First Analysis

I have liked this book so far. Hosseini does a good job at putting the reader in the perspective of a young child and leads them through the feeling and thoughts realistically. As for the characters, I like Hassan the most. He is like Amir’s guardian angel, Baba’s dream son, and a character that the reader should feel some sort of sympathy for because of all the controversy he has overcome in his life and still become such a good person. Amir has me on and off. I sympathize with him when he gets so upset about his father’s neglect and the lack of attention he gives him because I know that for a son, the father’s judgment is very important, and so seeing his dad consider him a disappointment, as he has shown, obviously affects him deeply and depresses him. The moments when I don’t like him and actually side with the dad on his disapproval of his son are in instances that he thinks himself so much higher than Hassan. It is evident that young kids are always competing to see who is better, but it gets me mad that Amir tries to make Hassan feel less than him when all Hassan does is love and care for Amir. 

Davis Knaub

Hassan > Amir

At first glance, this story seems like a simple relationship between two boys amidst an Afghany way of life that many seem to be oblivious to. I know, personally, that I was surprised to see Afghanistan depicted with such normalcy. For people of my generation, we have always associated the country Afghanistan with war and terrorism. It has been interesting in the preliminary parts of this novel to see this nation in a different light, a nation with the same children plagued with the same friendly rivalries and the same typical neighborhood bullies. I am finding the relationship between Hassan and Amir particularly intriguing. Born into a privileged life, Amir seems to have everything he could ever wish for, except his father’s affections. Hassan, on the other hand, is a Sunni Muslim born to a deformed father, both of which are constantly tormented for their looks and religion. I find it ironic that the one thing that Hassan has that Amir hasn’t is the one thing that Amir desires more than anything, Baba’s admiration. Amir knows that he is not the son that his father hoped for and often envies Hassan for it. This childish jealousy shows the naivety of both of these characters, specifically Amir. I immediately find myself drawn to Hassan over Amir. Basically, Amir is a little brat who has everything in life and cannot even show some decency to Hassan through his immature jokes making fun of his illiteracy. He is jealous of Hassan because Baba likes him more which is not really difficult to decipher why. Overall, I continue reading this book with an immediate dislike for Amir and a pure admiration for Hassan. 

First Thoughts

I am enjoying this book because it is written from a perspective of a culture I do not know much about. The new girls from Serbia on my team say that the rest of the world pictures Americans as out of touch, silly, ignorant, and wasteful. It shows when I read this book because it has been so long since I’ve studied the difference between Sunni and Shia, and now learning about the difference of Pashtuns and Hazaras, I feel like I’m being exposed to the way this society works for the first time. Especially in recent times people just clump together the ideas and cultures of “Middle Eastern” people and people of the Islam religion, yet don’t really know what they are talking about. I hope we talk a little bit about that in class but I think I need to take the time to look up from a historical standpoint whats happening as well. 

The author is pure and honest because he exposes some of his darker and not “good” thoughts like envy and jealousy. I was mostly drawn to the uncomfortable and sad dynamic of between Amir and his father. Even though they have a deeper past then most with the cloud of his dad believing its Amir’s fault for stealing his mothers life, I could still find them relatable. With many of us not far from choosing a college it brings out that side in parents where they try to make you understand them, but don’t attempt to understand you. I thought that was a huge problem with Amir because his dad was disappointed his son did not end up more like him, but at the same time he was not any better because he did not try to adapt to the way his son is.  

Amir's "Superiority" to Hassan

As the novel began, i interpreted Amir's and Hassan's relationship as childhood best friends, however, as the story unfolded, i understood that he was far from that. Amir being born to a high social class family and Hassan being born to a low social class family, Amir having a powerful, rich and influencing father and Hassan having a weak, crippled, made-fun-of father, it will be difficult to have mutual feelings toward one another.
The problem is that Amir will always consider himself superior to Hassan, even though he has no power or reason to do so. By reading history books about his Pashtun history of always overpowering the Hazaras, by having the Hazaras as his family's servants, Amir will never see Hassan as a "best friend". Hassan is a lovely, innocent child that had no control of his place in society, he lives  happy life and does a s he is told. Not having the opportunity to go to school, he has Amir to read to him and explain some thought he cannot learn by not going to school. However, through the first forty ages, any reader can perceive that Hassan is an extremely smart kid that has a deep understanding of logic, something that cannot be taught in school and something that Amir does not embody within him. This brings jealousy to Amir, how sometimes Hassan is able to contribute, or "criticize" Amir's stories. Amir has trouble with jealousy, something that i think is common within children. Even childhood best friends will always want to be better than the other at any aspect in life, being better at skipping stones, being admired by a father, having great intellect etc.
The relationship between Amir and Hassan is a unique one that interests me tremendously.  The way that Amir considers himself superior to Hassan, the way he is living the good life while Hassan isn't, the way Hassan is able t live his difficult life and still exceed Amir's abilities in some aspects in life will alway create conflict within their relationship. I am looking forward to a great book as the opening relationship of the novel has intrigued me tremendously.

Kite Runner First Blog

I am enjoying reading this book. Honestly, I saw the movie a couple of years ago and it is very interesting to see the differences between the two. I think that seeing the movie is helping me a lot though. It allows me to have an image of what is going on in my head while I am reading.
Despite knowing the storyline, I am still liking this book, which is probably due to the fact that it is very realistic (if it is not actual a real story).
What has appealed to me in these first 40 pages is the differences between the two classes. We find out the Amir and Hassan are best friends. However, they come from very different social classes, which makes the relationship odd for its time. I think that it is very interesting that Hassan takes all of the blame, given that his family works for Amir's. Maybe the job is the reason why he is doing it.

A Fool is a Slave to Intelligence

     The interactions between Amir and Hasaan provide the reader with a lot of insight into the reasons why Amir is the way he is at the time being. One thing that really resonated with me was the interaction they had when Amir told Hasaan, who was being genuinely curious, that the word "imbecile" actually meant someone who was smart and intelligent. Hasaan, not knowing any better and having complete faith in Amir, believed him. This simple, yet meaningful interaction between the two boys led me to realize that the uneducated are art the mercy of the "intelligent".  Now, I say intelligence within quotations because intelligence is very much relative.
     What makes someone smart? Reading a few books, memorizing facts, knowing how to find the circumference of a circle? I feel like many people claim to be knowledgable because they have a degree, but in reality all that is, is memorizing sums of information. Though it does take a great deal of "knowledge" to do such things, shouldn't knowledge be more of how well you can get yourself through life? Nonetheless, my point is that because society has deemed knowledge something that comes from school, something that accompanies reading and writing, etc the "fools" are slaves to the intelligent. A fool will know no better than to believe something a supposedly smart person tells them. They will have faith that the smart are actually smart and they will believe what they are being told just like Hasaan believed what Amir told him with out a single doubt... all because Amir was the "smart" one.
- Talia Akerman

Who is Amir's Real Father Figure

Amir is usually proud of Baba and what he stands for as a professional, however, Baba does seem to fail repeatedly as a father figure to Amir. Although he provides a roof, food, and all the commodities Air could ask for, he does not provide much concern or care to his son's ambitions or feelings. Thankfully, Amir has Rahim Khan who provides him with motivation and a emotional support when his father fails to do so. Amir also has Ali who cares for his everyday needs and tends to him. The question is prominent throughout the first forty pages of the book: who is more of a father to Amir?

Baba wants Amir to be like him, he doesn't really care what Amir wants to do or what his aspirations are. For Baba, the most important thing is that Amir acts like Baba did and like Baba thinks a boy his age should act. Rahim, on the other hand wants Amir to self-actualize. Rahim encourages Amir to pursue his writing because he realizes that the kid has talent. In a private conversation between Rahim and Baba, we can clearly see that Rahim truly cares for Amir and his goals. We are also exposed to Baba's perspective on Amir and what he thinks Amir should be like. For the rest of the novel, I expect to see a conflict between Rahim and Baba over Amir and their individual perspectives and approaches to raising this boy and what should be done to educate him.

Reaction: first 40 pages of the Kite Runner

Wendell Pfeffer

10/27/13

Reaction: The Kite Runner

            So far this book has captivated my attention and forced me to imagine a place in my head that I have never been before. The story starts off with the narrator, formally known as Amir and his family/friends living the good life in Iran during the time it was run by Zahir Sha. The family is incredible rich, the father owns one of the largest and beautiful estates in Afghanistan, his own business and many different luxurious items, such as an American Ford Mustang. The father is a man that promotes the message of manliness: soccer, politics, blood, business are his forms of expression. Amir on the other hand or his son is a completely different person than his father. Instead of sports and watching animals kill each other he likes to spend his time reading and creating stories. This has unfortunately created a more so negative relationship with his father. All Amir wishes is to be able to please him, but he is unable to do so. Amir’s father scorns his love for literature; he wishes his son were a completely different person like Hassan. Hassan is everything Amir is not, Amir’s father admires him for that - he loves how he demonstrates his manliness and defends Amir from bullies. As a result Amir’s father treats Hassan more like a son than he ever does with Amir. Amir finally realizes this when he overhears his father speak with Rahim khan, one of his good friends. Rahim Khan acts as a fatherly figure towards Amir, he appreciates his love for literature and reads his stories. He even wishes Rahim was his father.

            Amir begins to resent Hassan when he discovers the truth. I’ve never witnessed any kid as respectful, pleasant, compassionate and caring like Hassan. He demonstrates these traits by helping Amir with absolutely everything – his clothes, mental attitude, food and safety. Even after all these things Hassan has done for him, Amir continuously bullies him with his stories to relieve his anger towards him. He states words that he doesn’t even know and Amir interprets them with a wrong negative denotation.

            So far life goes on for Amir, Hassan and Baba or Amir’s father just until the Coup d’ Etat officially begins, “it was the beginning of the end” as described by Amir. The Russians are beginning to move in and the Sha is no longer in power. So far this book is really intriguing I cant wait to see what unfolds in the next few chapters. 

Sunni vs Shia

Amir wishes to be like his father. However, Amir does not know if he can be the kind of man his father wants. Baba, Amir's father, is a ruthless and unforgiving man who has been morally shaped to fit the warrior type by the Sunni Muslims. Baba did all the things people said he could not do. Though he had no training as an architect, he designed and built an orphanage. Though people said he had no business sense, he became one of the most successful businessmen in the city. Though nobody thought he would marry well because he wasn’t from a prominent family, he married Amir’s mother, Sofia Akrami, a beautiful, intelligent woman who came from a royal bloodline. Amir tries to please Baba by being more like him but rarely feels he is successful. What Amir is good at is poetry and reading. But he worries his father does not see these as manly pursuits. When he and Baba went to see a match of buzkashi, a rider was trampled after falling from his horse. Amir cried, and Baba could barely hide his disdain for the boy. I believe that Amir follows more along the lines of a Shia Muslim who is more mellow than the Sunni Muslim. This is why Amir disappoints his father who is a more aggressive man; Amir is a boy who wants to befriend others, no matter what group they come from. This will probably not sit well with Baba and they will soon need to come to terms with each other. I do not think it will go well though.

First Impression

From the first few pages, Hosseini captured my interest in “The Kite Runner.” The clear and straight up writing gives me a good idea of what is going on, while simultaneously giving off a sense of mystery and curiosity as to what it was that happened in the winter of 1975. Many scenes in the first few chapters portray the hostile and violent environment of Amir’s childhood, one being when the guard messes with Hassan vulgarly telling him what he did with his mother. This shocked me and made me feel sorry for Hassan, an innocent boy who had been abandoned at a young age. I found it sweet that Hassan and Amir were childhood friends, and enjoyed reading about their friendship. In a way, I see Amir as an older sibling figure to Hassan, and find that Amir has a stronger personality than his friend. I took from the writing, though, that Amir and Hassan are bonded by the fact that they both lost their mothers and were raised by their fathers.

We are also introduced to Amir’s interest in kites, and are given a clue that this will be important later in the book. Given by the title, it is obvious that there is a symbolic meaning correlated with kites that we will find out eventually. I liked that the author is so forward with everything, and that the readers get a good sense of Amir’s childhood. At the same time though, the author leaves us with a curiosity to know what it was that happened in 1975 that changed his life. 

Hassan > Amir

At first glance, this story seems like a simple relationship between two boys amidst an Afghany way of life that many seem to be oblivious to. I know, personally, that I was surprised to see Afghanistan depicted with such normalcy. For people of my generation, we have always associated the country Afghanistan with war and terrorism. It has been interesting in the preliminary parts of this novel to see this nation in a different light, a nation with the same children plagued with the same friendly rivalries and the same typical neighborhood bullies. I am finding the relationship between Hassan and Amir particularly intriguing. Born into a privileged life, Amir seems to have everything he could ever wish for, except his father’s affections. Hassan, on the other hand, is a Sunni Muslim born to a deformed father, both of which are constantly tormented for their looks and religion. I find it ironic that the one thing that Hassan has that Amir hasn’t is the one thing that Amir desires more than anything, Baba’s admiration. Amir knows that he is not the son that his father hoped for and often envies Hassan for it. This childish jealousy shows the naivety of both of these characters, specifically Amir. I immediately find myself drawn to Hassan over Amir. Basically, Amir is a little brat who has everything in life and cannot even show some decency to Hassan through his immature jokes making fun of his illiteracy. He is jealous of Hassan because Baba likes him more which is not really difficult to decipher why. Overall, I continue reading this book with an immediate dislike for Amir and a pure admiration for Hassan. 

A Father and His Son

Amir, the main character and narrator of Kite Runner, seems to have a very tumultuous relationship with his father, Baba. Baba is a man of great esteem and wealth in his community. He has a large income from various business ventures. He is called Mr. Hurricane because he is a force of nature: tall, strong, and impossible to ignore. He shapes everything in his world to his likeness, expect for his son Amir. Amir worships is father and craves his attention and favor, but Baba openly detests  his son, claiming that there is something “missing” and that if he hadn’t seen the birth for himself then he wouldn’t have believed that Amir was his son. I believe that the stem of Baba’s hatred and disgust for Amir is the death of his wife. He blames Amir for the greatest sin possible, theft. Amir robbed Baba of his wife. Amir believes that the least he could do was have some likeness to his father, but he lacked that as well. I find it  extremely sad that Baba does not take time to understand his son, but instead finds distain in all of Amir’s actions. Amir craves his father’s attention so desperately, that he actually wished that all the orphans in his father’s orphanage would die, so that his father could spend more time with him. Amir has a sense of worship of his father but also hates him. He said that at times he wished he could cut his veins open and bleed out all his father’s blood. This is not something he should feel about his Baba, he should feel unconditional love and affection from his father.

Amir and Baba

            Like any other child, Amir only wants approval from his father. According to Amir, Baba only sees what he wants to see. There is no trying to convince him to view something in a different. Baba is always right and will prove it to those who deny him. In his Baba’s eyes, Amir is defenseless, too trusting of others, and too sensitive. For Baba, it is almost as if Amir is not his child. They have nothing in common. No matter how hard Amir tries to impress Baba, Baba never seems impressed. When Amir overhears Rahim and Baba conversing in the study, the next morning, he takes his anger out on Hassan. His jealousy drives him to snap at Hassan’s kindness. Amir is proud of his father but Baba does not seem to notice any of Amir’s accomplishments. Baba comments on how Hassan defends himself and Amir against the bullies. Amir and Baba’s relationship has a lot of tension. When speaking to Amir, it seems as if Baba has no patience and does not want to be there. He does not understand why Amir is so interested in reading, unlike the other boys who have a passion for sports. Baba expects his son to be similar to himself as a kid than Amir.

            When Amir speaks about the orphanage Baba is building I found it somewhat ironic. In a way, Amir represents an orphan. His father is never there for him mentally or physically and the only way he has his mother is through his thoughts. Amir believes his father views him as a sinner because his mother died during childbirth. Amir has taken away Baba’s “princess”, his companion, and his lover. Due to that feeling, Amir believes that his purpose is to please Baba and show him that he is thankful to alive and he will not disappoint him. It is sad to think that some parents make their children believe they do not love them because they have certain characteristics or have different interests. A parent should have unconditional love for their child and support whatever they choose to do with their life.

Relationships and soccer

There's no doubt in my mind that The Kite Runner is an easier and more enjoyable book to read than Atlas Shrugged. For starters, the topic the book is based around is in my opinion, far more interesting.

Amir and Hassan's "friendship" seems like it's going to develop into an ongoing conflict, which I'm definitely looking forward to reading. The relationship that Baba and Ali have is also very confusing. I understand that Ali belongs to a different class system because of who birthed him, but he was raised with Baba, they grew up together. They are not related by blood, but they are brothers. Ali was adopted as a baby and has spent his whole childhood as well his adult life alongside Baba. It's messed up how Baba has never called Ali his friend and is closer with Rahim, when Ali has always been there for him.

I feel the same way about Amir and Hassan's relationship. Amir doesn't entirely consider Hassan a friend; he almost called him his servant out loud, in front of others. They are basically brothers too, being together since birth. I feel like Amir is learning wrong morals. He's at a super young age and someone who should be his equal is cleaning and cooking for him. It just seems wrong in my eyes.

However, the irony behind it is intriguing. Amir has it all, someone caring for his needs at all times, someone who protects him, defends him, he's surrounded by people who love him and a successful father. Nevertheless, he can't help but be jealous of Hassan. Hassan, who is illiterate and hasn't had the opportunity to learn seems to be happier. Hassan receives more attention and better care from Baba which anchors Amir's jealousy and anger towards his father. He wants to make his father proud, but can't figure out a way how when Hassan does it all the time.

The best part of the book so far though is how highly Baba talks about soccer. He considers it to be a real man's sport. I like how much attention Baba gives to soccer. I can relate to how he feels because no matter how much I want my little brother to play soccer, he always refuses to do so.

Conditional love

I've spent a chunk of time in psychology talking about conditional love and the effect it has on kids. Conditional love is when a parent will only love a child  if they live up to their expectations; Or as my psych book states it- "Conditional positive regard: Giving love and approval only if you agree with the person's major life choices." Baba constantly tries to mold Amir to his liking and I feel that that attributes to the various problems Amir has. Low self-esteem could make someone constantly seek attention and Amir is always trying to outshine Hassan and maybe even hurt him a little bit. Baba's constant belittling of Amir is what leads Amir to boss Hassan around and I feel that if Hassan wasn't there, Amir would be left helpless and desperate. Honestly, Amir is lucky that his Hassan admires him so much and let's him boss him around because otherwise Amir wouldn't be able to get his anger and frustration out subconsciously and would be totally depressed. Although Baba believes that Amir has no mean bone in his body, I think that Amir actually is capable of violence but just puppets Hassan to carry out his actions. Hassan really is just a loyal puppet that Amir can manipulate. 

First Reaction

      The Kite Runner instantly caught my attention the second I began to read it. At first, Amir comes off as such a sweet kid and the perfect child, but then he exposes these thoughts that he has at certain moments that really show you the kind of person that he is and how he actually feels. Certain times he just briefly mentions how he is jealous of Hassan for getting the same, if not even more, attention from his father, which is the one thing that Amir really takes to heart since he knows that he is the complete opposite of his father and they dont have the best father-son relationship. But then his jealousy reaches a different extreme, like when Hassan gets plastic surgery on his lip as a gift from Amirs father. Amir mentions how he wishes he had some deformity just so Baba would take pity on him, which is completely ridiculous.
         Amirs extreme admiration and longing for acceptance of his father drives him to have this intense jealously for Hassan which I think will lead to something else towards the end of the novel unless he outgrows that or finds certain bonds with his father. This is also somewhat implied in the book. After most of the chapters end, the author decides to end the chapters with phrases that state "That winter was the last time I saw Hassan smile" or "That was the last time Hassan would fly a kite". This is probably where religion and political issues tie into the novel since we are already aware of conflicts ongoing in Afghanistan during the time. I'm still not sure if these issues would be caused due to a political issue or some conflict between Hassan and Amir, but the author constantly implies that things are bound to go terribly wrong in Afghanistan and possibly between Amir and Hassans relationship.

Childhood Innocence

From the first 40 pages of Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, I noticed that Afghani culture, particularly religion, and history are closely tied to the novel's plot. I think it is necessary to research a few things to really understand this novel and overcome this factor. This background information will expand my mindset and help me understand the events that happen within the context of the plot, leading to a greater understanding of the story. Nevertheless, there are universal themes in this story that people of all culture are able to understand like love, friendship, pride, and honor.

Th initial part of the book characterizes Afghanistan as a stable and peaceful country where Amir and Hassan's childhood innocence flourishes in a protected and undisturbed manner. They are able to go to parks to watch Western films and reenact their favorite scenes with each other. Also, they flee to their favorite tree whenever Hassan wants Amir to read stories to him. Both children see the society around therm via a clear and innocent mindset. Amir constantly desires more affection from his father Baba and he knows that his father will always protect him from social threats. On page 39, Amir is unable to stand up for himself and overcome bullies because he relies too heavily on his father's protection. His interdependence on his father only increases his innocence.

The first 40 pages that Hosseini spent describing the boys' innocence was suddenly interrupted as Afghanistan politically destabilized. I think this sudden change will be the foundation for the rest of the novel.

Looking for a Father

        When Baba is first introduced to the reader, he is described as an independent, strong and respectable man. Amir looks up to him with both admiration and fear; he is continually trying to get his attention. Most of the time, Baba simply cannot be bothered to listen to what Amir is saying. In the 'smoke room', he often dismisses Amir and explains it is "grown-up's time". Amir wonders why there never seems to be a time other than grown up time.
        As the story progresses, the complexities of their relationship begin to develop. Amir believes his father hates him because he is the reason for his mother's death in labor. Amir also reprimands himself for not living up to his father's expectations. He loves to read and write, but Baba rebukes these activities as not fit for a real man. Amir feels overshadowed by Hassan, the son of a servant, who has grown up with him like a brother.
        Hassan seems to possess every quality Baba values; he is strong, loyal, and intelligent. Amir writes that he once saw his father put his arm around Hassan after he achieved nine skips with a rock. Amir could only reach five.
        As a result, Rahim, Baba's business partner, has become a second father to Amir. At the start of the novel, Amir mentions that in a family photo where Baba holds him in his arms, he is grabbing Rahim's finger instead of his father's. Rahim provides Amir with what he needs: genuine attention and love. Baba is harsh with Amir and does not go through the trouble of feigning much interest in him.
        At one point, Amir overhears a conversation between Baba and Rahim where Baba whispers that had he not seen his wife give birth to Amir, he would never believe he was his son. This causes Amir unimaginable pain.
        Amir vomits from the guilt he feels when he wishes Rahim were his father. He wants more than anything to have a relationship with Baba, but he feels rejected and abandoned. Without a mother or father to show him compassion, Amir feels lost in the world.

There is a fantastic short film called "Buzkashi Boys" which is set in Afghanistan. It was nominated for an Oscar last year, and it's a beautiful story. Here's a link to the trailer!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm8CTM12HyY

Amir's Relationships

Throughout the first 40 pages of the novel, Khaled Hosseini, the author, presents and develops Amir's relationships with his peers and family, Baba and Hassan in particular.

At first, Amir expresses how proud and grateful he feels for having Baba as a Father. He has heard stories about how great his father is and how feared his father is. As we turn the pages, though, Amir shifts this attitude and begins to express his true feelings. He feels as if he is being ignored by Baba, and that he is a disappointment of a son. This feeling is sensed at its height when Amir tries to share his story with Baba.

This part is key to Amir, as it sets the grounds for what Amir will feel in the future. He is being deprived of a father-son relationship, and his belief system is ultimately being skewed by it. This is seen when he is confronted by Assef and his two friends. We get a glimpse of Amir's thoughts on page 41: But he's not my friend! He's my servant! This thought stood out to me as a direct result of the remote relationship with his Father. Instead of seeing Hassan as a brother, he subconsciously thinks of Hassan as just a servant, and that he would never dare hang out and comfort a Hazara. Since he has never really experienced a real relationship with someone close, he can't feel what he should feel toward Hassan, and doesn't classify him as anything more than a servant subconsciously.