Novel Study Halfway post

Jasmine Sangha

English 12

Novel Study: “Halfway” Post

1. What is the setting of the novel?  Is the setting important or could the novel happen anywhere?  Why? Would it change the plot? In what way? The setting, which is in Afghanistan, plays an extremely important role to the overall plot. Besides Afghanistan, there’s many other places in the world that go through disruption and civil wars so it would have been possible to set this story in a different country as well. There are also places where there are oppressed minorities. It would be hard to imagine the plot somewhere else  because of how Hosseini’s experience and his background knowledge of being tied to Afghanistan is given. It is also important that the story should be take place in Afghanistan because a lot of readers and many people come across different impressions of Afghanistan. The betrayal, redemption and friendship between Amir and his best friend Hassan is very powerful and moving against this background. If the plot were to take around the Kite flying competition, there isn't no place where it is as loved and wide spread as Afghanistan so that plays a very important role.

2. Describe a problem faced by the main character.  Explain how the main character deals with the problem.  Make a personal connection to this (either your own experience or that of someone you know). In The Kite Runner, the main character Amir faces his fear towards Assef when he was young and this fear lasted for a very long time in his life. During his childhood days back in Afghanistan. he finds Hassan assaulted, but instead of helping his friend, he just hides and watches the whole tragedy happen, afraid to say anything. “In the end, I ran. I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me”(page 65), his fear of Assef is clearly revealed. As Amir grows up, he gets the bad news of Hassan’s death and the horrible and hard life that Hassan’s son Sohraab is having because of Amir. He then has an internet conflict of going back to Afghanistan or not. He then reads Hassan’s letter and recalls all the good memories that they had together. Amir then finally puts all of his fears and hesitation down and goes to look for Sohraab. When Amir finally made the decision to go into the base camp of Taliban and face Assef who had become the leader of Taliban, that's when Amir finally got rid of his fear. This relates to my personal experience because I also have something that I am really afraid of. I was afraid to go out and meet and talk to unfamiliar people before, and whenever I went to a new environment, I was always alone. I tried to ignore my fear and I pushed myself to talk to people.    After a long time, I finally got over my fear.

3.Write down a passage that appeals to you and describe why?  Does it make more of an impact on your understanding of the book or does it make more of a personal impact? What significance does the passage have in the book? “I have been dreaming a lot lately, Amir agha. Some of them are nightmares, like hanged corpses rotting in soccer fields with blood-red grass. I wake up from those short of breath and sweaty. Mostly, though, I dream of good things, and praise Allah for that. I dream that Rahim Khan sahib will be well. I dream that my son will grow up to be a good person, a free person, and an important person. I dream that lawla flowers will bloom in the streets of Kabul again and rubab music will play in the samovar houses and kites will fly in the skies. And I dream that someday you will return to Kabul to revisit the land of our childhood. If you do, you will find an old faithful friend waiting for you.”(P185)    This passage reveals Hassan’s  life and dreams and it is a part of the letter from Hassan, which he sent to Amir. It changes my impression of Hassan because the last time Amir and Hassan saw each other was when Hassan left Afghanistan. Because of his guiltiness toward Hassan, Amir tried to keep Hassan away from him, so when he faces Hassan, he wouldn’t feel guilty. Amir lied about Hassan stealing his things to hurt him and he throws pomegranates at Hassan. From this passage however, I saw that Hassan does not blame Amir and hate him; they are still friends just like the past. Hassan tolerates everything and treats Amir and is never mad at him. This passage makes more of a character impact on Amir. The letter that Hassan wrote really touches Amir’s heart, making Amir recall the memories. At this point, Amir decides to go to find Hassan, assuming what Hassan says to him that he will always be besides Amir when he returns. Therefore, it helps Amir’s character develop to make him be more responsible pay more attention with his friendship with Hassan.

4. Is there a message or main theme you see emerging?  What is it and how is it shown? Are there any other books you have read or movies you have seen that also have this same theme? Explain. There is a theme of redemption and forgiveness from the beginning of the book all the way to the end. During the interlude and middle of the novel, Amir, the main character, struggles with the guilt he has of breaking the strongest bond he has ever had with a companion that was nothing but good to him. The guilt and regret that Amir holds, which accounts for his lifetime symptoms of insomniac and anxiety, leads Amir to escape his own guilt by  framing his friend Hassan and Ali away. Even tho Amir is in California, the sin that he created as a young child still hangs onto him. The theme of redemption comes in when Rahim Khan, an old family friend of Amir’s calls him and tells him “there’s a way to be good again”(pg 202). This is a start of a journey in the city for Amir that he could barely recognize in order to find Sohraab. Once Amir is face to face with Assef, who has taken Sohraab, who is being punished very harshly, Amir finally feels the peace that he has been waiting for since the day he had wanted Hassan to pelt him back with the pomegranates- “I hadn’t been happy and I hadn’t felt better, not at all. But I did now. My body was broken- just how badly I wouldn’t find out until later- but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed.” (Page 303) By saving Hassan’s son by risking himself, Amir finally escaped the guilt and pain that he felt throughout all these years.  One more example of redemption that is shown in the book is when Hassan’s truth is revealed about being Amir’s half brother. Baba also lived with the guilt about not being honest about being Hassan’s biological father."I think everything he did, feeding the poor on the streets, building the orphanage, giving obey to friends in need, it was all his way of redeeming himself. And that, I believe is what true redemption is, Amir Jan, when guilt leads to good." (Page 316) Once again, we see that Baba, a great man also has his own sins and regrets. He received from that guilt by helping out others in need and always putting on a kind behaviour.

5. Choose a character who is starting to change and explain how the change is being made and what purpose it serves. Are the changes the character is making, plausible or realistic (could/would actually happen in real life)? Why/Why not?  Amir is forced to make bad decisions throughout his life because of his love for his father, Baba. When Hassan gets raped by Assef, instead of being a good friend and helping out Hassan, Amir just stands their and watch Hassan get raped, believing that Hassan’s rape will make Baba love Amir more than Hassan. The decision Amir had made to not help Hassan was a turning point in their friendship. “I actually aspired to cowardice, because the alternative, the real reason I was running, was that Assef was right: Nothing was free in this world. (page 82) Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba.” Amir feels that this decision is justified because it is more important that he has the kite to show to Baba so Baba will think that he is truly a winner. Amir rarely speaks to Hassan or plays with him after the rape. It is understandable for a person to make this decision as some people want their family’s love and approval so badly that they will take serious steps.

6. Write your opinion of a character's action or reaction to a situation in the book.  Do you think it was the appropriate course of action and would you have done the same? Why/Why not? In The Kite Runner, I found Amir a very selfish character who doesn’t do anything for himself but would rather let everyone else do everything for him, and that includes standing up to someone. So when the moment came when Hassan was getting assaulted it wasn't a huge surprise when he didn't stand up for him. It was extremely sad and  disappointing but without Amir making the decision that he did, the story would have taken a completely different turn and the story probably wouldn't have been as good as it is. I'm sure that the decision Amir had taken in this particular situation, their culture played a very big role behind it because Amir was not supposed to stand up for a Hazara, but the main and the bigger reason was because of his selfishness."In the end, I ran. I ran because I was a coward" (Pg. 82). Seeing my friend getting assaulted, I definitely would not have taken the same steps that Amir took. No matter who it was, Hassan always stood up for Amir when he needed him and he was always so loyal. If Amir was a true, and a good friend like Hassan, he would have done the same for him. And if I were in that situation, I would have definitely stood up for Hassan after all that he did.

7. Identify and list examples of figurative language - metaphors, similes, symbolism, and so on - and explain what they mean or signify and how they add to the literary merit of the book. Personification- "Clouds of cigarette smoke hovering over the green tables, swirling in the fluorescent.”(page 139). This sentence makes you imagine of what the smoke looks like 'hovering' over the green tables, giving you a good view of what the scene looks like.  Similies- "Parks that smelled like bark" (page 143). This simile gives you a good idea of what Amir thinks parks smell like. "Pointed with the eraser end of his pencil to the pictures of Baba's cancer, like a cop showing mug shots of the killer to the victims family.” (page 168) The second similie is the emotions of Amir when the doctor shows them the pictures of Baba's cancer.  Metaphor- "Then he lowered himself into the leather sofa, put down his drink, and propped me up on his lap. I felt as if I were sitting on a pair of tree trunks" (page 17). Here Baba’s legs are being compared to tree trunks. The author is trying to tell us that Baba is a wise and learned man. Symbolism-"There was a pomegranate tree near the entrance of the cemetery. One summer day, I used one of Ali's kitchen knives to carve our names on it: 'Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul' (page 30). The tree represents the friendship of Amir and Hassan. When Amir and Hassan are younger and much more closer to each other, it bears fruit. However, the tree doesn't bear fruits anymore when Amir goes back and visits the tree, which symbolizes the fact that their friendship is broken. The tree is dead, just like Hassan and Amir’s friendship even tho the two names are still on the wood.

8. Identify and list examples of flashback and/or foreshadowing in the book. What purpose does flashback play in the book? Is it effective? What purpose does the foreshadowing play in the book? Is it effective? Did you ''guess'' what the foreshadowing was pointing to? The first 2 chapters of this book contain two very great examples of foreshadowing and flashback. The first paragraph of The Kite Runner was the day the turning point in the story occurred with Amir reflecting on it. “I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975. I remember the precise moment, crouching behind a crumbling mud wall, peaking into the alley near the frozen creek. (Page1)”  At first, the reader has absolutely no idea at all what he is peaking at from behind the crumbling mud wall, but it gets your attention. This type of flashback was very effective at building the base for the novel because the reader learns that this moment is crucial in the protagonist’s life and it must be a moment when he witnesses something either frightening or glorifying. In the 2nd chapter, the example of foreshadowing was when Amir revealed what his and Hassan’s first words were. "And under the same roof, we spoke our  first words. Mine was Baba. His was Amir. My name." (Page 12). This tells the reader right away that this was an indication of where the two characters loyalties would be. Regardless of being easy to solve,  the foreshadowing is very strong on a very deep level as the first words of kids are a memorable moment for one to remember.

9. Would you recommend this book to another reader? Why/Why not? What kind of person would you recommend it to? What would you tell the person about the book? This book is very diverse which is why I would definitely recommend it, because most likely whoever reads it wouldn’t have read a similar story before. It's a book that is very addicting and with its compelling plot, will keep the reader held until the end. The book is like riding an emotional roller coaster as it is full of love, friendship, tragedy, redemption and betrayal. This book is also an eye-opener for those who are unaware of the history of Afghanistan with cruelty and separation to human kind, it’s based on real life events that occurred making the reader connect and sympathize with the character, making it a realistic historical fiction. I wouldn’t really recommend this book to someone who is in elementary as some of the content in the book would be disturbing to read for younger kids, but I would recommend this book to someone who is in high school aged or older.  The 2 scenarios that are still standing out in my mind from the book are Sohrab’s suicide attempt and mostly, Hassan’s rape as those were the most heartfelt and disturbing chapters to read. I feel that an older, more mature readers would be able to read and understand those situations better, and also sympathize with the characters as well as understanding the deep meanings and concepts of the book such as the theme. I would tell the reader to not rush through the book and actually take his/her time to understand the situations so you can connect with the book better.

Novel Study Introductory Entry

Jasmine Sangha

English 12

Novel Study: Introductory Entry

The Kite Runner, a novel by Khaled Hosseini published in 2003, with 372 pages is about a Pashtun

boy named Amir from Kabul, who’s best friend is his fathers (Baba) servant’s son, Hassan. Amir and

Hassan are raised together in Amir’s house, they flew kites, played together, etc. Amir feels as if

Baba would prefer Hassan over him because his father believes that Amir is the cause for Baba’s

wife’s death. On the other hand, Rahim Khan, who is Baba’s best friend, wins Amir’s respect by

supporting Amir’s intentions to become a writer. After Amir wins a kite flying competition, Hassan

 runs to bring a kite back to Amir, but instead, Hassan is beaten brutally and raped by Assef in a quiet

street to protect Amir’s kite, but instead of helping, Amir doesn’t do anything and just stands there

and witnesses the tragedy. When the Russians invaded Afghanistan in 1979, Amir and Baba run to

Pakistan to protect themselves. Later on, in 1988, Amir and Baba both have a peaceful life in

California, and Amir graduated college and is married. Shortly after a while, when Baba dies, Amir

becomes a famous novelist and gets a phone call from Rahim Khan, who exposes secrets about his

family, forcing Amir to return back to his hometown for an adventure of redemption.



The Kite Runner Review online: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77203.The_Kite_Runner



Why I chose to read this book:

While going through the list of books that looked amazing to write a blog on, The Kite Runner caught

 my attention right away when I saw the title . I was hoping for a novel that would be addicting to

read, which I would resist putting down. It is very appealing for all sorts and varieties of reasons, not

only is it a best- selling novel, but it also revels the truth of friendships and life lessons. Another

reason why I decided  to chose this book was because after reading a short little summary of it on the

back, the book speaks of redemption, friendship, betrayal, forgiveness, love and compassion. The

sensitive and emotional  issues  that the author touched upon certain situations throughout the book

just makes the reader see life in a new perspective and a new vision. Before writing this blog I read a

 couple of pages from the book at the beginning, but not only the plot, but the way that the author had

 twisted and turned the events around and also his use of words was amazing. The last reason I chose

this book was because it just seemed interesting overall and I have read some other books by the

 same author and I’m just hoping that this one would be just as fun and addicting  to read as the ones I

previously read.