Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Live Blogging: Kite Runner, Chapters 17-18

Dive right in!

112 comments:

Jenna F said...

So.... Anyone want to put their favorite passage up?

amandab said...

I think his letter was kind because he forgives him, and I also think that Hassan misses Amir and wants him to come back and wants him back in his life.

kaseyb said...

I think that I agree with Rachel that the reason why the letter was so kind was that that is just the way Hassan is.

chadf said...

I believe that Hassans letter was so kind because of how much love he had for Amir. He would give the world to be with Amir. I also think that he knows they are half-brothers and he really wants to be with Amir.

jenniferb said...

I think Hassan's letter to Amir was kind and sincere because he realized that he can't be mean at Amir forever. And it is his character to forgive everyone. Hassan also loves Amir very much.

toreinm said...

Hassan Had Always Been A Kind Person.
Hassan's Letter To Amir Would Be Really Kind Just Because Hassan Was A Kind Person. I Doubt That Hassan Was Ever Really Mad At Amir. He Still Loved Him Through Everything.

TraciAnn said...

this is chelsea chapman...
I think that Hassan's letter was so ind to amir even after everything he had done to him because i think that is just who Hassan is...he has always beeen very loyal to amir and he would be until his death

hilary l said...

Hassan has always been committed to Amir. He has always loved him like a brother and after a while Amir realized that he is actually his brother. Hassan would do anything for Amir even when Amir wouldn't help Hassan.

Tabitha M said...

I believe Hassan will always have a soft spot for Amir and that he never holds a grude. Like what RACHEL FILTER says he always lets things go and forgives. Hassan is amazing unlike Amir for he still wanted to be friends until the end of time unlike Amir who did nothing to show his love.

chadf said...

Does anyone think that Hassan was mad at Amir for letting him get raped?

Shelby M. said...

I think hassan misses amir and hassan wants amir to be in his life

Maria A. said...

Sure why not Jenna! Ok, so my favorite passage was on page 193 at the bottom when he was talking about Soraya laying on his chest in the bed just thinking and sharing kisses and stuff. haha i just thought it was really cute and a part in the book where two people were like one on one with eachother.

Jenna F said...

I disagree with Chad on the point that Hassan knew that them being half brothers. The way Rahim told Amir... it just doesnt seem like Ali, Rahim or Baba would be able to tell him or let it slip.

toreinm said...

Kinda Like What Hilary Said, Hassan Had Always Loved Amir Like A Brother. And I Think Somehow Hassan Subconsciously Knew Something Like That Was Going On.

jake a. said...
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Travisg said...

I think that his letter was so kind because that's who hassan is. I think that e forgave Amir for what happened and he is still trying to get over the fact that he just let hassan get rapped and so he is trying to be as nice and i think that he realize's that they were just kids so he was scared and didn't know what to do.

Christine said...

I think the letter was nice just because Hassan had forgave Amir and the fact that the two of them grew up as basically brothers. They were really close and i think Hassan thaought they could gain that freindshp again!

BrookeG said...

Alison asked how Ali and Baba's relationship compares to Hassan and Amir's. I think that they are fairly similar, because even though they are close friends, Amir and Baba see Hassan and Ali are servants too. Baba repects Ali and Hassan much more than Amir does though.

kaseyb said...

I agree with Tyler that Hassan and Amir have a one sided love relationship... Hassan loves Amir but I think that Amir will never love Hassan like he needs to.

hilary l said...

Amir has never been able to return the favor to Hassan for what Hassan has done for him and i think that Amir feels bad about that but because he knows he cannot return the favor and live up to what Hassan has done for him he doesn't even try

amandab said...

I agree with what Jaime said that Amir is more disloyal to Hassan than Baba to Ali.

jake a. said...

i think it was so nice because hassan loved him like a brother and wanted to see him

TraciAnn said...

Allison asked why Ali and Baba's relationship mirror Hassan and Amir's relationsip. I think that Ali and Baba were friends as were Amir and Hassan. Baba took away Ali's pride and dignity by being Hassan's real father and Amir took away Hassan's pride by the kite experience. Amir only learns from his father and his personality is a lot like is father's.

Maria A. said...

I agree with Shelby on Amir missing Hassan in a way but doesn't really want to show it to other people. It can show sometimes but usually Amir tries to hide it. In the inner circle when Jordan wondered about going back with the relationship with Amir and Hassan, I think it would change and have seen the other persons life almost in their point of view.

Jenna F said...

Do you think if an Assef character was in the life of Ali and Baba, would their lives, which were so simliar to their 'sons', would have turned out differently? Or was it the world around Hassan and Amir that influenced the path they took?

toreinm said...

I'm Not Sure That Baba And Ali Could Have A Relationship As Good As It Looks Because Of How Hassan Was Born.
Ali Was Probably Pretty Unhappy With Baba Then.
They Both Had Some Very Hard Times In Their Relationship.
And Baba Did Look Down On Ali And He Never Seemed To Express Any Kind Of Love Towards Ali. Publicly Anyway.

jenniferb said...

I agree with Tyler where Baba and Amir look down on Hassan and Ali because they have pride. Hassan and Ali are also in a lower social status than Baba and Amir are.

TraciAnn said...

this is chelsea chapman...
it think that things might have been different had Amir knew he was his half brother but i wish that it wasnt like that i wish it was that Amir was just as loyal to Hassan as a friend and as a brother.

Tabitha M said...

I believe that Amir would have treated Hassan with a lot more love if he had known that they were real brothers all along. Like MRS. LECLAIRE said I think that if they knew they were related, that Amir would have helped Hassan when he was butt raped. If Amir knew they were related, he could possibly have been sucking up to Hassan the whole time and not his dad.

Tabitha M said...
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toreinm said...

In Response To Jenna, I Don't Think It Would've Been Too Much Different.
Baba Was Much More Courageous And Baba Would Have Stood Up To Whoever Before Something Like That Happened.

kaseyb said...

I really think that Jordan's question about how if Amir and Hassan would have known that they were brothers. I think that Amir would have stuck up for Hassan when he got raped, and he wouldn't have thought of Hassan as just a Hazara.

hilary l said...

I think that things would changed if Amir knew that Hassan was his half brother. I think that Amir would have stood up for Hassan when he was getting raped like a big brother would have done and everything would have changed in the story because Amir thinks of Hassan as a servant instead of a brother.

amandab said...

I think that everything would have changed if Amir found out earlier. I don't think it would be a good turn out because I think there would probably be a lot of competition for attention from Baba, but also it would be good because Amir would be proud to stand up for his brother, not just thinking of Hassan as a servant that doesn't mean anything.

jake a. said...

i thinkit would of been a different situation because he treats his family well and if he knew hassan was his half brother it would of turned out differently

BrookeG said...

I agree with Rachel when she said that if Hassan and Amir knew they were brothers, that it would have created more tension. It would have made Amir more competitive than he already was.

Christine said...

Do you think that the fact that Baba and Ali have drifted apart from their childhood because of Hassan being Baba's son instead of Ali's.

jenniferb said...

I think Amir would have changed if he knew about Hassan being his half brother. I think Amir would have stood up for him when he was being raped and he wouldn't look at Hassan as just his servant. He would also include Hassan in the activities he participated in.

chadf said...

I think that if Amir knew they werer brothers then they would have had a much different relationship. Amir would have been proud to be seen with him in public. But they might not have been as tight as they were.

TraciAnn said...

No i don't think it would have really changed if they knew they were brothers. Hassan would have still been the servant in the eyes of Amir. The only change would be that Amir would feel even more guilty then he did. I still don't think that Amir would have saved Hassan. The fact that they were brothers wouldn't have changed Amir's personality. He would have still be afraid.

Maria A. said...

Jamie's thought on haveing the brothers going to get the kite together instead of having one go off by their self is a really good way to look at it. Then if there was two brothers together the rape maybe wouldn't happen but then again they could have had both brothers get raped. So it could either be a good thing or a bad thing.

hilary l said...

Amir would have also not been as confused and selfish about having his father's respect when he was a child. He would not have been so selfish about his father only loving him instead of giving Hassan attention as well.

toreinm said...

In Response To Christine, I Think Yes. I Think That's A Good Part Of The Reason Why They Would Drift Apart.
But I Also Think Ali May Have Been Greatful. If He Couldn't Have His Own Child, At Least He Could Have A Child.

Jenna F said...

Is there any solid evidence that Ali and Baba have drifted apart? Yes i know that Ali is a Hazara and Baba's servant but they still do things together in private just as Rahim and Baba do.

Tabitha M said...

Definitely agree with JASON when he said that Amir were definitely be embarrassed about Hassan being his brother. Amir has a rollercoaster of a life and like RACHEL said that everything keeps being thrown at him and it is a struggle for him and his country to find peace.

allie f. said...

I agree with Jaime and Rachel that if they knew they were brothers things would of been much more different, for instance he would of stuck up for his brother when he was being raped and he wouldnt have made him run for the kite.

kaseyb said...

I agree with Jason that if Amir would have known that they were brothers, that Amir would have been more embarrassed of Hassan because he was both a Hazara and his brother, and that they wouldn't have the relationship they had. However, I also think that it might have been better because since the idea of the Afghan family is one that is so close that Amir might have thought that it didn't matter...but I am not sure.

Christine said...

I deffinetly think that if AMir and Hassan had known about the two of them being brothers then Amir would have treated him with more respect ad he probebly would have helped Hassan instead of running like a coward!

KelliL10 said...

I agree with Jamie on how she said that maybe if Amir didn't make Hassan go and get the Kite maybe it would show more respect or something.

Travisg said...

I agree with tyler and how the only reason they were friends was becasue they grew up together and i think that Amir is justifying what he did to hassan by saying that o he's jsut my servent he doesn't matter but i think that hassan was trying to be a true friend and for the most part he was a friend that most people would look for.

toreinm said...

If Hassan And Amir Knew They Were Brothers, It Really Would've Turned Out Differently. But I Don't Know That It Would've Been In The Good Way.
There Could've Been Competition Between Them.
And Ali Would Probably Feel Slightly Excluded.

BrookeG said...

I agree with Allison when she says that everytime everything seems to be going well for Amir, something brings him back to his past or something bad happens. Like when he gets married everything is great, and then he finds out that he cannot have children. So it;s kind of like karma for what he let happen for Hassan.

TraciAnn said...

Amir's life is so crazy and the secrets from his past never seise to amaze him. This is very much like the situation in Kabul because the Taliban in Kabul is crazy and when he went back to visit he was surprised at how different everything was. When Amir's past was not what it seemed to be, Kabul's past was different too.

amandab said...

I think that Hassan is playing the same games as him and Amir did when they were little with his son because he misses those times and they were good memories and he wants to bring them back.

KelliL10 said...

I agree with Rachel and Allison how she said Hassan was such a greater person and how he taught his son how to read and stuff and wants to see the image of Amir too and thinks highly of him.

hilary l said...

I think that Hassan treats his son and does think with his son the way he did things with Amir when he was a little boy because he enjoyed his childhood with Amir so much and he wants his son to feel the same way.

Tabitha M said...

I bet that Amir feels horrible because Hassan forgave him in the letter and Amir came to late and Hassan was already killed. Amir has a very vivid picture of all his childhood and remembers everything about it.

kaseyb said...

I think that the reason that Hassan and his son are reliving the things that Hassan and Amir did together is because like Allison said, that he will always love Amir and respect him and because they had such good times together, so Hassan wanted his son to experience these things.

hilary l said...

Hassan did not want his son to grow up uneduacated as he did. He wants the best life for his son no matter what happens because he cares for him so much.

toreinm said...

I Think Amir Probably Does Feel Horrible In Response To The Letter, To Know That If He Hadn't Left Hassan, He Would've Been Alive Right Then.
And Hassan Completely Forgave Amir For Everything, Even Though Amir Was, Indirectly, The Cause Of Hassan's Death.

Tabitha M said...

I think that since Amir can't have any kids with his lame wife, that he is taking this opportunity to his advantage to get a son. With Amir trying to save Hassan's kid he probably wants him to be his new son and by doing this he will be getting closer on what he did to Hassan. It is as if he is paying Hassan back and doing all he can to finally make everything right even with Hassan in his grave.

Jenna F said...

"Then he [Ali] 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. Hassan and I fed from the same breasts." (11) Do you think that by syaing this Ali was hinting at Hassan and Amir being related by blood?

jenniferb said...

I think Hassan didn't want his son to have the same childhood as he did. He admired Amir and that is why he taught his son how to read and write so he could become like Amir. Hassan also wanted his son to experience a better life and wanted him to be successful. I agree with Tyler in that Hassan didn't want his son to grow up without friends so he became his friend.

BrookeG said...

Allison asked how has America changed Amir? And when Amir goes to see Rahim Khan, Rahim Khan says that America has made Amir more optimistic. And it has made him follow his dreams more I think.

toreinm said...

I Agree With Leclaire. Baba Probably Feels Really Guilty For Hassan And The Whole Thing With Him.
Baba Probably Feels Like He Probably Needs To Make Up For That.
And Baba Probably Treated Amir Extra Good Because He Felt He Needed To Redeem Himself.

Maria A. said...

Going to Jenna's question, I do think they really are brother's and sometimes it doesn't seem like it but I think sometimes in the book they have connections as like a family thing but also connections where they do not get along.

chadf said...

I would cast Zac Effron as Amir and there wouldnt be a Baba

toreinm said...

I Think Hassan Probably Doesn't Have The Deformity In The Movie BECAUSE It Probably Evokes More Sympathy For Hassan. Hassan Is Probably More Favored By The Audience.
I Think Though, That The Deformity Was Highly Relevant To The Story Line.

TraciAnn said...

Alison asked "How does Amir's life in America change him and his honor to his background?" I think that maybe Amir is trying to live his life in America to the fullest and get the most out of it, so he forgets what is most important. This is bad and good. He shouldn't let his culture or past keep him from pusuing his dreams but then on the other hand he shouldn't forget who he is or his past.

jenniferb said...

To answer Jenna's question-
I do think Ali was hinting to Hassan and Amir was related to each other. Ali wanted Hassan and Amir to have a good relationship, regardless of the different social status they had. Ali wanted the two of them to know the truth about each other.

Travisg said...

I think that hassan really wants his son to be happy and have something like the childhood that hassan had when he was growing up but they don't really have anything they can do about what they had and i also thing that hassan is a little worryed that the same thing will happen to hassans son and he doesn't want that to happen because what parent would want that to happen to there kid?

toreinm said...

Often Things Are Left Out In Movies Just For The Sake Of Simplicity Though.
But The Kite Runner SHould Have Been A Fairly High Budget Movie.

amandab said...

I think they left it out because they want to show him as a good person or soemthing like that. Either that or they didn't want the audience dislike him for it or distract them.

TraciAnn said...

this is chelsea chapman...
i think that ever since amir was younger he has felt alot more powerful compared to hassan just because he does have a better life and does not have to work as a servent and so i think that amir has always felt on top of hassan so i think thats why he has always treated hassan worse then hassan treats amir. but now that amir is looking back at his life and discovering new things he feels a lot of guilt. i think that amir will go find hassans son

nathanb said...

asdlfj

chadf said...

I think he is willing to stop forgeting because he realizes that he messed up in life and should just accept it.

Keiko A said...

I think that Amir wants to give closure to his past and make things right again. Plus, he wants to confront hs past instead of hiding from it like he has done for his whole life.

kaseyb said...

I think that Amir wants to stop forgetting his past because he realizes that he is missing out on a lot of things, and also I think that all the trauma he experienced is still inside of him just bursting to come out.

hilary l said...

I think that Amir realizes that ignoring the past for so long is not the right way to do things. He doesn't want to deny himself by pretending that he didn't do something for Hassan because he went back and helped Hassan's son by getting him out of the orphanage.

toreinm said...

I Think Amir Probably Doesn't Feel Like Discussing The Reason For Being There. I Think Amir Feels Really Guilty For That.

Bandido said...

Amir wants to forget about this whole ordeal. because earlier on he even says he's doing this right away before his doubts and fears convince him not to go find Hassan's son.

nathanb said...

I definately agree with Hillary. Trying to forget about your past isn't the way to go. Instead you should face your problems head on.

nathanb said...
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kaseyb said...

I think that the stoning has a little bit of significance, just that it shocked him, but I don't think that it is foreshadowing anything.

toreinm said...

I Think The Events Before The Soccer Game Held Serious Significance To Amir.
Yes, There's Probably Some Culture Shock, That's Undeniable.
But I Also Think That The Brutality Would Effect Anyone.
And That The Brutality Will Have Significance Later On In The Story.

Keiko A said...

I think that it is a little significant because he had wittnessed that type of brutality when he saw Hassan get raped and I think that it showed the differences between American and Afghanistani culture.

hilary l said...

I think the stoning of the man and the woman was significant because Amir realized how terrible it was in Kabul now. He realized that it is totally different than before and it shocked him.

Bandido said...

Another great rivalry similar to Shiites and Sunnis is the one between the flamers and the 49ers.

But back to Amir being back in Kabul, it probably is so full of flashbacks that he can't take a step without thinking about his past.

toreinm said...

I Agree With Tyler, In That Hassan Was The Reason Amir Would Ever Go Back To Kabul.

kaseyb said...

I agree with Whitney that now Amir is back in Kabul he is weary and empty because Hassan is not there anymore.

nathanb said...

This is Jaime.
I think the stoning didn't forshadow anything...but it helped him recognize the difference between life in Kabul and life in America

toreinm said...

I Think Amir Wasn't Ever As Attached To It As Baba Was.
I Think It Was Also Probably Just That Maybe He Thought Nothing Would Ever Be Right With Hassan And Ali Gone.

Amir Really Was More Realistic, But Baba Was More Pride And Fantasies.

chadf said...

I think he learned of how Baba wasnt this great person after all. ALso Baba was very optamistic while Amir is more of a pesimist.

Bandido said...

Amir is a sissy. That is why he gives up so easily. See chapters 1-21 for proof.

Keiko A said...

I think that Amir gave up so easily because he had usually perserveered throught things to impress his father, but after he found out that Baba wasn't the person he thought he was, so he didn't really see the reason to go on.

hilary l said...

Amir has doubts about everything his father said to him. He doesn’t trust him anymore because Baba lied to him about having a bustard child and he is mad at him for doing that.

nathanb said...

I'm so confused on this part...anyone care to explain?

kaseyb said...

I think that Amir is so focused on retrieving Hassan's son because it is a way to be good again. I think that because he reallly deep down he loved Hassan and so he wants to repay him for everything.

hilary l said...

I think that Amir thinks that if he finds Hassan's son than he will feel better about his life. He really needed to make it up to Hassan for everything he did for him and this is his last chance to pay him back for his commitment to Amir.

hilary l said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
hilary l said...

I think that Amir thinks that if he finds Hassan's son than he will feel better about his life. He really needed to make it up to Hassan for everything he did for him and this is his last chance to pay him back for his commitment to Amir.

Keiko A said...

I agree with Tyler, I think that Amir is trying to make things right with him and Hassan, even though Hassan is dead he feels that if he gets his son back then it would make up for what he had done to him in the past.

toreinm said...

Baba Probably Never Talked About Amir's Mom Because It Was Really To Painful For Him.
Maybe He Felt Like It Was An Exchange. His Wife For His Son, Where His Son Was The Only One He Had Then.
He Had To Totally Forget About His Wife

toreinm said...

I Don't Think It Will Effect It Too Negatively. There Really Is No Way He's Just Going To Fly Off To Kabul Without Telling Her Where He's Going.

And I Don't Think She'll Get Too Upset By It.

hilary l said...

I think Amir should have told his wife about Hassan because she opened up to Amir about running away with a man and sinning. I think that Amir will end up telling her about it because that is the reason he went back to Kabul and it will help their relationship because she wont feel like she is the only bad one.

kaseyb said...

I think that the secrets that Amir hides from his wife will for sure affect their relationship. I think that when he tells her about the rape, she will be shocked but then once she knows the full story, she will be okay.

nathanb said...

Cool.
You guys are a bunch of help.
:D

toreinm said...

The Past Is Always Going To Remain. No Matter What You Do You Aren't Going To Change Your Past.
And No Matter Where Amir Goes, He Finds Himself Reliving His Past.

Bandido said...

He should have told Soraya about his past when she was revealing to Amir. This way there would be nothing between them like when Amir was talking about how there was something between them like a baby. Except it's not a baby but it could have possibly been him sensing that Hassan has a child now and they are spiritually connected. We now return to your regular broadcasting.

Keiko A said...

I agree with Jenna when she said that everywhere Amir goes something from his past is dug up, even if he doesn't want it to happen, because he lived there he has a lot of memories from there and only one thing has to trigger them.

kaseyb said...

I am sure that he thinks about his wife but now he is just a little more distracted at the moment. However, I agree with Tyler that he is trying not to think of her because he doesn't want to be sad and worry about her.

jenniferb said...

I agree with Kasey in that he really wanted to become good again, especially after not saving Hassan. And the way to be good again is to go after Hassan's child and save him. He has always loved Hassan, even if he didn't show it and this is the way to repay him for what he did. On page 226 Amir is thinking of what Rahim Khan said,” There is a way to be good again, he'd said." Rahim Khan knows that if Amir goes to Kabul and saves Hassan's child then he will become 'good again'.

I think it was good that Amir didn't tell his wife about him going to Kabul because then she would have worried then entire time he was there. However, I do think he should have called and told her he would have to stay longer.