Kite Runner Discussion

[JiaXiong]

Has anyone read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini? I thought it was such a brilliant book and I would love to discuss. It gives such a brief yet vivd insight into the social histroy of Afghanistan.

It is so incredibly moving and gripping that i had to very reluctantly force myself to put it down. It was outstanding and considering it is Hosseini's first published book makes it even more exceptional.

I'd like to know what anyone else thinks...

[Eva Marina]

I haven't read it but my history teacher recommended it to me, and for a while now I've been thinking about reading it (of course, I would have to find a copy from somewhere first) but I haven't had much time.
Was it really that good? What about it made it so "gripping"? I'm not familiar with Afghan history so there might be something obvious about it that I've missed.

[JiaXiong]

Your opinion may differ but I found the book so gripping because of the way Hosseini manages to bring his characters to life without actually doing much and I realised that Hosseini had made me do all the work, his characters became my characters. Hosseini merely provides you with a mould that you are free to do whatever you please with.

It is set partly during the last days of the monarchy into the Taliban Regime when the country is in turmoil (and still is today). Hosseini makes you feel as though you are there in Afghanisthan, walking along the dusty roads with the strong smell of curried lamb and spices. He gives such a brilliant insight into the values of the Afghan culture, which I believe to be are honour and love. As the story progressed I began to feel love for the characters and I developed a deep respect for them. He also shows many faces of guilt, redemption and fear.

There is a certain point in the book that had me in tears, the language is so potent and compelling that I just couldn't control myself.

[Chava]

One of the wonderfull things about the Kite Runner, is the anti-hero. The main character is plausible and authentic, and his personal development is thrilling as well as antagonising.
The language is simply gorgeuos. there is a seductive play with words, that constantly leaves the heart beating.

[Pensive]

I would try it for sure. It seems like a good book. I used to love flying Kites but now, I don't like it at all.

"Basant" is coming and I don't want it to come and there were days, when I used to wish for it to come. It was lovely to see around, flying Kites and music playing and a crowd of people on the roof but now, it does not attract me because I think that "Flyiing Kites" is dangerous.

[~Maude~]

I have heard good things about this book from several friends and now from you, too. I picked it up at my used book store today and hopefully will get to it soon, I'll come back and post when I'm done.

[Pensive]

Spoilers Warning

The Kite-Runner is an amazing book. It is one of those books that I have completed in one-go, for I was so much interested in "how Amir was going to re-pay Hassan and whether he was going to find him or not" and the ending struck me.

Though I knew that there was something different about how Amir's Baba was treating Hassan but still, I thought it was his gentle nature. Amir's Baba's definition of sins and all those stuff, I never got the idea that he could be Hassan's Baba as well.

All those times, when Amir never considered Hassan a good friend, I felt a great pity for Hassan and an immense dislike for Amir but then, when Aamir re-paid his debt to Hassan by adopting Hassan's son and his own newphew, then I thought if Suhrab had forgiven him, then how couldn't I...

In fact, I liked the book very much, though it was very poignant. I wonder if Khaled Hossaini has written some other books, I will like to read them too.

[eteacher45]

:argue: I teach the book in my World Lit classes. The perspectives of my students are astounding! This novel is a great one to use for discussion.

[Pensive]

Hi eteacher, welcome to the forum!

To which grade, do you teach this novel, by the way?

[Nossa]

I read a summary about its plot..and what's talking about..
Sadly I never got the chance to buy it...since I couldn't find it where I live..

[Maida]

I thought The Kite Runner was brilliant. The language was incredibly vivid, and I absolutely fell in love with Amir's character, but then hated him at the same time for what he was doing to Hassan. The book is just magical.

[book-lover353]

Hi, I love this book, it's probally one of my top 5 books. I found 4 themes in the book and i was wondering how you thought the themes were developed throught the book.

Strength of the Character
The fragile relationship between father and son
Loyalty and devotion
Man;s inhumanity to man

[Nightwalk]

Hello book-lover353, I can't reply to your topic as I haven't read it yet, but I'll look it up.

Welcome to the forums.

[Pensive]

Hi, I love this book, it's probally one of my top 5 books. I found 4 themes in the book and i was wondering how you thought the themes were developed throught the book.

Strength of the Character
The fragile relationship between father and son
Loyalty and devotion
Man;s inhumanity to man

Yes, these themes deal with the whole novel perfectly. Both strength of character and loyalty/devotion can be described by looking at Hassan's character, how much he protected Aamir. He didn't even change after the bad treatment by Aamir.

Now if we come on the topic of father's and son's relationship, it did not astonish me much. The way he treated Aamit too, showed that he was guilty about what he did but he could not have shared it with Aamir. He was not supposed to be proud after what he did. And by looking at Pushtuns way of living and stuff, we could not have expected him to accept Hassan as his son in eyes of even public. (Though, it's what he should have done!)

[book-lover353]

Yes, these themes deal with the whole novel perfectly. Both strength of character and loyalty/devotion can be described by looking at Hassan's character, how much he protected Aamir. He didn't even change after the bad treatment by Aamir.

Now if we come on the topic of father's and son's relationship, it did not astonish me much. The way he treated Aamit too, showed that he was guilty about what he did but he could not have shared it with Aamir. He was not supposed to be proud after what he did. And by looking at Pushtuns way of living and stuff, we could not have expected him to accept Hassan as his son in eyes of even public. (Though, it's what he should have done!)

Very nice, also with the father and son relationship, Amir thought that his father was pround of him, so he was always lying to make his father proud

[KaylaW]

To what extent do you feel, are the characters controlled by social/racial discrimination and guilt/shame?

[Set of Keys]

Social/racial discrimination- not a lot.

Guilt/shame- a lot.

[Behemoth]

Certainly guilt seems to be the primary concern/motivation. Such a moving book, I really must read it again after exams etc :)

[pokey]

just started reading it....

[Set of Keys]

just started reading it....

To what extent was your inspiration for reading it guilt/social discrimination?

[Mr.Muffin]

i'm just now on the third chapter...and i LOVE it.

i'm on the third chapter but so far it seems alot like both of them 2 me

hey pensive, he does have another book: "A thousand splendid suns"
i haven't seen it or read but i heard it was really good.and it should be in stores right now.

[Nossa]

Trust me, the story just keeps getting better and better :D

[Pensive]

hey pensive, he does have another book: "A thousand splendid suns"
i haven't seen it or read but i heard it was really good.and it should be in stores right now.

Yes, heard about it a few months ago. :) Even searched for it in the book shop nearby but no luck!

[bibliophile190]

I just heard that they're making a movie of it. I saw a preview. Hopefully it will be a good transition.

[kitten]

i read this book on the recommendation of several people. i didn't love it. i didn't feel a "connection" with any of the characters. that doesn't happen to me often, but i just couldn't get into the book. i wanted to like it. :(

[WaxenWings89]

The great thing about the kite runner is that it presents a sensational story without having it feel cheap. The primary metaphor of the book, the kite runner, is a very elegant touch as it does much to enhance the sense of nostalgia and tragedy (you will know what I mean if you read the novel). The most enticing aspect of this novel is that everything seems to fall right where the belong; the plot really comes to a full circle by the end of the novel, and you will put the book down with a sympathetic note. Though I did immensely enjoy the Kite Runner, Hosseini's second novel was a sort of disappointment. It read like a novel with recycled characters from the Kite Runner, and the plot itself felt contrived and somewhat rushed. In any case, this is a good read; it is not extraordinary or brilliant, but it is certainly enough to keep the pages turning without you feeling like you're indulging in a guilty pleasure.

[purplecowmoo]

We read it in school.

My view on reading books in school -

IT KILLS THE BOOK!

I've usually already read the book that we study, but I had never read this one. So in the end, I didn't like it very much.

[brimstone]

I enjoyed it, but it wasn't as amazing as it's hyped up to be.
Nevertheless, a good and moving read. 9/10.

[hellsapoppin]

In Central Asian cultures, the pomegranate tree is symbolic because its fruit is cherished as a life enhancer. In the story, a pomegranate tree is barren. Its sterility is a reflection of certain character's deficiencies as well as that of the terrible conditions of that society under the Taliban and Soviet invasions and the resulting instability.

[ampoule]

I loved this book.

[flgirl073]

Discussion for what I missed on 11/20/07

I absolutely hated this section of the book! Hopefully the content will start changing so I can enjoy it! After all it is a best seller!

Throughout chapters 6-9 I wanted to strangle Amir! How could any human being treat a fellow human being in this manner, especially with how close Hassan and Amir were? With every new event I knew Amir could not get any worse, but it just kept escalating. This section truly lets Amir’s true character shine. I understand obtaining the blue kite is important for Amir’s relationship with his father, but he let Hassan get raped in exchange! “Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba” (Hosseini 77). This is terrible! I know Amir wants a true father-son relationship, but he should figure out by now that this is never going to happen. Even though he wins the tournament and gets the blue kite, within weeks their relationship goes back to the way it was. Amir should realize that his relationship with Hassan is more important, and now because of his cruel actions it will never be the same!
I could also not get past how Amir describes Hassan’s face right before he gets raped. “It was a look I had seen before. It was the look of the lamb” (76). He goes on to say that the lamb had a look “that its imminent demise is for a higher purpose” (77). Since Amir is comparing Hassan to the lamb, he is comparing himself to a higher purpose. Again he is showing his power over Hassan, and again I want to strangle him.

As the book continues, poor Hassan feels he is the one to blame for the new rift in their friendship. He tries to make things better by talking to Amir and asking him to go play. “I don’t know what I’ve done…You can tell me, I’ll stop doing it” (88). Amir should be the one who feels bad not Hassan. Amir should be begging Hassan to forgive him and to play with him, not the other way around! When Amir finally does go to supposedly read to Hassan, he turns on him once again. He repeatedly throws pomegranates at him, wanting Hassan to throw them back. Again Amir is being selfish trying to rid himself of guilt, but he is just hurting Hassan even more.

No matter what Amir does, Hassan will not turn his back on him. He is a loyal friend and servant. This whole thing would not have started if Hassan had not stood up for Amir against Assef in the first place. The ultimate loyalty was from Hassan taking the blame for the stolen money and watch. He could have said he did not take it and Baba would have believed him, but he did not. He knew that all Amir wanted was a good relationship with his father, and he was willing to lie to help his friend. I heard that in class you guys discussed Hassan as a Christ figure, and I strongly agree with this correlation. Hassan took all the beatings, all the hard events in order to protect and help Amir. This is just like Christ dying for us. Hassan is an amazing character! I just wish for once he would turn around and tell off Amir or punch him, but that would change all of his views.

I could talk forever about this section of Kite Runner! There were so many passages that aggravated me, upset me, and angered me. I wanted to cry and scream at the same time!

Also, one last question. I noticed a lot of description in this section including colors. Does anyone have any thoughts on why Hosseini did this or if there is any symbolism in it?

[hp 4ever!]

In response to your comments flgirl073, I'd like to bring up the fact that those in the lower class in both Kite Runner and God of Small Things ironically seem to be more righteous and "rich" in true character than those of the upper class who are supposed to be better than the subordinate people in all of their attributes. Yet, the fact that they are essentially better in humanistic qualities is protrayed in both their actions with an accomdating literary element of symbolism. For instance, Velutha's name means white in Malayalam even though Velutha was outwardly black in color. This could perhaps symbolize the typical pure sense that he attains within him that remains untainted. In addition, the fact that Hasan is a symbol for a lamb is quite intriguing to me because lambs are typically white thus exemplifying his purity as well. However, Hasan's purity is tainted by the blood that spilled in a particular scene (when he was being sacrificed). Perhaps both authors were using their novels to demonstrate their discontent for labeling humans for just their blood and not by their deeds and personalities.

[Eilonwy18]

I think that there is a great deal of racial/social discrimination in the Kite Runner that affects the characters. It is a huge factor in Amir and Hassan's relationship. It helps explain Hassan's feeling of inferiority and his loyalty to Amir, because their society views Hazaras as inferior. This is why Hassan does not have the opportunity to obtain the education that Amir has. "Words were secret doorways and [Amir] held all the keys" (30). Amir also uses it to try to justify not helping Hassan when Assef attacks him; "[Hassan] was just a Hazara, wasn't he? (77).

[Eilonwy18]

I also noticed a similarity to God of Small Things in The Kite Runner with the use of music. In the God of Small Things, music is used as a symbol of feminism for Mammachi and Ammu. When Mammachi is married, she is forced to give up her passions (her music). This happens in the Kite Runner as well with Khala Jamila. When she marries the general, she must also forfeit her passion for music; "That she never sing in public had been one of the general's conditions when they had married" (177). Music is a symbol for both women's liberation to pursue their happiness that is denied by the men in their lives.
I also noticed that the small things are also valued highly in the Kite Runner. Amir comments about how little things make marriage more special; "Soraya and I settled into the routines- and minor wonders- of married life. We shared toothbrushes and socks, passed each other the morning paper. she slept on the right side of the bed, I preferred the left. She liked fluffy pillows, I liked the hard ones" (181). He also mentions it when he talks about his mother later on in the book.
This does not relate to God of Small Things, but I loved what Amir says about cliches; "I always thought cliches got a bum rap. Because often, they're dead on. But the aptness of the cliched saying is overshadowed by the nature of the saying as a cliche" (197). I thought this view of language was fascinating, and very accurate. Amir hit the nail on the head with this one. ha ha ha Anyway, it's interesting to see how the words and phrases that we choose are really important, especially to a writer like Amir.
One other part jumped out at me from this section when Amir is speaking to Rahim Khan. Rahim says, "We're a melancholic people, we Afghans, aren't we? Often, we wallow too much in ghamkhori and self-pity. We give in to loss, to suffering, accept it as a fact of life, even see it as necessary" (201). This is so true of Amir. He cannot forget what happened in his past, and instead of trying to make amends, he lets it haunt him. However, it is not true of all Afghans in this book. Much like Velutha, Hassan focuses on the good things in life, and trys to be happy. Letting guilt eat away at you is a terrible way to deal with problems. Amir, Estha, and Rahel show that it is impossible to just pretend like the bad things didn't happen. The only way to healthily deal with problems is to confront them directly.

[h.i.]

Hi
i just finished the book and i loved it. Books really get me, and this one was very powerfrul.
there are some very powerful quotations:
" as words from the koran reverberated through the room, i thought of the old story of baba wrestling the black bear in baluchistan. baba has wrestled bears his whole life" (174).
the "bears" in everyone's life defines him or her. they represent sorrow, loss, fear, and rejection. for baba, the loss of his wife and homeland help define his character, and shape him into the man he has become.
"i reached across the table and put my hand on his. my student hand, clean and soft, on his laborers hand, grubby and calloused. i thought of the all the trucks, train sets, and bikes he'd bought me in Kabul. now america. one last gift for amir" (130).
these gifts symbolize baba's love for amir. amir does feel that his brother hates him becuase he cries and is not tough, but ultimately baba loves amir. he may seem to be "buying" amir with all the toys and material gifts baba gives amir, but baba's sacrifice of his homeland was out of love for amir.
"well, people need stories to divert them at difficult times like this" (139).
this line reiterates the fact that many people divert their attention to other's stories so he/she does not dwell on his/her sorrow. these stories come in many forms, such as, books, television, or gossip. these stories allow one to drift from reality and focus on someone else's misfortunes.

[zukazamme]

This book really reached out to me. It was very emotional, and was able to convey emotions to the reader, an exceptional piece of work. More than once I was brought to tears while reading this book. Sohrab attempting suicide was one of those moments. This book reached into my soul and evoked such powerful emotions that when I put down the book I suddenly realized how much I had read, and how long it had been and was amazed at how much I had covered without realizing it.

[hellsapoppin]

The pomegranate tree is cherished in Central Asian cultures as a sustainer of life. In Kite Runner, the two principle characters exchange stories under the shade of such a tree. But, we are told, the tree does not bear fruit. Its barrenness is a reflection of the utterly sterile character of some people, and indeed of society, in the book. This was best illustrated by Hassan who was not Amir's cousin, but his half-brother! In his brief life he did not know that his father was sterile and, evidently, neither did anyone else.


Amir is deprived of the moral character to fight unlike his huge father. He is so deprived of manly character that he is saved by Hassan and later by the child Sohrab.

Afghani politics is mentioned throughout the book and it is clear that the author views that society as one lacking rectitude, constructivism, and progress. It is a society whose weakness of character literally invites the type of exploitation and depredations that were brought on the Mongol hordes, the Soviets, and now the Taliban.

Thus, the pomegranate tree (a supposed sustainer of life) reveals a story or series of stories, not of life and of progress, but one of decay and moral sterility.

[zukazamme]

On page 213 it says "'The war is over, Hassan,' I said. 'there's going to be peace, Inshallah, and happiness and calm. No more rockets, no more killing, no more funerlas!' But he just turned off the radio and asked if he could get me anything before he went to bed.
A few weeks later, the Taliban banned kite fightin. And two years later, in 1998, they massacred the Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif."

It's ironic because the Taliban were their saviors, they pushed out the Russians. Yet they are far worse than the Russians, worse than the Vietnamese or the Koreans in fact. It reminds me of a short story I once read called the "Monkey's Paw" or something like that. Anyway in that story the one who owned the monkey's paw had three wishes; there was however a deadly catch. You would get what you wished for, but you would have to lose something else because nothing is free. So the man who obtained it wished for 200 pounds (money not weight) and he got it, but his son died for it.

Same thing in Kite Runner the people wished/prayed for the Russians to leave/be defeated, and it happened, but something worse took their place.

On page 300 a curious thing occurs, "Aisha asked him something in Urdu. He paid her no attention and scanned the room with his eyes. I thought he looked at me longer than necessary. When the nurse spoke to him again, he just spun around and left."

First thought in my head was "oh no Assef has found him." It could possibly have foreshadowed his execution by the Taliban. Fortunately he was able to get out of that area before anything materialized.

[rani2230]

Overall, this book was FANTASTIC!
No wonder it's a bestseller!

It's interesting how almost all of the characters have some kind of secrets hidden from each other and they all come out at the end. Also, some of the characters change so much after they have moved. For example, Baba changes the way he feels about Amir's writing, and for once, he is proud of Amir. In the end, Amir learns his lesson and gets what he deserves. But I was thinking about this quotation: " 'It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime' " (Hosseini 142). This made me realize that if only Amir had stood up to Assef twenty years earlier, maybe Hassan would be in America with him and Baba.

This novel was emotional and intense. I have NEVER cried while reading a book, but this book changed that too! The emotions are extremely intense and understable to any human being. I enjoyed this book a lot!

[Pipidar1991]

After reading the Tragedy of Sohrab and Rostam, I saw so many comparisons between it and The Kite Runner.

First of all talk about irony, which of course fills the pages of the Kite Runner. It was completely depressing how Sohrab spends so much of his time looking for his father and his father ends up being the man who slays him, and in Rostam's point of view he kills the person he cares for the most in the world.

Second I saw so much of a comparison between both Hassan and Sohrab.
Both Baba and Rostam are seen as these great men who in secret had some sort of realtionship with women they were not supposed to be with (Baba: a Hazara, Rostam: a Turkish princess) and in result their sons are born without their knowledge. So when Sohrab and Hazan grow up niether know who their father's are and yet both of them end up dying for them in some way. Sohrab dies by his father's hand not knowing it was his father at first, and Hassan dies in trying to protect the house for Baba and Amir without knowing that Baba was actually his father.

[L'EngleLover]

here is my chunck from the day i was absent...i decided i should probably put this up before we completely finish this unit :P

"I don't know at what point I started laughing, but I did. It hurt to laugh, hurt my jaws, my ribs, my throat. But I was laughing and laughing. And the harder I laughed, the harder he kicked me, punched me, scratched me" (Hosseini 289).

There were so many ironic situations to chose from in these chapters. However, I found this passage to be particularly ironic because Amir is laughing at Assef just like Assef laughed at the guard on page 283. It is expected to be painful when one is beaten; however, Assef laughed when he was beaten because of his relief of having passed his kidney stone. Not only is it ironic that Assef found relief in his abuse, but it is also ironic that the same situation was reflected on him with Amir. Assef thought that he was teaching Amir a lesson and hurting him when Amir actually felt "healed" as a result and laughed because of this.

[iloveenglish3]

Hey everybody!

The latest book we have completed is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. There were many literary aspects in this novel including wheater symbolism and irony. A literary aspect that continued to show up in class discussions was Bibical references and Christ like figures amongst the characters. These literary characteristics were also present in the Poisonwood Bible, but this book was one where the main characters were Christian and readers of the Bible. In the Kite Runner this is not the case. We also know that the author of this novel is not Christian but is Muslim like the characters of his novel. Do you think that the characters who do have a Christ like figure in the novel were meant to actually represent somebody else? Do you think that the author of How to Read Literature Like a Professor was biased towards his literary conclusions? (I am not trying to offend anyone from this discussion! I just thought about this during class a lot and was wondering if anyone questioned the same things i did.)

[elp101]

I ended us choosing this passage from chapter 18:
“How could he have lied to me all those years? To Hassan? He had sat me on his lap when I was little, looked me straight in the eyes, and said, There is only one sin. And that is theft…When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth. Hadn’t he said those words to me? And now, fifteen years later I’d buried him, I was learning that Baba had been a thief. And a thief of the worst kind, because the things he’d stolen had been sacred: from me the right to know I had a brother, from Hassan his identity, and from Ali his honor. His nang. His namoos…
Here is another cliché my creative writing teacher would have scoffed at; like father, like son. But it was true, wasn’t it? As it turned out, Baba and I were more alike than I’d ever known. We had both betrayed the people who would have given their lives for us. And with that came this realization: that Rahim Khan had summoned me here to atone not just for my sins but for Baba’s too” (225-6).
I chose this quote because not only is it ironic in and of itself, but it also ironically contrasted to my last chunk on characterization. Amir felt his “sin”—betraying Hassan—made him so different from his father. He has spent much of his life trying to please Baba and mimic his father’s life. It is ironic that now, all these years later, when he discovers he and had father were so similar, it sickens him rather than bringing him joy.
In Lit Prof, he continually states that irony goes against what you think will happen. I never would have dreamed that Baba’s greatest sin would be theft on so many different levels (stealing wife, purity, truth) and gone against the nang and nomoos he so adamantly preached to his son.

There was so much irony in chapters 16-25 that i had a hard time selecting the most ironic part.

[Hira]

I liked this book when I first read it. Had tears too in my eyes. It is wonderfully written in places. But somehow I think it is one of those books in which the West brings its 'freedom' to the East so to speak. And I find this concept heavily prejudiced. US bombing on Afghanistan is never spoken of for instance.

[AFG34]

I read it for a project for my english class and it's phenomenal.

[eyemaker]

LoVe iT!!!! Its a great and wonderful Literary piece!!:banana:

[Hira]

So, none of you, think it to be prejudiced, in some way? Even slightly?

[crazefest456]

it does feel biased; i don't agree alot with the setting Hosseni created but that's with every other book.
I dunno, I concentrated more on the events and feelings that the charachters had..

[Hira]

Yes, emotionally, I felt its strength too.

[genoveva]

:argue: I teach the book in my World Lit classes. The perspectives of my students are astounding! This novel is a great one to use for discussion.

I've read both his books in the past few months. I love them both! It is nice to learn about Afghanistan history. The stories are amazing- I highly recommend both books to everyone!

SPOILER.....






eteacher, I'm so glad you teach this book in your World Lit class. I too teach World Lit at the high school level, and am wondering how you and the class dealt with the rape scenes? Thanks for any tips. Perhaps I can teach this book in the future. At my current school, I couldn't because the principal of this school made a comment to me that she couldn't finish the book because of that initial rape scene. Geez, if she couldn't even read it, I dare not introduce it into her school I think.

[Remarkable]

A friend of mine gave me this book as a birthday present and I read it overnight.It is very powerful and moving,although artistically I've seen better.Anyway,today,in our world,potece is more important,as people need something to belive in,something to make them think and act.In the end,The Kite Runner is a very idealist book,one that can teach people human love and compassion is not dead,that spiritual strength is not dead.
Definitely one of the best books of modern literature.

[PrinceMyshkin]

Like all those who admired this book, I was rivetted by the first two-thirds of it but my belief in it began quickly to disappear once he receives the long distance call from Rahmin Khan & returns to Afghanistan. After that, it seemed to me, there was one unbelievable contrivance or coincidence after another: the beggar he encounters who turns out to have been a class-mate of his mother; the prominent Taliban who turns out to be the villain, Assem; and above all else, the information that Hassan was his half-brother. That Hassan has been killed conveniently deprives the novel of providing the much-desired confrontation between them, in which Amir might atone for his earlier despicable behaviour. Instead we are asked to believe that the savage beating administered by Assem serves that purpose. It was all too convenient, too contrived for me.

[SleepyWitch]

Like all those who admired this book, I was rivetted by the first two-thirds of it but my belief in it began quickly to disappear once he receives the long distance call from Rahmin Khan & returns to Afghanistan. After that, it seemed to me, there was one unbelievable contrivance or coincidence after another: the beggar he encounters who turns out to have been a class-mate of his mother; the prominent Taliban who turns out to be the villain, Assem; and above all else, the information that Hassan was his half-brother. That Hassan has been killed conveniently deprives the novel of providing the much-desired confrontation between them, in which Amir might atone for his earlier despicable behaviour. Instead we are asked to believe that the savage beating administered by Assem serves that purpose. It was all too convenient, too contrived for me.

I didn't find it contrived until you pointed it out to me ;)
I think the beggar thingy is kinda ..symbolic? he stands for the whole situation in Afghanistan, were professors became beggars overnight.

why should Hassan not be his half-brother? it happens all the time, and besides, doesn't it send out a clear message to racists? like anyone could have a half-brother or -sister whose other parent is from a different ethnic group. of course, they are already brothers in that they grew up together, but this makes it even more drastic.


That Hassan has been killed conveniently deprives the novel of providing the much-desired confrontation between them, in which Amir might atone for his earlier despicable behaviour. Instead we are asked to believe that the savage beating administered by Assem serves that purpose. It was all too convenient, too contrived for me.
I didn't really expect or hope for them to meet again. that would have been even more contrived and unrealistic, wouldn't it?

[PrinceMyshkin]

I didn't find it contrived until you pointed it out to me ;)
I think the beggar thingy is kinda ..symboli? he stands for the whole situation in Afghanistan, were professors became beggars overnight.

Sure but that this one beggar turns out to have known his mother? It was as if he wanted to condition us to expect other coincidences. In fact he even remarks that people from outside Afghanistan might be surprised at the frequency of coincidence there.


why should Hassan not be his half-brother? it happens all the time, and besides, doesn't it send out a clear message to racists? like anyone could have a half-brother or -sister whose other parent is from a different ethnic group. of course, they are already brothers in that they grew up together, but this makes it even more drastic.

Why indeed not? But they were already as close as if they had been brothers.


I didn't really expect or hope for them to meet again. that would have been even more contrived and unrealistic, wouldn't it?

Not necessarily, since Rahmin Khan had maintained contact with him, but the author would have had one hell of a time writing the scene in which Amir apologizes to him! Rather than attempt to write this without getting schmaltzy he invokes this deus ex machina in reverse: Hassan is dispatched by the Taliban and Sohrab turns out not only to have inherited his father's outstanding skill with a slingshot but - as Hassan himself would have done - he rescues Amir! Phooey! And much as we may have wished for retribution for the wicked Assem, he owed us NOT to provide that since in reality the bad guys - the really bad guys - more often than not go unpunished. Or at least they are not punished right before their victims' eyes.

[Benyameen]

I think the book was good, yet I wouldn't consider it a great book.

It was nice to read, interesting, moving etc. However, I think that Hosseini took it a little too far from time to time, especially in the end, where Hassan's son didn't get the visa for the US. There have been so many, for my taste too many, turns in the story and so many terrible strokes of fate that made the book kitschy. I mean come on, who really thought that Hassan's son wouldn't be able to stay in the US??

I think he also described the conflict between Pashtos and Hazaras a little too one sided, presenting stereotypes that could have been avoided (Hazara=servant; Pashto=Master).

Yet, I'm reading "a thousand splendid suns" at the moment because I considered the Kite Runner a good read. But again Hosseini's story is not really ecxiting because the fates of the characters are so stereotypical and do not really tell a new story.

Ben.

[hp 4ever!]

The Kite Runner has been one of my all time favorites due to the extensive use of symbolism. Primarily, the symbolism of the pomegranate tree was the most intriguing to me for I had never truly grasped its importance until I looked up “pomegranate” in the Dictionary of Symbolism. This resource states that the “many seeds embedded in the pulp of the fruit came to symbolize fertility…. The tree, with its fragrant, fiery red blossoms, was also seen as a symbol of love and marriage, followed by childbirth…. The red juice of the pomegranate became a symbol of the BLOOD of martyrs” (Biedermann 271-272).
The following passage best demonstrates how this symbolism is used in The Kite Runner: “Then Hassan did pick up a pomegranate. He walked toward me. He opened it and crushed it against his own forehead. ‘There,’ he croaked, red dripping down his face like [blood]. ‘Are you satisfied? Do you feel better?’ He turned around and started down the hill” (Hosseini 93). This passage shows that the red juice “dripping down [Hassan’s] face” was a symbol of a martyr for Hosseini state it was dripping down like blood (BLOOD of the martyrs). Hassan is a martyr because he sacrifices everything he has to keep Amir happy and protected. This is seen when he defends Amir against Assef and puts himself at a great risk of being tortured by Assef and his clan.
The tree can also symbolize love and marriage. Specifically, in Amir and Hassan’s lives. Both ended up attaining true love and getting married (Amir w/ Soraya & Hassan w/ Farzana). We don’t know for sure whether this is true or not, but the tree seems to have been blooming during this time in the characters’ lives. Yet, only Hassan and Farzana proceeded to have a child. Amir and Soraya tried to have kids but they couldn’t. This could be perhaps explained by the fact “the pomegranate tree hadn’t borne fruit in years” (264) by the time Amir found the tree when he returned to his homeland. Thus, perhaps, the tree became fruitless before or during the time Soraya and Amir tried to have kids (year was 1991 when Soraya learned they couldn’t have kids and Farzana was “visibly expecting” (205) around 1986). Thus, the tree could be a symbol of fertility for those who had etched their names into its trunk (“Amir and Hassan. The Sultans of Kabul” (264)). They had essentially binded themselves to the tree by inscribing this slogan which was a representation of their hope for the future. Therefore, a part of their future lies in sync with the pomegranate tree’s future.

by the way, there's an awesome thread on Handmaid's Tale and 1984. Just go to advanced search and use my username to find it (find posts by user).

[genoveva]

To what extent do you feel, are the characters controlled by social/racial discrimination and guilt/shame?

Well, Hassan is a Hazara, and Amir is a Pashtun so there is major discrimination going on in this book. Still today in Afghanistan, and so many other parts of the world, unfortunately. Amir couldn't even call Hassan his friend until he became an adult and realized that they were actually half brothers. Still, I don't think it was easy for him to physically say that they were blood related. :flare:

[genoveva]

To what extent was your inspiration for reading it guilt/social discrimination?

None- I wanted to read and learn about Afghanistan and Hosseini's two novels do a great job opening our eyes. I am excited to have taught these two novels to juniors and seniors in high school. Intense!:flare::bawling::sick:

[mzmarymack]

Dang I spent 20 minutes just reading this thread! A lot of interesting stuff, for sure.

About the part where Amir sees Hassan getting raped and does nothing...
Yeah, I was angry, but I should have probably been more angry (And you have to remember they were just kids back then. and amir felt his father pressuring him to measure up to be a better son. I think it would have been impossible for Amir to have been good enough in Baba's eyes because Baba was still suffering from guilt and projected it on his son. I honestly don't blame anyone. You have to understand the circumstances that a person has, and when considering Amir's, I couldn't be furious with him)... We had just read God of Small Things before starting KR, so I was almost indifferent about the rape scene. I'm not saying that it wasn't a big deal. Goodness no!

However, I see Kite Runner as a means through which Hosseini is telling a story and entertaining, yes, but to a much more profound level, he's exposing Afghanistan's history for mainstream America and other countries. I'm not very big on keeping up with news and searching for multiple perspectives on even controversial issues (I know, bad me.) so I would be ignorant if I hadn't read KR.
Anyways, what I'm saying is, yes, maybe some of the events seemed a little too coincidental and there was a slightly happily-ever-after, but that's not important. What does matter is what Hosseini's trying to tell his readers. You have the whole history lesson about Afghanistan, yes, and it's quite important, but also, with the theme of redemption, he's showing us how imperfect the world is. How flawed we are. We are all, on some level, Amir. Maybe we didn't witness a rape and do nothing about it, but I'm sure we've all been quiet when we should have said something. Maybe we let a friend taunt an unpopular kid at school. Whatever. I don't think I have the power to judge Amir, and I think that even though he ran away from Hassan when he should have stayed, it shows that even our worst mistakes can be atoned for. Underneath the tragic situation of Afghanistan, I don't see this book as melancholy. I think it's quite hopeful.

[Kitty88]

Has anybody else read this amazing book?!
If so, what do you say Khaled Hosseini's style is?
And what do people generally make of this book?;)

[Apocrypha75]

I read it. I thought it was pretty good. Standard story of redemption but it's the culture it's set in that gives it a nice lift. I might venture another of his in the future, but we'll see. ;)

[prendrelemick]

A very good book. I thought it was non fiction until the last quarter, very rare for a novel to catch me out like that.

Be warned, his next book "A Thousand Splendid Suns" isn't half as good.

[optimisticnad]

I can say with sure confidence (which is rare) that it was the best book I read in 2008. I expected a typical coming-of-age novel but half-way through it just changed and became more complex. It was bittersweet. I loved it. I loved the characters Hosseini created and there were some truly exceptional passages in the novel, e.g the ending was great!

Not read 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' yet but I've only heard good stuff about it.

Edit: I didn't find Sohrab's suicide attempt believable, probably the only fault in the novel.

[Scheherazade]

This was neither the best nor the worst book I have read. The author does manage to engage the reader and keeps the interest going by reeling out the details cleverly; however, at times the story is too dramatic and predictable.

Thousand Suns did not live up to my expectations.

[Tournesol]

I read them both.

'Kite Runner' I read first: it made me cry. Hosseini was able to craft such utter pain, and yet at times such pure joy, into the novel, that to me it was very realistic.

'Splendid Suns' to me was the same: extreme pain and joy.

I guess, as a Muslim woman, both novels made me appreciate that I was born and grew up in the West, here in Trinidad in the Caribbean.

Our Islam is very orthodox, very pure, and free from the tentacles of cultural baggage that is seen in the Eastern and Middle Eastern cultures.
These horrid practices are not Islamic at all.
And my non-Muslim friends are sometimes shocked when they hear in the media that an 'honour killing' is made in the name of Islam.
They ask me, 'Why isn't that practiced in Trinidad?' and my reply is always 'That practice is not purported or condoned by Islamic teachings. It it purely cultural.'

[jinjang]

I always like to read books about different people of different culture. I am not a literature expert and would not know the literature value of it, but it certainly was a captivating book and left me a great impression that will last a long time.

In the beginning it bothered me each time the main character, Amir, showed his weakness or faults like an average person. I wanted a hero with high morality and strong will. It was frustrating to see him stand there to watch his dear friend in trouble. I wanted him to rush out and fight for his noble friend. In the end, though, I accepted and appreciated that he was a regular person with mistakes, faults, and many missteps.

It is a story of a man who wronged a faithful friend, who lived with regrets, who tried to forget the past, and who eventually corrected some of his mistakes. It did not have a happy ending, but it ends with a tiny sunshine of hope.

There are great phrases: “(W)hat true redemption is, Amir jan, when guilt leads to good.” “It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime.”

I am ignorant in so many things and I am sure I will forget about them soon enough. But, along the way, I learned Afghanistan was peaceful until 1978, the ruling tribe was Pashtuns, the Hazaras are the Asiatic tribes ruled by Pashtuns, the Soviet invaded the country in 1979, the Taliban ruled between 1996 and 2001 until US invasion. I also learned about Afghans, their pride and vanity, how they live, and what they eat. It brought me a warm feeling to Afghans as if they could be neighbors or friends.

It also said Kabul was a beautiful city and I found this web site with many pictures of the country: http://www.unomaha.edu/afghan/afghanistan/A8.HTM

The book gives me some understanding of Afghanistan and, if everyone reads about different people in books like this one, the World may be a better place.

[RocKin_RicAn]

John here, I read the Kite Runner over last summer. I have to say this book was absolutely amazing. As a young man I feel it responsible to start learning about the world around me. Schools do not go as far as what The kite Runner had to offer. The culture of the Afghans is beautiful. Each member of society being treated as if they were born from the same whom. The kite tournaments where kids would fly kites and battle each other while the other children ran the kites (chased and caught them) was the most cherished day of the year where people from all over gathered around and watched.
The kite Runner was also very revealing as to what happened to destroy this beautiful sanctuary. During the war there was much struggle and confusion. Life when Amir, protagonist, changed dramaticly from when he was a boy. He fled to America to look for a new life and found one. Something happened that he would have to return to home and face what he ran away from. All the elements that make a great story come here and the feeling is overwhelming. My heart warms every time I read the final line of this marvelous story "For you, a thousand times over." The significance of this line is built up through the whole story and makes its appearance right at the end.
I did not say much about the story since there is just so much to cover. But please anyone who read it or has questions, post so I may view your thoughts and see if you enjoyed this story as much as I did. The book was simply amazing...:)

[OlutomilolaAsa7]

:smash:I chose the following passages from Chapters 1-5 of Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner:

Snippet 1: "Then he would remind us that there was a brotherhood between people who had fed from the same breast, a kinship that not even time could break"(11).
I had a very significant and strong personal response to the above snippet of the novel. I am generally fascniated by the spiritual bonds that can form between human beings, and how the essence of true, honest, and enduring love abiding in such bonds can completely transcend cultural and social bounds that humans place on themselves. The relationship between the narrator, Amir, and Hassan in the novel springs and sustains itself off of a connection between them in their infancy. The above quote is part of a passage that goes on to describe how Hassan and Amir "took our first steps on the same lawn in the same yard. And, under the same roof, we spoke our first words. Mine was Baba. His was Amir. My name." This passage is significant for many reasons; it identifies our narrator, establishes the relationship between Hassan and Amir, and foreshadows the consequences of the relationship due to the society into which it is born. The events of the narrator's life following the life-altering winter of 1975 seem to have been "laid in those first words" from the beginning. This passage establishes the relationship between the two boys as one that will be tested and suppressed by society because of its existence outside of socially acceptable Love Laws.

Snippet 2: "Seasons of rain and snow had turned the iron gate rusty and left the cemetery's low white stone walls in decay" (27).
The literary value of this snippet, especially in its use of the season and weather symbol, is very interesting. The way that rain and snow, two precipitate forms of water often associated with cleansing and purity, are most responsible for the decay of protective structures (gates and walls) in the community is a direct comment on the initial cleanliness and moral stability of the community in which the boys live. The fact that the white walls fade and decay is also significant, as white is often used as a color symbol meaning purity and cleanliness. Hosseini is making a distinction between true purity and cleanliness in a way similar to Arundhati Roy in her novel The God of Small Things. Time and weather erode the whiteness and purity of the walls, and arguably the very foundation and fortress, of the cemetery in The Kite Runner and the Ayemenem house in The God of Small Things. One can infer in both novels that the ability of nature to strip both constructs of their white, clean, pure facades reveals an uglier truth about them, exactly what they are enclosing, and what surronds them. All of this is a greater comment on the society in which the symbols of moral decay reside.

Chunk: "Hassan, of course, was oblivious to this. To him, the words on the page were a scramble of codes, indecipherable, mysterious. Words were secret doorways and I held all the keys" (30).
This chunk is significant to the duality of language in real life. Language can be a tool of freedom, liberation, and self-expression, but no language, or the better the lack of knowledge thereof, can lead to one's ensnarement and manipulation by those with knowledge and power. Amir's use of language to exert unjust and cruel power over one as loving and trusting as Hassan is very much a tragedy and a clear flaw in Amir's character. The relationship then that Amir has to language, however, as a frequently, negatively exercised source of control only adds more dimension and significance to the relationship Amir has with his father, in which Amir feels and essentially is neglected, unaccepted, and left feeling unloved. Amir uses language to regain dignity and control in his own life, an aspect of his character that disappoints this reader but is, at the same time, very understandable given his situation. Language in this book is then significant to the relationship between Hassan and Amir, which is a focal point of the novel itself.

[nickname0811]

This thread is for nov. 11

1. personal response for chapter 6-9
Amir kept bring about the relationship between him and his father. He was being jealous over how his dad treated him as same as Hassan.

Baba and I lived in the same house, but in different spheres of existence. Kites were the one paper thin slice of intersection between those spheres.
Also, I liked this book a lot. Because it keeps showing the Afghanistan's culture throughout the book.

Afghans cherish custom but abhor the rules
Not only this book shows the social clash, but also it questions what causes the social clash and what's the consequences of it.

2. literary value for chapter 6-9

I noticed that Hosseini used a lot of metaphors and symbolism. Since Hassan was raped by his peers, he wouldn't forget what happened to him and would be terrified whenever he thinks about it. Hassan' blood was almost close to black, which Hosseini used the colors symbolism. "snow dark red, or almost black" just tells us how he was horrified and how the incident would be significant to his life time.

To the droplets of blood staining of snow dark red, almost black

3. relates to the how to read like a professor

The kite's tournament is happened during the winter. Also, it's usually on the coldest weather. In the winter of 1975, there is a significant kite tournament that brings the major conflicts with Hassan and Amir or inter conflicts of themselves. It was the last year of Hassan running a kite. It was the year Amir won. It was the year Amir and Hassan became really awkward. Finally, it was the year Hassan was raped. All of things happened during this winter. Due to the incident of Hassan, Amir and Hassan couldn't get along anymore. Also, Amir never forgot what happened to Hassan, and he would feel guilt for his life time.

And if you were a boy living in Kabul, the day of the tournament was undeniably the highlight of the cold season.

And for the first time in my life, I couldn't wait for spring
Because everything happened during the winter, everything portrayed more dramatically. After everything happened, Amir who was suffering from the guilty conscience couldn't wait for the spring, which symbolized the hope, restart, etc

[generic]

" The streets glistened with fresh snow and the sky was a blameless blue. Snow blanketed every rooftop and weighed on the branches of the stunted mulberry trees that lined our street[...] I turned my gaze to our rooftop, found Baba and Rahim Khan sitting on a bench [...] Baba waved. I couldn't tell if he was waving at me or Hassan. [...] Suddenly i wanted to withdraw. Pack it all in, go back home[...] This would be a failure on a grand scale, even for me" (Hosseini 61).

This entire passage can relate back to the representation of "snow". In How to Read Literatur Like a Proffessor, Foster talks about in Chapter 10 of his book as snow being a symbol many things, but this passage can represent snow in 4 symbolic ways.
This passage starts out with it being clean, inviting and playful as it "glistens" and the children begin throwing snowballs. Then Amir looks up and sees his father and the snow turns into a suffocating blanket in the atmosphere that turns the mood into jealousy.



" 'For you a thousand times over'[...] The next time i saw him smile unabashedly like that was twenty-six years later, in a faded polaroid photograph" (Hosseini 67).

This flashes back and foreshadows.
FLASHBACK: we are opened with Amir hearing Hassan whisper
"For you..." in his head
FORESHADOW: since he only sees it in a photograph again, will
Hassan be dead in the future?



" There is not monster, he said, just water[...] I was that monster. That was the night i became an insomniac" (Hosseini 86).

I think Amir somewhat feels guilty in his jealousy and is turned into an insomniac for fear that if he dreams he will become that monster again.

[OlutomilolaAsa7]

I chose the following passages from chapters 6-9 of Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner:

Snippet 1: "The color fell from his face. Next to him, the stapled pages of the story I'd promised to read him fluttered in the breeze. I hurled the pomegranate at him. It struck him in the chest, exploded in a spray of red pulp. Hassan's cry was pregnant with suprise and pain" (92).
This passage from the novel contains alot of literary significance, as it is yet another illustration of Hassan as a Christ figure. Just before the sexual act of Hassan's rape takes place in the novel, Amir notices a look on Hassan's face that he associates with a triggered memory of lamb before its being sacrificed for atonement, labeling the look of knowing and acceptance the "look of the lamb." The imagery that Hosseini uses in the passage above and the developing plot surrounding it is quite vivid and striking. The passage describes the first act in a frenzy that ultimately results in Hassan's being "smeared in red like he'd been shot by a firing squad" (93). The holy text of the Christian faith, the Bible, describes Jesus after being beaten as looking inhuman, barely recognizable as a man. One can imagine that he was covered in blood in a way similar to what Amir inflicts upon Hassan. The fact that Amir is the one abusing Hassan in this particular incident is also quite symbolic of Amir's tendency to allow Hassan to be physically and emotionally abused as payment for spiritual voids in his own life - for example, his abuse of Hassan regarding language as a way of dealing with the neglect he feels from his father and arguably as a way of punishing Hassan, a Hazara, for being accepted by Baba just as much, if not more, than Amir himself.

Snippet 2: "'But before you sacrifice yourself for him, think about this: Would he do the same for you? Have you ever wondered why he never includes you in games when he has guests? Why he only plays with you when no one else is around? I'll tell you why, Hazara. Because to him, you're nothing but an ugly pet. Something he can play with when he's bored, something he can kick when he's angry. Don't ever fool yourself and think you're something more" (72).
I had a very strong personal response to this passage in particular. Spoken by Assef, just before he rapes Hassan, the passage really opens the eyes of readers as to what the true dynamic of Amir and Hassan's relationship is. Though Assef is a detestable creature in his own right, this passage made me realize that, even with all the pain that Amir goes through that somewhat triggers his actions, he must join Assef in being a true villain of the novel. All of the things that Assef says in the passage above may not be worded in a way that Amir would be comfortable admiting to but are very much what his actions demonstrate. The fact that he could stand there and watch Hassan be raped, knowing that Hassan was allowing it for Amir's benefit, is not only beyond me but greatly indicative of Amir's regard for Hassan being less than human, let alone less than a friend. This passage served as an unpleasant but very distinct turning point for me as a reader of the novel as, after reading this passage, I ceased to make excuses for or show much pity toward Amir as I had done before.

My Chunk: "In Kabul, it rarely rained in the summer. Blue skies stood tall and far, the sun like a branding iron searing the back of your neck. Creeks where Hassan and I skipped stones all spring turned dry, and rickshaws stirred dust when they sputtered by. People went to mosques for their ten raka'ts of noontime prayer and then retreated to whatever shade they could find to nap in, waiting for the cool of evening. Summer meant long school days sweating in tightly packed, poorly ventilated classrooms learning to recite ayats from the Koran, struggling with those tongue-twisting exotic Arabic words. It meant catching flies in your palm while the mullah droned on and a hot breeze brought with it the smell of **** from the outhouse across the schoolyard, churning dust around the lone rickety basketball hoop. But it rained the afternoon Baba took Ali and Hassan to the bus station. Thunderheads rolled in, painted the sky iron gray. Within minutes, sheets of rain were sweeping in, the steady hiss of falling water swelling in my ears" (107-8).
This passage is very significant as it touches on Hosseini's use of irony with season in The Kite Runner. It seems that everything happening in the novel occurs during the most unlikely season possible. For instance, Baba and Amir's relationship blossoms most in the winter, a season associated with death, decline, resentment and bitterness. The use of weather occuring abnormally in seasons significant to relationships between characters in the above passage is blatantly symbolic of what the dynamic between the characters and the state of their relationship. Summer has been the season up to this point in the novel that Hassan and Amir's relationship blossom's most, but the abnormal occurrence of rain right at the time that Hassan and Ali leave, rain being a symbol of cleansing and transformation, is very symbolic of not only the saddness in the emotional moment ensuing but the huge shift that Amir's life is making into the period "post-Hassan." The rain in the summer, when the air is hot and humid (atleast in Alabama) and possibly thick with passion and emotion, is Hosseini's way of letting readers know that a huge transformation is taking place in the plot of the novel that will result in a change in all the characters of the novel as well.

[MadisonB]

I have a few sentences from chapters ten through fourteen that I would like to share for a class.

1. "When I was older, I read in my poetry books that yelda was the starless night tormented lovers kept vigil, enduring the endless dark, waiting for the sun to rise and bring with it their loved one" (Hosseini 143).

This was a passage I picked for a personal response. I really like the traditional value it holds, and I find that true of many of the Afghan traditions in this book. They can be what we consider odd, but they can also be very poetic like this one. The fact that it reflected tormented lovers just made me relate it to Amir that much more. Anything and anyone he loves will have torment incorporated into it because of what he has experienced.

2. "And I remember wondering if Hassan too had married. And if so, whose face had he seen in the mirror under the veil? Whose henna-painted hands had he held" (Hosseini 171).

I think this passage conveys the perpetual guilt Amir feels. Even on a day dedicated to he and his new wife, he cannot help but think of Hassan. His relationship and tragic experince with Hassan rules every aspect of his life. I also thought of the tradition of the veil and the mirror as a relation to Amir's life. It seems he is always forced to stare at himself, and his mistakes, and everything else is blocked out.

[poet_discussion]

Chapters 10-14 Snippets:
Snippet 1: "I envied her. Her secret was out. Spoken. Dealt with. I opened my mouth and almost told her how I'd betrayed Hassan, lied, driven him out, and destroyed a forty-year relationship between Baba and Ali. But I didn't. I suspected there were many ways in which Soraya Taheri was a better person than me. Courage was just one of them" (Hosseini 165).

Explanation: When Soraya told Amir about her past, or rather when she was eighteen and how she had run away with an Afghan man who was into drugs and how that affected her family, Amir's pride was somewhat hurt because he loved his wife-to-be dearly and couldn't stand the idea of her being with another man seeing as how he never was with another woman all his life. Yet he envied her greatly because she had the courage to tell the secrets of her past, whereas he didn't. He forgave her and at the same time Amir so very much wanted to express the secrets of his own past, and just as Soraya had done, he also wanted his past dealt with. He wanted his past to stop haunting him. But as it's been shown throughout the novel to this point, Amir's courage is limited so he is unable to express the events of his past.

Snippet 2: "The idea of fatherhood unleashed a swirl of emotions in me. I found it frightening, invigorating, daunting, and exhilarating all at the same time. What sort of father would I make, I wondered. I wanted to be just like Baba and I wanted to be nothing like him" (Hosseini 184).

Explanation: Seeing as how Amir truly loved his father and also disliked the lack of affection his father had given him, Amir was very cautious of the decision of becoming a father himself. He had no idea of how it would feel or what it truly would be like to be a father but the idea itself was a mixture of emotions. The interesting part is that Amir had the courage to want to try to raise a child. If he had married younger perhaps his decision in wanting a child of his own would be different because of his attitude towards life and others in general, but I think that throughout all of his experiences Amir has now finally understood what it means to actually care and love rather than being selfish. I think that's mostly due to his move to America and the change of culture in comparison to Afghanistans and also just having to help out his father live out the rest of his life as he battles Cancer in the States.
I also believe that Amir is not completely the man/child he used to be. Yes indeed his courage limitation is still quite the same at this point in the novel as it was in the beginning, but his care, love, and affection towards others has definitely increased.

[bookworm_girl]

Snippets:


America was a river, roaring along, unmindful of the past. I could wade into this river, let my sins drown to the bottom, let the waters carry me someplace far. Someplace with no ghosts, no memories, and no sins (Hosseini 136)

-- This quote shows the continued effect of the events of the winter of 1975 on Amir, and how he views everything after the events through the lense of his feelings about those events; he is fixated on his guilt and cowardice as revealed by those events. Also how everything he does afterwards is with a mind to forgetting and being redeemed or forgiven. Throughout these chapters, Amir constantly refers to "Hassan, Assef, the kite;" even his view of Soraya and his experience with her is with a mind to Amir's own cowardice and guilt towards Hassan-- Soraya's past reminds him of his own, her confession makes him almost confess himself, he sees her as braver than himself, he wonders whether Hassan has married, and who, etc. This quote also shows that Amir really isn't that bad of a person; he simply made a mistake and has had to live with it his whole life. It is also ironic, because as I have already said, America did not provide Amir with an opportunity to forget his sins, nor is it "unmindful of the past;" at least the Afghan community is not- they do not forget Soraya's past, even "four years ago and three thousand miles away" (179) everyone still holds her mistake against her. It is ironic that Amir expects America to provide this great magical baptism experience and wash all his sins away, but in reality the very place he was trying to escape is what finally provides him with the redemption, punishment, and forgiveness he craves.


A photo of the general, dashing in full military outfit, shaking hands with King Hussein of Jordan (167)

-- Just personally, this quote gave me a thrill of recognition. It caught my eye as I was flipping through looking for a quote, so I used it as my personal response quote. What I'm wondering though, is whether it's important that General Taheri has a photo of himself shaking hands with a foreign king, whereas Baba has a photo of himself and the late Afghan king hunting deer... I suppose that says a lot about their individual personalities-- Baba is manly, athletic, strong personality, and Taheri is petty, aristocratic, living on the hopes of regaining his old position once the monarchy was restored, just waiting out trouble instead of trying to do anything about it. I don't know; maybe I'm overanalyzing and the pictures are just pictures.

[generic]

" Do you always have to be a hero? [...] The problem was his nature was going to get us all killed" (Hosseini 115).

This foreshadows obviously that how Baba actsis going to be a result of the all dying physically or in their hearts somehow. Also in this quote it shows resentment between the two characters of Baba and Amir, is Amir embarrassed?

" 'Not tonight,' he said. 'There is no pain tonight' [...] Baba never woke up" (Hosseini 172).

Personally...
This was the first time we are referenced in the book to when Baba dies and it was the most peaceful because he died as we all wish too, quietly and with no pain. It is also in character for Baba to feel no pain up to this point.

But personally.. I have known many people to die with pain, and that pain showed them to be stronger character i feel, than Baba has in this last scene. so...

[kmareader]

A few quotes/analysis for an English class...

"'It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime, Amir,' he said" (Hosseini 142).

I personally liked this quote because it referenced a theme that seems to apply in most of the books our class has read. This theme of how quickly everything can change was used pretty heavily in The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy.
After this one event in Amir's life, everything changes. His loss of innocence, his loss of a brother, his loss of his home, all of it happens rapidly. I'm very curious to see how this further develops. Also, the fact that Baba said this feels rather important, maybe that he knows a lot more about everything that went on than he has made apparent to Amir.

"And I could almost feel the emptiness in Soraya's womb, like it was a living, breathing thing. It had seeped into our marriage, that emptiness, into our laughs, and our lovemaking. And late at night, in the darkness of our room, I'd feel it rising from Soraya and settling between us. Sleeping between us. Like a newborn child" (Hosseini 189).

Very, very obvious extended metaphor/personification of Amir and Soraya's inability to have children. It creates such vivid imagery, helps the reader to understand how this problem affects Amir and Soraya. As much as they want to be okay and not let it affect their marriage, they acknowledge that some things were going to change as a result. There is also quite a bit of irony here, especially in the last phrase, because their inability to have a child becomes like a child in the way everything changes. I just felt this quote was pretty neat because it used so many different elements to convey how much this inability to have children changes everything.

[Mou]

Consider these quotes:

"I heard snippets of their conversations, a soccer game in Union City next weekend, a new Afghan restaurant in Santa Clara. Life moving on already, leaving Baba behind"(175).

As a child, Amir saw Baba as the man who lead life. He was the man of parties, socials, and benefactors. Now that Baba passed away, Amir realized that life is much bigger and dynamic than within the sphere of influence of his father. Life is something that each person defines for himself.

"America was a river, roaring along unmindful of the past. I could wade into this river...[and] let the waters carry me someplace far. Someplace with no ghosts, no memories, and no sins" (136).

At this point, this is good foreshadowing of how America provides a haven for Amir to escape from his past life. It is a place that he can be reborn and be forgiven of his sins. This passage is a strong implication that Amir will ultimately have the chance to redeem his sins.

[Mocha Bean]

"'Blood is a powerful thing, Bachem'...maybe this was my punishment." (188)

I think this shows not only how Amir is being punished, but it also represents how Baba was punished. Since blood is so important, Hassan being Baba's son but not being treated the same must have tortured Baba. Amir talks of how he represented the guilt that Baba had, and Hassan represented the good things that Baba had.

"The park shimmered with snow so fresh, so dazzling white, it burned my eyes" (370)

Snow represents purity and cleanness. In this scene of the book, the main characters are trying to regain their innocence and childhood. The kite flying scene occurs at the start of the year showing new beginnings. The fact the that snow "burned [Amir's] eyes" shows how his innocence now is a pain for him, and it will never be the same as it once was.

Many things in this novel are mentioned as "God's Will". I thought it was interesting that it was said to be God's Will that Amir did not have kids since Hassan's son ended up in his care, and Sohrab was born around the same time Amir wanted kids. Also, Assef also called what he was doing with the Taliban 'God's Will'. Since the Taliban indirectly ended up giving a Amir a son, and redemning him from his life of guilt, it would seem as though it was indeed the will of what was to happen.

[optimisticnad]

I love this book! Read it last year sometime and I said it was the best book I read in ...2008 (that was last year right?). I thought it was so simple and yet beautifully written, some of the stuff he was describing he was on spot on with because I'm from a similar background. It was sad and bitter..how much of the plot am I allowed to give away? And who is the kite runner? Hassan or Amir?

[Buh4Bee]

I also loved this book. It was so well done.

[cl@rinetguy42]

In chapter 4, the reader sees an example of the significance of language:
“My favorite part of reading to Hassan was when we came across a big word that he didn’t know. I’d tease him, expose his ignorance. One time, I was reading him a Mullah Nasruddin story and he stopped me. ‘What does that word mean?’ ‘Which one?’ ‘Imbecile.’ ‘You don’t know what it means?’ I said, grinning. ‘Nay, Amir agha.’ ‘But it’s such a common word!’ ‘Still, I don’t know it.’ If he felt the sting of my tease, his smiling face didn’t show it. ‘Well, everyone in my school knows what it means,’ I said. ‘Let’s see. Imbecile. It means smart, intelligent. I’ll use it in a sentence for you. ‘When it comes to words, Hassan is an imbecile.’ ‘Aaah,’ he said nodding. (28-29)"

This passage demonstrates the theme of social class in the Afghan society. Hassan is illiterate because of his social status and so he asks Amir for help when he does not understand a word. Amir makes fun of Hassan and tells him the incorrect definition of the word. When Amir gives the exact opposite of the definition of the word “imbecile” he is using language and Hassan’s ignorance to taunt Hassan. Amir’s treatment of Hassan, however cruel it might be, is acceptable in their society due to the social classes.

[weezyhaahhh]

I also loved this book. It was so well done.
only 9 chapters in and I already enjoy this book greatly.

In class today, we discussed the significance of several passages on the language of the novel. My passage, which was briefly mentioned by the teacher, was the scene where Hassan asks for the definition of "imbecile", and Amir mockingly says it means "smart and intelligent". This passage shows one of the main points discussed today: the separation between classes and the stratification of formal education. This passage also shows irony. One is the given definition of "imbecile". Though Amir mocks Hassan and calls him a "smart and intelligent" imbecile at words, Hassan actually possesses some street smarts (innate wisdom versus the educated) as he can find The Hole in Amir's story. Toward the end of the scene, Amir also to having guilt, but later. His feelings can foreshadow of what is to come. Along with several other phrases, the reader can see that Amir holds himself accountable for something that happens to his "brother".

[cl@rinetguy42]

:smash:I chose the following passages from Chapters 1-5 of Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner:

Snippet 1: "Then he would remind us that there was a brotherhood between people who had fed from the same breast, a kinship that not even time could break"(11).
I had a very significant and strong personal response to the above snippet of the novel. I am generally fascniated by the spiritual bonds that can form between human beings, and how the essence of true, honest, and enduring love abiding in such bonds can completely transcend cultural and social bounds that humans place on themselves. The relationship between the narrator, Amir, and Hassan in the novel springs and sustains itself off of a connection between them in their infancy. The above quote is part of a passage that goes on to describe how Hassan and Amir "took our first steps on the same lawn in the same yard. And, under the same roof, we spoke our first words. Mine was Baba. His was Amir. My name." This passage is significant for many reasons; it identifies our narrator, establishes the relationship between Hassan and Amir, and foreshadows the consequences of the relationship due to the society into which it is born. The events of the narrator's life following the life-altering winter of 1975 seem to have been "laid in those first words" from the beginning. This passage establishes the relationship between the two boys as one that will be tested and suppressed by society because of its existence outside of socially acceptable Love Laws

I also see that their is a strong relationship between Amir and Hassan. This can be seen in Hassan's interest in Amir's stories: "I grabbed the story and hurried downstairs to the foyer where Ali and Hassan were sleeping on a mattress.. I shook Hassan awake and asked him if he wanted to hear a story...'I wrote it myself,' I whispered... 'Then I have to heard it, 'he said, already pulling the blanket off him. (33)" Despite being woken up in the middle of the night, Hassan is still interested in hearing Amir's story. Hassan cares for Amir deeply and wants to make Amir happy by listening to Amir's story.

[asdf99]

In this section of the novel we see the relationships between characters at first grow very tight, but later some of these unfortunately dissimulate.
• “My neck and back were like coiled springs, and my eyes stung. Still, I had been mean to Hassan. I almost apologized, then didn’t. Hassan understood I was just nervous. Hassan always understood about me.” (60)
Amir and Hassan have an interestingly developing relationship. Amir begins to question himself about how he treats Hassan. He admits to feeling him being almost a brother, but also thinks constantly that Hassan is of a lower class.
Amir also begins to develop a growing guilt here, being that Hassan is always sacrificing for him. Hassan is portrayed as a Christ Figure in the way that he always puts Amir before himself (more about this in next passages).
• “Sitting on piles of scrap and rubble, was the blue kite. My key to Baba’s heart.” (71)
The game of kite running represents much more to Amir than it does to any other kid. He sees it as the only way to gain affection from his father, the only way to make him proud. He feels that he grows up in the shadow of Baba’s accomplishments, not being able to rise to his level and impress his father.

• “I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan- the way he’d stood up for me all those times in the past- and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run.” (77)
This passage shows the ultimatum that Amir came to when he watched Hassan get bullied in the alley. This decision later causes Amir to break his friendship with Hassan, and later causes Ali taking Hassan away from Baba’s family.
• “Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba. Was it a fair price? The answer floated to my conscious mind before I could thwart it: He was just a Hazara, wasn’t he?” (77)
This passage shows the irony in Amir’s decision making. He believes that the kite is the only way to Baba’s heart, but blatantly ignores that his actions in this scenario could have gotten there. Baba always stands up for what he believes in, and is never a coward (as we later see in the car scene when they are traveling to Pakistan). Amir acts like a coward and runs away rather than helping Hassan who he grew up with and who cares for him more than anybody. By doing the right thing, he could have become something that Baba could be proud of, a hero who saved his friend at a time of need.
• “In Kabul, it rarely rained in the summer. Blue skies stood tall and far, the sun like a branding iron searing the back of your neck. But it rained the afternoon Baba took Ali and Hassan to the bus station. Thunderheads rolled in, painted the sky iron gray. Within minutes, sheets of rain were sweeping in, the steady hiss of falling water swelling in my ears.” (108)
Weather symbolism!!! Of course a sad event that changes both Amir’s and Baba’s lives has to be during heavy rain! The heavy rain during the separation of Hassan and Amir can symbolize the cleansing of them. Amir is finally somewhat ridded of his extreme guilt and sleepless nights while Hassan finally gets away from his biggest reminder of the incident.

[heath24]

One minor character that seemed to have an affect on Amir was the General Sahib. On pg 152 he tells Amir, "It's my duty to remind you that you are among your pees in this flea market. His expressionless eyes bore into me. You see everyone here is a storyteller." The General represents the values of Amir's culture and seems similar to Baba. This look he gives Amir reminds me of how Amir describes Baba's looks that stop him from saying or doing something. He also serves the purpose of comparing relationships in the novel. We learn that the General has not been the most caring father and especially husband. This comparison further shows his compassion and also reveals the guilt he still feels about Hassan.
The relationship between Baba and Amir also develops more in these chapters as Amir becomes an adult. I believe that Baba accepts Amir more after the hardships they endure together. After graduating high school Baba even tells Amir that he is proud of him. These chapters show that Amir has for the most part achieved in getting what he wanted from his first words.

[gujuprinz]

Example of irony:
"He'd kept that promise with Hassan. Now it was my turn" (p.286)

This is an example of irony because after all the years, Amir has come back to save Hasssan's son, when Amir couldnt defend Hassan the day he got shot. This is ironic because it shows that Assef had finished his "business" by killing Hassan, and now it was Amir's turn. But Amir had returned for Hassan's son, and not actually for Hassan. This makes it possible that Amir is not going to get himself make a mistake of getting himself killed like Hassan did!

[cl@rinetguy42]

An example of irony can be found in chapter 22: “I don’t know at what point I started laughing. But I did. It hurt to laugh, hurt my jaws, my ribs, my throat. But I was laughing and laughing. And the harder I laughed, the harder he kicked me, punched me, scratched me. .. ‘WHAT’S SO FUNNY?’ Assef bellowed. Another rib snapped, this time left lower. What was so funny was that, for the first time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace. (289)” This passage shows irony because, despite the complete agony that Amir is in, he laughs while Assef is beating him. Amir laughs because he is relieved from some of his guilt because he knows that he deserves this punishment for how he treated Hassan as a boy. This goes along with the theme of guilt and justice. Amir has felt guilty all of his life for how he did not help Hassan in the alley while he was being hurt by Assef, and so he is relieved because he feels that the beating he is receiving from Assef is justice for his own past actions.


Example of irony:
"He'd kept that promise with Hassan. Now it was my turn" (p.286)

This is an example of irony because after all the years, Amir has come back to save Hasssan's son, when Amir couldnt defend Hassan the day he got shot. This is ironic because it shows that Assef had finished his "business" by killing Hassan, and now it was Amir's turn. But Amir had returned for Hassan's son, and not actually for Hassan. This makes it possible that Amir is not going to get himself make a mistake of getting himself killed like Hassan did!

I also see this quote as ironic. When someone is about to fight someone else, one does not expect that person to go into a fight expecting that they would be defeated. Amir goes into this fight knowing that he will not win, but he knows that he has to for Hassan. He has to fight Assef in order to "be good again."

[asdf99]

The Tragedy of Sohrab and Rostam is very much related to The Kite Runner. Hosseini references this myth throughout the book to show the relationship between his novels characters and events and the myth.
The character of Sohrab in the myth can be related to both Amir and Hassan.
• “ “If you’re Rostam.” He said, “you slew me while some evil humor had confused your mind. I tried in every way to draw you forth, But not an atom of yoru love was stirred.” (650)
o This passage in the myth represents Amir and Baba’s relationship. Throughout most of the novel Amir longs for Baba’s acceptance and tries in every way to receive some love from him.
• Sohrab in the myth can also be related to Hassan in the aspect of fatherhood. Sohrab is the result of a single encounter between Rostam and Tamine. Sohrab does not meet his father for most of his life. The same is seen with Hassan in The Kite Runner. Hassan is also the result of an encounter between Baba and Sanaubar, and does not know that Baba is his father for most of his life.
• “ “What does this mean? Why are you sad at heart?” He told them of his strange and baffling deed. Of how he’d slain the one he held most dear.”
o This passage shows the similarity between the mistake of Amir and the mistake of Sohrab. Amir’s mistake of not saving Hassan from Assef affects the rest of his life as he struggles to repent his sins, just like Sohrab feels in the myth.

[cl@rinetguy42]

Another reference to Hassan as a Christ figure can be found in Chapter 16: "Then, in mourning for your father, Hassan wore black for the next forty days. (208)"
Just as Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days, Hassan shows mourning for Amir's father for 40 days.

[Geekzilla93]

After reading the Tragedy of Sohrab and Rostam, I saw so many comparisons between it and The Kite Runner.

First of all talk about irony, which of course fills the pages of the Kite Runner. It was completely depressing how Sohrab spends so much of his time looking for his father and his father ends up being the man who slays him, and in Rostam's point of view he kills the person he cares for the most in the world.

Second I saw so much of a comparison between both Hassan and Sohrab.
Both Baba and Rostam are seen as these great men who in secret had some sort of realtionship with women they were not supposed to be with (Baba: a Hazara, Rostam: a Turkish princess) and in result their sons are born without their knowledge. So when Sohrab and Hazan grow up niether know who their father's are and yet both of them end up dying for them in some way. Sohrab dies by his father's hand not knowing it was his father at first, and Hassan dies in trying to protect the house for Baba and Amir without knowing that Baba was actually his father.

Most definitely, our class looked into a nice condensed version of the story as well. The parallels are quite obvious once the reader reaches the twist of the Kite Runner. There is another concept that is deeply explained in the myth and that is the weight of forgiveness and the guilt that comes from committing a terrible thing.

Amir was already weighed down by guilt from what he failed to do for Hassan despite the fact Hassan would defend him a "thousand times over". Hassan is represented as a Christ figure throughout the novel and one of the qualities of a Christ figure is that s/he is a very forgiving character. This is shown by Hassan as he tries to revive his relationship with Amir post-trauma and when he forgives his own mother without a second thought, despite the fact she abandoned him and his father and did so cruelly. There is also the chance that if he found out the truth about his blood, he would have probably forgiven Baba as well. Hassan is the definition of a christ figure, it is portrayed through the wounds upon his hands, the fact he was killed by a wound to his head, and the open arm imagry he had upon catching the blue kite for Amir. There is also the sequence with the lamb.

So Hassan really does forgive Amir, despite his betrayal, because he continually sends letters that Amir never recieves. But even though Hassan forgave Amir, Amir never feels relief. The guilt still weighs him down.
Sohrab forgives Rostam and says that there is no need to shed tears, his death was fate and of course fate cannot be fought against. Hassan is like Sohrab, he is sacrificed, but he forgives.
Amir does not feel relief from the guilt until he had faced his violent retribution through his second confrontation with Aseef.


Another reference to Hassan as a Christ figure can be found in Chapter 16: "Then, in mourning for your father, Hassan wore black for the next forty days. (208)"
Just as Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days, Hassan shows mourning for Amir's father for 40 days.

There are many references to Hassan being a Christ figure throughout the novel. Our class learned about christ figures from a book called How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster.
Here are a few of the characteristics that Hassan fits into:

1. Crucified, wounds in the hands, feet, side, and head.
Hassan had scars from the kite string upon his fingers and he was killed by a bullet to the head. He shed his own blood only for others sake, whether it was to hold the tar for Amir or to protect the land he was raised upon.

2. In agony.
This one isn't very subtle. It is obvious that Hassan suffers post-trauma, his body withers, and Amir even says at one point that Hassan looked old Not aged, but old. His body withers, the youth peels off and Hassan is rather withdrawn.

3. Self-sacrificing.
Well...this one is obvious. Amir even describes the look in Hassan's eyes and compared it to the look that lambs and sheep had before they were sacrificed for a higher purpose. Hassan sacrifices his well-being to get the kite for Amir and his life to protect the land he was raised on. Hassan had only shed his blood throughout the entire novel just for others and this was symbolized by the time Amir pelted him with pomegrantes in seek of retribution.

4. Often portrayed with arms outstretched
Amir remarked about how incredible it was that Hassan always knew where the kite would land and even described one awe taking moment where Hassan had outstretched his arms and the kite fell right into them.

5. Believed to have had a confrontation with the Devil.
Aseef is a man who idolizes Hitler, believes in ethnic cleansing, kills brutally and unmercifully, treats execution like a ball game, rapes and molests, and knows the scripture perectly (it is said that the Devil can quote scripture as well) All of these qualities make Aseef a devil-esque character in my point of view.

6. Last seen in the company of many thieves.
The people who took his life were trying to steal his land.

7. Very forgiving.
I highlighted on this in my previous post.

8. Came to redeem an unworthy world.
Amir describes a vivid dream he had about being trapped in a snow storm. He is rescued by these out reaching scarred hands and pulled into a peaceful meadow where everything is okay. Hassan is a pure and sincere character, he doesn't seem to be flawed and he seems to be of a much higher moral character than any of the other characters described in the novel.


I think the book was good, yet I wouldn't consider it a great book.

It was nice to read, interesting, moving etc. However, I think that Hosseini took it a little too far from time to time, especially in the end, where Hassan's son didn't get the visa for the US. There have been so many, for my taste too many, turns in the story and so many terrible strokes of fate that made the book kitschy. I mean come on, who really thought that Hassan's son wouldn't be able to stay in the US??

I think he also described the conflict between Pashtos and Hazaras a little too one sided, presenting stereotypes that could have been avoided (Hazara=servant; Pashto=Master).

Yet, I'm reading "a thousand splendid suns" at the moment because I considered the Kite Runner a good read. But again Hosseini's story is not really ecxiting because the fates of the characters are so stereotypical and do not really tell a new story.

Ben.

One thing I enjoyed about Hosseini's novels is that they are honest and do a pretty well job at portraying the culture of those areas. He wasn't trying to give us a happy ending where Amir led Sohrab to the beautiful western world where culture is much less biased and everything is good. He is trying to show us that these difficulties are real.
The caste system is very real and sometimes it can be very master-servant esque thing. There are many stories of people being rejected from society and forced to live on the outskirts of land simply because of their blood. The caste system is very brutal in many cases and the portrayal that Hosseini showed of the system is very accurate. I remember from when I was raised in the south asian area, thre were only two types of people. The really rich people with the plethora of servants and money...then there were the amputated beggars rolling around on broken skateboards trying to beg for some money. I do not remember there being much of a middle class. I recommend reading The God of Small Things, it also does an excellent portrayal of the caste system.

Now...the visa issue is true in real life. It is difficult to get a visa to the states, it is difficult to adopt a child who is a registered orphan overseas even when the country has a stable government. It is also not that rare of an occasioan that people in the south asian culture do not have a birth certificate or or something of the like. Think of how incredibly hard, if not impossible, it is to bring over a child who is not a 'registered orphan', who has no birth certificate and is from a very war torn country to the states. This war torn country also doesn't agree much to adopting as well.
It is hard to get a visa to the states, and the general public will think its a very cruel system, but it is real.

I believe that one thing that people have trouble comprehending about this book is the fact that it seems blood is more important than ethics.
In that culture, blood and family honor is deeply important. People are generally not known for their independent personalities, they are known by their family name.
The sad thing is, people do not have control over their blood and one social faux pas could result in shame for every generation to come afterwards.

Baba did not tell Hassan the truth because he was aware of the dishonor it would bring to him, so he was tortured by the betrayal he brought to Hassan because of his actions. Blood matters a lot, being married to first cousins is also considered not that abnormal because it is more like one is preserving the family and blood line. So that is why adopting is considered such a taboo, not only does it suggest infertility of the couple, but no one knows the blood of that child and whose genes s/he carries.
Americans are very independent people who view people as individuals and not as a person belonging to this specific unit, so adopting isn't considered taboo because we are not a very collectivisitic society.


Sure but that this one beggar turns out to have known his mother? It was as if he wanted to condition us to expect other coincidences. In fact he even remarks that people from outside Afghanistan might be surprised at the frequency of coincidence there.



Why indeed not? But they were already as close as if they had been brothers.



Not necessarily, since Rahmin Khan had maintained contact with him, but the author would have had one hell of a time writing the scene in which Amir apologizes to him! Rather than attempt to write this without getting schmaltzy he invokes this deus ex machina in reverse: Hassan is dispatched by the Taliban and Sohrab turns out not only to have inherited his father's outstanding skill with a slingshot but - as Hassan himself would have done - he rescues Amir! Phooey! And much as we may have wished for retribution for the wicked Assem, he owed us NOT to provide that since in reality the bad guys - the really bad guys - more often than not go unpunished. Or at least they are not punished right before their victims' eyes.

Now the first point you mentioned is just a quirk that many south asians tend to have. Since blood is so important in collectivistic cultures such as Afghanistan's, it really isn't all that uncommon for people to indirectly know each other from meeting past ancestors. I'm a person who was born in a south asian country but moved to the states, people I have never met before will recognize me as belonging to such and such family and they will know members of my immediate family without even directly meeting them.
It really isn't that strange of a concept for someone from such a society where everyone is interconnected.

The point about bad guys not being punished, I bring up a previous point again. Hosseini isn't writing an ideal hero's quest, he is trying to stick to reality. And the reality is, is that in that time period, in that specific place, the 'bad guys' could get away with it. The concept of 'bad guys' and 'good guys' is a rather perception view. Remember, the Taliban were once considered heros for saving Afghanistan before they became corrupted and power hungry. So Hosseini isn't writing a neat romantic story with a nice happy ending, he is trying to portray reality, and Afghanistan in that time period (and even today) is not a very happy place with ideal endings.


"'Blood is a powerful thing, Bachem'...maybe this was my punishment." (188)

I think this shows not only how Amir is being punished, but it also represents how Baba was punished. Since blood is so important, Hassan being Baba's son but not being treated the same must have tortured Baba. Amir talks of how he represented the guilt that Baba had, and Hassan represented the good things that Baba had.

"The park shimmered with snow so fresh, so dazzling white, it burned my eyes" (370)

Snow represents purity and cleanness. In this scene of the book, the main characters are trying to regain their innocence and childhood. The kite flying scene occurs at the start of the year showing new beginnings. The fact the that snow "burned [Amir's] eyes" shows how his innocence now is a pain for him, and it will never be the same as it once was.

Many things in this novel are mentioned as "God's Will". I thought it was interesting that it was said to be God's Will that Amir did not have kids since Hassan's son ended up in his care, and Sohrab was born around the same time Amir wanted kids. Also, Assef also called what he was doing with the Taliban 'God's Will'. Since the Taliban indirectly ended up giving a Amir a son, and redemning him from his life of guilt, it would seem as though it was indeed the will of what was to happen.

I would like to add on about the snow thing with a symbolism for winter time, while winter time in Kabul is a very god period, symbolically, it usually represents the end of life. Spring- birth, Summer- growth, Fall- Memories/harvest, Winter- death.
Hassan's rape fell into winter and Amir describes how it seems that Hassan has aged. Hassan is old, not looking a bit more mature, but old after the trauma Hassan experienced. Hassan's innocence was stolen that winter, so a part of him died.

Now about the God's Will point...I really never thought about it that way and that really did open my eyes. It also creates another parallel to the myth of Rostam and Sohrab, Sohrab's dying words were something like 'don't shed tears, for my death was fate, there is no use in shedding tears for fate'. Fate and God's will can be equal to a point simply because both involves powers that we cannot control or resist.