. I had thought it was just a place where there were a few bad people but the majority was good. I was wrong. The story showed me this when Amir was telling Sohrab that he might have to go back to an orphanage for a little. Sohrab is deathly scared of this and he shows this by crying and saying, "I'm scared of that place. They'll hurt me! I don't want to go," (Hosseini 341). This is a lot of fear that Sohrab is showing. He is deadly scared of going back to this place. That shows how terrible he was treated there. I have been scared of things but never as scared as Sohrab was at that moment. Do you think it is reasonable for Sohrab to be as scraed as he was?
Chapters 23-25
Dear Reader,
One quote from the final chapters of The Kite Runner that stood out to me was on page 297. After Assef had badly beaten up Amir in their fight to see who would get to keep Sohrab he was taken to the hospital to recieve proper care for his injuries. Amir was unable to recall anything that hteappened during the fight, and Dr.Faruqi explained what had happened to him. One thing that happened during the brawl left Amir speechless. He thinks to himself, “I kept thinking of something else Armand/Dr. Faruqi had said: The impact had cut your upper lip in two, he had said, clean down the middle. Clean down the middle. Like a harelip.” This really amazed me to think that after fighting to remove his guilt and clean his conscience in the fight for Hassan’s son, he had ended up a survivor, but with an injury resembling the looks of the person he was redeeming himself for. I thought it was incredible that Amir had a reminder of Hassan in Hassan’s son, Sohrab; and now he also had a reminder of Hassan in himself. What was your reaction to this part of the novel? Do you believe it is a good thing that Amir has all of these reminders of his dead half brother now?
Another quote from the novel that I found extremely interesting was found on page 340. Amir and Sohrab were discussing their possible future move to America. Amir was explaining to Sohrab that the move would most likely be a lengthy process. Sohrab said it was like sour apples, and that he could wait in Islamabad. When Amir then asked him what “sour apples” meant, Sohrab explained, “One time, when I was really little, I climbed a tree and ate these green, sour apples. My stomach swelled and became hard like a drum, it hurt a lot. Mother said that if I’d just waited for the apples to ripen, I wouldn’t have become sick. So now, whenever I really want something, I try to remember what she said about the apples.” This quote means a lot to me. It is a very good life symbol, as well. It teaches the virtue of patience, which is very important. Also it shows people that if they wait things out things will be better in the end. You just have to wait, and not give up, because it will be worth it in the long run and you will be happier. What did this quote teach you?
The final quote that stood out to me was on page 356. After Sohrab was removed from the hospital, he and Amir spent another entire year in Islamabad. When Sohrab finally accepted that the best life choice would be to move to America, they moved. Amir thinks to himself, “And so it was that, about a week later, we crossed a strip of warm, black tarmac and I brought Hassan’s son from Afghanistan to America, lifting him from the certainty of turmoil and dropping him in a turmoil of uncertainty.” This shows that moving Sohrab to America is both a good and bad thing. Although Amir is taking him out of the dangerous enviorment of Afghanistan, and placing him in a place where he will be well taken care of-America. At the same time, Amir is taking away the only think Sohrab has known. He is taking his childhood memories, the place where his parents last stood, and where he has remained his entire short life. Although some memories he had weren’t very good, I can imagine he would still miss his “watan.” Home. Do you believe it was more of a good choice, or a bad one that Sohrab was moved to America?
Sincerely, Destiny Messier
One quote from the final chapters of The Kite Runner that stood out to me was on page 297. After Assef had badly beaten up Amir in their fight to see who would get to keep Sohrab he was taken to the hospital to recieve proper care for his injuries. Amir was unable to recall anything that hteappened during the fight, and Dr.Faruqi explained what had happened to him. One thing that happened during the brawl left Amir speechless. He thinks to himself, “I kept thinking of something else Armand/Dr. Faruqi had said: The impact had cut your upper lip in two, he had said, clean down the middle. Clean down the middle. Like a harelip.” This really amazed me to think that after fighting to remove his guilt and clean his conscience in the fight for Hassan’s son, he had ended up a survivor, but with an injury resembling the looks of the person he was redeeming himself for. I thought it was incredible that Amir had a reminder of Hassan in Hassan’s son, Sohrab; and now he also had a reminder of Hassan in himself. What was your reaction to this part of the novel? Do you believe it is a good thing that Amir has all of these reminders of his dead half brother now?
Another quote from the novel that I found extremely interesting was found on page 340. Amir and Sohrab were discussing their possible future move to America. Amir was explaining to Sohrab that the move would most likely be a lengthy process. Sohrab said it was like sour apples, and that he could wait in Islamabad. When Amir then asked him what “sour apples” meant, Sohrab explained, “One time, when I was really little, I climbed a tree and ate these green, sour apples. My stomach swelled and became hard like a drum, it hurt a lot. Mother said that if I’d just waited for the apples to ripen, I wouldn’t have become sick. So now, whenever I really want something, I try to remember what she said about the apples.” This quote means a lot to me. It is a very good life symbol, as well. It teaches the virtue of patience, which is very important. Also it shows people that if they wait things out things will be better in the end. You just have to wait, and not give up, because it will be worth it in the long run and you will be happier. What did this quote teach you?
The final quote that stood out to me was on page 356. After Sohrab was removed from the hospital, he and Amir spent another entire year in Islamabad. When Sohrab finally accepted that the best life choice would be to move to America, they moved. Amir thinks to himself, “And so it was that, about a week later, we crossed a strip of warm, black tarmac and I brought Hassan’s son from Afghanistan to America, lifting him from the certainty of turmoil and dropping him in a turmoil of uncertainty.” This shows that moving Sohrab to America is both a good and bad thing. Although Amir is taking him out of the dangerous enviorment of Afghanistan, and placing him in a place where he will be well taken care of-America. At the same time, Amir is taking away the only think Sohrab has known. He is taking his childhood memories, the place where his parents last stood, and where he has remained his entire short life. Although some memories he had weren’t very good, I can imagine he would still miss his “watan.” Home. Do you believe it was more of a good choice, or a bad one that Sohrab was moved to America?
Sincerely, Destiny Messier
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Alexandra Amaral Chap 16-22
A quote in the story The Kite Runner, which I found was very
significant, is the simile that Amir uses in his head to describe how he felt
when he finds out that Baba was Hassans father too, not Ali. Amir says, “I felt
like a man sliding down a steep cliff, clutching at shrubs and tangles of brambles
and coming up empty handed..” This simile appears to describe that as he thinks,
he is trying to fight the truth and grab onto facts that would lead him back to
be believe that Ali was his father, but he can’t seem to find or think of
anything. Amir then knows that Rahim Khasn is right. He has always truly believed
and knows to himself as a fact; Hassan was born from Ali’s wife so it is then
shown that Baba and Amir have more in common. Baba had betrayed his best friend
by sleeping and having a child wife his wife, just as Amir had let Hassan get
raped. I would agree that this would be a very shocking experience. In my opinion
this situation would be very surprising to me, and I’m sure I would do the same
and try to grab on to little facts to continue to believe that what I thought
was the truth, was real, even though I know it really isn't. Do you
think Amir was over reacting to this news?
A quote that really
stood out to me was when Amir was back up in his old room looking out the window, remembering when he watched
Hassan and Ali leave on that cold wet day, he thinks to himself, “I stood on my
tiptoes, and saw nothing behind the window but shadows. Twenty-five years earlier,
I had stood behind that same window, thick rain dripping down the pains and my
breath fogging up the glass“(Hosseini 265).
Amir looks out of this window now and sees nothing but emptiness, but
standing there he remembers the memories of that spot, watching Hassan and Amir
leave. This makes him realize hiow different things are from the last time he stared out that window. Also a sad and dark tone is set by this
quote as the author uses imagery here to describe the memory with cold rain
dripping down the window pain, and his breath fogging glass, you really feel
that that is a sad moment. I personally feel that family is very important and that
everyone needs people that they can truly be themselves with and family is usually
those people. Family is also in this way always there for you in my opinion,
and Hassan was always there for Amir. Ali and Hassan were like family
to Amir, so watching them leave was like watching a part of his family leaves and it he was very sad. Do you think you would feel the same way as Amir if you
were in that situation?
Also, another quote I found
important was what Amir said when Assef was beating Amir with his brass knuckles.
Amir thought to himself, “My body was broken—just how badly I wouldn’t find out
until later—but I felt healed. Healed at last. I
laughed.” (Hosseini 289) This quote is very
interesting to me because it was Assef who had raped Hassan years ago, and Amir
always felt like he should have been punished for letting Hassan get raped. To him this was a way to feel like he was getting punished. Amir felt like he was
getting what he finally deserved which is why he felt healed and started to
laugh. Right after the rape Amir tried to get Hassan to throw pomegranates
at him, so he would feel like he was getting punished, but Hassan refused, and
now that Assef is beating him up, he thinks that that is his punishment and
that puts his mind and some of his regret at ease. I do not really agree with
Amirs view of feeling better by getting punished. I personally feel that in
order to make it up to Hassan, the only thing to do was to get Sohrab back, and
there is no punishment needed. Do you agree?
Hassan and Sohrab
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=father+and+son+afghanistan&hl=en&client=safari&sa=X&rls=en&biw=1016&bih=644&tbs=ic:specific,isc:gray&tbm=isch&tbnid=iWMXH277YySSoM:&imgrefurl=http://www.biwook.net/gallery/funny-shit/random-2008-april-03/A%2Bfather%2Band%2Bson%2Bat%2Bhome,%2BHelmand%2BProvince,%2BAfghanistan.html&docid=gCELvTlLZP3XKM&imgurl=http://www.biwook.net/gallery/funny-shit/random-2008-april-03/A%252520father%252520and%252520son%252520at%252520home,%252520Helmand%252520Province,%252520Afghanistan.jpg&w=900&h=1360&ei=cU1QT-yFBaTh0QG-z43sDQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=100&vpy=138&dur=7049&hovh=276&hovw=183&tx=128&ty=186&sig=117915702906677471223&page=1&tbnh=125&tbnw=102&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0
Chapters 16-22 Reader Response
Dear Reader,
Something that completely shocked me that I read from chapters sixteen to twenty two of The Kite Runner occured on page 225. After Amir visits Rahim Khan, it is revealed to him that Baba was Hassan’s father; not Ali. Amir realizes Hassan was his half brother, and he never knew it throughout his entire life; that is until now. He remembers the time Baba told him that theft was the biggest sin of all because you are taking someones rights that they are entitled to, and yet he had been a thief himself. Amir thinks to himself, “And a theif of the worst kind, because the things he’d stolen had been sacred: from me the right to know I had a brother, from Hassan his identity, and from Ali his honor.” It really surprised me that Baba kept this secret from Amir his whole life, even when he knew he was going to die soon. He still did not reveal his secret. It was an unexpected point in the book that I did not see coming at all. Also, Amir’s endless thinking to himself made me realize that Baba was a hypocrite for saying that theft was the worst sin, but he stole the most important things anyone could have in their life-the right to know your family. Amir and Baba are both alike because they are both thieves, but in different ways. Were you shocked when this happened? Did you expect that Baba would do that knowing the kind of person he was throughout the entire book?
Something I noticed about Afghan culture was found on page 241. When Amir is staying at Wahid’s home for the night before he continues his journey with Farid to find Sohrab, Hassan’s son. Wahid feeds his guests, Farid and Amir, vegetable shorwa and two loaves of bread. Wahid’s children stare at Amir as he is eating, and he thinks they are in awe about his watch; so he decides to give it to them. A while later he overhears Wahid speaking to his wife, and he thinks to himself, “I understood now why the boys hadn’t shown interest in the watch. They hadn’t been staring at the watch at all. They’d be staring at my food.” Although the family is unable to afford food, and do not know how they are going to support their family, they still feed the guests their food. This shows a lot about Afghan culture since they are hospitable enough to share everything they have. It shows that Afghanistan people put others over themselves no matter what the circumstances are. What feeling did you get when you read this part of the novel? What are your views on Afghanistans after reading this?
Another thing that I was not expecting in the book occured on page 281. Amir is in the large house in Wazir Akbar Khan trying to get Sohrab when he realizes the man who is holding him captive is Assef. “But he was already here, in the flesh, sitting less than ten feet from me, after all these years. His name escaped my lips: ‘Assef.’ ” I was completely shocked that Assef was the man in the room with him. The man who when he was a child spoke of Hitler being his idol, was the “big man” of Afghanastan. I wondered how this could be, and why he was causing all of this hell to his homeland. I realized afterwards that all of this happened for a reason when Assef and Amir fight to see who Shorab goes with. I realized this was the revenge he was craving, the one thing that would take his guilt away for what he did the night Hassan was raped. I realized this was what he had been waiting for, he could be forever relieved and in peace now. The accidental meeting with Assef after several years had turned out to be a good, and bad thing for Amir in many ways. How did you view this scene? Were you expecting Assef to be Afghanastan’s leader? Sincerely, Destiny Messier
Something that completely shocked me that I read from chapters sixteen to twenty two of The Kite Runner occured on page 225. After Amir visits Rahim Khan, it is revealed to him that Baba was Hassan’s father; not Ali. Amir realizes Hassan was his half brother, and he never knew it throughout his entire life; that is until now. He remembers the time Baba told him that theft was the biggest sin of all because you are taking someones rights that they are entitled to, and yet he had been a thief himself. Amir thinks to himself, “And a theif of the worst kind, because the things he’d stolen had been sacred: from me the right to know I had a brother, from Hassan his identity, and from Ali his honor.” It really surprised me that Baba kept this secret from Amir his whole life, even when he knew he was going to die soon. He still did not reveal his secret. It was an unexpected point in the book that I did not see coming at all. Also, Amir’s endless thinking to himself made me realize that Baba was a hypocrite for saying that theft was the worst sin, but he stole the most important things anyone could have in their life-the right to know your family. Amir and Baba are both alike because they are both thieves, but in different ways. Were you shocked when this happened? Did you expect that Baba would do that knowing the kind of person he was throughout the entire book?
Something I noticed about Afghan culture was found on page 241. When Amir is staying at Wahid’s home for the night before he continues his journey with Farid to find Sohrab, Hassan’s son. Wahid feeds his guests, Farid and Amir, vegetable shorwa and two loaves of bread. Wahid’s children stare at Amir as he is eating, and he thinks they are in awe about his watch; so he decides to give it to them. A while later he overhears Wahid speaking to his wife, and he thinks to himself, “I understood now why the boys hadn’t shown interest in the watch. They hadn’t been staring at the watch at all. They’d be staring at my food.” Although the family is unable to afford food, and do not know how they are going to support their family, they still feed the guests their food. This shows a lot about Afghan culture since they are hospitable enough to share everything they have. It shows that Afghanistan people put others over themselves no matter what the circumstances are. What feeling did you get when you read this part of the novel? What are your views on Afghanistans after reading this?
Another thing that I was not expecting in the book occured on page 281. Amir is in the large house in Wazir Akbar Khan trying to get Sohrab when he realizes the man who is holding him captive is Assef. “But he was already here, in the flesh, sitting less than ten feet from me, after all these years. His name escaped my lips: ‘Assef.’ ” I was completely shocked that Assef was the man in the room with him. The man who when he was a child spoke of Hitler being his idol, was the “big man” of Afghanastan. I wondered how this could be, and why he was causing all of this hell to his homeland. I realized afterwards that all of this happened for a reason when Assef and Amir fight to see who Shorab goes with. I realized this was the revenge he was craving, the one thing that would take his guilt away for what he did the night Hassan was raped. I realized this was what he had been waiting for, he could be forever relieved and in peace now. The accidental meeting with Assef after several years had turned out to be a good, and bad thing for Amir in many ways. How did you view this scene? Were you expecting Assef to be Afghanastan’s leader? Sincerely, Destiny Messier
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)