Monday, January 8, 2007
Baba and Amir, through p. 226
Baba and Amir know that they are very different people. Often it disappoints both of them that Amir is not the son that Baba has hoped for. When Amir finds out that Baba has lied to him about Hassan, he realizes that "as it turned out, Baba and I were more alike than I'd ever known." (page 226). How does this make Amir feel about his father? How is this both a negative an positive realization?
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I think this makes Amir feel closer to his father in a messed up sort of way, and also he realizes that he is much like his father. It is negative, because Amir realizes that Ali and he both betrayed someone that they loved dearly. It is positive in a small way, because he realizes now why his father always wished for Hassan to join them. That's just what I think though.
In no way do I think this is a positive thing! They are both such hypocrites. What right did Baba have to be wanting more from Amir when he is as hopeless as Amir. When you find out you have the same thing in common with someone it's things like what you eat or what you like to do. Not betraying someone. Baba and Amir are just one of a kind. They shouldn't even be proud of it. If something like this brings them closer than it's just sad and that shouldn't even be right. I guess Amir feels that he understands why Baba did what he did, but still that doesn't mean anything.
I with Trangie and not Pedro I believe that Amir can relate to Baba but he doesn't come closer to Baba. That would be demented and out of place. He [Amir] sees that Baba is alike but I do not think that he is boasting or proud of it I think he is just stating it. Like Trangie I think Amir can understand why he did what he did but that doesn't make it right. Like someone saying well I understand he killed that man because he killed brother but i still don't agree with revenge killing . . . or killing at all. (that was slightly random I know but I could really explain myself very well.) I hope all this makes sense to everyone cause I am getting kind of confused as I am reading over this.
Amir feels shocked that his father was able to keep this huge secret for so long. But I think Amir is not as mad as he could be, because of his own misdeamers involving keeping the truth about Hassan and the alley to himself for so long. I agree with Speedy. I don't think they got closer. One, being that Baba is dead, they don't have much of a change getting closer. Two, they both lied to eachother in some way or another, so if both were together I think they would have grown more apart.
Although it is not the greatest news to hear. I think it was important that Amir learn this, because now he knows that Baba is not perfect and Amir should not have to stay in his shadow forever.
In some way I think Amir feels less stress about what happened with Hassan, just knowing that his father could keep such a horrible secret for so long, kind of makes him feel more comfortable about his own situation. But also, I think Amir feels as if he owes something to Hassan. There are things in people in which you admire and things you do not. I think Amir should look inside himself in this situation and realize what Baba did to the family and also himself, was not positive for anybody. Amir must see some reality now, to know that keeping his secret about Hassan is not a good idea. So I think finding out what Baba did will influence Amir positively in making future decisions.
Amir finds out that Hassan was really his half-brother. He feels betrayed because he felt as if he had been living a lie his entire life. Everything suddenly begins to make sense. He realized why Baba paid for Hassan’s surgery and why he had wanted Hassan there on Amir’s graduation day. Amir begins to see that he really is like his father. He always thought Baba was a person so much better than himself, but in reality his father had been keeping his own lie for the majority of his life (like Amir). He is extremely angry with his father, but realizes that even though he had done something so wrong, he made up for it with good. Later on in the book, Amir finally does a good thing for Hassan.
It makes Amir feel like his father is a dissapointment and an unhonorable man. I think this is a negative realization because of what everyone had built Baba up to be, honorable and a good friend. I think it is positive though because Amir can finally stop trying to live up to these huge expectations. It could be a relief because he finally feels like he has something in common with his father.
When Amir finds out that Baba was the father of Hassan and had betrayed Ali he is very dissappointed in his father, and is in complete shock. Amir refers back to how his father always said that theft was the worst sin any man can commit, and his father had done more than that he stole Amir's right to know he had a brother, he stole Hassan's identity, and he stole Amir's honor. This whole situation has a negative outcome because Amir now knows that his whole view of his father has been a lie. He always thought of his father as a great honorable man who everyone looked up to but now it turns out he had betrayed a man in the worst possible way. However there are a few positives that come from this. For instance Amir now can relax and know that he and his father are alike in a weird sort of way and he also knows that his father never favored Hassan he just wanted to be a father to both boys because he was in fact both thier fathers. The other positive from this is after Baba had compiled enough guilt he decided to give back to the Afgahn community and he built an orphanage, he never turned down a begger, and he always was there to help out other Afghans. In no way does that make his actions right or erased but it did bring some positives to the community.
This helps Amir realize that he is very much like his father. Baba and Ali both betrayed someone they love. Im sure Baba lived with guilt his whole life, as Amir did when he did not help Hassan. They both kept secrets for a long time.
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