Analogies, anyone?

Can you write analogies as fresh as the ones we read in class today? If you think so, post them here!

Other

Here's the spot for other comments or questions from the book not addressed already. Overall opinions, new questions and discussions, or clarification items may go here (for credit).

Soraya and women in general

After Soraya tells Amir about her past, she says, "I'm so lucky to have found you. You're so different from every Afghan guy I've met." (page 157) How do Afghan women fare in America? Are they any better off than they were in Afghanistan before the Taliban seized power? There is a nticeable absence of women in the novel. How is this significant?

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?

Last third of the novel

Amir's confrontation with Assef in Wazir Akar Khan marks an important turning point in the novel. Why does the author have Amir, Assef, and Sohrab all come together in this way? What is the significance of the scar that Amir develops as a result of the confrontation? Why is it important in Amir's journey toward forgiveness and acceptance?

Baba and Amir move to the US

When Amir and Baba move to the States their relationship changes, and Air begins to view his father as a more complex man. Discuss the changes in their relationship. Do you see the changes in Baba as tragic or positive?

Baba and Amir in the US

During their argument about his career path, Amir thinks to himself: "I would stand my ground, I decided. I didn't want to sacrifice for Baba anymore. The last time I had done that, I had damned myself." Why is Baba disappointed by Amir's decision to become a writer? What has Amir sacrificed for Baba? How has Amir "damned himself"?

Page 204

On the drive to Kabul Farid says to Amir, "You've always been a tourist here, you just didn't know it." (page 204) What is Farid implying? What do you think of his implication? What gives a person worth in a society? Does this vary between societies?

Images of Afghanistan

Khaled Hosseini vividly describes Afghanistan, both the privileged world of Amir's childhood and the stricken country under the Taliban. How did his descriptions differ from ideas that you may already have had about Afghanistan? What cultural differences become evident in the American passages of the novel? How easy do the Afghans find it to settle in the U.S.? Compare the social structures of Amir's life in Afghanistan vs. those he encounters in America.

Amir's character

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?

After reading

The author begins and ends the novel with Amir's favorite pastime, kite flying. At the novel's beginning, Amir, while looking for Hassan who is "running" his kite, witnesses a horrible tragedy. At the conclusion of the novel, Amir is once again flying kites, this time with Hassan's son. Why do you think he chooses to bookend the novel with kite flying?

Title significance

What is the significance of the novel's title?

Hodge-Podge

Here's a spot for you to have side conversations not about the book. . .

Welcome!

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