What is the role of women in Afghanistan?
In most countries where Islam is the main religion, I would say that women are often in the role of what women were in the 40s here in America. Which was to be a stay at home mum, and on most part did not have to work since the man was to be the provider for the family. However, because of their religion, many women cover themselves up, sometimes with a burqa, which for many westerners may seem degrading. However I believe that this is not as foreign or different from our culture. In the bible it is said that women are supposed to dress modestly, which is stated in the Koran as well and is said that this “law” is for both men and women.
Research has been made and by asking women wearing burqa, they do not find it degrading.
So the starting point for women and their garments are basically the same, however the western world has become a lot more tolerant and accepting more and more of immodest dressing, and in Muslim countries it has stayed the same with a few exceptions in the bigger cities with a lot of western influences, like Istanbul.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Adapting to America
1. The scene with the Nguyens is a scene where Baba ventilates the frustration that he feels after he came to America, where nothing is like home and Afghanistan. The thing that upsets him the most is that he takes the procedure to check ID personally. He thinks that because they ask for his ID, they do not trust him, which is shown in the quote: "What country is this? No one trusts anybody!"
2. Baba says that he came to America for Amir's sake. Even though Baba does not know why Amir was so discontent in Afghanistan, he understands that something happened. That thing, in addition to the unstable condition of the country, make them move to America.
3. For Amir, it is a way to bury his past and add on new memories and finally forget what happened in Afghanistan. For Baba, it is not the same. He is no longer an important member of society and can no longer throw huge parties. So all Baba wants is to move back really.
4. As Soraya tells Amir of her past and her "secret" Amir wishes that he could do the same and hopefully, he will be inspired to tell the truth about his past.
2. Baba says that he came to America for Amir's sake. Even though Baba does not know why Amir was so discontent in Afghanistan, he understands that something happened. That thing, in addition to the unstable condition of the country, make them move to America.
3. For Amir, it is a way to bury his past and add on new memories and finally forget what happened in Afghanistan. For Baba, it is not the same. He is no longer an important member of society and can no longer throw huge parties. So all Baba wants is to move back really.
4. As Soraya tells Amir of her past and her "secret" Amir wishes that he could do the same and hopefully, he will be inspired to tell the truth about his past.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Chapter 11-12
As the chapter begins, Amir and Baba are in California, America. Amir says that Baba liked the idea of living in America but actually living there was a problem which is later shown with the incident in the store. Baba has a hard time adapting and does not want to change either.
Amir says America was a place for him to bury his memories and for Baba a place to mourn his. Amir graduates from high school and goes to college to be a writer. Baba is not happy with this decision but Amir stands his ground which I thought was the right thing to do.
I like the way Amir likens America to a river where he can drown his sins and bury them at the bottom. “If for nothing else, for that, I embraced America.”
Later they describe the flea markets which I think serves as a safe haven for Baba and brings him back memories of Afghanistan. This is also the place where Amir meets a girl named Soraya which he falls in love with.
After they get to close and her father mentions this, Amir gets upset but not for long since Baba gets sick after that. It turns out that he has cancer and that he is going to die soon and Baba does not want chemo therapy.
When Baba is very close to dying, Amir asks him to go khastegari. And Baba gets very happy. They go to the general’s house and after they talked for a while, the general accepts. But before, Soraya tells Amir her secret about running away with a man in Virginia. Amir envies her for being able to tell the truth.
Amir says America was a place for him to bury his memories and for Baba a place to mourn his. Amir graduates from high school and goes to college to be a writer. Baba is not happy with this decision but Amir stands his ground which I thought was the right thing to do.
I like the way Amir likens America to a river where he can drown his sins and bury them at the bottom. “If for nothing else, for that, I embraced America.”
Later they describe the flea markets which I think serves as a safe haven for Baba and brings him back memories of Afghanistan. This is also the place where Amir meets a girl named Soraya which he falls in love with.
After they get to close and her father mentions this, Amir gets upset but not for long since Baba gets sick after that. It turns out that he has cancer and that he is going to die soon and Baba does not want chemo therapy.
When Baba is very close to dying, Amir asks him to go khastegari. And Baba gets very happy. They go to the general’s house and after they talked for a while, the general accepts. But before, Soraya tells Amir her secret about running away with a man in Virginia. Amir envies her for being able to tell the truth.
Discussion Question 6
As Amir remembers an Afghan celebration in which a sheep must be sacrificed, he talks about seeing the sheep's eyes moments before its death. "I don't know why I watch this yearly ritual in out backyard; my nightmares persist long after the bloodstains on the grass have faded. But I always watch. I watch because of that look of acceptance in the animal's eyes. Absurdly, I imagine the animal understands. I imagine the animal sees that its imminent demise is for a higher purpose." Why do you think Amir recalls this memory when he witnesses Hassan's tragedy in the alleyway? Discuss the image in the context of the novel.
As Amir watches the sheep he sees the surrender and wonders if the animal holds a deeper understanding about its fate and purpose. This is likely to be a subconscious wish that Amir has, who wishes that the trauma for Hassan happened for a reason and has a purpose. It may be a struggle of faith that Amir is obviously involved in as he stands between Baba and the Mullahs. It seems that after the kite tournament, Amir has made up his mind and decided that there is a God. However, now that the incident in the alley has happened, he again doubt the existence of a God, since he has learned that everything happens for a reason and God has his reasons. Amir has a great difficulty seeing the reason and purpose though, which is why he clings to his memory which in a way is similar to this, and is a moment when he saw purpose.
The sheep was without a doubt a terrifying thing for Amir, but necessary for him to see that everything has a purpose, which is later explained in the book when they say that part of the sheep is given to the poor. This way it is shown that nothing is entirely bad or evil, that everything bad also brings something good.
As Amir watches the sheep he sees the surrender and wonders if the animal holds a deeper understanding about its fate and purpose. This is likely to be a subconscious wish that Amir has, who wishes that the trauma for Hassan happened for a reason and has a purpose. It may be a struggle of faith that Amir is obviously involved in as he stands between Baba and the Mullahs. It seems that after the kite tournament, Amir has made up his mind and decided that there is a God. However, now that the incident in the alley has happened, he again doubt the existence of a God, since he has learned that everything happens for a reason and God has his reasons. Amir has a great difficulty seeing the reason and purpose though, which is why he clings to his memory which in a way is similar to this, and is a moment when he saw purpose.
The sheep was without a doubt a terrifying thing for Amir, but necessary for him to see that everything has a purpose, which is later explained in the book when they say that part of the sheep is given to the poor. This way it is shown that nothing is entirely bad or evil, that everything bad also brings something good.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Chapter 6-8
Chapter six starts with winter in Kabul which is every kids favorite season because they get out of school and they can fly and run kites which is a reference back to the title.
Kites also seem like a thing connecting Amir and Baba. Hassan is "The kite runner" and is very good at it.
Amir remembers a time when he and Hassan were running a kite and while they were waiting for the kite to land at their spot Amir tests Hassan's loyalty by asking him if he would eat dirt if he asked him to. Hassan is totally loyal and completely honest. Hassan then tests Amir by saying that he wouldn't ever ask him to do that, right? And Amir says he wouldn't but apparently he is not so sure of it though and he says " And that's the thing about people who mean everything they say. They think everyone else does too."
Amir finds that if he wins the tournament, he will finally make his Baba proud.
In chapter seven they get ready for the tournament and the night before, Hassan had a dream that they were with thousands of other people by a lake but no one dared go swimming in the lake because there was a monster in it. Then Amir and Hassan start swimming in the lake and show the crowd that there is no monster. This dream has a later significance when Amir gets nervous for the tournament. Hassan reassures him that there is no monster.
Amir wins the tournament and as the last kite is cut, the biggest relic for kite runners is the last kite and Hassan takes off with the words to Amir "For you a thousand times over!" And Amir says that the next time he would see Hassan smile was 26 years later in a photo.
When Hassan hasn't come back for a while, Amir goes out and looks for him and finds him in an alley where he is surrounded by Assef and his entourage. This must be the alley he has been looking in to the last 26 years.
Then later Assef rapes Hassan in the alley and Amir can't bring himself to say something and stop him so he just sits and watches paralyzed. Then he ran...
He can no longer bear to look at Hassan and when they finally get home Amir runs to Baba and weeps in to his arms.
In chapter eight Hassan just wants to sleep all the time and he never told his father what happened in the alley which was probably the first lie Hassan ever told. Amir lies about it too.
Finally, Amir and Baba are getting closer to each other, but it does not seem to matter that much anymore since the incident in the alley which is really an aching irony.
The dream Hassan had had before the kite tournament is brought up again and this time Amir says that Hassan was wrong. There was a monster and the monster is Amir. And the same night when they are in Jalalabad, Amir spends his first night as an insomniac. Amir is do filled with guilt that he stays in his room most of the time reading and writing stories and always planning his day to avoid Hassan as much as possible, which is so sad to read about and is very aching.
Although, one time Amir asks Hassan to come to the tree with him so he can read a story but Amir starts hitting Hassan, hoping that Hassan would hit him back so he can finally get his penance! But he never does.
Later at Amir's birthday party, the knife is twisted even more when Hassan has to serve drinks to Assef who is also there. "Then mercifully, darkness."
Kites also seem like a thing connecting Amir and Baba. Hassan is "The kite runner" and is very good at it.
Amir remembers a time when he and Hassan were running a kite and while they were waiting for the kite to land at their spot Amir tests Hassan's loyalty by asking him if he would eat dirt if he asked him to. Hassan is totally loyal and completely honest. Hassan then tests Amir by saying that he wouldn't ever ask him to do that, right? And Amir says he wouldn't but apparently he is not so sure of it though and he says " And that's the thing about people who mean everything they say. They think everyone else does too."
Amir finds that if he wins the tournament, he will finally make his Baba proud.
In chapter seven they get ready for the tournament and the night before, Hassan had a dream that they were with thousands of other people by a lake but no one dared go swimming in the lake because there was a monster in it. Then Amir and Hassan start swimming in the lake and show the crowd that there is no monster. This dream has a later significance when Amir gets nervous for the tournament. Hassan reassures him that there is no monster.
Amir wins the tournament and as the last kite is cut, the biggest relic for kite runners is the last kite and Hassan takes off with the words to Amir "For you a thousand times over!" And Amir says that the next time he would see Hassan smile was 26 years later in a photo.
When Hassan hasn't come back for a while, Amir goes out and looks for him and finds him in an alley where he is surrounded by Assef and his entourage. This must be the alley he has been looking in to the last 26 years.
Then later Assef rapes Hassan in the alley and Amir can't bring himself to say something and stop him so he just sits and watches paralyzed. Then he ran...
He can no longer bear to look at Hassan and when they finally get home Amir runs to Baba and weeps in to his arms.
In chapter eight Hassan just wants to sleep all the time and he never told his father what happened in the alley which was probably the first lie Hassan ever told. Amir lies about it too.
Finally, Amir and Baba are getting closer to each other, but it does not seem to matter that much anymore since the incident in the alley which is really an aching irony.
The dream Hassan had had before the kite tournament is brought up again and this time Amir says that Hassan was wrong. There was a monster and the monster is Amir. And the same night when they are in Jalalabad, Amir spends his first night as an insomniac. Amir is do filled with guilt that he stays in his room most of the time reading and writing stories and always planning his day to avoid Hassan as much as possible, which is so sad to read about and is very aching.
Although, one time Amir asks Hassan to come to the tree with him so he can read a story but Amir starts hitting Hassan, hoping that Hassan would hit him back so he can finally get his penance! But he never does.
Later at Amir's birthday party, the knife is twisted even more when Hassan has to serve drinks to Assef who is also there. "Then mercifully, darkness."
Monday, April 14, 2008
Chapter 1-5
On the first page of the introduction Hosseini tells us that he has become the person he is today by what has happened 26 years ago. This suggests several flashbacks are to come and may hint something about its theme how the past will keep haunting you until you deal with it.
Amir's friend Rahim Khan called from Pakistan and he mentioned that " I knew it wasn't just Rahim Khan on the line." This suggests that someone else was listening? We aslo know that Amir now lives in San Francisco. Rahim Khan's words "There is a way to be good again" suggests that what happened 26 years ago was something very bad and traumatic.
In the second chapter there is already a falshback to when Amir and Hassan (his childhood friend) play in the streets of Kabul. Hosseini also explains that Hassan is a Hazara by describing his asian features. It is clear that Amir is in command when he says "Hassan never denied me anything"
It is also stated that Amir's father is a very rich man and they seem to live an opulent lifestyle. However, his Baba seems to be a very busy man with little time for Amir. Hassan and Ali are the servants and live in a modest mud hut next to the great mansion. Ali and Hassan seem religious since the tapestry with the words Allah-u-akbar is hangong on the wall, and is the only thing hanging on the wall. Both children are without mothers since Amir's died just after he was born and Hassan's mother ran away, which seems to be far worse than death.
Ali seem to be extremelu religious infact, when it is stated that he has memorized the Koran! And because this is such an honorable thing to do, it was strange that he married Sanaubar since she had such a dishonorable reputation.
Amir and Hassan have fed from the same woman when they were infants which created a brotherhood between them.
We get to know some more of Baba, that he is certainly successful, but it seems like all he is doing is trying to impress the community or the people around him. Baba is clearly not a religious man and quite liberal actually. Amir says he did not turn out as his father, not at all.
Instead he reads a lot of books and memorizes poems. Baba is not too impressed and wants Amir to play soccer. He turns out to be an ultimate failure. Baba wants him to be like he was growing up but they are complete opposites. When Amir overhears this conversation he gets heartbroken, which is of course a natural response, but the last words are quite alarming "Rahim Khan had been wrong about the mean streak thing." This foreshadows that maybe the incident in 1975 was Amir doing something very mean.
In the fourth chapter it is explained that Ali and Baba grew up together just like Amir and Hassan. When Amir is talking about his childhood, there are several western influences like the movies they watch and the car that Baba drives, and the things from America is looked upon as high status.
As Amir is reading to Hassan, sometimes Amir starts teasing Hassan about words he doesn't know and such which is certainly a mean streak. Also, Hassan seem much smarter than Amir since he can solve riddles much faster and better than Amir, but he still cannot read. The fact that Amir doesn't teach Hassan to read indicates that Amir wants to be better than Hassan and he is rather egocentric. However, Amir finds out that he is a great story teller and starts writing stories.Rahm Khan discovers this too and tells him that he has a gift from God.
Suddenly Afghanistan changes and gunshots are heard, but Ali protects the children by saying there are just people hunting ducks. Both Amir and Hassan are terrified but only Hassan has a father there to comfort him. Later Baba comes home and embraces them, and Amir is glad for whatever happened that night, because he got a hug from his dad.
What really happened was that the Russian invasion of Afghanistan had begun.
Later Amir and Hassan meet the notorious Assef who is an evil kid with a worship of Hitler. Assef is about to hurt Amir when Hassan takes out his slingshot and aims at Assef's eye, which leads him to retreat.
Later on Hassan's birthday he gets a surgery from Baba to remove his harelip and Amir says it is ironic because the same winter, Hassan stopped smiling. This means that someting terrible is about to happen to both of them.
I like that Housseini has kept a lot of the arabic words so that we as readers get to research some of the words and get a fuller understanding of the muslim culture which is so alien to many of us.
Amir's friend Rahim Khan called from Pakistan and he mentioned that " I knew it wasn't just Rahim Khan on the line." This suggests that someone else was listening? We aslo know that Amir now lives in San Francisco. Rahim Khan's words "There is a way to be good again" suggests that what happened 26 years ago was something very bad and traumatic.
In the second chapter there is already a falshback to when Amir and Hassan (his childhood friend) play in the streets of Kabul. Hosseini also explains that Hassan is a Hazara by describing his asian features. It is clear that Amir is in command when he says "Hassan never denied me anything"
It is also stated that Amir's father is a very rich man and they seem to live an opulent lifestyle. However, his Baba seems to be a very busy man with little time for Amir. Hassan and Ali are the servants and live in a modest mud hut next to the great mansion. Ali and Hassan seem religious since the tapestry with the words Allah-u-akbar is hangong on the wall, and is the only thing hanging on the wall. Both children are without mothers since Amir's died just after he was born and Hassan's mother ran away, which seems to be far worse than death.
Ali seem to be extremelu religious infact, when it is stated that he has memorized the Koran! And because this is such an honorable thing to do, it was strange that he married Sanaubar since she had such a dishonorable reputation.
Amir and Hassan have fed from the same woman when they were infants which created a brotherhood between them.
We get to know some more of Baba, that he is certainly successful, but it seems like all he is doing is trying to impress the community or the people around him. Baba is clearly not a religious man and quite liberal actually. Amir says he did not turn out as his father, not at all.
Instead he reads a lot of books and memorizes poems. Baba is not too impressed and wants Amir to play soccer. He turns out to be an ultimate failure. Baba wants him to be like he was growing up but they are complete opposites. When Amir overhears this conversation he gets heartbroken, which is of course a natural response, but the last words are quite alarming "Rahim Khan had been wrong about the mean streak thing." This foreshadows that maybe the incident in 1975 was Amir doing something very mean.
In the fourth chapter it is explained that Ali and Baba grew up together just like Amir and Hassan. When Amir is talking about his childhood, there are several western influences like the movies they watch and the car that Baba drives, and the things from America is looked upon as high status.
As Amir is reading to Hassan, sometimes Amir starts teasing Hassan about words he doesn't know and such which is certainly a mean streak. Also, Hassan seem much smarter than Amir since he can solve riddles much faster and better than Amir, but he still cannot read. The fact that Amir doesn't teach Hassan to read indicates that Amir wants to be better than Hassan and he is rather egocentric. However, Amir finds out that he is a great story teller and starts writing stories.Rahm Khan discovers this too and tells him that he has a gift from God.
Suddenly Afghanistan changes and gunshots are heard, but Ali protects the children by saying there are just people hunting ducks. Both Amir and Hassan are terrified but only Hassan has a father there to comfort him. Later Baba comes home and embraces them, and Amir is glad for whatever happened that night, because he got a hug from his dad.
What really happened was that the Russian invasion of Afghanistan had begun.
Later Amir and Hassan meet the notorious Assef who is an evil kid with a worship of Hitler. Assef is about to hurt Amir when Hassan takes out his slingshot and aims at Assef's eye, which leads him to retreat.
Later on Hassan's birthday he gets a surgery from Baba to remove his harelip and Amir says it is ironic because the same winter, Hassan stopped smiling. This means that someting terrible is about to happen to both of them.
I like that Housseini has kept a lot of the arabic words so that we as readers get to research some of the words and get a fuller understanding of the muslim culture which is so alien to many of us.
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