Response to Kirsner

I think that there is a huge shift and you can see how Amir’s life is just beginning to take off and flourish while Baba’s life has definitely downgraded. I think that its interesting that even though some of the the refugees lives have demoted and they don’t have the same positions that they used to, their characters have not changed. Everyone still sees Baba in the same way, and Baba still has the same passion like when he was outraged by someone asking for his ID after they knew him for years. Amir comes to America with open arms because he is running from something and needs this clean slate. I am not sure if the stress and being in the new country was the sole reason for Baba to be getting sick, because he was a heavy smoker, but I agree that having to work that hard at that age was not the ideal way for him to live. He did that to give his son a good chance at life, and even till the very end he still was doing the best thing that he could for Amir, because that's who he will live through. I was not surprised when Baba denied chemotherapy, and even less surprised when he smoked all the way back from his diagnoses, because I don’t think Baba is afraid of his end. Even though he would probably been happier living the ends of his life in a non occupied Kabul, I think he still appreciates America for what its doing for his son.  

Still Hiding the Truth (Through Page 165)

Amir knows exactly what it would take to clear his conscious and relieve himself of the immense guilt, but he still won’t own up to what he did not do to help Hassan. Still, it reminds me of Crime and Punishment, because the characters have to deal with the effects of deep internalized guilt. However, I almost hope that Amir won’t tell Baba what happened with Hassan before he dies because Baba does not deserve to be that unhappy and disappointed before the cancer takes his life. Amir does not even take initiative to try and reconnect Baba with Ali and things like that make me hate Amir’s character. Everyone has more strength than him and he knows it and recognizes it, but still won’t change it. Soraya was a bright light of happiness for Amir, with no bad memories attached, and someone he could connect with a clean slate. I think that after she confessed to him her secrets that she will now always serve a reminder that he will never have the courage to confess even when he has the perfect opportunity. 

I blamed a lot of Amir’s actions on Baba because everything Amir did was to please his father, yet his father never really loved his son for who is is. It seemed like Baba created exactly what he wanted to prevent.  Amir couldn't get a good sense of right and wrong when things he did bad sometimes made something good happen. But now that Amir is an adult, he really needs to grow up. 

Even though Baba sometimes made me upset for the lack of love and affection his showed his son, I realized its because he just shows his love in other ways. He does expect a lot from his son as most fathers do, and his gifts are something that Amir can take for a lifetime, like the opportunity to get an education. I was disappointed  when Amir asked “What about me?” after his father was diagnosed, because his father did and was doing everything he could so his son could be independent and successful. It’s similar to Amir’s initial reaction when he was frightened his father would get shot. He automatically thought about himself and what would become of him. Like I said before when I related it to The Stranger, there is some truth of that in everyone. I am glad that Baba will at least be happy to see his son marry. 

If Amir was my son, I am not sure if I would want to know the truth before I died or not. 

Comment on Davis' Post

I completely agree with Davis and can honestly say now that "I still hate and probably will always hate Amir". In my opinion, what Amir has done is unforgivable.
I thought it was hilarious when Baba told Hassan he had forgiven him (even though he had not done anything wrong!) and Amir was surprised and shocked by his fathers act. He went on remembering that his father had told him that stealing was the worst crime ever, and now Baba just forgave one in front of him. I felt like telling Amir that he too should tell the truth to everybody that had been around him about his horrible acts, and make him believe that Baba would, too, forgive him for it, just to make Amir suffer the worst consequences. I am certain that Baba would never accept Amir's apologies for what he has done, because it is unforgivable. He has gone to a extent of no-going-back. Forgiveness now is out of the question. Once everybody finds out about what he has done, his reputation will be worse than Assef's. Everybody will know him in a negative way and he is better off leaving home and disappearing from life. It is tough to believe that Amir, at such a young age, made it possible to ruin his life in the environment around him. He has given all the message that one must think well of his actions, since they will be written in history forever, and will shape your life all the way t the end.

It Only Gets Worse

Since the beginning of the novel I have always been shocked by the way Amir treated Hassan, by the actions Amir took upon Hassan, and by the actions he didn't take upon Hassan. His actions began to get increasingly more disrespectful and more shocking, up to the point that I lost complete respect for him when he did not save Hassan during a sexual assault. Now, however, I am left speechless as I discover that amir plants his new watch and money under Hassan's mattress as "evidence of stealing" to try to get Hassan out of the house. What happened to best friends? What happened o the happiness they enjoyed together after winning the kite fighting tournament? After playing endless hours of marbles in the alley way? After watching movies and reenacting them together? I just don't know how to react to Amir anymore.
Amir is always fighting the constant battle of gaining his father's love. At the beginning of the novel i was kind of routing for Amir to gain that love, however, my want has been constantly deteriorating. Now I firmly state that Amir better never get his father's love or anybody's love. he does not deserve any compassion towards, but instead, to be despised by all. The reward for his actions should make him regret all the negative that he has done, and teach him a lesson in life.
One can see Hassan's innocence when he still does not allow Ali to tell Baba the real reason for why they are leaving the house. The case is so severe that Ali has to take the final decision to leave the house, and as a father, it is a required one. I was imaging how Ali felt after Hassan told him all that he has gone through and knowing Amir did not do anything about it and has not apologized or held guilt for anything. I am eager to learn how Amir's world changes without Hassan in his life.

Amir's Childish Act

As the novel is continuing to progress, we see that Amir is becoming a bigger coward. From the beginning, we could see that he was always a little bit snobby and thought that he was better than Hassan. In fact, he would even go to the length of insulting Hassan for not being able to read. This picture of Amir grew even clearer when he did not try to defend Hassan and let the neighborhood bullies sexually assault Hassan.

In this latest reading selection, Amir commits one of the most awful things that he could have done. Hassan and Ali had become family to Amir and his father. The fact that Amir would try to get rid of them by trying to frame Hassan is awful. As a person, Amir did one of the most selfish things that he could have done. You never betray someone that has always tried to do the best for you. In fact, Hassan always stuck up for Amir and even got sexually assaulted because of Amir.

These actions show one main thing: Amir is still an immature child who needs to grow up. He does not understand the value of friendship, brotherhood, and many more things. Amir needs to see the light and realize that Hassan only did what was best for Amir and Amir needs to return the favor.

comment on Jose

Jose’s reaction on his latest reading of then novel retains the same ideas I had when reading. Thus I cannot but help comment and add on to some inferences he made. Jose I really like how you characterized Amir as not being the bad guy. Even thought most people would continue to hate Amir I for once am convinced that he has grown out of his childlike self character. He no longer expects things to be given to him - he now works for his success, helps his father overcome his situation with life in the United States and thus causes him to build on towards the relationship they previously had together.  I agree “Amir is usually the one being taken care of,” but now he is stepping up to he plate and taking on that roll. I really liked how you tied his change of behavior with his relationship with his father. The reason he is able to build on towards there relationship is solely because of his change in behavior. Amir’s hard work in college has caused Baba to be proud of him, furthermore they now spend time with each other. Life itself in the United States doesn’t seem to be as good as in Afghanistan, but one positive aspect you can take from this is the increase of a father and son relationship. 

Life goes on

Wendell Pfefer

12/8/13

Life goes on

            Life has changed drastically for Amir and Baba – Hassan and Ramir Khan have left them and now they face the destruction of the Russian military. The Russians have taken everything away from them; they have destroyed Afghanistan as a whole and will forever never remain the same. Beside the Russians Hassan can’t help but stay in denial. He lived in a secluded bubble away from misery - everything was made out for him: big house, servants, great role model and a lavish lifestyle. Amir lived a life that only so many people could dream of living. But now he must leave all of that and head towards a safe zone or a place away from the fighting zone. This causes him to change drastically in character in a good way. He no longer demonstrates that rich kid snotty behavior, which you begin to see as he slowly progresses into an independent adult living in the United States. His father on the other hand still remains the same as before: a brave, courageous man only seeking to help benefit the greater good. He is always on the lookout of helping other people in need. One incident that strongly demonstrates this factor was when he stood up towards an armed Russian soldier to prevent him from raping a married woman.

            When Amir and Baba arrive to America things don’t go as well as they hoped. Baba had longed loved the idea of America, but the quality of life is much worse than in Afghanistan. They live in a small apartment; Baba works non-stop at the gas station and life itself seems to be much worse because as Baba says in the book “there is no trust.” However, there does seem to be one positive aspect of living in the United States. Baba and Amir have developed a strong loving relationship, a relationship that seemed impossible to achieve in Afghanistan because his father barely had the time to appreciate Amir. In addition to the bonding relationship in the United States Baba has finally accepted Amir’s passion – creative writing, which again in Afghanistan it would have been impossible. From my perspective one factor that contributed towards Amirs success with his father was his change in character – he has grown out of his childish self and into a man. His man like character leads him to the one person that shares the same passions and love as him – writing. 

Response to Camille

I wrote something very similar to Camille in my blog post. Amir and Baba’s lives have completely changed as they move to America. For Amir it is for the better and for Baba it is for the worst. Baba, as Camille said, has kept his foundations. He is proud, loyal, and virtuous. He believes in hard work. Baba believes in earning his money, food, and happiness.  He works incredibly hard at a gas station because he refuses to accept food stamps.  He works hard, so that Amir can get an education and a good job that will make him money and give him a good life. Amir appreciates his father’s struggles but is selfish and dependent. Although Amir has kept some of his less desirable traits, he has also changed as well. He, as Camille mentioned in her blogpost, has become less worried about his father’s opinion and making him proud. The last time he sacrificed for his father, he was damned. I think standing up against his father and making the decision to major in English was a wise and courageous decision. Amir has adjusted well to his new environment and has been grateful. He is becoming less despicable as he continues his stay in America.    

New Life in America

America is a place where Amir is able to start over. Kabul is filled with memories that not only fill him with guilt but make him unable to be happy. America seems to a place that is accustomed to the type of person that Amir is, cowardly, selfish, but polite. Baba on the other hand has a very hard time adjusting to the American life. People are not use to his abrupt manner or his forceful ways. In the market, he has bought fruit from the same couple every week for two years, but when he is unable to pay them cash and must hand them a check, they ask to see his ID. This drives him crazy, he throws their produce on the ground and screams at them. “What kind of country is this? Where no one can be trusted?!” Baba yelled at the couple before Amir had to drag him away. In Kabul, Baba was surrounded by his ancestry, his culture, and his friends. He was rich and lived an easy and cushioned life. In America, he is poor and no one knew or cared to know who he was. He mourned for his old house and his life back home. Amir was glad to be any place that had no memories of Hassan. A place that was so vast and no body knew him. All his sins faded away and he his life was opened to hundreds of possibilities. In America being a creative writer was not something to be ashamed of, but in Kabul it was laughable. As Amir became softer and grew from his life in America, his father began to weaken and fade. His hair was thinning, he began to lose weight, and he was easily tried. Baba worked long and grueling hours at the gas station, while Amir spent his life at school studying to do what he loved.

I think it is for this reason that Baba’s immune system began to fail. I think in the stress free environment of Amir’s childhood Baba would have not resorted to constant smoking. Baba developed lung cancer because the new country and life style brought him pain and suffering. Amir found love in America and a good education. Amir found safety and was able to hide in his cowardness in America. In America Amir got a fresh start and Baba found his end.        

Comment

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Comment on Lu's Post

      I agree with your idea about Soraya and Amir. I think they work really well as a couple. They share a lot of similarities that they might not even be aware of yet. Throughout the whole novel we can see how they are always there for each other. Even though they got married pretty quickly, they already seem to get along so well and know exactly how one another acts and how to deal with their actions or moods. Amir is a very sweet guy and is great to Soraya. Soraya is also very supportive of Amir and we can see that she truly does care for him. Unlike Lu, I did not suspect that Amir and Soraya would hit it off right away. He obviously seemed really into her and was desperate to get her attention somehow. On the other hand, Soraya never really payed attention to his actions. She always seem really shy when he passed by them at the fair and talked to her or her parents. Later I realized that she was probably acting this way because it was an Afghan custom. I didn't take into consideration the fact that Amir had to get some kind of approval from her father in order to even speak to Soraya. 

     Once the general gave Amir permission to marry his daughter I was really happy. Amir had lost everyone in his life, and was now about to lose his own father which meant the world to him. Soraya is perfect for Amir, and the two seemed really happy together. So even though I still somewhat hate Amir for his past actions, I really enjoyed reading about his relationship with Soraya. 

Response to Mona

I agree with what you’re saying about how far the apple fell from the tree. It appears to be like Hassan should’ve been Baba’s son instead of Amir because Amir has barely anything in common with his father.  I also think he had a redundant reaction to his father almost being murdered, and I think he’s a coward and that he has not learned a thing from his dad. His dad represents pride and confidence, independence and strength. On the other hand, Amir represents weakness, low self-esteem, and insecurity. Now that his dad is gone, I’m excited to see how Amir will react and start to fend for himself. He has never really been able to have the opportunity to do something big on his own because Hassan and Baba have always stood by his side, but without them gone, I feel like he might finally come to the realization that his childish attitude needs to develop into something like that of his father’s. I think that now that he has Soraya to take care of, he will finally become the mature adult he was always meant to be and take on the role of family leader.

Some things never change

     Once Amir and Baba move to America, their relationship instantly improves. I am not sure if this is because they are away from their old house filled with memories of their old life with Hassan and Ali, or  due to the fact that once they arrived to California, they did not know many people and only had each other. The two form a typical father and son bonding throughout their years in America, but we can still see that each of their personalities remain the same. 

       Amir has stepped up and has grown more mature as he has to take on the responsibility of taking care of his father once he is growing old and sick from cancer. We finally see Amir acting like an adult, especially now that he is married to his wife, Soraya. Just when I thought that Amir had really changed and was ready to create a whole new life ahead of him with his past behind him, he did something that reminded me of the child he was back in Afghanistan. While he was in the car talking to Soraya, she admitted to something in her past that embarrassed her and something she clearly regretted. I thought it was brave of Soraya to do this. Her own husband should know about that, and they shouldn't hide anything from each other. I wasn't surprised when I saw that Amir didn't act the same way. He instantly thought about the whole incident with Hassan the second he heard Soraya's story and saw how upset she was. Instead of finally admitting his wrongs to someone, Amir just kept his mouth shut. He couldn't even tell his own wife about what he had done when she had the courage to share her own past. Just when I thought Amir was growing out of his selfish ways he proved that he can still be the same person he once was. 

        Just like we see that Amir can still act like that little boy he once was, we see Baba act like the young man he was back in Kabul. When Baba is diagnosed with cancer, he doesn't seem the least bit scared. Of course we see how terrified Amir is, but Baba decides to keep his sickness from all of their friends and refuses to go into Chemotherapy. He puts on a brave face and deals with his illness all on his own. Amir constantly tries to convince his father to go into treatment, but Baba continues to refuse fully aware that this disease will end up killing him. 

Baba's conflicted morals

The more I get into The Kite Runner, the more I enjoy it. Although I really do not like Amir, his story is intriguing and reading about his thoughts, actions, and feelings regarding what happened between him and Hassan never gets boring. I found it impacting that Amir never forgets what happened.  The guilt that he feels for not having done anything when he saw his friend being raped lingers. Though he learns to live with him, that scene in his life marked the person he will become and we see that as we read on and time passes in the story.

         The contrast between Baba and Amir is sharper and sharper as the story continues. Baba is strong, courageous, sharp, intelligent, and admired, while Amir is weak, afraid, and innocent. Despite his good qualities, though, Baba’s courage and morals seem somewhat irrational to me. On their way to Kabul, one of the Russian guards asks to have sex with the woman traveling with them in order for them to get by. Nobody says anything, and if it weren’t for Baba, the woman would have had to sacrifice her body in front of her husband and child. Baba was the only man to stand up to this guard; he would have given his life for this woman he had never even spoken to before, solely because he is a righteous, proud man who stands up for his beliefs. This all seemed admirable and incredible when it happened, and I truly looked up to Baba while I read it, but then when he almost chokes Karim to death, my view changed. How could he go from giving his life for a woman he barely knows, to almost killing a friend? It is all sort of confusing. But through these scenes I realized Baba’s weakness for women. It is not a perverted kind of weakness, but a respectful one. I feel as though Baba feels the need to respect women and take care of them, as if they were sacred. This scene gave me a new perspective on Baba that made me doubt the legitimacy of his righteousness. 

Response to Jose

Camille Kelleher

The character transformations that Jose wrote about are sudden changes in the story that parallels Baba and Amir’s move from Afghanistan to America. Relative to Baba, Amir seemed more prepared and able to handle all of the changes associated with a long distance move, like adjusting to different customs, creating a new lifestyle and routine, and handling yourself correctly and intelligently in unknown situations. Baba is more selfish than Amir when it comes to adjusting to America because he is still attached to Afghanistan and his stature and reputation within that society. If Khomeini narrated this story through Baba’s perspective, then I think he would add a lot of references, illusions, and flashbacks to his Afghani life and memories. These memories not only include Hassan and Ali, but also his relatives, childhood, passed wife, and colleagues. I think this is depressing because all of Baba’s life falls under the American empire and wealth. Life’s sweet enjoyment and simple pleasures are plagued by what the Afghanis have left, “tea, politics, and scandals.” At the same time, it is refreshing to finally see Amir flourish as an individual separate from Baba. Like what Jose said about the Pacific Ocean, Amir will never be able to forget about his unfortunate past with Hassan. Yet, this might make him a better person and more aware of his actions and their respective influences on others.

Response to Jessica

     Jessica, it's interesting that you brought up the idea of Amir developing his own mind. I agree that America has become a place for him to be his own person; in America, he stands up for himself and makes his own decisions. He has become a peacemaker between the community and his father. When Baba drops a jar at the grocery store after being asked for his ID, Amir does his best to placate the store owners and keep them from calling the police. "Baba, it's not personal" he tells his father.
     In a way, since they have moved to America, Baba and Amir have switched roles. Amir has began acting as more of a parent; Baba is growing weaker and more insecure.
     When he gets sick, Baba refuses to get chemotherapy. Like a stubborn child, he cannot be convinced of anything against his personal point of view. He returns food stamps and works like a dog without asking for health insurance. This certainly makes him noble, but it also makes him childish and prideful. Amir knows the ins and outs of American life, while Baba is still stuck in an Afghani mindset.