POST B!!! HA....HA.....HA....HA!!!

Well, I'm sorry, but this is my last post for Enriched English 10, and I'm very sad because I've had a lot of fun with doing all these post every wee- Wait, what am I saying? I've very relieved that all this is over and could not be happier. Any way,

I wanted to discuss some quotes that I found. Coelho is an expert writer and I'm amazed at how much I find to have a double or triple meaning that is applicable to everything in life.

"Because people become fascinated with pictures and words, and wind up forgetting the Language of the World." (87)

I really took to this because I personally believe that in today's society of fast paces, and busy work, that we forget to listen to the world around us. I don't mean that we need to listen to the Language of the World, but I believe that we need to listen to those around us and here their problems, because the world would be better if we all did that.

Another quote I'd like to discuss is found on page 97:

" 'You have told me about your dreams, about the old king and your treasure. And you've told me about omens. So now, I fear nothing, because it was those omens that brought you to me. And I am a part of your dream, a part of your Personal Legend, as you call it. That's why I want you to continue toward your goal. If you have to wait until the war is over, then wait. But if you have to go before then, on on in pursuit of your dream. The dunes are changed by the wind, but the desert never changes. That's the way it will be with our love for each other."

The bold text is what I found the most moving, but I felt that it was the rest that provided that excerpt with some gusto. It's my personal belief that two people could be deeply in love, and be on opposite sides of the planet from eachother, but there are those who think they're in love, but once distance comes between them, it all falls apart.

Post A!!!

So, I'm very much into my book now, actually I'm almost done with it, but anyway, the Boy has been traveling now for quite some time. As a reader I got used to the idea that he was in Tangier, a Muslim market city, but now he's begun a trek across the desert. This voyage has brought more culture to the table than I expected. First off, the Boy gets immersed in the ideas of the Englishman, but he must also adjust to desert life. He's used to leading around his sheep, but now the roll has been reversed and he must be the follower. There is an unsettling quiet to the desert that he can't quite pin point, and they (the caravan he's traveling with) must concern themselves with the threat of warring tribes. Thank fully, this is all changed once they arrive at the oasis. Here, the Boy learns more about women's role in a Muslim society because he falls in love. He knows that he's in love because he was paying attention to the language of the world and he knew that what he had sensed was true love.

Post B

So for this free response, I'd like to discuss the religious aspects of the book. As anyone can see by the title of my blog, I'm Christian, and I'm pretty serious about my faith too. This book takes place in North Africa, crossing the Sahara Desert, so by default there will be the Islamic faith (which my father is). One part of my faith that may differ from other's, is that I believe that other religions (for other people) are acceptable. To explain that confusing sentence is easy. One thing that we are taught in Church is that the only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ, that's not something I believe. I believe that the only way for me to get to heaven is through Jesus, but that my Indian neighbor can only get to heaven through the Hindu religion. This idea is reinforced by The Englishman that takes the caravan across the desert:

"' We make a lot of detours, but we're always heading for the same
destination.'" (77).

Another thing that I wanted to bring to light was that Islam isn't really as scarry as some people think it is. In today's news, Americans are exposed to terrorists that are Islamic, and that it's part of the Islamic religion to do all the terrible things that have happened. The truth is, those that believe that it is in the Koran to bomb cities and kill millions are only a small percentage of most Muslims, they are known as the extremists.

"[...]But that disaster taught me to understand the word of Allah: people
need not fear the unknown if they are capable of achierving what they need and
want. 'we are afraid of losing what we have whether it's our life or our
possesions and property. but this fear evaporates when we understand that
our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand.'" (76)

This also ties to my 1st point. All roads (IN MY OPINION) lead to the same place, its just that some people need to take a left turn, while other need to take a right turn.

Post A for Wednesday May 21st

Cultural commentary...well, I've gone over pretty much all of the cultural aspects of The Alchemist, so I'm not sure what there is to discuss...oh wait, there is one thing. In the last week I discovered where Paulo Coelho got the title for his novel. The introduction of another character, the Englishman, brings about a whole new religion for me. Alchemy is the study of turning metals into gold...which I already knew, but what I didn't know about was that there was a whole belief around this study. Aparently, those who study Alchemy aren't only looking to make gold. What they're making is a liquid and a solid substance, the liquid part is called the "Elixir of Life" (what I'm guessing is in Harry Potter) and the stone is called "The Philosopher's Stone" (similar to Harry Potter's "Sorcerer's Stone" I'm assuming"). The stone is what makes the gold, and the liquid can cure any disease. The second thing I didn't know about Alchemy was that those who study Alchemy need to master the Language of the World, which is a language that needs no words, but that everyone can understand. So that's something that I've learned.

Again! On time!

Dear Mr. Coelho,

I know I'm writing you another letter, but I had some questions I wanted to ask you. First, is there a particular reason why the boy thinks to himself more than he speaks? Because I've noticed that there is a lot that the boy either says to himself or that he keeps quiet. I find it an interesting choice of style, and isn't something I've seen before. The second question I've got is regarding the old king. I wanted to know whether or not the old king in person will ever show up? I have noticed that the boy has seen omens that have pushed him to pursue his Personal Legend again, but will there ever be the king again, or will small characteristics of the king show up subtly like his hair on the merchants head?
I also wanted to know, because you're Brazilian, if you've ever lived in Spain and/or North Africa. I ask you this because I feel that having lived in the location in a book can only help. PLEASE, don't think that I'm discrediting your work, I find it wonderful, and only ask because it seems as if you've really gotten a wonderful grasp on the cultural differences of a Spanish shepherd and a merchant of Tangier.

Thank you for your time,
Kian H-R

I'm on time!

So, I've been reading like crazy, and I've been loosing track of time and flying through my book. I thought "Maybe I should make a post now?" So I'm going to. In this last section of about 30 pages, I've been immersed in the Arabic culture of Tangier. The shepherd (he doesn't have a specific name, its always 'the boy' or 'the shepherd') was working for a crystal merchant, and thats when he starts pulling away from his personal legend and aiming towards going back to Spain. He talks a lot with the merchant about following one's dreams, and how its usually the unfulfilled dream that keeps a dream going. I found this very interesting because the boy (from Spain) was all gun ho about following his Personal Legend and the shop keeper wanted to stay in his shop, not change a thing and "think" about going to Mecca. It makes me wonder how much more optomistic western cultures are than Muslim or North African cultures are?

Post B, from last week

Dear Mr. Coelho,

I felt that this section of your book wa...................................wait, I'm going to do something different for this free response. Instead I'm going to right a poem.

Oh Boy, you wine and you complain,
But no one could no your pain.
So you've dropped your life as a shepherd,
At least you've heard,
About having a Personal Legend,
And now you'll find it in the end.

You can laugh, you can show your smiles,
Because your friends will travel miles,
To find what you've found.
Search for that treasure like a hound.

So you met a thief
And he stole from you,
At least your encounter was brief.
Urim and Thummim will guide you,
And the treasure you'll find,
Don't get distracted by the little things,
They won't compare to the treasure you'll find.

So, that was a pretty bad poem, I know, it was off the top of my head, but I wanted to write something other than a letter to Coelho, and I wanted to boost the Boy in his confidence. That's what he needs right now. I do hope at the bottom of my heart that he doesn't give up.

Cultural Stuff

Here is last weeks post....I'm so bad at this :-(
As the main character of Coelho's novel continues his journey in northern Africa, I've been seeing more and more culture. On page 42, the boy is standing in the empty market place pitying himself for being fooled. As he is going through a plethora of emotions, readers can detect some stereotypical thought comming from the boy. First, he says that the bartender was giving him a dirty look because he was being robbed by a thief. He then rationalizes that all the people in the market place really are thieves. But as he continues through his roller coaster of sadness and despair, he realizes that he has the two stones. These stones I believe are a piece of his culture because it relates back to the idea of good and bad omens and fortune telling, which isn't seen on a daily basis here. I also noticed that while he was in the market place, some of the things that were for sale were specific to northern Africa. Most times, when we walk into a store, we don't usually pick up a sword, or even see one, but that's what can be bought in the market place of Tangier.

Grrrrrrrr, Post B

Dear Paulo,

I know this is yet another letter to you, and that it gets boring, but I really don't feel creative right now. I did however want to mention some things I found in your book. The first thing was a very long quote that struck a chord with me (in a good way):
" 'Well,' asked the wise man, 'did you see the Persian tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall? Did you see the garden that it took the master gardener ten years t create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?' The boy was embarrassed, and confessed that he had observed nothing. His only concern had ben not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him. 'Then go back and observe the marvels of my world,' said the wise man. 'You cannot trust a man if you don't know his house.' Relieved the boy picked up the spoon and returned to his exploration of the palace, this time observing all of the works of art on the ceilings and the waslls. He saw te gardens, the mountains all around him, the beauty of the flowers, and the taste with which everything had been selected. Upon returning to the wise man, he related in detail everything he had seen. 'But where are the drops of oil I entruted to you?' asked the wise man. Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was goond. 'Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you.' said the wises of wise men. 'The secret of happiness is to see al the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.'" (31-32)
As I read this over a couple of times, I was trying to understand what you meant here. Are you saying that we should not take life for granted? Or are you saying that we should pay attention to details that are large and universal and to the details that are small and personal? That was my major question for the day. Now I feel more sure about my thoughts on it.

Sincerely,
Kian H-R

Oy, this is difficult keeping up with my posting...

Well, I'm getting farther along into my book, and I'm more and more intrigued by it. I was right last week in thinking that the farther I got into my book, the more culture I would see. Now, in my Coelho's novel, the boy has discovered that what the gypsy had told him was true. He talks about a wind that brought the Moors to Spain way back when. And when "the king of Salem" comes to him to tell him to follow his personal legend he, well, assumed the form of a king. I thought it was pretty cultural that Coelho chose for this spirit to take the shape of a king, because since the beginning of the book, it has discussed the presence of palaces at every city.
But the most cultural aspect so far is when the boy arrives in Tangier, crossing the straits. In Tangier, and I quote: " 'A practice of infidels,' he said to himself. As a child in church, he had always looked at the image of Saint Santiago Matamoros on his white horse, his sword unsheathed, and figures such as those kneeling at his feet. The boy felt ill and terribly alone. The infidels had an evil look about them." (34) The boy had never seen a Muslim person in his travels all over Andalusia, yet alone an entire nation of them. He also encounters culture shock when he makes a startling discovery, "He recalled that when the sun had risen that morning, he was on another continent, still a shepherd with sixty sheep, and looking forward to meeting with a girl." (38) The boy had to come to terms with his decision to leave behind what was normal to him to follow what to others may be considered as a "wild goose chase" but to him it was his personal legend.

Post B....from last week

Here is last weeks post B, I know, I forgot :-(

Dear Paulo,

I was pleased to see this book when I woke up, I'm very interested in the culture that you're presenting me. However, I was hoping for more of a Spanish culture to be prevalent (which I could be very mistaken because I'm not that far...). But so far all I've seen is the fortune teller. Which I think has something to do with the culture of Spain, but I was disappointed at how the most focused is the culture of shepherding. Where's that Spanish flare that we are so used to hearing about and seeing and reading about? I dearly hope that as I travel deeper into this novel that I'll be gravely mistaken in that department and that culture is thrust in my face.

ooops, I fogot!

Okay, so I forgot to post last week, and probably won't be able to do two weeks tonight, but here's what I've noticed in culture. I haven't noticed much more so far. Its all been pretty much the same. The Spanish heritage hasn't been explored much more. Granted I havn't read grand numbers of pages to prove me wrong, but its been pretty quiet in the culture so far. I've noticed though how important sheep are to this kid. Its kind of creepy, he does everything with them, and he knows them all by name!

World Issues

For my world issue topic, I will be focusing on the crisis of "ethnic cleansing" that is taking place in Burma/Myanmar right now. A friend of mine is in Thailand right now working with the US Campaign For Burma.
My links include:
- http://www.burmaissues.org/En/shootonsight.html

-http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940CE4DF1430F936A15750C0A9619C8B63&scp=7&sq=Burma%2FMyanmar&st=nyt

Okay, now for the same old boring post B...

Thoughtful response...hmmmmm. What to do? Well, I'm going to write a letter...

Dear Mr. Coelho,

I'm really fascinated by your book, and I'm only 13 pages into it. When I saw that you were from Brazil, I got excited. I have read two books already this year by Middle Eastern authors, so when we were told to pic a book that by a non-American author, I was not worried at all. In fact, I might go so far as to say that I like non-American authors more than "classic American litterature". I feel that non-American authors, for an American reader, bring a new sense of culture and a new perspective on the world that we Americans are so prone to not getting. I'm very interested in the Hispanic/South American/Latin/Spanish/Portuguese area, and its just something that has always baffled me. So when I was going through the list of book that were suggested, I went straight for the authors that had hispanic names. I truely am immersed in your book by now and can't wait to continue reading your novel.

Sincerely,

Kian H-R

Hmmm, well we've got a new kind of post this should be interesting...

Some Culture that I've noticed in The Alchemist by Paulo Cohelo is the noticeable difference between occupations people will hold in the Spain, compared to jobs that you'd most likely find in a big city here in the US. First of all is that the main character is a Shepperd, he herds his sheep around the different settings in Spain. Through the mountains, through fields, down by the sea, and through small villages. Now, think of that...now think of what you'd see if you walked through Minneapolis-or even Edina for that matter. Basically, you won't find anyone shepherding anything through any mountains. Part of the cultural difference I think can be linked to a difference in times. But the only thing that tells me "no its not just the times," is that when ever the main character goes through a small village, he meets vendors and bargainers and a fortune teller. That's definitely something you would not find here in the US now, or in the past. I don't think that it puts a spotlight onto the Spanish/Europeans and there gullable-ness (not a word, I know), instead I think that it shows simply a difference in culuture.

Why "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho???

Well, I chose The Alchemist because as I was reading through the list of suggested books, this one caught my attention. I had heard from several of my friends here at the high school and those that have read it either when they went through the high school or college. It seemed to be a very interesting book that every one either liked or was on the line. I particularly liked the theme for this quarter of non-American authors, since two out of the three books I’ve read this year are by non-American authors. So this theme was easy for me, it was just another book to pick, but The Alchemist has been on my “list-of-stuff-to-read-soon” for quite some time now.

Why the Alex Award???

The Alex Award is an award that is given to ten books every year for adult books that appeal to young adults, generally, but not limiting, to 12-18 years of age. The American Library Association chooses these ten books from the previous year of publication. I believe that Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner was chosen due to the raw emotion effectively conveyed by the author. I believe that the explicitness and frankness of The Kite Runner did not affect its contingency among other adult novels because it was truth. I think that the gruesome images that are depicted, even though the book is a work of fiction, are based on what Hosseini knows.

Oh, my gosh, The Kite Runner deserves this award and any other award that it has won. Hosseini has shown such a mastery over emotions that his characters feel and that he wants his readers to feel as well. Halfway through the book his character Amir was describing what it was like for him to have a dad with cancer, and it seemed so real, real to a point that it seems impossible for it to be fiction. Several points during this book, I was almost reduced to tears, and as I mentioned in one of my blogs, I don’t cry. Hardly anything will make me cry, and for it to happen more than once in the same book is incredible. I truly believe that Hosseini is going to be one of the most renowned authors of his generation simply for the message that he conveys to his readers. I hope from the farthest regions of my heart, that he will continue to compose beautiful peaces, and that I’ll have the chance to read them all.

The Kite Runner, Posts A and B, March 26

The Kite Runner

3/26

Post A-

Vocab-
1)khosheep (166) handsome.
2)bachem (161) my child.

Figurative Language-
1) “I read in my poetry books that yelda was the starless night tormented lovers kept vigil…” (143) I think this is an example of personification because the “night” that the author is referring too is because night can’t actually torment someone. Instead the night seems to torment people because they can’t wait for the next day(s)
2) “Afghan men, especially those from reputable families, were fickly creatures.” (148) is a metaphor because he is describing the way that men act when it comes to marriage.
3) “I’d become conversant in cancer talk.” (159) Well, this is figurative language because he’s making reference to his abilities in understanding medical terminology in the cancer-related area.

Quote-
“Just before midnight, Baba asked us to help him into bed. Soraya and I placed his arms on our shoulders and wrapped ours around his back. When we lowered him, he had Soraya turn off the bedside lamp. He asked us to lean in, gave us each a kiss. ‘I’ll come back with you morphine and a glass of water, Kaka jan,’ Soraya said. ‘Not tonight,’ he said. “There is no pain tonight.’ ‘Okay,’ she said. She pulled up his blanket. We closed up. Baba never woke up.” (173) I knew the instant that Baba said “There is no pain tonight.”, he was going to die, and I really liked that he had kissed his son and daughter-in-law and died in no pain.

Theme-
I think the theme overall is actually “seeing the good come out of the bad” because as I’ve gotten into the thick of this book, I’ve seen that even though his dad got cancer and died, he let his best friend get raped, he fled from his home country and moved to the US and ended up poor, he still persevered. So far the most successful way that he has persevered is through getting married. Although, he did graduate high school and he did start going to high school.

Post B-

Well, what to say? I don’t know, it’s the last week of blogging for quarter three, and I must say that I was extremely proud of my choice. This book is amazing and I couldn’t be happier. I know that its showing a theme, since I’ve already read a memoir by a Persian queen, but the best part of this book was the contrast that I noticed between rich and poor. It was like black and white, his privileged life in Kabul, his life with servants and going to school, and flying kites competitively during the winter. Contrasted with how his father had to work double shifts every day to help keep a small one room apartment and put his son through junior college.

The Kite Runner, Posts A and B, March 19

The Kite Runner

3/19

Post A-

Vocab-
1) mewling (123) to cry weakly
2) encapsulated (123) to encase in or as if in a capsule

Figurative Language-
1) “…MiGs roaring past overhead; staccatos of gunfire; a donkey braying nearby; the jingling of bells…” (123) This is an example of imagery, because these descriptions are key in explaining to the reader what it was like on the truck for him, and how he never really knew where he was.
2) “What I remember next is the blinding light of early morning…” (123) This small snippet from the book is an example of imagery and personification all rolled into one. The imagery is from the description of how bright the sun was, and the personification is from the fact the light was so bright it was blinding.
3) “Someone was screaming. No, not screaming. Wailing.” (124) Here we see an example of an onomatopoeia because just the word “wailing” we get a sense of the kind of noise.

Quote-
“What I remember next is the blinding light of early morning as I climbed out of the fuel tank. I remember turning my face up to the sky, squinting, breathing like the world was running our of air. I lay on the side of the dirt road next to a rocky trench, looked up to the gray morning sky, thankful for air, thankful for light, thankful to be alive” (123) This quote really struck a chord inside because of the contrast to life on this fuel tank, to life in luxury. Amir and his father were ripped from their nice home, car, and money and thrown into this dirty unsafe environment. Now, I’m not saying that no one who has money should have to go through that, or that they don’t deserve it because they’re rich, but just to see two good people with good hearts ripped away from what they knew and placed in danger is pretty sad.

Theme-
Okay, this week. Let’s see, we have had depression, regret, sadness, and anger. Well I’d say that this week we’re going to stick with depression. I don’t think its just the mood of depression experienced by the reader, but also the depression felt by the characters. Because of the quote above, you can see that just sun light and fresh air has become a luxury is pretty depressing. I think that the characters are all depressed, especially Baba, because he is having to keep strong, because you have to be strong for your kid(s).

Post B-

Alright, I know this isn’t the “quotes” section of the blogging, but I really wanted to discuss something that happened at the end of chapter ten. Well, basically what happened was a man’s son was killed, and in response he killed himself with the gun that killed his sun. Reading this, I almost cried, and I never cry for any movie, TV show or book. The only movie I’ve ever cried during was Passion of the Christ, and that’s an exception. But the second to last sentence read “Or the flash of light and the spray of red” (124) It was nearly impossible not to get somewhat choked up. The father of this boy had been through so much, he was already a refugee, and he persevered through it, but when his son died, he couldn’t take it anymore. I think that this means that some people only live anymore to see their kids/family, and when they have nothing left “to live for” they see no point. This kind of attitude is so sad, I understand why they may think that they’ve got nothing left to live for, but killing yourself is not serving their memories justice, and being really selfish all around.

The Kite Runner, Posts A and B, March 12

The Kite Runner

3/12

Post A-

Vocab-
1) naan (104) A middle eastern bread, traditional to that area
2) Agha (106) A term of respect, sir in English or Don/Dona in Spanish.

Figurative Language
1) “The streets glistened with fresh snow and the sky was a blameless blue.” (60)
This is an example of figurative language because Khaled Hosseini is describing how his character saw the snow, and the blunt monotonous blue.
2) “Tried to peel my gaze away from our rooftop.” (61) I see this as figurative language mainly because it is hidden. From this sentence I get the idea that Amir was having trouble breaking his eye-line, almost like he was in some kind of a trans.
3) “We trekked up the hill, our boots squishing in the muddy snow.” (86) This sentence is an example of imagery, because as I read this I really got the sense of how slushy and gross the snow was. How similar it was to our snow here in Minnesota.

Quote-
“ I didn’t speak to Hassan until the middle of the next week. I had just half-eaten my lunch and Hassan was doing the dishes. I was walking upstairs, going to my room, when Hassan asked if I wanted to hike up the hill. I said I was tired. Hassan looked tired too-he’d lost weight and gray circles had formed under his puffed-up eyes. But when he asked again, I reluctantly agreed.” (86) This quote was really important to me, because it shows how much Hassan and Amir are separating from each other. When it says “I had just half-eaten my lunch and Hassan was doing the dishes” I really cringed because the idea that Hassan is just Amir’s servant is getting a foot hold in his mind. That idea is only reinforced when he says “But when he asked again, I reluctantly agreed”. It seems as if being friends with Hassan is a difficult task burdened on him.

Theme-
With the quote above ringing in my head right now, I’m starting to think that this book’s theme may actually be regret. In the first few pages of The Kite Runner, Amir says that he has always regretted how he treated Hassan, and this is what he was actually talking about.

Post B-

Alright, I’m sad from this last week, Hassan and Amir are growing apart. Yes, other stuff happened, but it breaks my heart to see to kids as young as they are loose their friendship, and allow something as small as racial difference. The reason I bring up racial difference is because Hassan is a Hazara, which is someone who is descended of Mongolian heritage, and Amir is not. The Hazaras are treated like the Jewish were during World War II. Minus all the genocides. Because Hassan is Amir’s servant I’m thinking that as they get older Amir is starting to think that Hassan really is lesser of a person and deserves to be subordinate to him. Its heartbreaking to see that Hassan still loves Amir as he always has, because later in the portion that I read he lies for Amir.

The Kite Runner, Posts A and B, March 12

The Kite Runner

3/12

Post A-

Vocab-
1) naan (104) A middle eastern bread, traditional to that area
2) Agha (106) A term of respect, sir in English or Don/Dona in Spanish.

Figurative Language
1) “The streets glistened with fresh snow and the sky was a blameless blue.” (60)
This is an example of figurative language because Khaled Hosseini is describing how his character saw the snow, and the blunt monotonous blue.
2) “Tried to peel my gaze away from our rooftop.” (61) I see this as figurative language mainly because it is hidden. From this sentence I get the idea that Amir was having trouble breaking his eye-line, almost like he was in some kind of a trans.
3) “We trekked up the hill, our boots squishing in the muddy snow.” (86) This sentence is an example of imagery, because as I read this I really got the sense of how slushy and gross the snow was. How similar it was to our snow here in Minnesota.

Quote-
“ I didn’t speak to Hassan until the middle of the next week. I had just half-eaten my lunch and Hassan was doing the dishes. I was walking upstairs, going to my room, when Hassan asked if I wanted to hike up the hill. I said I was tired. Hassan looked tired too-he’d lost weight and gray circles had formed under his puffed-up eyes. But when he asked again, I reluctantly agreed.” (86) This quote was really important to me, because it shows how much Hassan and Amir are separating from each other. When it says “I had just half-eaten my lunch and Hassan was doing the dishes” I really cringed because the idea that Hassan is just Amir’s servant is getting a foot hold in his mind. That idea is only reinforced when he says “But when he asked again, I reluctantly agreed”. It seems as if being friends with Hassan is a difficult task burdened on him.

Theme-
With the quote above ringing in my head right now, I’m starting to think that this book’s theme may actually be regret. In the first few pages of The Kite Runner, Amir says that he has always regretted how he treated Hassan, and this is what he was actually talking about.

Post B-

Alright, I’m sad from this last week, Hassan and Amir are growing apart. Yes, other stuff happened, but it breaks my heart to see to kids as young as they are loose their friendship, and allow something as small as racial difference. The reason I bring up racial difference is because Hassan is a Hazara, which is someone who is descended of Mongolian heritage, and Amir is not. The Hazaras are treated like the Jewish were during World War II. Minus all the genocides. Because Hassan is Amir’s servant I’m thinking that as they get older Amir is starting to think that Hassan really is lesser of a person and deserves to be subordinate to him. Its heartbreaking to see that Hassan still loves Amir as he always has, because later in the portion that I read he lies for Amir.

The Kite Runner, Posts A and B, March 5

The Kite Runner

3/5-

Post A-

Vocab-
1) Tashakor (46) Farsi for thank you.
2) Moochi (48) Farsi for shoe repairman.

Figurative Language-
1) “The sky is a seamless blue…” (48). This is figurative language because the character Amir is describing the look of the sky. He sees that the sky is a constant blue, never breaking for anything but the ground.
2) “For a few unfortunate kids, winter did not spell the end of the school year.” (49) I find this to be very ironic, “winter did not SPELL the end of school year”, haha.
3) “He looked like someone coming out of a good dream.” (40). This is an example of a simile. The narrator is describing the look on the face of one antagonist when he describes the way he believe that Afghanistan should be ran.

Quote-
“The swelling subsided, and the wound healed with time. Soon, it was just a pink jagged line running up from his lip. By the following winter, it was only a faint scar. Which was ironic. Because that was the winter that Hassan stopped smiling.” (47) This quote really struck a chord with me because of its sadness. Hassan was born with a cleft lip, and for his birthday, he had gotten it fixed. His smile before hand was always twisted and strange, but once it was fixed, he had nothing to smile for. Making it almost pointless that it was fixed.

Theme-
I really feel depressed as I read this book. Yeah it has its up moments, but Hassan is such a sad character. So sadness is the same theme that I’m picking for this week. I haven’t had any inclination as to what else the theme could be, nothing is making me think “oh this could be a story about daisies and rainbows!”. So, yeah, just another week of sadness and despair.

Post B-

Okay, so for this weeks possible theme, I mentioned sadness. I’M SICK OF READING SADNESS, but I won’t change my book. Its too good and enticing for me to put it down, but Khaled Hosseini has mastered the way to jerk one’s emotions around. His character Hassan is the most depressing character that I’ve ever read about in a book. I was talking to my sister about it, and she said that whenever Hassan was talked about, a wave of sadness, depression, and horror is felt. Hassan has had the most unlucky life, he’s a servant, and his best friend is having thoughts about how they aren’t really friends, that Hassan is really a servant. Not only does he have social problems, he has physical problems. He was born with a cleft lip, and was persecuted for it. He finally got it repaired so that he could smile normally, but once it was fixed he had no reason to smile. AGAIN I’M SICK OF SADNESS!!!!!

The Kite Runner, Posts A and B

The Kite Runner

2/20-

Post A-

Vocab-
1) scoffed (15)- to mock or treat with derision.
2) Sherjangi (19)- a game that students played, “battle of the poems”

Figurative Languages-
1) “ ‘Children aren’t coloring books. You don’t get to fill them with your favorite colors.’” (21) This is a good example of figurative language because this character is equating the way his friend wants to raise his son, versus how he should.
2) “…Hassan and I climbed its branches and snatched its bloodred pomegranates.” (28) This small quote is an example of figurative language because Khaled Hosseini uses blood to describe the color of a very delicious fruit that the characters he’s created are eating.
3) “If he felt the sting of my tease, then his smiling face didn’t show it.” (28) This here is a great piece of figurative language because the author has personified the feeling of a mean action by the main character.

Quote-
“ I watched him fill his glass at the bar and wondered how much time would pass before we talked again the way we just had. Because the truth of it was, I always felt like Baba hated me a little. And why not? After all, I had killed his beloved wife, his beautiful princess…” (19) I found this quote to be particularly important because the narrator of the story is under ten years old, and its unbelievable for such a young boy to be having such thoughts, to make himself think that his father doesn’t love him because his mother died during birth makes me sad. It’s a terrible thing for someone of any age to think, and the fact that such a small, young child is having these thoughts breaks my heart.

Theme-
As I’ve gotten farther into The Kite Runner I’ve been noticing some new possibilities for themes, its still early yet for there to be one specific theme to have emerged, but I believe that one possible theme could be sadness. The author has so masterfully worked in terror in his novel. Starting out with the foundations of a seemingly happy childhood, only to have it destroyed in one night.

Post B-

Dear Khaled Hosseini,

Forgive me, I’ve made a big mistake, I thought that this was a memoir of what life was for you in Afghanistan, but I was wrong this book is a piece of fiction. I was wondering for a very long time as to why the main character had a different name then you guys. With that out of the way, I wanted to mention a quote from your book: “ ‘When you kill a man, you steal a life,’ Baba said. ‘You steal a wife’s right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. Do you see?’” (18) I really like this because it sums up very simple Islamic values, and shows even me (one with half of a family from Iran) that there are different ways of practicing Islam, separate from that of extreme Muslims that we see and hear about every day in the news.

Sincerely,
Kian Hashemi-Rad