Preethi

[preeeeethi]

The Kite Runner: Research/Writing #3

The part of this process that I found most difficult was writing the general introduction. At first, I did not know how to approach it and wasn’t really sure what I should write about. I knew the whole point of the general introduction was to make my reader interested in my book, but I didn’t know how exactly to go about this. I decided that the history of Afghanistan was relevant to my book and a big part of it, so I decided to start out by writing about that. Once I began writing, I developed a sort of flow and found it easier to write the rest of my general introduction. Another struggle I had was writing the introduction and conclusion paragraphs to my general introduction and my intro to annotations. I seem to always have a lot of trouble writing the introduction and conclusion paragraphs compared to the body paragraphs and this might be something that I will have to work on in the future. 

[preeeeethi]

The Kite Runner: Research #2

Khaled Hosseini grew up in Kabul, Afghanistan, so it is no surprise that many of the events in his book, The Kite Runner, also take place in Afghanistan. While reading the book gave me some insight on the history of Afghanistan, I decided to do my own research to make sure I did not misunderstand any of the events in the book. I learned a lot in this article by Encyclopedia Britannica. Before reading The Kite Runner, I had a very constricted view on Afghanistan. I have only ever heard of Afghanistan for its war-torn state and the bombings that occurred. I never knew the politics that brought Afghanistan to that state. In the 30 years that the book takes place, from the 1970s to the 200s, Afghanistan went through many political changes. First they were ruled by a monarchy, which then turned into a republic. Afterwards, the Soviet Union took over and held power for ten years which was followed by years of political uncertainty, until lastly the Taliban held power. Overall, the history of Afghanistan was a big part of The Kite Runner and researching it further helped me write my general introduction.

https://www.britannica.com/place/Afghanistan/Mohammad-Zahir-Shah-1933-73#ref306682

[preeeeethi]

The Kite Runner: Research #1

In my opinion, the movie adaption of The Kite Runner was definitely not as good as the book.

I thought character development and the progression of relationships were some of the most important themes in the book. However, they were not presented as well in the movie. For instance, I didn’t think it was very clear in the movie why Amir allowed Hassan to be assaulted. A person watching the movie might think that Amir allowed Hassan to get raped because he was afraid of getting hurt as well. Really, Amir let Hassan get assaulted so he could keep the kite that would prove his worth to Baba. Additionally, the movie does not go into the politics and history of Afghanistan as much like the book did. I found this criticism of the movie by New York Times that shared similar ideas.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dKzAuhhgiyY

From Memories, There’s No Escape

In both novel and film form, “The Kite Runner” recounts a simple yet shrewd story about that favorite American pastime: self-improvement.

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/14/movies/14kite.html

[preeeeethi]

The Kite Runner: Annotations #3

This is the last page of the book. Here Hosseini presents Amir’s growth as a person and his redemption from the past.

Kind of similar to Amir, the symbol of the kite changes from the beginning to the end of the book. As a child Amir sees kites as a way of redemption toward his father for Amir “killing” his mother who died in childbirth. Then the kite turns into a reminder of Amir’s betrayal to Hassan and lastly turns into a symbol of redemption again after Amir fixes his wrongs.

The meaning of the word “running” also changes because at first Amir ran and let Hassan get assaulted, marking his betrayal. Now Amir runs for a greater cause and for Sorhab because he is redeemed.

Hosseini utilized seasons to portray how time heals. Amir’s innocent and happy life in Kabul died in the winter of 1975, but in spring he is reborn as a new person, free of the sins that held him back in the past. The Valley of Panjsher that Hosseini refers to also represents Amir’s freedom from his sins. The Valley of Panjsher was said to never be controlled by Russia during Afghanistan’s communist revolution so it symbolizes freedom.

Amir ends the story smiling, similar to Hassan who was always smiling. Now Hassan and Amir’s roles are switched. Amir acts like a caring, loyal figure to Sorhab, just like Hassan did for him in the past.

[micaiaaah]

Blog Post #4 - "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe - British Spreading the Christian faith

Currently, I am 75% done with this story and finally the British are introduced to Okonkwo's story. At this point in time, Okonkwo has been "banished by his Fatherland and took refuge in his motherland" as his uncle stated. Now the stories he heard about the "white men" became reality for him in his current place of living, Mbanta.

Yesterday, I discussed with my mom how much I despised the sickly things the Africans do to their kin, wives, and children. I explained how much I disliked their interactions with creatures of the Underworld such as the egwugwu and their gods. The Africans were constantly fearing what their gods would do to them and would inflict harm on each other. Twins would be mutilated and abandoned in the "Evil Forest," children would be taken by strangers who claim to be priests, men could have multiple wives and beat them, etc. Acts such as these are disgusting in my opinion.

When the British men came along, things changed. People who were treated differently by the African tribes sought the British so they could be protected. Men, women, children, and outcasts. The British was making an attempt to convert the people by building churches among their land, sending preachers, and converting some of the people. And so far, they have proven to be successful much to the tribes' dismay. The British aren't perfect though, because at that time, they were willing to take people from their homeland and treat them as slaves. In the Old Testament of the Bible, God rejected the tribe of Judah. Judah committed such a crime that he and his descendants would be scattered all over the earth stripped of their identity, being trampled by foreigners. Judah's tribe was cursed and I, believing that these parts of Africa being colonized are descendants of Judah, think that Africans are being treated in such a poor manner by the British because they belong to Judah. Now I am not saying that slavery was okay. But, it's the result of what the cursed practices the Africans were doing.

I'm started reading this book with the expectation that the British were bad and the Africans were good based off of prior knowledge. Neither of the groups are good. But, I am siding with the British in regards to the faith they are spreading. They are helping the Africans learn about the goodness of God and it has provided better lives for the converts.

[preeeeethi]

It’s important that your book reveals some of the harsh realities that existed in the world, particularly in Africa. The world is not perfect today but it I think it is much improved. In modern day it can be easy to forget some of the horrible actions and beliefs that were normal in the past.

[micaiaaah]

Blog post #3 "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe - Treatment of women and children

I am not fond of the way women and children wre treated in Igbo culture. This African tribe is very cruel to their own children because they are so focused on making grow strong adults. But it's gone as far as abuse. The term "beating" is used frequently in this story. Of course, only women and children are beaten. At this point, I'm not sure if "beating" is another way of saying "spanking" because there is no indication of where individuals are beaten when it happens. Achebe only goes as far to say "he/she was beaten badly."

In today's age, spanking is not encouraged. Many say that spanking is a form of abuse to children. And men are punished for beating their wives as they rightfully should be. When it comes to spanking, it depends on the situation. Every parent disciplines their child differently. Our culture is so diverse that there are multitudes of people who practice the spanking of children and others who don't. Today, it's becoming less common. Personally, I see this as a bad thing as kids are becoming less accountable for their actions and get away with things more because of the lack of corporal punishment.

Beating is another story. Men and women today are supposed to be seen as equals. In Amercia, we do not punish women like children anymore; but we used to. Umoufia's culture tolerates the beating of women and children for trivial things such as not cooking dinner or saying something that a man disagrees with. In my eyes, this is sickening. Every man sees things differently. And if you happened to be married to or the child of the wrong one... you will be beaten for silly things.

Part of me understands why the Africans were willing to sell off slaves to other countries. It's because they are cruel to their own kind; they are almost ruthless. Their customs are built up by honor and pure tradition. The customs are supposed to unite people. But instead, it keeps people down, abuses them, and for some, mutilated their corpses. I understand that even culture is different, and that what is right in one place is seen as wrong in another. But in my eyes, the Umoufia culture infuriates me.

[preeeeethi]

I can see why you find Umoufia culture infuriating. I personally think that maybe they are using abuse to keep people compliant with fear. I’m positive that the culture of the Igbo people is not the only one that permits harsh abuse in the world, which i find disappointing. But I wonder what time period this book takes place in and if that has an affect on the values that the Igbo people had.

[micaiaaah]

Blog post #2 "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe - Oknokwo and Troy Maxson Parallel

The introduction of characters in this novel can be a bit overwhelming in my opinion. There is a heavy cast and many many characters are brought into the story and never mentioned again. They might serve a purpose later in the plot, for I am only 1/4 of the way complete. But, it's easy for me to forget certain names that were brought up 20 pages ago. It's especially difficult that the names are hard to pronounce with then being traditional African names.

Thus far, I've been able to make a huge connection between Okonkwo and Troy Maxson from the play "Fences" by August Wilson. They are both troubled fathers who are trying to recover from the shadow of their failures of fathers. They are both very angry men who try to prove that they are better and can provide more than their fathers could ever give. Despite the good intentions they have though, they cope by hurting others. Troy abused his family emotionally while Okonkwo physically and emotionally abused his family. Both men come from very different societies, but both societies permit this behavior: the poor treatment of women, the heavily masculine influence forcing them to be prideful, and having the man get favor over all else.

What makes the situations different though, is that Troy acts just like his father while Okonkwo becomes the absolute opposite of his father, Unoka. Unoka was a careless debtor who rarely worked or provided his family. This made Okonkwo resentful of his laziness. He therefore had to work harder than all other boys his age.

While Okonkwo's childhood was rough and the culture permits certain behaviors, I still scoff at every instance when he beats one of his wives and children. He let's a mix of pride and anger get to his head and takes it out on people he is supposed to cherish. Such behavior has even gotten him in trouble with the law. I refuse to excuse his actions for the troubled past he had just like Troy. While I find this book interesting, the main character isn't necessarily the reason why. It's the culture and traditions that are set in place among the Igbo tribe that draws me in. The impact that such traditions have on everyone is what makes it even better.

[preeeeethi]

Our books are similar because in my book, The Kite Runner, the main character also has a troubled father. The main character feels like his father hates him and they don’t necessarily get along. However the father in my book is not abusive like Okonkwo. I think I would also resent Okonkwo for his abusive behavior, but do you ever find yourself empathizing for him at all?

[micaiaaah]

Blog Post #1 "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe - Writing style

As of now, I am currently 1/4 through the fiction book of my choice. It's caught my interest and not easy to put down. Which is surprising because of the delivery of new information is so straightforward. There's little room for the reader inference how the characters are feeling because the book tells you outright. Chinua Achebe doesn't give the book much if a tone because the entire book is in third person..the speaker knows all about what's happening. Everytime new information is introduced, the topic is briefly mentioned in a single sentence to a paragraph and then explained in depth. To my dismay, there is not element of suprise. There is tension, but the shock factor when something happens isn't there. I prefer to be in the moment with the main character, Okonkwo, than have everything told to me in the third person. But that may be do to the books I've been reading falling into that same first person style. I've gotten used to getting invested in the plot that way; especially The Handmaid's Tale.

[preeeeethi]

It’s interesting that your book is so straightforward when presenting information. I wonder why Achebe would decide to write the book this way. Maybe the book will get more of a shock factor later as you get deeper into the plot.

[micaiaaah]

I chose "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe because I wanted to read another book with an African as the main character. The last book I read with the main character as African was "A Long Way Gone" by Ishmael Beah. That book was interesting for it's gruesome imagery. It didn't hold back on any details. I was personally mortified from the topics handled in that book and I wish to learn from another's perspective. The main character in the book I chose is Okonkwo, who is a Igbo warrior of Umuofia. Africans and African Americans have very different lifestyles and I'm more curious about what the life is like for a fighter in Africa. I believe that "Things Fall Apart" will give me some great insight on that.

[preeeeethi]

I think books are a great way to learn about the culture of a different place. I agree that you could learn a lot about African culture from reading this book. Similarly, my book takes place in Afghanistan so maybe I can learn more about what life is like there while reading. I hope you enjoy reading your book!

[preeeeethi]

The Kite Runner: Annotations #2

Status plays a big role in Hassan and Amir’s relationship. Amir clearly struggles to be friends with Hassan because of history, culture, and religious values that are keeping them apart. Despite being raised together, Amir cannot ignore the fact that he is Pashtun and Hassan is Hazara because in their society Hazaras are opressed.

Amir acts according to his high status and is always telling Hassan what to do. Notably, he describes Hassan as “a boy with a Chinese doll face.” The actions of a doll are always controlled by its owner.

Hosseini further indicates Hassan’s low status by the symbol of his harelipped smile. Hassan’s harelip is an “imperfection” that Amir cannot look past, just like Hassan’s status. Low status characters, including Ali with his crippled leg and Hassan with his harelip, are given imperfections in contrast to the high status people they serve that don’t hold these obvious, unique physical characteristics.

[preeeeethi]

The Kite Runner: Annotations #1

In this section of the book, Amir is watching a soccer game in Kabul. During halftime, a man is being pelted by rocks as punishment for adultery because it’s sinful.

Hosseini utilized allusions a lot here. I found these allusions ironic because they refer to people that would preach opposite the actions of the Talib. Hosseini repeatedly makes references to John Lennon, known for being part of the Beatles. In his song “Imagine,” Lennon asks people to imagine a world filled with peace and even mentions there being no religion. In contrast, the Talib is stoning the man using religion as an excuse.

Hosseini also refers to Jesus Christ. There is a story called “A Woman Caught in Adultery.” A woman is brought before Jesus for committing adultery and should be stoned for punishment. However, Jesus says only those who have never sinned have the right to throw stones at her, but there is not a single person who has never sinned and Jesus condemns the woman. This story made the reference to Jesus interesting because the Talib does opposite to what Jesus did when confronted with those who have committed adultery.

John 8:1-11 NLT - A Woman Caught in Adultery - Jesus - Bible Gateway

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+8:1-11&version=NLT&interface=amp

[preeeeethi]

The Kite Runner: Reading #5

In the last part of the book, what I found most interesting was how certain events from Amir’s life in the past repeated when he returned to Afghanistan. The only thing that changed in these repeated events were the choices that Amir made as a person.

In the past, Amir betrayed Hassan by allowing him to be assaulted by Assef and his two friends. Amir did not stand up for himself when Assef threatened to hurt him and Hassan defended Amir by threatening to take out Assef’s left eye with his slingshot.

When Amir returns to Afghanistan, Assef is accompanied by two guards. Amir stands up for himself and Sorhab, Hassan’s son, and gets beaten by Assef. Sorhab uses his slingshot to take our Assef’s eye when defending Amir.

I thought that this was too coincidental and made the story seem less realistic. However, this is another case of irony in the story and Amir, as a writer, points out the irony of his own stories. Rahim Khan even congratulates Amir in the past after reading one of his stories, saying that it has irony, which many stories by the best authors don’t even have. I think that Hosseini (author of The Kite Runner) using irony in the book helped bring out the theme that the past defines the present as well as “what comes around goes around.”

[preeeeethi]

The Kite Runner: Reading #4

Throughout the whole beginning of the book, only differences between Baba and Amir are revealed. But it turns out that they are both very similar. Just as Amir betrayed Hassan, it turns out that Baba betrayed Ali.

Rahim Khan, Baba’s friend, calls Amir to Pakistan and reveals the truth to him and asks him to do something to make up for his mistakes in the past and for Baba’s. The book had an odd jump in the narration at this point, going from Amir’s point of view, to Rahim Khan’s, then to Amir’s again. I’m not really sure why Hosseini, the author, decided to do switch the narration like that.

Amir is going back to Kabul to right his wrongs, but is also risking his life in the process. It seemed unfair to me that Amir has to pay for his father’s betrayal as well as his own. I think Baba’s betrayal to Ali kind of caused Amir’s betrayal to Hassan, but I still do think that Amir does need to own up to what he did in the past because what he did is still wrong no matter what.

Hassan obviously never held a grudge against Amir, and still considers Amir as a friend despite Amir’s betrayal and not seeing Amir for years and years. Personally, I don’t understand why Hassan is so loyal to Amir. Hassan seems to only see the good in Amir and remembers only good memories from their childhood. I wonder how events from Amir and Hassan’s childhood looked from Hassan’s point of view.

[preeeeethi]

The Kite Runner: Reading #3

In the next part of the book, Amir and Baba move to America. Because of the unstable government, Baba and Hassan are snuck to Pakistan in a truck first. Rape is mentioned repeatedly in this part of the book. I think people usually associate rape victims as females, but this book revealed the horrible reality that both genders are victimized to rape and that rape is not okay no matter what.

Once Baba and Amir are in America, it seems like their relationship turned around. Also, Amir thinks he can forget his past in America so he moves on, gets married and becomes a writer. It seems a little unfair to me that Amir let someone else’s life get ruined and thinks he can move on. But then again, he made a mistake as a child and there is not much he can do about it anymore. Just as it is to most immigrants, to Amir, America is a place that will give him a new life and new beginnings.

[preeeeethi]

The Kite Runner: Reading #2

The next part of the book focuses on the kite-fighting tournament in the winter of 1975. Amir desperately wants to win the kite-fighting tournament so that Baba will finally be proud of him. I can understand wanting to make your parents proud because I have wanted to win competitions in the past to make my own parents proud of me.

Amir does win by cutting the string of a blue kite with the string of his own kite. Hassan runs after the blue kite that Amir defeated to win the tournament because whoever catches the kite gets to keep it. Hassan catches the blue kite, but runs into Assef and his two friends, known for being ruthless and beating up other children. Assef is angry at Hassan for humiliating him in order to defend Amir in the past. To make matters worse, Assef only sees Hassan as a “dog” and a “dirty Hazara.” Assef demands the blue kite in return for leaving Hassan alone. Amir has to choose between saving Hassan from Assef’s torment and losing the blue kite or letting Hassan get hurt for the kite.

This is where the themes of loyalty and betrayal play out. I was shocked that Amir let Hassan, the boy he grew up with, get raped by Assef, all for a kite. However, Amir thinks showing Baba this kite will finally make Baba love him. The kite represents Baba’s affection and means a lot to Amir. But I still hated Amir for letting his friend get hurt for his own selfish purposes. I realized at this point that Amir and Hassan are polar opposites. Hassan is stupidly loyal to Amir, even after Amir betrays him. Amir makes matters worse even after ultimately betraying Hassan by treating him badly, such as by pelting him with pomegranates. But I think Amir just felt guilty and wanted Hassan to snap and hit him or yell at him for his betrayal. Hassan’s continuing loyalty just made Amir feel worse for his betrayal and Amir keeps mistreating Hassan until Hassan and his father, Ali, decide to leave Kabul.

[preeeeethi]

The Kite Runner: Reading #1

The first thing that I learned about Amir, main character, is that he did something horrible in the past. He lives in San Francisco in 2001, but is looking back on his life and how he became the person he currently is. As the narrator, Amir jumps back in time to tell the story of his past because the next chapters are about Amir’s childhood in Kabul, where he is born and raised. Amir constantly repeats the significance of the Winter of 1975, a pivotal time in his life.

In these chapters, Hosseini clearly highlights Amir’s relationships to the people around him that are crucial to the plot. The two most important relationships Amir has are with Baba and Hassan. Amir is always vying for Baba’s affections and thinks that Baba hates him. Hassan is the son of Ali, Baba’s servant, and acts as Amir’s servant. Despite Hassan being his servant, Amir plays with Hassan like they are friends, or even brothers. Amir’s relationship to Hassan acts as a parallel to Baba’s relationship to Ali, as Baba and Ali also grew up together.

During the time of this story, Afghanistan was ruled under a monarchy, which would later turn into a state of chaos and political uncertainty after a coup d’état overthrowing King Zahir Shah. Additionally, Afghanistan is divided by Pashtuns, who are Sunni Muslims and have a higher status than Hazaras, who are Shi’a Muslims. Amir is a Pashtun, while Hassan is a “dirty Hazara,” as he is addressed in the book. Further, Amir’s status is elevated by his famed Baba. Amir struggles to hold a friendship with a low status Hazara because it is frowned upon.

The first chapters just give a lot of information about Amir and his life growing up in Afghanistan that will become critical later on in the story. Reading these chapters, I found myself sympathizing with Amir a little bit due to his poor relationship with his father. But I was also irritated by some of the rude ways he treated Hassan.

[preeeeethi]

Final Project Post #1: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

To start my search for a book, I looked through lists of AP Literature books. However, I couldn’t really find anything that both interested me and had enough criticisms on it. Then, Mrs. Cramer recommended some books I could possibly read. One of these was the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The story takes place in Afghanistan and is about a wealthy boy and the relationship he has with the son of his father’s servant. I’ve heard that this book’s story is really touching and sticks with a person after reading it, so I’m interested to see if that is true. I also like that this book is fairly recent and based off of events that happened in the 1970s. I’m excited to read this book and find out more on what it’s about.