The novel begins "I became what I am today at the age of twelve." To what is Amir referring? Is his assertion entirely true? What other factors have helped form his character? How would you describe Amir?
Having read the book twice now, I can surely say that Amir is referring to the event that took place in the alleyway. This event with the combination of the war and Hassan moving that same year is also the result of his character change. Amir's assertion is not entirely true because he becomes a good man towards the end of the book. To say what other factors help make Amir who he is would be to tell the class some things that they will find out later so I cannot tell you anymore then I have already said. I would describe Amir as a confused person full of guilt and tragedy. All his life he wanted to fit in but never could. He is a person who transforms everytime that something new takes place in the book. Amir is probably my favorite character in the book.
Amir is referring to witnessing Hassan getting raped by Assef. I think it is true, but than again there are many other things that have made him into what he is, like Baba. I think Baba had an influence on Amir as well. Having to grow up without a mother and only a father, he was raised differently than most Afghan boys. His father tried to make him into an athlete and make him stronger, but Amir never had a mother to comfort him. Growing up wealthier and more privileged than other kids I think also was a factor in his development. I would describe Amir as a scholar, someone who is creative and emotional. He is caring, but yet again selfish and jealous. I think he means well, it’s just he wants to impress his father as well as the other people around him. And at times he will do anything to achieve that goal, even betrayal.
Amir is referring to the evening he saw Hassan get raped in the back alley. He made his decision that led to who he is by running away instead of stepping in. Other factors have played a part in forming his character. He lost his mother and his father half raised him with the help of his friends, meaning Ali and Rahim. Amir had to struggle to get noticed and that led to different traits he has. Amir is what Baba would call weak. And maybe I agree, in the middle of the novel, he is sort of in a lushy life style. He hardly ever knew hardships until the war. He was pampered and never knew how good he had it, before the war and before America. Coming to America helped him grow stronger and I don't think that would have happened if he didn't leave his home. He had to figure out who he wanted to be and not what his father wanted him to be.
This question really had me thinking for a long time about the definition of life and who you really are. Do your experiences make you the person that you are, or is it the choices that you make in those moments that define you? Well, if I go along with my first idea of life experiencies, then in a way Amir had seen enough to start molding him in to his unique identity. Also, there is the possibility that Amir is the way he is because of his choices, but not at the age of twelve. His attitude towards Hassan was always very negative. He treated Hassan as a lesser being. I'm not a believer in fate, but after the way that Amir acted when first approached by Assef and the other bullies it was very obvious that he would not come to the aid of Hassan in any situation. I myself, like to believe that personality is defined by all sorts of things. That just defining who you are by what you do is a false representation. What people fail to see, and this is espically true in the case of Amir is who you are is also defined by what you do not do! Amir failed to stand-up for a friend in need, he failed to defend his friend at the party, he backed down when first confronted by Assef, and he failed to even mention the fact that he witnessed the demise of Hassan. That is how I define Amir, by what he fails to do, not what he actually did.
It makes most sense that Amir is referring to the event that he witnessed in the alleyway. I think that this is true because of some of the things that happen after this event takes place. For example Hassan and him don't talk anymore, his friend leaves, and his father makes the decision to move to the United States. Some other factors that have made Amir who he is are the fact that he doesn't have a mother, the way his father raises him, and possibly Rahim Khan. The reason I said Rahim Khan is simply because he was one person that encouraged Amir to do what he liked and what he felt he wanted to do, which was read and write. I would say that Amir was clever and enthusiastic. I felt that he didn't care and did what he wanted to do, but also did some things to impress others like his father. I am now reading about his life in America, which I think will make him a better person that he has been so far.
Amir is referring to the night in the alleyway. I do not think this is entirely true though. That night did play a big part of who Amir turned out to be, but there are also things that led up to that event that made him make that decision to abandon Hassan. Factors that have helped form Amir is his mother dying while giving birth to him; he had no "motherly" figure in his life. Amir always thought that it was his fault that his mother was dead and thought his father hated him for it. Then he had a father who half nurtured/loved him; Amir was clearly not the favorite between himself and Hassan. The only support and ecouragment that Amir did get was by his fathers friend, Rahim. I can't decide if i hate Amir or if i love him. Half the time I just want put the book down and not even read the next devistating news to come...I would define Amir as very guilty about these decisions hes made and confused on what he should do.
Amir decided who he was the moment he watched Hassan in the alleyway..."I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan-the way he'd stood up for me all those times in the past-and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end, I ran" (77). Amir decided that he was going to be a coward instead of a hero, maybe because he didn't want to accept what could happen to him, or because deep down he knew he would never be as big of a hero as Hassan. Throughout his adolescence and early adulthood, Amir sat in the shadows of Baba, never even getting into a fight until the age of 38. When he decides that there is "a way to be good again" (192), then his character begins to change, and he discovers the man he was always meant to be, and does what he should have always done for his best friend: be loyal. In the end, he finds redemption, and ultimately, himself.
Amir is referring to the event that took place in the alleyway. That day and at that exact moment he decided to be a coward and run away from his fears, and from then on that was exactly how he lived his life. His way of living does not change until close to the end of the book when the war takes place and he moves to America. The move causes him to be independent and strong. He was so sheltered before but it causes him to make decisions based on what is good for him, rather than pleasing his father. I too would describe Amir as a very confused person who is haunted by guilt and tragedy. I would say that Amir is also my favorite character in the book. He is such a complex being that causes you to think twice about his actions and to second guess the choices he makes.
I agree with ‘Vehab’ that Amir did become what he is at the age of twelve because of witnessing Hassan’s rape. He had to make a decision that would not haunt him necessarily, but stay with him for the rest of his life. It affected many of the decisions he made after the incident. Amir made decisions of selfishness, cruelty, and betrayal. His assertion is not entirely true because Baba had the biggest impact on Amir’s life, especially after he grew up without a mother. Amir was always envious of not getting attention from Baba. Amir grew up wanting things for himself, although he grew up with everything Amir felt like he had nothing.
I belive that the decisions you make in life shape who you are. And at the moment he decided to run, he chose to be a coward for the rest of his life. Although I say that he chose it for the rest of his life, his assertion is not all the way true. This is because everyone gets a second chance in life and Amir has had plenty of chances to change. He could have started new in America or when he married Soraya, but he chose to stay a coward. Other contributing factors were his framing of Hassan, and Baba not always being there for him. I think Baba was a huge factor in what he became. In life you need someone to be there for you and he had no one other than Hassan, and Hassan was not even a person he considered to be a friend. So the fact that his father never really cared shaped him a lot. Personally Amir makes me sick, he is a coward and he does not deserve a friendship like Hassan tried to give to him. He was a coward when his "friend" was being attacked and he was a coward when he framed his "friend". In a nutshell I would describe Amir as a terrible, cowardous human being that did not deserve half of the things that were given to him.
I think that Amir is referring to what happened in the alleyway and I think it has changed him a lot. I dont think it is the only thing that formed him to be who he is. There is a lot that went on in his life and it wasn't the easiest. He doesnt have a mother because she died while giving birth and I think he feels ike it is his fault. He and his father did not have the best relationship and it seemed that Hassan and Baba's relationship formed who Amir became. I agree with whoever said that other events led to why he ran from the alleyway and part of it was jealousy because of his father and Amir thought he maybe deserved it in a way. He was told by society that it was wrong for him to be friends with Hassan and i think that influenced a lot of who Amir is and he feels guilty for a lot of things nad he is lost in his own self a lot of times.
The choices that Amir made after the event in the alleyway, when he was twelve has made him what he is. Hassan always stood up for Amir, but he could never stand up for himself or others. Also the things he did, like how he treated Hassan by teasing him with big words, and when he could not help his “friend” when the other boys raped Hassan. Amir is confused by what he did in the past and what he could have done to help and also he did not understand many aspects of his life, like why his father acted the way he did towards himself and Hassan. Also, Amir feels guilt and many unsettled feelings toward the way that he treated Hassan, and how he made Hassan move out right before the war started.
The main factor that made Amir the person he is in the story was witnessing Assef rape Hassen in the alleyway. All of that guilt built up inside of him and he hasn't let it out yet. I am not sure if he does either because im not done with the book.
I think it's not entirely true, but a little bit of his childhood did make him to become the person he is. Liek most people, I think that he is referring to the time he saw Hassan get rape. After that he wasn't really who he was anymore. I also think that Hassan help to shape him. But after what happened, he didn't talk to Hassan anymore. I believe that if he would have remained friends with Hassan then he would be a different person. But instead, all his life he lived with guilt and shame. The reason he didn't stand up for Hassan was because of the fear of Assef and he also wanted a prized position in his father's heart. In my opinion, I think he already knew that the time he and his dad share will not last long but that was a sacrafice he was willing to make.
Amir believes that he is what he is because of the day in the alley but I don't think this is true. I don't think that one event can make person into who they are. I believe that continuous interaction and experiences with other people make a person into who he or she is. And since the most influential person in Amir's life as a child was his father I think that his father made him into who he is. In short I agree with Big Dub.
Amir was a confused boy and an even more confused man. He fought his whole childhood for his father's acceptance. In the end it cost him his only true friend and half-brother because he could not face the guilt. "I became what I am today, at the age of 12" refers to the incident in the alley with Hassan and the kite. It sickens me to think that this could accually happen, but I would be ignorant to think otherwise. Hassan took his loyalty to the grave but Amir could never truely face his guilt. I think rape is one of the most tramatic events that could happen to someone. What if you were just a witness? What if you did nothing to prevent it from happening because you simply didn't have the guts? Is it Amir's fault that Hassan got raped in the alley behind the bazzar? Should he blame himself? These are the things that Amir hid in his mind for 20 years. He moved to a different continent but still could not escape the guilt. Now in the mist of confusion and war he is trying to make up for his mistakes.
Amir and Hassan’s intertwined lives, and their fates, reflect the eventual tragedy of the world around them. When Amir and his father flee the country for a new life in California, Amir thinks that he has escaped his past. And yet, he cannot leave the memory of Hassan behind him. This quote I think like many others have already state reflects the terrible incident in the alleyway. Amir is haunted by the guilt of betraying his childhood friend Hassan. Like most main characters Amir is complex and ever changing. He is a selfish boy at first but when Amir was certain no one was looking, he planted a fistful of crumpled money under the mattress he began the transition to becoming matured man.
When Amir says this he is referring to the Kite Running tournament he was in and what he saw that day. After that day he was refereed to as a Kite Running Champion by many but in his heart he saw himself as a coward and not a very good friend. His assertion is not entirely true because other things that helped shape his character was his relationship with Baba and Rahim, and also his freidnship with Hassan. Both those relationships shaped him into what he is today. Rahim has always made him feel wanted and loved and seemed more like a father figure towards him than Baba ever did. With Baba Amir felt like he always ashamed his father and was always looked down upon which caused him to view himself as not good enough. With Hassan, Amir developed a brotherly bond and was always complemented by Hassan and Hassan always made him feel good about himself. But then on that day everything changed and everytime he saw Hassan he thought of how bad a friend he was and how much of a coward he was. I would describe Amir as a very confused boy. He has a lot of good in him and he possesses some great qualities, but with growing up and living only with his dad he felt less appreciated and that led him into to being a coward.
19 comments:
Having read the book twice now, I can surely say that Amir is referring to the event that took place in the alleyway. This event with the combination of the war and Hassan moving that same year is also the result of his character change. Amir's assertion is not entirely true because he becomes a good man towards the end of the book. To say what other factors help make Amir who he is would be to tell the class some things that they will find out later so I cannot tell you anymore then I have already said. I would describe Amir as a confused person full of guilt and tragedy. All his life he wanted to fit in but never could. He is a person who transforms everytime that something new takes place in the book. Amir is probably my favorite character in the book.
THE KITE RUNNER RULES!
Amir is referring to witnessing Hassan getting raped by Assef. I think it is true, but than again there are many other things that have made him into what he is, like Baba. I think Baba had an influence on Amir as well. Having to grow up without a mother and only a father, he was raised differently than most Afghan boys. His father tried to make him into an athlete and make him stronger, but Amir never had a mother to comfort him. Growing up wealthier and more privileged than other kids I think also was a factor in his development. I would describe Amir as a scholar, someone who is creative and emotional. He is caring, but yet again selfish and jealous. I think he means well, it’s just he wants to impress his father as well as the other people around him. And at times he will do anything to achieve that goal, even betrayal.
Amir is referring to the evening he saw Hassan get raped in the back alley. He made his decision that led to who he is by running away instead of stepping in. Other factors have played a part in forming his character. He lost his mother and his father half raised him with the help of his friends, meaning Ali and Rahim. Amir had to struggle to get noticed and that led to different traits he has. Amir is what Baba would call weak. And maybe I agree, in the middle of the novel, he is sort of in a lushy life style. He hardly ever knew hardships until the war. He was pampered and never knew how good he had it, before the war and before America. Coming to America helped him grow stronger and I don't think that would have happened if he didn't leave his home. He had to figure out who he wanted to be and not what his father wanted him to be.
This question really had me thinking for a long time about the definition of life and who you really are. Do your experiences make you the person that you are, or is it the choices that you make in those moments that define you? Well, if I go along with my first idea of life experiencies, then in a way Amir had seen enough to start molding him in to his unique identity. Also, there is the possibility that Amir is the way he is because of his choices, but not at the age of twelve. His attitude towards Hassan was always very negative. He treated Hassan as a lesser being. I'm not a believer in fate, but after the way that Amir acted when first approached by Assef and the other bullies it was very obvious that he would not come to the aid of Hassan in any situation. I myself, like to believe that personality is defined by all sorts of things. That just defining who you are by what you do is a false representation. What people fail to see, and this is espically true in the case of Amir is who you are is also defined by what you do not do! Amir failed to stand-up for a friend in need, he failed to defend his friend at the party, he backed down when first confronted by Assef, and he failed to even mention the fact that he witnessed the demise of Hassan. That is how I define Amir, by what he fails to do, not what he actually did.
It makes most sense that Amir is referring to the event that he witnessed in the alleyway. I think that this is true because of some of the things that happen after this event takes place. For example Hassan and him don't talk anymore, his friend leaves, and his father makes the decision to move to the United States. Some other factors that have made Amir who he is are the fact that he doesn't have a mother, the way his father raises him, and possibly Rahim Khan. The reason I said Rahim Khan is simply because he was one person that encouraged Amir to do what he liked and what he felt he wanted to do, which was read and write. I would say that Amir was clever and enthusiastic. I felt that he didn't care and did what he wanted to do, but also did some things to impress others like his father. I am now reading about his life in America, which I think will make him a better person that he has been so far.
Amir is referring to the night in the alleyway. I do not think this is entirely true though. That night did play a big part of who Amir turned out to be, but there are also things that led up to that event that made him make that decision to abandon Hassan. Factors that have helped form Amir is his mother dying while giving birth to him; he had no "motherly" figure in his life. Amir always thought that it was his fault that his mother was dead and thought his father hated him for it. Then he had a father who half nurtured/loved him; Amir was clearly not the favorite between himself and Hassan. The only support and ecouragment that Amir did get was by his fathers friend, Rahim. I can't decide if i hate Amir or if i love him. Half the time I just want put the book down and not even read the next devistating news to come...I would define Amir as very guilty about these decisions hes made and confused on what he should do.
Amir decided who he was the moment he watched Hassan in the alleyway..."I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan-the way he'd stood up for me all those times in the past-and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end, I ran" (77). Amir decided that he was going to be a coward instead of a hero, maybe because he didn't want to accept what could happen to him, or because deep down he knew he would never be as big of a hero as Hassan. Throughout his adolescence and early adulthood, Amir sat in the shadows of Baba, never even getting into a fight until the age of 38. When he decides that there is "a way to be good again" (192), then his character begins to change, and he discovers the man he was always meant to be, and does what he should have always done for his best friend: be loyal. In the end, he finds redemption, and ultimately, himself.
Amir is referring to the event that took place in the alleyway. That day and at that exact moment he decided to be a coward and run away from his fears, and from then on that was exactly how he lived his life. His way of living does not change until close to the end of the book when the war takes place and he moves to America. The move causes him to be independent and strong. He was so sheltered before but it causes him to make decisions based on what is good for him, rather than pleasing his father. I too would describe Amir as a very confused person who is haunted by guilt and tragedy. I would say that Amir is also my favorite character in the book. He is such a complex being that causes you to think twice about his actions and to second guess the choices he makes.
I agree with ‘Vehab’ that Amir did become what he is at the age of twelve because of witnessing Hassan’s rape. He had to make a decision that would not haunt him necessarily, but stay with him for the rest of his life. It affected many of the decisions he made after the incident. Amir made decisions of selfishness, cruelty, and betrayal. His assertion is not entirely true because Baba had the biggest impact on Amir’s life, especially after he grew up without a mother. Amir was always envious of not getting attention from Baba. Amir grew up wanting things for himself, although he grew up with everything Amir felt like he had nothing.
I belive that the decisions you make in life shape who you are. And at the moment he decided to run, he chose to be a coward for the rest of his life. Although I say that he chose it for the rest of his life, his assertion is not all the way true. This is because everyone gets a second chance in life and Amir has had plenty of chances to change. He could have started new in America or when he married Soraya, but he chose to stay a coward. Other contributing factors were his framing of Hassan, and Baba not always being there for him. I think Baba was a huge factor in what he became. In life you need someone to be there for you and he had no one other than Hassan, and Hassan was not even a person he considered to be a friend. So the fact that his father never really cared shaped him a lot. Personally Amir makes me sick, he is a coward and he does not deserve a friendship like Hassan tried to give to him. He was a coward when his "friend" was being attacked and he was a coward when he framed his "friend". In a nutshell I would describe Amir as a terrible, cowardous human being that did not deserve half of the things that were given to him.
I think that Amir is referring to what happened in the alleyway and I think it has changed him a lot. I dont think it is the only thing that formed him to be who he is. There is a lot that went on in his life and it wasn't the easiest. He doesnt have a mother because she died while giving birth and I think he feels ike it is his fault. He and his father did not have the best relationship and it seemed that Hassan and Baba's relationship formed who Amir became. I agree with whoever said that other events led to why he ran from the alleyway and part of it was jealousy because of his father and Amir thought he maybe deserved it in a way. He was told by society that it was wrong for him to be friends with Hassan and i think that influenced a lot of who Amir is and he feels guilty for a lot of things nad he is lost in his own self a lot of times.
The choices that Amir made after the event in the alleyway, when he was twelve has made him what he is. Hassan always stood up for Amir, but he could never stand up for himself or others. Also the things he did, like how he treated Hassan by teasing him with big words, and when he could not help his “friend” when the other boys raped Hassan.
Amir is confused by what he did in the past and what he could have done to help and also he did not understand many aspects of his life, like why his father acted the way he did towards himself and Hassan. Also, Amir feels guilt and many unsettled feelings toward the way that he treated Hassan, and how he made Hassan move out right before the war started.
The main factor that made Amir the person he is in the story was witnessing Assef rape Hassen in the alleyway. All of that guilt built up inside of him and he hasn't let it out yet. I am not sure if he does either because im not done with the book.
I think it's not entirely true, but a little bit of his childhood did make him to become the person he is. Liek most people, I think that he is referring to the time he saw Hassan get rape. After that he wasn't really who he was anymore. I also think that Hassan help to shape him. But after what happened, he didn't talk to Hassan anymore. I believe that if he would have remained friends with Hassan then he would be a different person. But instead, all his life he lived with guilt and shame. The reason he didn't stand up for Hassan was because of the fear of Assef and he also wanted a prized position in his father's heart. In my opinion, I think he already knew that the time he and his dad share will not last long but that was a sacrafice he was willing to make.
Amir is a complex individual. He seems to derive his motivation from the acceptance of his father. That is all.
Amir believes that he is what he is because of the day in the alley but I don't think this is true. I don't think that one event can make person into who they are. I believe that continuous interaction and experiences with other people make a person into who he or she is. And since the most influential person in Amir's life as a child was his father I think that his father made him into who he is. In short I agree with Big Dub.
Amir was a confused boy and an even more confused man. He fought his whole childhood for his father's acceptance. In the end it cost him his only true friend and half-brother because he could not face the guilt. "I became what I am today, at the age of 12" refers to the incident in the alley with Hassan and the kite. It sickens me to think that this could accually happen, but I would be ignorant to think otherwise. Hassan took his loyalty to the grave but Amir could never truely face his guilt. I think rape is one of the most tramatic events that could happen to someone. What if you were just a witness? What if you did nothing to prevent it from happening because you simply didn't have the guts? Is it Amir's fault that Hassan got raped in the alley behind the bazzar? Should he blame himself? These are the things that Amir hid in his mind for 20 years. He moved to a different continent but still could not escape the guilt. Now in the mist of confusion and war he is trying to make up for his mistakes.
Amir and Hassan’s intertwined lives, and their fates, reflect the eventual tragedy of the world around them. When Amir and his father flee the country for a new life in California, Amir thinks that he has escaped his past. And yet, he cannot leave the memory of Hassan behind him. This quote I think like many others have already state reflects the terrible incident in the alleyway. Amir is haunted by the guilt of betraying his childhood friend Hassan. Like most main characters Amir is complex and ever changing. He is a selfish boy at first but when Amir was certain no one was looking, he planted a fistful of crumpled money under the mattress he began the transition to becoming matured man.
When Amir says this he is referring to the Kite Running tournament he was in and what he saw that day. After that day he was refereed to as a Kite Running Champion by many but in his heart he saw himself as a coward and not a very good friend. His assertion is not entirely true because other things that helped shape his character was his relationship with Baba and Rahim, and also his freidnship with Hassan. Both those relationships shaped him into what he is today. Rahim has always made him feel wanted and loved and seemed more like a father figure towards him than Baba ever did. With Baba Amir felt like he always ashamed his father and was always looked down upon which caused him to view himself as not good enough. With Hassan, Amir developed a brotherly bond and was always complemented by Hassan and Hassan always made him feel good about himself. But then on that day everything changed and everytime he saw Hassan he thought of how bad a friend he was and how much of a coward he was. I would describe Amir as a very confused boy. He has a lot of good in him and he possesses some great qualities, but with growing up and living only with his dad he felt less appreciated and that led him into to being a coward.
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