The main characters at this point in the book are Amir and Rahim Khan. Amir receives a letter from Afghanistan saying that he needs to come. The letter was from Rahim Khan. Rahim is sick and dying and he wants to tell Amir his story. Amir finds out that his boyhood friend Hassan married and had a child. He also finds out that Hassan was his half-brother. Then Rahim tells Amir that Hassan and his wife are dead, leaving his child an orphan,
"No," I breathed.
"-- and order him to kneel--"
"No. God, no."
"-- and shot him in the back of the head."
"No" (Hosseini 219).
This leads to the main conflict of dealing with the past. Similar to Oskar's "betrayel" of his father, Amir feels that he has betrayed Hassan and in order to make up for it, he wants to find Hassan's child. It is Rahim's dying wish, "I want you to go to Kabul. I want you to bring Sohrab here" (Hosseini 220). Amir does not want to risk his life in Kabul, an extremely dangerous place, nor does he want to betray Hassan again. In the end, Amir gives in. He will try to find Sohrab, and bring him home.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Kite Runner 3
The main characters at this point are Baba, Amir and his wife Soraya. Amir is now going to college. His wife, an Afghani like him, is a teacher. Baba is now dying of cancer. An ardent smoker, he has lung cancer and will most likely die soon. He refuses to have chemotherapy, as he feels that to postpone the inevitable would dishonner him. He is still to proud to accept it, "He had the same resolved look on his face as the day he'd dropped the stack of food stamps on Mrs. Dobbins's desk" (Hosseini 156).
The main conflict at this point in the novel arrises from the lack of honnesty displayed. Soraya, like Amir, had a secret that she had hidden within her. When she was eighteen, she eloped with an Afghan. He was into drugs and the whole thing ended poorly for everyone. Soraya is greatly ashamed of it. When she tells Amir, he forgives her because he understands the feeling. Amir however is still being torn apart by what he did to Hassan, "I opened my mouth and almost told her how I'd betrayed Hassan," (165). By not letting out his terrible secret, it is eating him up from within. Amir must learn to deal with his past, or his future may fall apart.
The main conflict at this point in the novel arrises from the lack of honnesty displayed. Soraya, like Amir, had a secret that she had hidden within her. When she was eighteen, she eloped with an Afghan. He was into drugs and the whole thing ended poorly for everyone. Soraya is greatly ashamed of it. When she tells Amir, he forgives her because he understands the feeling. Amir however is still being torn apart by what he did to Hassan, "I opened my mouth and almost told her how I'd betrayed Hassan," (165). By not letting out his terrible secret, it is eating him up from within. Amir must learn to deal with his past, or his future may fall apart.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Kite Runner 2
The main characters in the book are Baba (Amir's dad), and Amir. Amir and his father have moved to America. The trip was rough, but they survived and Baba is convinced that this is what is best. Baba used to be rich, but in America, he has to work hard and he is proud of it. When offered free food, he refuses, "'Thank you, but I don't want.' Baba said, 'I work always. In Afghanistan I work, in America, I work. Thank you very much Mrs. Dobbins, but I don't like it free money'" (Hosseini, 130). Baba believes that he will work for the rest of his life, and his son will work too. This leads to a conflict.
The main conflict at this time in the book is that Amir wants to become a writer. This is similar to Richard in the way that no one believed he could be a writer, or approved of his choice. Baba thinks poorly of his choice, "He took a deep breath and sipped his tea. Grunted something about medical school, law school and 'real work'" (Hosseini, 134). Amir has learned that to be happy, he must do what he wants to do, while his father is learning that Amir is his own person, and can do what he wants. Only if his father realizes this, can their conflict be resolved.
The main conflict at this time in the book is that Amir wants to become a writer. This is similar to Richard in the way that no one believed he could be a writer, or approved of his choice. Baba thinks poorly of his choice, "He took a deep breath and sipped his tea. Grunted something about medical school, law school and 'real work'" (Hosseini, 134). Amir has learned that to be happy, he must do what he wants to do, while his father is learning that Amir is his own person, and can do what he wants. Only if his father realizes this, can their conflict be resolved.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Kite Runner 1
The two main characters in the book are Amir and his best friend/servant Hassan. Amir is a typical boy of around 12 years, mostly kind, wanting to please, and prone to random fits of cruelty. Hassan is the opposite. He is always as polite and kind as possible. He cares little for what others think of him and yet everyone who knows him likes him. Hassan is also a Hazara and is therefore shunned by almost everyone who doesn't know him. One boy, Assef, says to Amir that he hates all Hazaras, "His people pollute our homeland, our watan. They dirty our blood" (Hosseini 40).
This racial separation, and the view that Hazaras aren't people leads to a conflict within Amir when he witnesses Hassan's rape, by Assef. Amir believes that no one knew what he witnissed and is afraid that if he repeats it to someone else, he will be disgraced in the community for caring about a Hazara. He becomes to become as distant with Hassan as Hassan has become with the rest of the world, "I didn't speak with Hassan until the middle of the next week" (Hosseini 86). Hassan and Amir's friendship is dying.
This is similar to Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close in the way that Amir, like Oskar has a secret, and in hiding it, he is hurting others and himself. Oskar never told anyone how he could have talked to his dad in his final moments, he merely kept it to himself. He ended up nearly tearing himself apart. I think that a similar ending (Oskar finalling letting go) will appear in this novel.
This racial separation, and the view that Hazaras aren't people leads to a conflict within Amir when he witnesses Hassan's rape, by Assef. Amir believes that no one knew what he witnissed and is afraid that if he repeats it to someone else, he will be disgraced in the community for caring about a Hazara. He becomes to become as distant with Hassan as Hassan has become with the rest of the world, "I didn't speak with Hassan until the middle of the next week" (Hosseini 86). Hassan and Amir's friendship is dying.
This is similar to Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close in the way that Amir, like Oskar has a secret, and in hiding it, he is hurting others and himself. Oskar never told anyone how he could have talked to his dad in his final moments, he merely kept it to himself. He ended up nearly tearing himself apart. I think that a similar ending (Oskar finalling letting go) will appear in this novel.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Black Boy (Memoirs)
Why do people write memoirs?
What power is there in telling our own stories?
I think that people write memoirs for the purpose of expressing themselves. It is a form of art that allows someone to tell someone else their story. It allows us to share experiences, relate to someone else, and learn from our (and their) mistakes. When you write a memoir, it often captures the essence of a key event in your life that shaped you and taught you something. By expressing our own, we can let others see our message. Also, we can read others stories and discover things about them. This allows us to see as others do, and to learn something without the need of an experience. Another reason people write memoirs is to come to terms with ourselves.
When writing a memoir, we put down on paper, analyse and often critique are experiences. Most importantly, we accept our past actions, good or bad. By writing a memoir, the author is able to fully appreciate what lesson they may have learned from their experience. Any grief, embarrassment or guilt will, through accpetance, be something forgotten but not lost. I believe that we, as authors, write memoirs so that we may be able to come to terms with our past and benefit from lessons learned.
What power is there in telling our own stories?
I think that people write memoirs for the purpose of expressing themselves. It is a form of art that allows someone to tell someone else their story. It allows us to share experiences, relate to someone else, and learn from our (and their) mistakes. When you write a memoir, it often captures the essence of a key event in your life that shaped you and taught you something. By expressing our own, we can let others see our message. Also, we can read others stories and discover things about them. This allows us to see as others do, and to learn something without the need of an experience. Another reason people write memoirs is to come to terms with ourselves.
When writing a memoir, we put down on paper, analyse and often critique are experiences. Most importantly, we accept our past actions, good or bad. By writing a memoir, the author is able to fully appreciate what lesson they may have learned from their experience. Any grief, embarrassment or guilt will, through accpetance, be something forgotten but not lost. I believe that we, as authors, write memoirs so that we may be able to come to terms with our past and benefit from lessons learned.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Black Boy 2
What types of things does Richard "hunger" for
and what are the effects (positive and negative) of hunger?
Richard hungers for many things. One example of something he hungers for is acceptance. At school, Richard is often the poorest. At school he is unable to eat and states his longing for the day when he can be like everyone else and eat, "I vowed that someday I would end this hunger of mine, this apartness," (Wright 126). When someone suggests to him to sell papers to make money for food, he jumps at the idea, "Why don't you do like me?" (Wright 127). Richard needs to feel acceptance, so he decides to sell papers in order to make a friend (and get food like everyone else). Richard also shows this hunger in the way he continues to pursue a job in the interest of remaining like everyone else. Richard asks at school "About jobs" (Wright 145). Wright has shown us how he hungered for acceptance in his life.
Another thing Richard hungers, perhaps less positively, is truth, whether it hurts another or not. He shows this through his clear disgust for anything or anyone related to the church, and when he tells them so, "That old church of yours is messing up my life" (Wright 144). When Richard's grandmother hears this she becomes upset. Richard need for being painfully truthful has hurt his grandmother. Another instance he hurts someone through his disgust for what he believes is the corruptness and shamelessness of the church is when he is at church being asked to be baptized. He talks about how he feels as she pleads to him "My mother grabbed my hands and I felt hot tears scalding my fingers. I tried to stifle my disgust" (Wright 153). Richard hungers for the truth, even when it hurts another.
and what are the effects (positive and negative) of hunger?
Richard hungers for many things. One example of something he hungers for is acceptance. At school, Richard is often the poorest. At school he is unable to eat and states his longing for the day when he can be like everyone else and eat, "I vowed that someday I would end this hunger of mine, this apartness," (Wright 126). When someone suggests to him to sell papers to make money for food, he jumps at the idea, "Why don't you do like me?" (Wright 127). Richard needs to feel acceptance, so he decides to sell papers in order to make a friend (and get food like everyone else). Richard also shows this hunger in the way he continues to pursue a job in the interest of remaining like everyone else. Richard asks at school "About jobs" (Wright 145). Wright has shown us how he hungered for acceptance in his life.
Another thing Richard hungers, perhaps less positively, is truth, whether it hurts another or not. He shows this through his clear disgust for anything or anyone related to the church, and when he tells them so, "That old church of yours is messing up my life" (Wright 144). When Richard's grandmother hears this she becomes upset. Richard need for being painfully truthful has hurt his grandmother. Another instance he hurts someone through his disgust for what he believes is the corruptness and shamelessness of the church is when he is at church being asked to be baptized. He talks about how he feels as she pleads to him "My mother grabbed my hands and I felt hot tears scalding my fingers. I tried to stifle my disgust" (Wright 153). Richard hungers for the truth, even when it hurts another.
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