Group B

P1
Kaylee Sterling

2. Before reading the Kite runner I knew very little of Afghanistan culture. I knew only of the
things displayed in today's media, but i always had the image of it being a grief stricken place
with lots of death and poverty. Even though Amir lived the privileged life of good food, schooling,
and servants, the structure in Afghanistan still seemed tough compared to America. Your wealth
dealt more with your bravery and your honor in Afghanistan, whereas, in America it was based
more off of education and success. Afghans had trouble settling into American culture mainly
because of the differences in what success meant in each country. Afghans had to settle in
trashy jobs if they were uneducated and many, like Baba found it hard to settle in American
culture. The true Afghan found it hard, but Amir was not like the true Afghan so he settled pretty
well. Amir finds it easier in America and excels through his education and writing. Amirs
character development excelled in America, and the new country turned him into the man he
needed to be to save Sohrab.

4. When Kabul Farid says youve always been a tourist here, you just didnt know, he is
making a very harsh statement. He is implying that he never lived the true Afghanistan life,
because he grew up wealthy, in a nice area, and with privileges that many didnt have. He then
continues on to say Let me imagine, Agha sahib. You probably lived in a big two or three story
house with a nice back yard that your gardener filled with flowers and fruit trees. All gated, of
course. Your father drove an American car. You had servants, probably Hazaras. Your parents
hired workers to decorate the house for the fancy mehmanis they threw, so their friends would
come over to drink and boast about their travels to Europe or America. And I would bet my first
son's eyes that this is the first time you've ever worn a pakol."He grinned at me, revealing a
mouthful of prematurely rotting teeth."Am I close? (pg. 187). I believe there is a lot of truth to
his implication. Although Amir is from Afghanistan, and his culture will always lie with Kabul,
even in America, he did not have to live through the tragedies that most Afghans had to, even
before the Taliban took over. He always lived in a huge mansion, went to school, and was
blessed with anything he would ever need. In Afghan society a person is given worth based on
what theyve done for others, and the bravery they show. This varies greatly, because Amir lives
in his father's shadow in Afghanistan. He is not the same as the brave man that has raised him,
but in America that doesnt matter, because your worth is portrayed by your success in America.

6. The symbolism of the pomegranate tree parallels the friendship between Amir and Hassan.
When they were young, before Hassan was raped, the tree flourished. They would sit and read
under the tree for hours, and sit in the shade it provided, much like the comfort they felt within
themselves. The mood that the hill and tree provided shifted once Hassan was raped. Amir took
Hassan up to the tree and tried to force him to throw pomegranates at him to make up for his
own guilt and sin. He says, I hit him with another pomegranate, in the shoulder this time. The
juice splattered his face. Hit me back! I spat. "Hit me back, goddamn you! I wished he
would.(pg 91). This was the climax of Hassan and Amirs friendship. The turning point of the
pomegranate tree. The tree was now a symbol of guilt, hatred, and death of a friendship. In
addition, the significance of Hassans note is a way of saying that their friendship had died in the
time that Amir left for America. The fact that the tree would no longer bear fruit was a parallel to
the fact that their friendship would no longer bear any new moment memories.

8. Amir recalls the look of the lamb in the alleyway not just because it reminds him of Haasan's
look of acceptance, but because, in a way, it reminds him of his own. Amir recognizes the look
in Hassans eyes and the look in the sheeps eyes, because he realizes that he too, is sitting idly
by, and accepting what he sees. Amir later sees Sohrab with the Taliban, and reconnects these
memories with Sohrab. The only difference this time is Amir does something about it. He no
longer sits by and watches tragedy. He is now able to speak up for the wrongs being done
instead of allowing his father to kill an innocent sheep, and allowing Assef to take the innocence
from Hassan. I believe that Amir recalls this memory so many times, because in many ways, he
is the sheep.

10. Amir sacrificed his friendship with Hassan and his innocence for Baba the last time he
sacrificed for him. He stated that this was the sacrifice for Babas love, while he watched
Hassan get raped by Assef for the blue kite. He wanted his father's approval so badly that he
was willing to sacrifice Hassans innocence for it. For the rest of his life, though, Amir would
have to live with this decision. He would live with this guilt for nearly 30 years, until he was beat
up by Assef while trying to obtain Sohrab. He states ,What was so funny was that, for the first
time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace. I laughed because I saw that, in some hidden nook
in a corner of my mind, I'd even been looking forward to this. (pg. 248). He did not feel at peace
with himself until he was beaten up by Assef, and that was the last time he would ever damn
himself for Baba.

12. The change in politics in Afghanistan changed the moods of each character. Many true
Afghans, like Baba and Farhid felt powerless and weak when the Taliban took over. The taliban
ruined the Afghanistan that Amir knew as he grew up, but strangely the new Afghanistan was
the thing that made Amir into a true Afghan. He was able to forgive himself, stand up for
himself, and truly live to his full potential because of the new politics. On the other hand, the
new politics ruined people like Baba. It took away his strength, honor, and in the end, his life.
Thankfully, the politics in Afghan could not change Hassans gentle manner. Throughout the
novel, his character was constant through everything. Sadly, the new politics stripped him of his
life. Do you think Amir would have ever been able to forgive himself if the Taliban didnt take
over?

14. Baba is afraid that Amir does not stand up for himself, because that is the Afghan way. It
shows true manliness, and respect. This started to change when Amir and Babe moved to
America. Amir even realizes early on that America was good for him, because it allowed him to
grow, but it was bad for Baba. "For me, America was a place to bury my memories. For Baba, a
place to mourn his" (129). By burying his memories, Amir allows forgiveness within himself. He
stands up for his want to write, even though Baba dislikes this idea. He gets married to the
woman he falls in love with at the trade show, because she is what he wants. All these little
steps eventually lead to his personal growth that influence him to make the decision to save
Sohrab. He states, I have a wife in America, a home, a career, and a family. Kabul is a
dangerous place, you know that, and youd have me risk everything for I stopped.
You know," Rahim Khan said, one time, when you werent around, your father and I were
talking. And you know how he always worried about you in those days. I remember he said to
me, Rahim, a boy who wont stand up for himself becomes a man who cant stand up to
anything. I wonder, is that what youve become? (221) You can see here Amirs inner battle to
stand up for Sohrab, someone other than himself. His first worry was of his wife and family
being left behind, but truly he has selfish reason for not wanting to continue on to Kabul. He
eventually breaks through this thought process and then stands up to Assef for not just Sohrab,
but for Hassan.

16. The dream that Amir has in the hospital is important to the story, because he is finally
starting to forgive himself for what he did to Hassan, and he is seeing himself in a different light.
The story of his dad fighting the bear had been prevalent throughout the entire novel to show
the bravery and strength seen in Baba. When Amir sees himself in Babas place he is in turn
seeing himself as the God he always viewed Baba as. Amir finally realizes the potential within
himself, and he stops feeling the wimpy, guilt he has felt his entire life. He is no longer living in
Babas shadow, and he is comfortable in his own skin.

18. The fact that Baba has lied to Amir his entire life ends up being both good and bad in a way.
In a polluted and twisted kind of way it makes Amir feel closer to his father. He starts to bring his
father down from the pedestal he was always boasted on top of. He is now more like Amir in
many ways. He also feels a state of betrayed ness and everything seems like a lie. Like Baba
said, The worst crime is theft. When you lie you steal a persons right to the truth. After Amir
realizes that Baba has been lying to him his entire life everything Baba has said has become a
lie. He starts to understand that he truly knows nothing.

20. Baba and Ali are much like Amir and Hassan in many ways. Baba was always seen in a
lighter eye that Ali, just like Amir is with Hassan. Ali turns out to be a very brave and protecting
man, just like Baba, but he is more introverted about it. For example, he was extremely
comforting to Hassan when he realized what had happened, and was willing to move away from
the good life they had in Kabul for Hassans emotional being. I feel like Amirs betrayal to
Hassan was more selfish than Babas. Baba did an awful thing by having intercourse with Alis
wife, but he was honest about it, and did everything he could to help raise and protect Hassan.
Amir, on the other hand, was a coward about his mistakes and couldnt own up to them for
years. I believe many of these mistakes were character flaws within Baba and Amir. Not all
masters are mean to their servants like that, but also not all servants are treated as well as they
were treated.

21. Xenophobia is definitely a concern in todays society with the war on terrorism. The present
day witch-hunt can very well be linked to Islamophobia. According to the US admissions
bureau, Muslims are more likely to be let into the United states if they are affiliated with the
Christian religion, rather than Islam. This definitely shows a fear in the United States eyes
towards Muslim refugees. Based off of most of the research I have found, Muslims in America
are counted as functioning members of the society. But in recent politics they are seen as an
enemy due to the percentage that are actual terrorists. I can see the parallel between the witch
hunts and current Muslim immigration.