Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Kite Runner Fishbowl: Chapters 9 and 10: September 29, 2015

Focus: How can student-led discussion lead us to a better understanding of The Kite Runner, Chapters 9 and 10?

1. Warming up: Celebrating your outer circle fishbowl successes from yesterday!

2. Recapping Fishbowl expectations:

  • Everyone should have his or her Kite Runner book and annotations out.  This applies to both the outer and inner circles.
  • Reference the text frequently, reading passages aloud and giving people time to find the right page numbers.  
  • Leaders can and should jump into the discussion as well.
  • All participants in the outer circle should include at least one quotation in their blogs to receive full credit.
  • Outer circle participants must participate on the blog throughout the entire discussion; you should not disappear for large periods of time.
  • If you haven't read, you should not participate in fishbowl.  Instead, use this time to read and post on the blog tonight for homework.



3. Entering Fishbowl #1: Chapters 9 and 10

4. Wrapping up the discussion with a "whip-around" (go around the circle and state what went well and/or what we need to improve upon and/or one take away from today's discussion you have regarding The Kite Runner)

5. Starting Chapter 11 together

HW:
1. Prepare for Thursday's fishbowl by reading and annotating Chapters 11 and 12. Fishbowl leaders should finish this reading tonight so that they have time to prepare a syllabus.

2. Start studying for Friday's vocabulary quiz over Chapters 1-6; we will review these words tomorrow with a little game.

3. Keep bringing your annotations/journals to class so that they can be checked off.


120 comments:

  1. Was Afghanistan really this bad? Because so many bad things have happened to Amir, so is this exaggerated, or is the life of a child, a rich one at that, still this bad in Afghanistan?

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    1. I think in the name of dramatic effect, this may be slightly exaggerated compared to the average persons life, however there could very well be things like this happening in Afghanistan. Their culture and lifestyle is completely different than ours.

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    2. Just like any country, there are parts of it that have problems. In this time period though, Afghanistan was under attack. So to answer the question, there are things that become a little too 'detailed' in the book, but it is for the most part accurate.

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  2. Did Amir know deep down that Hassan knew that Amir saw him in the ally? (Confusing)

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    1. I believe there was a point in the book in which Amir realized Hassan knew he was seen in the alley, Hosseini says, "And that led to an understanding: Hassan knew. He knew I'd seen everything in that alley..." (Hosseini, 105)

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    2. I believe he was always skeptical... on pg. 78 Amir brings this up: "Did he know I knew? And if he knew, then what would I see if I did look in his eyes? Blame? Indignation?"(Hosseini 78). So that shows how he feels skeptical about seeing Hassan, and also feels very guilty.

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  3. I think Amir feels like coward and is ashamed to even be in the same room as Hassan

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    1. I feel like Amir has a great deal of guilt for not helping Hassan

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  4. "The problem was, his nature was going to get us all killed" (p.115) Is this foreshadowing something bad happening because of Baba's bold behavior?

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  5. Hassan will start lying because I think Hassan wants to stick up for Amir and he doesn't want Amir to get in trouble and Hassan wants to take the blame.

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  6. I noticed that Hassan referenced or related a lot of things to blood like the presents he got and the new bike that Baba had given him. Why is this?

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    1. It might be him trying to get the images, or the scene out of his head, because he cant tell anybody.

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    2. I think you're getting Amir and Hassan mixed up. It was Amir who had the party and got the presents

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    3. "The pile was growing there: a polaroid camera, and transistor radio, an elaborate electric train set-and sealed envelopes containing cash...I didn't want any of it-it was all blood money," (101). And,"...The spokes were gold colored and the steel-frame body red, like a candy apple. Or blood," (102).

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    4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  7. I feel as though that every time Amir looks at Hassan he feels a good deal of guilt, and he tries to resolve this problem by totally eliminating Hassan from his life.

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    1. I agree with this, I think that Amir at such a young age doesn't know how to get over such a gory event.

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    2. I agree with you because he is at such a young age where he has scene something no one should have to see. This might be his way of handling it but what makes me wonder is whether Hassan thinks there relationship is over, and there last resort is to split up.

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  8. On page 107 Baba faces the reality, "I'll never forget the way Baba said that, the pain in his plea, the fear". I feel that Amir is handling the situation in the worse way possible. But also Hassan admitted to stealing the watch because he knew the relationship between Amir and Baba, and he did not want to ruin it. Why would Hassan admit to stealing the watch, when it would have prevented them leaving the house?

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    1. I believe that Hassan admitted to stealing the watch because for one, he always covered for Amir no matter what, but secondly, he realized it was his way out. Once he told Ali the truth about the events that occured in the alley, Ali couldn't forgive Amir as Hassan could. Ali took the decision into his own hands and removed his son from that situation because parents will do anything for their kids.

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    2. I don't think that Hassan admitting to stealing the money and watch is the reason him and Ali are leaving. The reason they are leaving is because of the situation Hassan was involved in. Hassan knew that Amir was the one who framed him, but that just re-assured Hassan that he needed to leave.

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  9. On page 105, at the bottom of the page, "Except Baba stunned me by saying, "I forgive you". Before I continued reading I thought that in the end Amir would be the one to leave because earlier in the book at the bottom of page 102 he said, "Either way, this much had become clear: One of us had to go." Before I made progress to the next page where Ali and Hassan chose to leave, I thought that if they didn't, Baba would have an easier time abandoning Amir instead. What are your thoughts? If Ali and Hassan had decided to stay with Baba, would Amir have left because as he said, one of them had to go?

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    1. I feel like Amir would have left because he knows that Hassan knows that Amir saw him in the alley and feels a lot of guilt and the only way to resolve the issue is to separate.

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  10. "Baba would have never thrown me a party like that if I had never won the tournament," (101). Is the only reason why Hassan even had the party was because Hassan won the tournament?

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    1. I think you mean Amir had the party, and I believe the reason it was so big and expensive was because Baba was proud and wanted to brag to his friends about his son. Baba just wants to be proud of his son.

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  11. On page 112 Hosseini says, 'You could't trust anyone in Kabul anymore-for a fee or under threat., people told each other, neighbor on neighbor..." This quote intrigues me because it shows how unstable the Afghanistan government is that a simple threat could take away a relationship.

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    1. I agree with that because of the scene when the soldier that said he wanted a half an hour with the girl in the car. Later in that moment another soldier came up and said he was on drugs.

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  12. the quote "He had told him everything, about what assef and his friends had done to him, about the kite, about me." found on page 106, This tells us that Hassan knows that Amir saw him in the alley. I think that Amir only thinks it will get better for their friendship if the separate.

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    1. I do think Hassan knows that Amir saw what happened. But do you think that Amir is separating from Hassan just to better their friendship or do you think he might be avoiding Hassan for a different reason?

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    2. I agree, because throughout chapters 7-9, Amir started with ignoring Hassan, but after that did not work Amir tried to solve the problem by hitting Hassan with berries, and hoping he would hit back, but after that did not work. I feel Amir and Hassan both knew that there relationship was dead.

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  13. On page 81 Amir says, "Like I said, how should I know what's wrong with him? Maybe he's sick. People get sick all the time, Ali. Now, am I going to freeze to death or are you planning on lighting the stove today?"

    The question I have is:
    Is Amir actually mature enough to handle this and is just a bad person? We keep talking about Amir as this young, immature boy, but at times he seems like he is just an angry person. No 12 year old boy would command an adult to do something and be rude when they ask about their family unless they have problems.

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  14. On page 105 at the bottom of the page Amir had stated "I wanted that, to move on, to forget, to start with a clean slate. I wanted to be able to breathe again." showing how the guilt had gotten to him and he believes simply getting rid of Hassan would solve the problem. How will Amir live with the guilt of sending his closest friend away? Will it eat away at him until he can see Hassan again?

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    1. Yes, I think it will greatly affect Amir as he will no longer be best friends with Hassan, even though he has his whole life. He knows that Ali and Hassan are moving because of him and Baba also very sad, all because of Amir's actions.

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  15. On page 105, it said, "I flinched, like I'd been slapped. My heart sank and I almost blurted out the truth. Then I understood: This was Hassan's final sacrifice for me. If he'd said no, Baba would have believed him, because we all knew Hassan never lied." Why didn't Amir tell Baba the truth about the money that he was the one who put it under the mattress?

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  16. Do you think that Amirs ignorance and spoiled mentality will put hm into future trouble?

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    1. I do because him treating Hassan like he did is terrible.He was very rude to him even after what happened and I think in the future, if he keeps doing that and treating Hassan mean and avoiding him, it's going to get him in trouble.

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    2. No because, I don't think it's only the spoiledness that has affected him, I think it's also all the emotional distress that he feels whenever he sees Hassan. He just wants to be relieved of a situation that seems to be slowly take him over. He also hasn't told anyone about the raping.

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    3. Yes, but there are other reasons as well. Like Des said, Amir has been keeping quiet about what happened to Hassan so that has to be taking a toll on him

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    4. I think it will affect Amir's future because in chapter one he admitted that he felt guilty and it affected him even after 26 years.

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  17. I think Amir believes Hassan i his puppet and will do whatever he says.

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    1. Why do you think this? I sit because we know he is a servant?

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  18. On page 122, Baba actually shows some sort of kindness to Amir. It says "And then a small miracle. Baba tugged at my sleeve and something glowed green in the dark. Light! Baba's wristwatch." This excerpt shows that Baba recognized Amir's discomfort and actually did something about it for a change.

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  19. I agree with Clayton, Amir bosses Hassan around however the relationship between them is odd. They are friends but not in a normal way. I believe the only way to really find out why Amir is drifting away is by reading on and truly getting a better sense of the situation.

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  20. I think that Kamal and Wali affected them because I think that they regret on what they did on Hassan and they still helped Assef when they raped Hassan but I think they didn't like that because they felt bad for Hassan.

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  21. Why do you think that this has lead to setting up hassan for stealing his fathers things?

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    1. because sometimes bad things that happen lead to bad behavior

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    2. I don't think that Amir even thinks of Hassan as a person anymore.

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    3. i Think that amir cares deep down about hassan, does like to spend time with him, and loves him even. I just think he can't handle the life of living with guilt and not saying sorry that he had to do something to break away from the awkward situation

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    4. I agree with Reuben. I think Amir still cares for Hassan deep down but he was 12, I'm not sure if he knew that if he just told the adults (Baba and Ali) what happened, everything would be better as well as Amir receiving what he deserves, dissapointment.

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  22. How would you deal with this situation?

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  23. Throughout the whole book, I felt like Baba is at fault for some of these events that occurred to Amir. For example, I think if Baba paid more attention to Amir when he was a child and didn't indirectly tell him he had to do something successful in order to draw his attention towards him, I think Amir would've had more confidence at the age he was then (12). Do you think if Baba gave him more attention and interest, Amir would have enough confidence to stand up to Assef during the event that occurred in the alley way with Hassan?

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    1. Yes, Amir would not have been too concerned about the kite if his father's approval didn't depend on it.

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    2. I agree that Amir would have had more confidence completely, but at the same time, I'm not sure he would have even stood up for Hassan even if he had more confidence. I think this because in chapter 5, he says "But he's not my friend!...He's my servant!" So clearly he thought Hassan lower than him and not because of low confidence.

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    3. i agree, maybe it wasnt attention, maybe it was something else but you shouldn't show him nothing like baba did. I think that if his dad spent time with him, played sports with him, kept him active that maybe amir wouldnt act the way he does. I think Amir could spend more time building his own character and that would of helped him many many timed in this book

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  24. "We could go for a ride," Baba said. An invitation, but only a half hearted one." I feel like Amir has given up on his father. He realizes that Baba won't change no matter how hard Amir tried. Why did his father want to go for a ride? Usually Amir would have to bring something up for them to do something.

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    1. I agree with you. I think that since he won the tournament and Baba treated him with a lot of respect and everything, he realized that getting Baba's attention wasn't really worth it. Like, witnessing the incident of Assef and Hassan in the alley was the price to pay to receive Baba's attention and it wasn't as amazing as Amir expected because 1) he also had to live with the guilt and facing Hassan everyday and 2) when Amir asked to get different servants, Baba greatly lashed out which shows that it's like walking on eggshells with Baba. One wrong word, and he already dents the praise Baba gave him.

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  25. If you were placed in Amir or Hassan's life, what would you change or re-do?

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    1. Personally, I don't think I would have let the guilt consume me before telling someone, like Amir. I think the longer Amir waited, the worse everything got.

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  26. Why doesn't Baba ever step in and deal with the situations? It seems like he always just stays in the background and watches things play out.

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    1. I feel like he does that because of his personality. He seems like he is more independent person that likes to keep his thoughts to himself.

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    2. Because more independent people tend to blend in, like people at our school kind of look around the school and notice different groups of people and turn it into a connection to the book.

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    3. I don't think he's aware about the situations being placed like the incident in the alley, he doesn't know. Only Ali, Hassan and Amir is aware of it. However, I do think he's being oblivious with everything like not connecting the look Ali had towards Amir when he found out during their leave, and the stain on Hassan's pants, etc.

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  27. I feel like Amir is doing these actions because he think that it will make him feel better about himself about what happened in chapter 7. I don't think he realizes that he's just treating Hassan terribly and unfair. He needs to realize that and fix that.

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    1. I do think Amir knows what he's doing, because his guilt is mixing with his feeling of superiority to Hassan, making him act out, and now he trys even harder to get Hassan to react to his provocations, but Hassan just doesn't so his guilt gets even worse

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  28. On page 104, "I lifted Hassan's mattress and planted my new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under it." It was unclear what Amir's intentions were. What was he actually trying to do? Was he trying to frame Hassan so he would have to leave? Did he give them money so they can get a better life? Did Amir act out of disgust, guilt, or just because he pitied Hassan?

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    1. I thought that too. I thought he was secretly giving Hassan and Ali the gifts and money so they could have a more wealthier life (not that much though, just slightly more money to provide for them) and later on, Amir ended up betraying Hassan, framing him for "stealing" Amir's things. It's because Amir thought that if Hassan was banned from their house, he wouldn't have to be constantly reminded about how guilty Amir was during the alley incident.

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    2. I think that Amir was framing Hassan. He knew that if Ali thought his son had stolen from Amir and Baba, he would feel the need to leave. Amir wants Hassan out of his life so he can try and forget about his guilt.

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    3. I agree with Chris, I think he was framing Hassan. He must feel the need to get rid of Hassan. I'm not sure why though. Amir suffers from some sort of Psychological disorder.

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  29. I think Amir waited so long to tell someone because he was indecisive of what he wanted to do and if he was doing the right thing.

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  30. Chapter 9 made me angry. Finally Amir realized how much pain and sadness he had brought to the family for not helping Hassan. When Ali and Hassan left, it was the first time Amir had seen his father cry. That is the worst feeling in the world is watching a strong man who never shows his true feelings, cry. Thats when I feel like Amir had realized what he really did and the true pain he had brought to the family.

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  31. On page 105, Amir thinks that " Hassan knew. He knew I'd seen everything in that alley...he knew I betrayed him and yet he was rescuing me.....I was a liar, a chea,t and a thief. And I would have told, except that a part of me was glad. Glad that this would be all over soon." Why does Amir assume everything, the guilt, etc. would just disappear if Hassan and Ali left the house? Because that guilt will live with him. until the day he dies and he knows that yet he still thinks it'll just be brushed away if Hassan left.

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    1. "I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years" Page 1
      That shows that he has been living with that guilt. He may have been thinking that it would disappear but we know it does not from that quote.

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    2. I think that Amir wants to think that all the pain will go away because of Hassan leaving because he doesn't want to wait for a punishment anymore. Hassan is giving Amir affection because he is a good person, and because he knows that Amir wants a real punishment. This might be the worst punishment he could ever give him because it will stay with him for the rest of his life.

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    3. I think that Amir has the "out of sight, out of mind" mindset in this case. However, like we have seen, it hasn't worked out that way.

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  32. Page 116: "Baba slapped my hand away, "Haven't I taught you anything?" he snapped." I this quote is important because he is saying that he has taught him stuff but really Amir is who he is and how he acts because of Baba.

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    1. I feel like Baba hasnt taught him much. He didnt teach him how to stand up for what is right, protect your friends and family, to respect the people who cook clean run your house. His dad is being super hypocritical. How can you say have i taught you anything when you dont pay enough attention to even notice him doing anything wrong

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    2. I think that this incident was more of a cultural thing that he should had picked up from being around other poeple.

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  33. I think that Amir is finally realizing that material possessions and wealth wont make him happy when on page 101 it says "I didn't want any of it - it was all blood money;"

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    1. I agree. It's interesting to see that it took something so tragic to happen for Amir to finally realize that it's not all about material things and money, but it's about the things that money can't buy.

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  34. Words cannot describe how much I would love to see one or two of you jump into the inner circle, even if it's just to say one thing.

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  35. On page 105 it says "Hassan's reply was a single word, delivered in a thin raspy voice. "Yes". Do you think that because Hassan is a Hazara he knew that Baba would not believe him if he told him that he saw Amir do it? Or do you think that it is just from the goodness of his heart? Why?

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    1. I think that Hassan admitted to stealing the watch because he is a good person and didn't have it in himself to lie to Baba and let Amir take the fall.

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  36. On page 105, it says, " Hassan's reply was a single word, delivered in a thin, raspy voice: "Yes." This shows Hassan's endless devotion to Amir and that he would do anything for him. Amir is frustrated because he wants Hassan to retaliate and punish him, but Hassan always comes off as the bigger man. This really bothers Amir. Will Amir ever get was he deserves? Or has Hassan given him the worst torture of all?

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    1. I think Amir is getting part of his share of the punishment. When Ali looked at him in a disappointing way but didn't reprimand him for not telling him and/or helping Hassan in the alley, it was kind of like a silent reprimand and I think that's one of the worst treatment. Because, you see, Amir desires Hassan to punch him or physically hurt him so Amir doesn't feel as bad when he just witnessed the incident instead of standing up for Hassan. Ali is doing the same Hassan is doing, they're both quietly angry at him but they won't show it which causes Amir to be more frustrated and guilty.

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  37. On page 113: "I wondered where Hassan was." This quote is showing that even if Amir doesn't get along with Hassan he still shows some emotion and care towards him.

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    1. I agree with you. I think he realized that the guilt and thoughts about Hassan won't disappear when Hassan isn't in his presence. It'll live with him forever.

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    2. I mean even though they dont get along now, he should still care for him. He ruined the friendship and ruined part of Hassan life.

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    3. I don't think its that he doesn't get along with Hassan, he left Hassan from the start, he was never truley getting along with Hassan or else he would have cared more about Hassan that the kite. It did showed that he had an overgrowing emotion of sadness and showed that he cared for Hassan.

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  38. I agree with Ashlynn in a way that Amir tries to see Hassan's weak side and that is a reason why he acts like he does to Hassan and tries to be better than Hassan to get Baba's approval.

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  39. "And if Baba could forgive that,then why couldn't he forgive me for not being the son he'd always wanted?". The fact that Amir thinks his father doesn't like him and wished for a better son breaks my heart. It is not fair for a father to ask for something more from a child who can't give them what they want. It is stupid and selfish of his father to make Amir feel like he doesn't care. It all started with Baba. If Baba cared, if Baba made Amir feel like he was the son he always wanted, if Baba wasn't a donkey, then nothing would have happened. The kite wouldn't be important, Hassan wouldn't have gotten raped, Ali and Hassan wouldn't have moved away, and Amir wouldnt be alone.

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  40. I think in this age plays a big factor to because Amir and Hassan are pretty young and no one their age should have seen the rape I don't think any kid could because they don't know what is happening at that age and are innocent in a way.So to a certain extent age plays a factor because its hard to see that and process or even know whats going on and it can change them fully at that age and seeing those things.

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  41. On page 118 when Baba was angry at Karim for not telling the complete truth it made me wonder all the possible reasons why. Such as he was afraid if what the passengers would do, or he wanted to huddle all the refugees in one place and take them all at the same time so no one has to wait at their houses. What made Baba think that the reason was greed? Did he consider other reasons? Why didn't he just ask him why instead of jumping to conclusions?

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  42. On page 105 when the situation with the watch was going down. If Amir wanted to show dominance and that he is better than Hassan, what purpose was framing him? And how did his little "plan" change when Hassan admitted to being a thief?

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    1. I think from the beginning, especially with the pomegranates a while back, Amir is completely consumed by guilt, and so he is trying to bring himself down starting with Hassan. Every time it changes because Hassan is an honest, empathetic person, and Amir has yet to grow into a more true self.

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    2. Amir framed Hassan because he wanted him to leave. Amir could not stand the guilt he felt when he saw Hassan every day, so he tried to get rid of him completely.

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  43. Amir said, "I was glad for the darkness." He has been "saved" by darkness quite a few times, but is darkness going to be his downfall? What does it symbolize?

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  44. I agree with Ashlynn in a way that Amir tries to see Hassan's weak side and that is a reason why he acts like he does to Hassan and tries to be better than Hassan to get Baba's approval.

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    1. I think on top of Baba's approval, it is along the line that he is constantly trying to bring out a part of Hassan that doesn't exist because they have completely different personalities.

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  45. Open seats in the inner circle make me sad. :(

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  46. Why do you think that Hassan is still being such a great friend to Amir even though Amir causes Hassan so much trouble? Amir is the reason why Ali and Hassan had to leave. Amir is half the reason why Hassan got raped for so long when he could've gone and help. And Amir is also the reason that Baba seems like such an awful dad.

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    1. I agree with you.

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    2. Thats just his personality in my opinion. Obviously the rape effected him a lot but he his able to battle through that event not let it control and change his life.

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    3. I agree with you, however, I think it was the way Amir and Hassan were differently raised. As a servant, Hassan is not allowed to lash out or show disrespect towards Amir. He is 12 so I think he's still at a young age that he doesn't understand he has the right to reprimand Amir as well as rat Amir out to the adults because the attitude and other factors of being the servant still flow naturally to Hassan. Therefore, Hassan doesn't think he has the right to have a voice about the incident and I think he still does likes Amir and doesn't want to hurt him.

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    4. Even until the one of the last interactions with Amir and Hassan, Hassan stays loyal. "This was Hassan's final sacrifice for me" (105). Once again this shows how Hassan has always been very good to Amir, yet Amir took advantage of it.

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    5. Because how he was once again raised, Hassan just simply did not have a mean bone in his body, although Amir treated hime extremely unfair, Hassan was always willing to still be there for Amir.

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  47. On page 105, it says "He knew I had betrayed him and yet he was rescuing me once again, maybe for the last time." A while back it had talked about how their childhoods were so similar and they grew up almost the same. So why are they such different people now? Why is Hassan a more true, honest person than Amir?

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    1. I don't think Amir was raised similar to Hassan in a way. I think Baba was not there to discipline Amir when he was being disrespectful towards Hassan whereas Hassan knows to respect Amir because he is Amir's servant. However, Amir and Hassan both see their relationship a different way. I think Amir considers Hassan as a servant and Hassan considers Amir as a friend. So, in a way, they grew up very differently by morals, rules, etc.

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    2. I think for sure how they were both raised. Amir was raised by a father who did not care. Hassan on the other hand was raised to always be a "servant" and help out. So the fact that Amir was always pretending to be his friend, Hassan always had respect for him.

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  48. I also think that Amir could be a way different person if he had that father figure in his life and his father was there for him more to be there and help because we all look up to and take after our parents ways some how they just have such an impact on you as a kid because they are sculpting you into the person you will become. Obviously Baba doesn't care about Amir like a father just cares about his son being great and impressing him. On (p.g.11) "He had a nanny that took care of him like a mother". A nanny can't have the same connection with someone elses son like a mother or father can it just doesn't work that way.

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  49. Also another thing: What impact did Kabul's dad's death have on the characters within this book?

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  50. Baba, I feel, is a one way man. He needs to get his way. He knows whats fair and whats not. He saved that woman on the bus because he knew it was uncivil and wrong. He also almost choked the driver to death because he thought it was fair. The man brought them their knowing that they didn't have a ride the rest of the way. He is a man who gets what he feels is right no matter what.

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    1. I agree completely and I also think this another reason why Amir had sometimes felt the absence of a father because maybe Baba was lacking the emotional part of being a father that Amir needed.

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  51. On page 105 Amir shows how selfish he is when he says "Baba would dismiss them, there would be some pain, but life would move on. I wanted that, to move on, to forget, to start with a clean slate. I wanted to be able to breath again." All Amir is doing is thinking about himself and trying to make himself feel better instead of helping Hassan who has real problems.

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  52. I think Hassan could have forgiven Amir, but Amir felt too guilty to come forward or try to help Hassan. Even when his guilt hit it's climax at "I lifted Hassan's mattress and planted my new watch and a handful of Afghani bills." Hassan still lied for Amir by saying he stole them, which just continues to raise Amir's guilt

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  53. "Tell him I'll take a thousand of his bullets before I let this indecency take place," Baba said." Why was Baba so heroic, yet Amir was a running coward? Why did he stand up for something, but Amir begged him to let it go, let it happen, and sit down? Why did Baba stand up for someone he didn't know showing he cared, but can't show his son he cares for him?

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  54. "I didn't want any of it--it was all blood money; Baba would have never thrown me a part like that if I hadn't won the tournament." 101
    Why do you think he exactly mean by "Blood Money"?
    Also, is he saying that Baba is only proud of him when he gets an accomplishment like winning the tournament?

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    1. I agree with you very much Ethan. I don't understand why Baba only will congratulate Amir for making an accomplishment not for just being his son.

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  55. What happened in between those years? Why did it just skip ahead? Will there be a flashback to explain?

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    1. I think the author left out this because nothing significant happened.

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  56. On page 103 "I wanted to tell Ali it was not the book, but me who was unworthy." This is important because Amir does not think he is worthy of the gift from Ali.

    Hassan knew that Amir saw what had happened in the ally, but yet he still helped him. Even after something like this, they still are not considered friends. I think they both do like each other, and maybe consider themselves brothers, not friends.

    I think that Amir and his family can be much happier when they move because it sounds a lot cleaner than Afghanistan.

    So far, Amirs greatest external conflict is with himself-Struggle with guilt, dads attention, and Hassan, but this is all his fault.

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