Sorry, the first one posted before I ever wrote anything.
On to the question, what is the role of women in Afghanistan?
Women in America today are not like the women from the book; us American women would be considered very loose compared to them. Also the roles that women in Afghanistan play is very different to the role American women play now. Back then, women were to never show there face to men they didn't know; including when they went outside, into the public. Every inch of their body was to be covered so that men would not get ideas. Also, women were not aloud to have deep conversations with men. This is made clear when Amir explains the rumors that were going to fly if anyone say Soraya and him talking. Rumors about these kinds of encounters begin to fly from the "poisoned tongues" the gossiping crowd. Women would always get the end of the bunt even if the women starts the conversation, women will be in trouble. the rumors won't be "Did you see him chatting with her? but Wooooy! Did you see how she wouldn't let him go? What a lochak!"Women were also not aloud to drink. This is made clear when Amir finds out that he is going to be a published author and him, Soraya, and her parents have supper. Amir bought "an expensive bottle of Merlot" but had to wait to have a toast with Soraya after her parents left, because "the general did not approve of women drinking alchol." Afghanistan women can only do the 'womenly' jobs: have children, raise children, cook, and clean. Over all Afghanistan women are treated unfairly for they are not treated as equals to men.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Adapting to America Questions
1. Analyze the scene in chapter 11 where Baba fights with the Nguyens in their stor. What does this scene show about Baba's character? Selcet specific word from the text to support your response.
The scene with Baba at the Nguyens shows how proud he is. When Mr. Nguyens askes for Baba's license, Baba feels his pride being hurt. After all, for "almost two years (he has) bought his damn fruits and put money in his pocket and the son of a dog wants to see my license!" Even after Amir explains that everyone has to show their license and that "it's not personal," steal feels that the action was personal. I believe that he feels this is personal because he is not ready for change, and having to be ID is something that he has never had to do because everyone knew him. Therefore, since the Nguyens knew him then why should they have to ID him.
2. Why does Baba come to America? Explain your answer by using specific quotations from the text.
Baba comes to America not for himself or to get away from the distruction that is going on in Afgahistan, but to give Amir a better life. While eating together, Amir suggests that they both go back to Peshawar. Amir says that it would be better because Baba was happier there. Although, Baba replies, "I didn't bring us here for me, did I?" This shows how Baba is giving Amir a gift of freedom. Amir also realizes that this is "one last gift for Amir."
3. Why does Amir have an easier time adapting to American culture than Baba does?
Amir can adapt to the American way easier because he hasn't lived in Afgahistan his whole life. Baba was born and raised in Afgahistan and then live most of his adult life in Afgahistan, where as Amir was only born there and live most of his childhood there and now he is in America. Also, Baba isn't really as strick as the other Afgahistan fathers are. Baba views things with a different mind set, giving Amir an easier time to adjust to the American way.
4. Does Soraya help Amir develop as a character? Why or why not?
I believe that Soraya helps Amir's character develop. Soraya helps Amir see where he comes from, and how his own culture works. Baba didn't really follow all the rules like that other Afgah fathers did and because he was raised by only men, he really doesn't know how women are truely treated in Afgahistan.
The scene with Baba at the Nguyens shows how proud he is. When Mr. Nguyens askes for Baba's license, Baba feels his pride being hurt. After all, for "almost two years (he has) bought his damn fruits and put money in his pocket and the son of a dog wants to see my license!" Even after Amir explains that everyone has to show their license and that "it's not personal," steal feels that the action was personal. I believe that he feels this is personal because he is not ready for change, and having to be ID is something that he has never had to do because everyone knew him. Therefore, since the Nguyens knew him then why should they have to ID him.
2. Why does Baba come to America? Explain your answer by using specific quotations from the text.
Baba comes to America not for himself or to get away from the distruction that is going on in Afgahistan, but to give Amir a better life. While eating together, Amir suggests that they both go back to Peshawar. Amir says that it would be better because Baba was happier there. Although, Baba replies, "I didn't bring us here for me, did I?" This shows how Baba is giving Amir a gift of freedom. Amir also realizes that this is "one last gift for Amir."
3. Why does Amir have an easier time adapting to American culture than Baba does?
Amir can adapt to the American way easier because he hasn't lived in Afgahistan his whole life. Baba was born and raised in Afgahistan and then live most of his adult life in Afgahistan, where as Amir was only born there and live most of his childhood there and now he is in America. Also, Baba isn't really as strick as the other Afgahistan fathers are. Baba views things with a different mind set, giving Amir an easier time to adjust to the American way.
4. Does Soraya help Amir develop as a character? Why or why not?
I believe that Soraya helps Amir's character develop. Soraya helps Amir see where he comes from, and how his own culture works. Baba didn't really follow all the rules like that other Afgah fathers did and because he was raised by only men, he really doesn't know how women are truely treated in Afgahistan.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Question Six
Why do I believe that Amir recalls the memory of the sacrificed sheep when he witnesses Hassan's tragedy in the alleyway? Well, Amir says that he "imagines the animal understands," and then he says that he "imagines the animal sees that its imminent demise is for a higher purpose." This is what Amir feels when he witnesses Hassan in the alleyway. He doesn't stop Hassan from getting hurt because he sees the tragedy as something for a higher purpose, the higher purpose being that Amir will finally be able to get the attention he wants from Baba. Although, unlike when the sheep is being sacrificed, Amir can't watch Hassan get rapped. To me, this is a sign that maybe Amir does have a little more feeling for Hassan than he says. Although, by Amir not watching, Amir could be saying that he doesn't think this is right but proving to his father that he is more than just blood is more important to him than stopping Assef and the boys. You can really tell that when Amir sees Hassan for the first time. Instead of asking if he was ok or if he needed anything, Amir looks directly at the kite to make sure that there was no hole in it. As for the image in the novel, I really don't see anything. Maybe I need to read the second time that the sheep is brought up.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Chapter 6-8
Chapter 6
Chapter six is all about winter and the events that take place in the cold winters of Afghanistan. Winter is Amir favorite time of the year because there is now school and he can spend more time with Hassan playing cards, watching free movies at the park, delicous hot food, and of course kites, flying them and running them. Speaking of kites, winter is the time when Kabul had the famous kite-fighting tournament. Since Amir and Hassan were clearly better kite flyers than kite builders, Baba takes them both to get three identical kites. And if Amir wants a more expensive one, Baba would buy him one; although, he would also buy one for Hassan. This really upsets Amir, he wants to have the best, not the same as Hassan’s. Amir, just for once, wants to be the favorite. The actually kite flying is pretty simple: fly your kite and remain the last kite in the air, no other rules. The kite running was just as simple: follow the cut kite and retrieve it for your honor. Hassan is amazing at kite running. When they were running a kite another year, Amir keep telling Hassan that he was going the wrong way but he would not listen, he just said to trust him and keep looking at the ground and sure enough they ended up with the kite. Although, the winter of 1975 was the last year that Hassan ran kite. A few days before the tournament, Baba told Amir that this year he would win. This talk truly incouraged Amir and he starts day-dreaming about how things would change when he won and ended up with his last cut kite. When he won he would bring home the kite and show it to Baba. He was going to show him once and for all that his son was worthy. Then maybe his life as a ghost would finally be over. Amir could already see the conversations and laughter over dinner instead of silence broken with the clinking of silverware and the occasional grunt. Amir and his father would take Friday drives, stopping at the lake to have dinner, and go to the zoo. And maybe, just maybe Baba would read one of his stories. And maybe he would call him Amir jan and to top things off maybe he would be forgiven for killing his mother. All these things that Amir wants from his father reminds me of another character that we have read about, Happy. Happy tried so hard to achieve his father’s approval just like Amir is doing right now. And just like Happy trying to come out of his brother’s shadow, Amir is trying to come out of Hassan’s shadow.
The day before the big tournament, Amir over hears his father talking getting new TVs. Amir tells Hassan that so day he will get him one. I’m feeling very confused about Amir’s feelings about Hassan. I mean, he says things like this, I will get you a TV one day, but then he doesn’t invite Hassan to play with the guest’s that are over at his house. What’s going on? Does Amir think of Hassan as a friend or not? If you ask me Amir’s feelings for Hassan are more wild than the cut kites flying out of control towards the ground.
Chapter 7
Chapter seven is the big tournament; although, the day of the big tournament Hassan has a dream and Amir is getting cold feet. Amir is so scared that he even contemplates not even going to fly his kite, but Hassan then explains that his dream is saying that he needs to go out and fly his kite and win. After then tournament gets going, Amir keeps looking at Baba and Rahim who are sitting on the balcony. This causes Amir to also get cut but he manages to somehow cut the other guy and then last until the final end where he wins! While the crowd is cheering loud Hassan says that he will go get the other kite to make the win complete. After Amir says thank you to everyone that said congratulations and gets his kite wrapped up, he goes after Hassan to see if he got the kite, but this is the moment that will forever change his life. After looking for Hassan for awhile, Amir finally finds him in an alley with the kite, but there are three boys there, Kamal, Wali, and Assef. They have cornered Hassan into the alley and want the kite but he won’t give it to them. This upsets them so they beat him, but that isn’t where it stops. Then Assef rapes Hassan. While this is wrong in so many ways, this isn’t what troubles me; I still can’t get past the whole fact of Amir watching the boys do this to Hassan and not stopping them. Yes, he could have been beat too, but maybe they won’t have raped Hassan. But Amir does nothing, instead he runs the other direction and when he meets Hassan he acts like he knows nothing. It kills me that the reason that Amir did nothing is because he wanted the kite for his father. This is the only thing he cares about, the kite to make his father proud. I mean instead of asking if Hassan is ok, he looks over the kite, to make sure there was no tares in the material. I guess I answered my own question, Amir really doesn’t think of Hassan as a friend, he is merely his servant who was to get the kite for him so he could gain his father's approval. And just like Amir wanted it, he got his father's approval.
Also, what does the italics writing mean? The part that says, “A Memory.” What is going on? This really confuses me.
Chapter 8
Chapter eight is depressing to me. Because of the alley incident Amir and Hassan aren’t really talking. Hassan has his entire chorus done before Amir is even up. Although, Amir isn’t really complaining that Hassan isn’t there in the morning because he now doesn’t have to look at Hassan and see the pain that is there in his eyes, let alone the guilt that he should be feeling. And now lately all that Hassan is doing is a lot of sleeping. This concerns Ali, so he asks Amir if he knows what is wrong with Hassan. Amir then lies because he doesn’t want to tell Ali and maybe doesn’t want to relive that memory again. Since the bring home the kite to Baba Amir and Baba have become a lot closer, Amir can even ask for go place without his father staring at his watch. Although even with the new relationship, Amir still can’t be by himself. When Amir wants to go away for the weekend with his father, Baba invites all these extra people. On the trip Baba continues to brag about how Amir won the kite-fight tournament, but while everyone else says congratulations, Rahim gives Amir a different look that doesn’t say congratulations. I think Rahim can read Amir’s mind just like Hassan can. I believe that Rahim may not know the actual secret, but knows that there is one being held by Amir. Finally Hassan talks to Amir and asks him to go hiking with him. Amir did say yes but the second time Hassan asked; although, when they got to the hill, the situation was too difficult for Amir so they go home right away. The rest of the winter was now hazy. Amir most of the time was in his room reading, but Hassan kept trying to talk to Amir but Amir continued to refuse and was really mean about the whole thing considering that Hassan was the one that was raped. When spring started to come around, the tension for Amir became too much and he asked Baba if they could get new servants. Baba was offended and that is when the new relationship that Amir had worked so hard to get, giving up his relationship with Hassan, ended. Amir was happy when school started because he thought that he could just get lost in his school work and not have to talk to Hassan, but that wasn’t working so Amir tried something new to get his angry out. While up on the hill with Hassan, Amir opens fire on Hassan with pomegranates. Amir kept telling Hassan to throw one at him but he didn’t anything. When Amir was exhausted and resting on the ground, Hassan comes over and hits Amir directly in the forehead and leaves. Amir then started to cry; even though it sounds like Amir has finally cracked, I still am mad at him and now that he as threw pomegranates at Hassan and Hassan really did nothing, I’m only angrier. At the end Amir turns thirteen. For his birthday, Baba throws a big party with several guests, but Amir knows none of them. When Assef and his family show up Amir has to leave because he gets angry at the way they are treating Hassan who is serving drinks. While gone Rahim finds him and tells Amir that if there is anything that he would like to say to him he can. Then he tells Amir about how he was in love with their servant’s daughter and almost married her at the age of eighteen, but when he told his parents, his mother fainted and his father was upset. Rahim also gives Amir a leather journal to write his stories in. Still, in the end he doesn’t tell and still does nothing to stop the boys from their mean ways. What is wrong with Amir? Why doesn’t he stand up for his supposed friend?
Chapter six is all about winter and the events that take place in the cold winters of Afghanistan. Winter is Amir favorite time of the year because there is now school and he can spend more time with Hassan playing cards, watching free movies at the park, delicous hot food, and of course kites, flying them and running them. Speaking of kites, winter is the time when Kabul had the famous kite-fighting tournament. Since Amir and Hassan were clearly better kite flyers than kite builders, Baba takes them both to get three identical kites. And if Amir wants a more expensive one, Baba would buy him one; although, he would also buy one for Hassan. This really upsets Amir, he wants to have the best, not the same as Hassan’s. Amir, just for once, wants to be the favorite. The actually kite flying is pretty simple: fly your kite and remain the last kite in the air, no other rules. The kite running was just as simple: follow the cut kite and retrieve it for your honor. Hassan is amazing at kite running. When they were running a kite another year, Amir keep telling Hassan that he was going the wrong way but he would not listen, he just said to trust him and keep looking at the ground and sure enough they ended up with the kite. Although, the winter of 1975 was the last year that Hassan ran kite. A few days before the tournament, Baba told Amir that this year he would win. This talk truly incouraged Amir and he starts day-dreaming about how things would change when he won and ended up with his last cut kite. When he won he would bring home the kite and show it to Baba. He was going to show him once and for all that his son was worthy. Then maybe his life as a ghost would finally be over. Amir could already see the conversations and laughter over dinner instead of silence broken with the clinking of silverware and the occasional grunt. Amir and his father would take Friday drives, stopping at the lake to have dinner, and go to the zoo. And maybe, just maybe Baba would read one of his stories. And maybe he would call him Amir jan and to top things off maybe he would be forgiven for killing his mother. All these things that Amir wants from his father reminds me of another character that we have read about, Happy. Happy tried so hard to achieve his father’s approval just like Amir is doing right now. And just like Happy trying to come out of his brother’s shadow, Amir is trying to come out of Hassan’s shadow.
The day before the big tournament, Amir over hears his father talking getting new TVs. Amir tells Hassan that so day he will get him one. I’m feeling very confused about Amir’s feelings about Hassan. I mean, he says things like this, I will get you a TV one day, but then he doesn’t invite Hassan to play with the guest’s that are over at his house. What’s going on? Does Amir think of Hassan as a friend or not? If you ask me Amir’s feelings for Hassan are more wild than the cut kites flying out of control towards the ground.
Chapter 7
Chapter seven is the big tournament; although, the day of the big tournament Hassan has a dream and Amir is getting cold feet. Amir is so scared that he even contemplates not even going to fly his kite, but Hassan then explains that his dream is saying that he needs to go out and fly his kite and win. After then tournament gets going, Amir keeps looking at Baba and Rahim who are sitting on the balcony. This causes Amir to also get cut but he manages to somehow cut the other guy and then last until the final end where he wins! While the crowd is cheering loud Hassan says that he will go get the other kite to make the win complete. After Amir says thank you to everyone that said congratulations and gets his kite wrapped up, he goes after Hassan to see if he got the kite, but this is the moment that will forever change his life. After looking for Hassan for awhile, Amir finally finds him in an alley with the kite, but there are three boys there, Kamal, Wali, and Assef. They have cornered Hassan into the alley and want the kite but he won’t give it to them. This upsets them so they beat him, but that isn’t where it stops. Then Assef rapes Hassan. While this is wrong in so many ways, this isn’t what troubles me; I still can’t get past the whole fact of Amir watching the boys do this to Hassan and not stopping them. Yes, he could have been beat too, but maybe they won’t have raped Hassan. But Amir does nothing, instead he runs the other direction and when he meets Hassan he acts like he knows nothing. It kills me that the reason that Amir did nothing is because he wanted the kite for his father. This is the only thing he cares about, the kite to make his father proud. I mean instead of asking if Hassan is ok, he looks over the kite, to make sure there was no tares in the material. I guess I answered my own question, Amir really doesn’t think of Hassan as a friend, he is merely his servant who was to get the kite for him so he could gain his father's approval. And just like Amir wanted it, he got his father's approval.
Also, what does the italics writing mean? The part that says, “A Memory.” What is going on? This really confuses me.
Chapter 8
Chapter eight is depressing to me. Because of the alley incident Amir and Hassan aren’t really talking. Hassan has his entire chorus done before Amir is even up. Although, Amir isn’t really complaining that Hassan isn’t there in the morning because he now doesn’t have to look at Hassan and see the pain that is there in his eyes, let alone the guilt that he should be feeling. And now lately all that Hassan is doing is a lot of sleeping. This concerns Ali, so he asks Amir if he knows what is wrong with Hassan. Amir then lies because he doesn’t want to tell Ali and maybe doesn’t want to relive that memory again. Since the bring home the kite to Baba Amir and Baba have become a lot closer, Amir can even ask for go place without his father staring at his watch. Although even with the new relationship, Amir still can’t be by himself. When Amir wants to go away for the weekend with his father, Baba invites all these extra people. On the trip Baba continues to brag about how Amir won the kite-fight tournament, but while everyone else says congratulations, Rahim gives Amir a different look that doesn’t say congratulations. I think Rahim can read Amir’s mind just like Hassan can. I believe that Rahim may not know the actual secret, but knows that there is one being held by Amir. Finally Hassan talks to Amir and asks him to go hiking with him. Amir did say yes but the second time Hassan asked; although, when they got to the hill, the situation was too difficult for Amir so they go home right away. The rest of the winter was now hazy. Amir most of the time was in his room reading, but Hassan kept trying to talk to Amir but Amir continued to refuse and was really mean about the whole thing considering that Hassan was the one that was raped. When spring started to come around, the tension for Amir became too much and he asked Baba if they could get new servants. Baba was offended and that is when the new relationship that Amir had worked so hard to get, giving up his relationship with Hassan, ended. Amir was happy when school started because he thought that he could just get lost in his school work and not have to talk to Hassan, but that wasn’t working so Amir tried something new to get his angry out. While up on the hill with Hassan, Amir opens fire on Hassan with pomegranates. Amir kept telling Hassan to throw one at him but he didn’t anything. When Amir was exhausted and resting on the ground, Hassan comes over and hits Amir directly in the forehead and leaves. Amir then started to cry; even though it sounds like Amir has finally cracked, I still am mad at him and now that he as threw pomegranates at Hassan and Hassan really did nothing, I’m only angrier. At the end Amir turns thirteen. For his birthday, Baba throws a big party with several guests, but Amir knows none of them. When Assef and his family show up Amir has to leave because he gets angry at the way they are treating Hassan who is serving drinks. While gone Rahim finds him and tells Amir that if there is anything that he would like to say to him he can. Then he tells Amir about how he was in love with their servant’s daughter and almost married her at the age of eighteen, but when he told his parents, his mother fainted and his father was upset. Rahim also gives Amir a leather journal to write his stories in. Still, in the end he doesn’t tell and still does nothing to stop the boys from their mean ways. What is wrong with Amir? Why doesn’t he stand up for his supposed friend?
Monday, April 14, 2008
Chapter 4 & 5
Chapter 4
This chapter begins with Amir explains how Baba and Ali meet. Baba's father, Amir's grandfather, was a very respectible judge who was given a case of two drunken drives hitting another car and killing two parents, leaving their five-year- old son an orphan. The judge decided that the to drunk drives had to enlist into the army and then his adopted the son, telling the servents to tutor him and be kind to him because this was his new son. The new son's name was Ali. Ali and Baba grew up together a lot like Amir and Hassan are growing up together, although Baba never refers to Ali as his friend. Does Baba believe that Ali is less than him? Is there jealousy becasue Baba's father adopted another son when he already had one? Because Baba's father had Ali tutored by the servents, does he know how to read and write? Although like father like son, Amir never refers to Hassan as a friend either. Does Amir believe that he is better than Hassan? Is there jealousy because Hassan is getting more attention from Amir's father than Amir himself? How could Amir not see Hassan as his friend? After all they taught each other to ride a bicycle with no hands and to build a fully functional homemade camera out of a cardboard box together. How could you not call that person your friend? They also spent the winters flying kites, actually running kites. This is the first time that the book refers to the kites running; why do you believe that the kites are important in this spot? Does it represent something? Is it showing the freedom that the boys have right now to be together with out truely being made fun of or being looked at oddly? How Amir sees Hassan is how the world sees him; not the same as the majority. After all Amir is Pashtun and a Sunni and Hassan is Hazara and a Shi'a and nothing can change that. I'm curious to know why Amir is so set on saying nothing; he does say it twice. Does this mean that somehow Hassan will change his outside apperences to look like the Sunni or is he truely saying that there really is no way to change? But no matter what Amir thinks Hassan is to him, he can't forget all the thinks they have done together and their is no history, ethnicity, society, or religion that is going to change that. Maybe one of the reasons that Amir can't see Hassan as a friend is because he treats him like a servent. After all, Hassan has to make him breakfast, make his bed, polish his shoes, iron his clothes, and pack his bag. Then when Amir and Baba leave, Hassan has to stay home with Ali and do the house chores. How can Amir come home and then just act like nothing is different between the two boys? How can Hassan act like there is nothing different between the two of them? But they do go on like nothing is different and to have lots of memories. Although Amir's biggest memory of Hassan and him is when they sat underneath the pomegranate tree, ate pomegranates, and Amir read to Hassan. Although Amir is not very nice to Hassan. Amir likes to show that he has the upper hand and is happy to tell Hassan the definitions to words he doesn't know although he doesn't always tell the truth. Even though Amir thinks that he is making up for the rude and unneeded lying by giving Hassan one of his old broken toys, he isn't. The lying to the person you believe is like a brother to you in not a harmless prank that can be easily fixed with some material object. This gesture is like saming that money can buy love and we all know how love like that truely is. Moving on to the story that Amir makes up while telling is to Hassan, why would Amir do that? Although, this is the beginning place that Amir realizes that maybe he should write. Hassan's totally love for the story was the way the light Amir need to get the fire started to start writing. Although, when he writes his first story why does his dad not want to read it? Does he not want to encourage his son to be doing these things that he finds not worth of his son's time? And why does he feel relieved when his friend Rahim Khan says that he will read it? No matter the reason, Rahim loves the story; he even tells Amir "bravo." To Amir this is what encouraged him to write. Rahim even writes a letter to Amir telling him how he has a talent and needs to use it and not let it go to waste. He also adds that being able to write irony in his first story is amazing because there are writters that go their whole life trying to write a stroy with irony. Because of his excitement, Amir goes downstairs waken Hassan (Hassan and Ali are allowed to sleep in the house when Baba was gone.). When Amir gets done reading the story to Hassan, Hassan has a question that stumps Amir completely. Amir at first thinks it is ok that Hassan would ask but then a voice enters his mind saying,"What does he know, taht illiterate Hazara? He'll never be anything but a cook. How dar he criticize you?" This statement from Amir's mind shows that Amir is growing further away from Hassan and his relationship; Amir is starting to see the differences.
Chapter 5
Beginning with the roar of what Ali told Amir and Hassan is only duck hunters is how chapter five starts. The two boys are so terrified that Ali conforts them by holding them close to him until early in the moring even though the roaring had stopped with in an hour. When Ali pulls Hassan closer, Amir becomes envious of Ali and Hassan's relationship as father and son. Amir wants his father to love him that much that Amir wouldn't even have to say anything to his father and he would already know. In the morning, Baba showed up running in the house looking for the Ali and the boys, hoping everyone was ok. When Baba wrapped his arms around the boys, Amir was happy that the roaring of the gun shots had happened because he was finally able to get some affection from him father. After a while they realized that the shoting was not from duck hunters, is was signalling that the monarchy was in the past. The king, Zahir Shah, was away in Italy and in his absence, his cousin Caoud Khan had ended the king's forty-year reign with a bloodless coup. Hassan and Amir listened outside Baba's study while Baba and Rahim listened to the radio, although, they didn't really understand what was going on and became bored so they decided to go to their tree. Although, then stumble on to some trouble when a rock get threw at the back of Hassan head. The boy who threw is was Assef. Assef was born from a German mother and an Afghan father; however, most of his features he inherited from his mother, ecspecially his height and build. Assef toward over the Afghan kids and then their was is knockles that had already knocked a kid unconcious. Assef was only talking to Amir and Hassan because one, Hassan was Hazara and Assef had a plan to get rid of all Hazaras; and two, Amir was friends with Hassan. When Amir realized that Assef was going to beat him up because he was hanging out with Hassan and Amir's father was keeping them around, he almost blurted out that he's not my friend, he's my servent, but he didn't. Then Assef explained his theory on how Hitler was a great leader and how next time the new president was at his house eating supper, he was going to tell him that Hitler was a great leader and that he should to the same thing he did and kill all the Hazaras to make the country pure. When Assef was pulling out his famous knuckles though to beat Amir up Hassan held up his slingshot and stood his ground and scared Assef away. I would like to know what Hassan would have done is he would have known what Amir almost shouted out? Would Hassan have stood up to Assef and stopped him from beating up Amir? Also, does Hassan believe that him and Amir are friends? And another thing, by bringing in Hitler, does this foreshadow how the new government is going to run? Does Amir keep remebering the alley because he say someone killed in the alley way? At the end of chapter five, Amir skips ahead a couple of years and talks about the how, even though the monarchy had been abolished and a new president lived in the Arg, the rest of the customs have stayed the same, including Baba getting something for Hassan on his birthday. Although this birthday gift was different from the rest he had recieved in the pervious years; this year Baba got him a plastic surgeon. Yeah, Hassan was just as suprised but then he finally realized what is was for and then he was happy because he was finally going to be able to smile without his cleft lip. When everything was done and healed up Hassan was able to smile. There for, when Amir said the "nothing would change things. Nothing." he was wrong, because know he don't look as much as a Shi'a. Although, is Baba doing this because he believes that something like the Holocaust could happen? Is he trying to make Hassan look more like a Sunni? Although the most troubling line for me is the last, "because that was the winter that Hassan stopped smiling." Hassan has finally got he cleft lip taken care of and now he stops smiling. This has to be foreshadowing that something big is going to happen.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Chapter 1-3
Chapter 1
I'm already a little confused. So far the speaker (who is the author) is looking at his past and realizes that his habits haven't changed. Now he is having a flash back, remembering when his friend, Rahim Khan called from Pakistan. When he says "I knew it wasn't just Rahim Khan on the line. It was my past of unatoned sins," what does he mean? Did he do something wrong in his past and Rahim knows? Also there is already refrences to kites. He recalls them when he was walking along Spreckels Lake. The way he talks about them he wishes that he was more like them; soaring in the sky, high above the trees. Also he recalls the color of the kites; red with blue tails. Do the colors mean something? If only there was white then the colors would be the colors of the U.S. Who is Hassan? He says he hears his voice in his head. He calles him the "harelipped kite runner." What does his friends last words mean; "there is a way to be good again." What is in this guys past? Is he just refering to the horrible things he had to live through or is it something else?
Chapter 2
Oh, just made the connection, Hassan is his friend that called him; sorry, I'm a little slow. Still in his flash back, he remembers about his time with Hassan. Hassan has an almost perfectly round face like a Chinese doll. He has a flat, broad nose and slanting, narrow eyes that looked like gold, green, or sapphire in the light. Also he has low-set ears and a pointed stub of a chin. All these features are common for the Hazaras people. Amir and Hassan are best friends, although they are closer than that, they are like brothers. They have always grown up together, Amir in his Baba's masion and Hassan in his father's, Ali, mud hut in the backyard of Amir's house. Amir and Hassan also both lost their mothers when they were just born. Amir lost his in childbirth and Hassan only six days after he was born. Amir is having a hard time understand what is going on around him. His father is always having grown-up time and Amir can't listen to any of that. Because his father is really not around he looks up to Ali, although Ali is Shi'a and Amir realizes that Ali and Hassan are not like him and his father. Besides Ali being made fun of for his limp, Hassan is called names because of his features. Also, Hassan has comments made about his mother and what she did before she married Ali. Sanaubar was a very loose woman before she married Ali. And also to top things off Ali is first cousins with Sanaubar. Ali didn't really want to marry Sanaubar, but his uncle made him to help his name gain so respect back for the bad reputation Sanaubar gained. Amir realizes that he doesn't really know that much about Ali and Hassan's background; about the Shi'a. The school that Amir goes to doesn't really talk about the Shi'a, his father doesn't talk about the Shi'a, and Ali and Sanaubar doesn't talk about the Shi'a. When Amir was in his father's study he finds one of his mothers history books and finds a whole chapter on the Shi'a culture. When he brings this up to his teacher, he waves his hand and says it isn't true. This sounds very similiar to what is going on in our school right now. Our school history has never really talked about the region around Afghanistan or even the history of Afghanistan until the United States went into war with them over thier oil. Why? Why do we not learn anything about their culture. At the end of the chapter the boys ask to her the song that the nursing woman would sing to both of them while she nursed them. Amir realizes that the realationship that he and Hassan have is more than just a friendship, it is a brotherhood. Ali tells them that because they have the same nursing maid, they are brothers. They boys have the same nursing maid because Baba hired the same one for Hassan. What I don't understand is why Ali Baba would do that? First, why would he hire a Hazara woman to nurse his Sunni son? And second, why would he hire the same woman for Hassan? Also does Ali's weak leg represent a sign a weakness?
Chapter 3
Baba is a very storng man. The story about him killing a bear shows the strength that he possesses. Although, the building of the orphanage for the little kids that have no parents, while leaving his son at home to eat with Ali and Hassan contraditcs itself. Does Baba not understand that while building the orphanage for the homeless kids, he is cutting down on the time he spends with his son? After all, Baba is building the orphanage because when he was little his father was killed by an entruder, taking his father away from him. Now he is removing himself from his son's life with other even realizing. This isn't the only example, also when Baba takes Amir to the lake, Amir tries to talk to his father although all he can do is grunt and go back to reading his speech for the opening of the orphanage. Although, Baba hasn't had the easist life either; besides his father being killed, everyone has told him that he will never be able to make it in the business world thus he should just become a lawyer like his father. But Baba has proven everyone wrong more than once. He has built the orphanage, built a successful carpet-exporting business, two pharmacies, adn a restaurant. Although the biggest thing he did was marry his wife, Sofia. Sofia Akrami is a highly educated woman universally regared as one of Kaubul's most respected, beautiful, and virtuous ladies. She taught classic Farsi literature at the university. And to top everything off she was a descendant of the royal family; that is why he always called her "my princess," just to rub it into everyone that never believed in him. Once Amir came, Baba started to build his empire, although he since he was so powerful, he was able to decide what was black and what was white. Like in fifth grade when Baba tells Amir that he'll never learn anything of value from those bearded idiots. Amir has a big weight that he thinks he has to carry around because he thinks that he is the one that killed his "princess." Amir is a very smart child, but not very athletic. One day Amir comes home to tell Baba that he won against he whole class in a poem game, but the only response he got was a simple "good." Baba doesn't see the drive in Amir for poetry; all Baba sees is that Amir isn't like him. Amir can't play soccer and he doesn't have an interest in it to watch soccer either. In the end Baba tells Rahim Khan that there is something wrong with Amir; he has no fight. Even though Baba says that he watched Amir come out of Sofia, maybe he isn't his son; after all, Hassan is more like Baba than Amir is. I believe that Amir sees this too, and that it truely does hurt him that Baba doesn't love him the way he like Hassan.
I'm already a little confused. So far the speaker (who is the author) is looking at his past and realizes that his habits haven't changed. Now he is having a flash back, remembering when his friend, Rahim Khan called from Pakistan. When he says "I knew it wasn't just Rahim Khan on the line. It was my past of unatoned sins," what does he mean? Did he do something wrong in his past and Rahim knows? Also there is already refrences to kites. He recalls them when he was walking along Spreckels Lake. The way he talks about them he wishes that he was more like them; soaring in the sky, high above the trees. Also he recalls the color of the kites; red with blue tails. Do the colors mean something? If only there was white then the colors would be the colors of the U.S. Who is Hassan? He says he hears his voice in his head. He calles him the "harelipped kite runner." What does his friends last words mean; "there is a way to be good again." What is in this guys past? Is he just refering to the horrible things he had to live through or is it something else?
Chapter 2
Oh, just made the connection, Hassan is his friend that called him; sorry, I'm a little slow. Still in his flash back, he remembers about his time with Hassan. Hassan has an almost perfectly round face like a Chinese doll. He has a flat, broad nose and slanting, narrow eyes that looked like gold, green, or sapphire in the light. Also he has low-set ears and a pointed stub of a chin. All these features are common for the Hazaras people. Amir and Hassan are best friends, although they are closer than that, they are like brothers. They have always grown up together, Amir in his Baba's masion and Hassan in his father's, Ali, mud hut in the backyard of Amir's house. Amir and Hassan also both lost their mothers when they were just born. Amir lost his in childbirth and Hassan only six days after he was born. Amir is having a hard time understand what is going on around him. His father is always having grown-up time and Amir can't listen to any of that. Because his father is really not around he looks up to Ali, although Ali is Shi'a and Amir realizes that Ali and Hassan are not like him and his father. Besides Ali being made fun of for his limp, Hassan is called names because of his features. Also, Hassan has comments made about his mother and what she did before she married Ali. Sanaubar was a very loose woman before she married Ali. And also to top things off Ali is first cousins with Sanaubar. Ali didn't really want to marry Sanaubar, but his uncle made him to help his name gain so respect back for the bad reputation Sanaubar gained. Amir realizes that he doesn't really know that much about Ali and Hassan's background; about the Shi'a. The school that Amir goes to doesn't really talk about the Shi'a, his father doesn't talk about the Shi'a, and Ali and Sanaubar doesn't talk about the Shi'a. When Amir was in his father's study he finds one of his mothers history books and finds a whole chapter on the Shi'a culture. When he brings this up to his teacher, he waves his hand and says it isn't true. This sounds very similiar to what is going on in our school right now. Our school history has never really talked about the region around Afghanistan or even the history of Afghanistan until the United States went into war with them over thier oil. Why? Why do we not learn anything about their culture. At the end of the chapter the boys ask to her the song that the nursing woman would sing to both of them while she nursed them. Amir realizes that the realationship that he and Hassan have is more than just a friendship, it is a brotherhood. Ali tells them that because they have the same nursing maid, they are brothers. They boys have the same nursing maid because Baba hired the same one for Hassan. What I don't understand is why Ali Baba would do that? First, why would he hire a Hazara woman to nurse his Sunni son? And second, why would he hire the same woman for Hassan? Also does Ali's weak leg represent a sign a weakness?
Chapter 3
Baba is a very storng man. The story about him killing a bear shows the strength that he possesses. Although, the building of the orphanage for the little kids that have no parents, while leaving his son at home to eat with Ali and Hassan contraditcs itself. Does Baba not understand that while building the orphanage for the homeless kids, he is cutting down on the time he spends with his son? After all, Baba is building the orphanage because when he was little his father was killed by an entruder, taking his father away from him. Now he is removing himself from his son's life with other even realizing. This isn't the only example, also when Baba takes Amir to the lake, Amir tries to talk to his father although all he can do is grunt and go back to reading his speech for the opening of the orphanage. Although, Baba hasn't had the easist life either; besides his father being killed, everyone has told him that he will never be able to make it in the business world thus he should just become a lawyer like his father. But Baba has proven everyone wrong more than once. He has built the orphanage, built a successful carpet-exporting business, two pharmacies, adn a restaurant. Although the biggest thing he did was marry his wife, Sofia. Sofia Akrami is a highly educated woman universally regared as one of Kaubul's most respected, beautiful, and virtuous ladies. She taught classic Farsi literature at the university. And to top everything off she was a descendant of the royal family; that is why he always called her "my princess," just to rub it into everyone that never believed in him. Once Amir came, Baba started to build his empire, although he since he was so powerful, he was able to decide what was black and what was white. Like in fifth grade when Baba tells Amir that he'll never learn anything of value from those bearded idiots. Amir has a big weight that he thinks he has to carry around because he thinks that he is the one that killed his "princess." Amir is a very smart child, but not very athletic. One day Amir comes home to tell Baba that he won against he whole class in a poem game, but the only response he got was a simple "good." Baba doesn't see the drive in Amir for poetry; all Baba sees is that Amir isn't like him. Amir can't play soccer and he doesn't have an interest in it to watch soccer either. In the end Baba tells Rahim Khan that there is something wrong with Amir; he has no fight. Even though Baba says that he watched Amir come out of Sofia, maybe he isn't his son; after all, Hassan is more like Baba than Amir is. I believe that Amir sees this too, and that it truely does hurt him that Baba doesn't love him the way he like Hassan.
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