Morning, ladies! Looking forward to a great last discussion of The Kite Runner.
Please be sure to use the comment threading feature to make it clear to what you're responding, or, if you're responding to a comment or question in the inner circle, make that evident with a sentence starter such as "(insert name here) asked...and I think..."
Continue linking your thinking to text, but work on fluid incorporation of quotes by leading in, introducing the speaker and the context in which a quote is spoken; in places, relationship between claim or question and quote is unclear. Also, cite the page number that your quote came from so your reader can refer back to it if she needs more context. Lastly, challenge yourself to choose a quote that supports your claim or contextualizes your question versus just summarizing plot.
Here are a couple of examples of effective posts:
Skylar asked, "What do you think happened to Sohrab? 'Later, they said I was still screaming when the ambulance arrived.' From the context clues we know something happened to cause this sort of reaction. Could it really be super bad or do you think that maybe Amir was overreacting?"
And Jerrica commented, "I don't think that Amir sees himself as Assef because Assef took things to the extreme. He sexually assaulted children. When Amir was asked if he'd ever tried it from Assef in Chapter 22 on page 285 Amir responded 'That's disgusting'".
Was anyone bothered by the way the book ended? or were you satisfied with the ending?
ReplyDeleteI think there could have been a better ending where we see that Sohrab is completely happy again. I understand that it will take time for him to be happy again but I feel that would have made a better ending then Amir running the kite as a grown man.
DeleteI thought the end was well written. It both satisfied the reader while at the same time not being cliche and allowed what happened after could be left up to interpretation.
DeleteI was bothered that in the end of chapter 24 Shorab tried to kill himself. I think it kind of ruined the relationship between Shorab and Amir. However I think the book ending with kites was good, because it showed that things were going to be okay. "A smile. Lopsided. Barely there. But there." (370)
DeleteI think the way the book ended 100% reflect the way the story came together, even though the end did not involve Hassan in a physical way, I think it more had Hassan in a spiritual way, keeping with the theme of things, going back to the beginning of the book and throughout the book when they say "For you a million times over" I think it all ties together.
DeleteDo you think the end of the story comes full circle? Ending with flying kites and being with Hassan's Son? Why do you think the author did that? "For you a thousand times over," I heard myself say "Than I turned and ran."
ReplyDeletePg(371) Chpt.25
I think it comes full circle in a way where he forgives him self for what happened. With him saying "For you a thousand times over", seeing Sorhab smile, and running the kite again shows that he finally feels like this one action he choose to do now isn't so heavy on his shoulders because of this boy who he loves.
DeleteBailey asked if the end of the book ended in a positive way, I think yes it did. "I ran. A grown man running with a swarm of screaming children. But I didn't care."(371) I think this shows that Arir loves Sohrab and will do things to make im happy/ proud. Amir also says "For you a thousand times over."(371)and this shows Amirs loyalty to Shorab.
ReplyDeleteI think the ending was nice and all but I wish Hassan had come back, or still been alive when Amir arrived, so that Amir could have maybe apologized to Hassan. Do you think he could have brought Hassan and his family to Amir America If he would of had the knowledge of them being brothers? " Why what can you possibly say to me? I'm thirty eight years old and I've just found out my whole life is one big f****** lie!" Pg (223)
DeleteDo you think there was foreshadowing to the end of the book when Amir was talking about "In Afghanistan, the end was all that mattered." (pg. 357)
ReplyDeleteYes, I do believe that there was a foreshadowing because in the quote it says that in the end its all that matters. So that shows how there is a hint of what could happen in the end.
DeleteHow did the authors refection of scenes where Amir created guilt for himself through the book (Running in the ally in ch 7 and at end of book and /stuffing money under the mattress) affect how he was somewhat able to find peace?
ReplyDeleteBailey asked if "When Amir was flying the kite with Sohrab do you think that was when he finally forgave him?" The first question I have is what is he seeking forgiveness for? For breaking Sohrab's heart when he told him he was going back to a children's home or when He and Hassan were children with the alley-way scene? I think that he wasn't seeking forgiveness from scaring Sohrab because then he got good news about the visa. I think that Amir already forgave himself from the ally-way when he was being kicked and beaten by Assef. "What was so funny was that, for the first time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace." (Ch. 22; pg. 289)
ReplyDeleteIn the end of the book when we see Amir and Sohrab flying the kite together. "I wished time would stand still." (369) Do you think that Amir wished this because for once in a long time Sohrab looks happy (ish) or could it be because Amir is with other people from Afghanistan including his wife? Could it be a combination of both?
ReplyDeleteI think it's mainly Amir is finally getting a small response from Sohrab, but maybe that he gets to share something with Sohrab that he wanted to share with his own kids.
DeleteWhy do you think there was so much sickness in this book? EX: Baba's Cancer, Rahim's sickness. So many disabilities? EX: Ali's walk, Soraya/Amir's unknown infertility
ReplyDeleteI feel like there was os much sickness in the book because it showed that in the power there is always a weakness even if you can see it at first its always there. But the weakness might not always be a sickness or a disability.
DeleteI feel like we're never going to really know if he ever really found peace because there are just so many different things that can tell us if he did but they lead the other way, so with that we wont be 100% sure if he is all the way happy now
ReplyDeleteWhat do hospitals represent in the book? Hospitals seem to have a reoccurring appearance in the book and I think they mean something more than what the author is telling us.
ReplyDeleteI think that the hospitals mean a chance at redemption.
DeleteObservation: The author likes to reiterate the same sentence of "But the grass is dead and a stranger's jeep is parked in the driveway of our house, pissing oil all over the asphalt. Our old life is gone and everyone in it is either dead or dying."
ReplyDelete(pg. 354-55)
DeleteWhat pages do you see this on?
DeleteTo answer Bailey's question, I do see a different look on the title of this book, specifically because at first, I thought it was some little kids, girls and boys, playing with kites, just as we did when we were all kids. But, now looking back at the title and knowing it has so much purpose behind it, and even when just talking to people about this book, it makes me feel so many different emotions. I feel angry, sad, desperate for the characters, but also thankful that times have changed for the better. How we can go through life, is way better then what the characters/people had to live through at this time in our world.
ReplyDeleteIn the end of the book, I feel like Amir did come to peace with himself because he said "For you a thousand times over," I heard myself say "Than I turned and ran." Pg(371) Chpt.25. This quote was also said in the beginning of the book, but Hassan said it to Amir. After what happened with Hassan and Amir in chapter seven, Amir would always think about that phrase because he didn't stick up for Hassan when Hassan would have done it for Amir. Now, Amir says it to Sohrab and I think thats proof that he has moved on from what happened.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that Amir never gave up on Sohrab because Baba gave up on him? "Unlike me, she'd gradually abandoned his attempts at engaging him."
ReplyDelete(Ch. 25;Pg. 367)
DeleteI think that you are completely right, I think that is one of the main reasons for not giving up, but I also think that part of it is that some part of Amir is trying to make it up to Hassan.
DeleteYes, I think that Amir never gave up on Shorab because of Baba, but also because he felt he needed to do that to honor Hassan and to redeem himself. If Amir was never asked to go get Shorab, I think that the guilt would still be haunting Amir.
DeleteTaylor asked what my final thoughts on Amir was, I would have to say that now I seem him as a more compassionate person then he was before. I think that he was always this type of person but after he moved to America it really started to show through more than it did before. Now I think that Amir just wants to be happy and wants everyone in his life to be happy too.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that way back when Hassan got raped, if Amir said something about it to someone, do you think the actions and events that happened in the future would change/be different/happen?
ReplyDeleteThe events would have been much more different because then Hassan and Ali would have never moved and Amir would have never gone back or even adopt Sohrab. I dont think it would even be that interesting of a book if they did end up telling someone because then what would happen next if that was the plot.
DeleteI feel like the end results might be different, but of different commentary. I think that if Amir had said something to an adult about what happened, Baba would have been mad that Amir didn't grow up and step in and help Hassan. I feel like Ali would have still made them move away because Amir was not a very good person by not saying anything.
DeleteAnswering Baileys question asking if it would be different if Hassan and Amir were girls, the book would have been so much more different because the girls would be more shamed and Assef would have been more accountable for what he did. How they reacted to what happened would be different too because girls take situations much more different then boys, but i feel like if they were girls then Amir wouldn't have been so mean to Hassan after chapter 7.
ReplyDeleteGoing off of Bailey's question, I think it would be way different if they were all girls because I guess its just different with us and girls could totally get shamed for something like rape. Also I feel like someone wouldve said something.
ReplyDelete