Quarter One Debrief

Meditate on the events of quarter one. How did you do in this class? What did you learn? Which of your academic skills improved? Where are you still struggling? How is the class environment? What can you do to further strengthen the learning community in our classroom? What are your goals for Q2? Basically, how did things go for you and what can you do to improve or to make things more successful for yourself and others?

I thought I did well in this class. I struggled slightly in essays and in organization. I also learned a lot and made improvent in both of those categories. I also learned how to write a thesis statement (9th grade didn't really cover Thesis S.). I am still struggling in both of these areas (essays/organization. The class environment is good. Writing in class and sharing ideas makes it easier to progress and makes the environment more comfortable. Some goals for the second quarter are thesis statements, essay writing, and organization (both in essays and overall). I think continuing along the current path (writing a lot, practicing thesis statements in class, and various classroom activities) will best help me progress.

Kite Runner 5

At the end of the novel, the main characters are Amir and Sohrab. Sohrab is the son of Hassan who was the brother of Amir. To Amir, he represents redemption. When he was younger, he witnessed Hassan being raped, and said nothing. Amir betrayed his best friend when he needed him the most. Now Hassan is dead and Amir wants to adopt Sohrab. Only through this can he succede in fulfilling Rahim Khan's wish, a desire reexpressed later on just as was expressed earlier, "There is a way to be good again" (Hosseini 2). Amir is desperately in need of redemption.
This leads to the main conflict, Amir's desire to adopt Sohrab may not be possible. To some, this means that Sohrab must go back to an orphanage or live in Kabul. To Sohrab and Amir, it is not acceptable. Sohrab reflects Amir's desperation through his actions. Although Amir would never have considered this an acceptable solution, Sohrab tries to kill himself. Amir relates the experience, "Suddenly I was on my knees, screaming... Later, they said I was still screaming when the ambulance came" (Hosseini 343). Amir is desperate for a chance to be better, and he intends to become better by helping a homeless orphan and bringing his lost nephew back into the family.