Monday, April 6, 2009

Kite Runner Fishbowl: Chapter 12


Please contribute to the blog conversation frequently and thoughtfully, and remember always to display professionalism.


Outer circle challenge for the day: Bring textual passages into some of your comments.

105 comments:

AprilH said...

I think Baba has been a better father to Amir now is because they have gone through so much together and he feels now that he is getting older that he needs to spend as much time with him as possible.

Nicole said...

It seems that in America Baba is humbled a bit. There, he's not at the top of the status board but a mere gas station worker.
That and Amir is graduating highschool and going to college. He is proud of his son for doing that.

annies said...

Baba is being a better father in the United States then when he was in Kabul because Baba has less to lose and doesn't know as many people, so he can't get embarrassed. Like Adam said, there aren't social classes, well there are, but they don't matter as much as they do in Afganistan.

Liap said...

I think that Baba is being a better father to Amir in the USA because he and Amir only have each other.If their relationship was like it before then neither of them could survive on their own.

samh said...

I agree with the inner cicrle that Baba is a being a better dad now that they are in America because he doesn't have to worry as much about the social classes and he has the freedom to focus on being a father instead of just being in control.

Pye said...

I think Hassan will come back into the story, There has to be a legitimate reason Baba likes Hassan more than Amir and he was too important of a character to just get dropped halfway through the book.

RachelK said...

I agree with Adam that in America, Baba and Amir don't have to worry about the social class as much. They have more freedom and can blend in more, rather than being harshly separated as rich, poor, dumb, smart, etc. Some wealthy people still stand out in America, but not as much as where they used to live. They are in a different place, and they can seem like different people, or the US defines who they are.

Shay N said...

Why Baba has become a better father?
Because he might have realized that he has treated him not very well and now that Baba’s friends are gone he can focus on Amir.

JasonV said...

I think that Baba is having a hard time living in Americac but I think that he knows that it is a better life for his son and that makes it worth it.

annies said...

I agree with Aaron when he says that the reason that Amir is thinking about Hassan so much is because he feels really guilty for everything that happened. Also, Allison said that Amir is also upset because he never got a chance to apologize and he might not see him ever again.

Jake H said...

I think that Amir is always is thinking about Hassan is because the memory of what he did to him will always be a memory on his mind and that they have spent so many years doing so many different things together, that doesn't help him forget their memories together.

samh said...

I think that Baba is having a hard time living in America because of the big change in life style. He's not in power really anymore and he has to work at the gas station. He's not used to being so low.

JeniC said...

I think that Baba seems to be a better father to Amir for a few reasons. One is that Hassan is no longer there, Baba has no way to pay attention to Hassan. In the same way, Ali can no longer pay attention to Amir, it makes me wonder if Hassan is getting more attention from Ali since Amir is gone.

elizabeth k said...

I agree with April when she says that Baba has been a better father to Amir because I think that he realizes that he need to spend as much time with him as possible now.

Mark W said...

I think that Hassan will come back later in the book because both Amir and Baba start to feel guilty about Hassan and Ali leaving. Both Amir and Baba can't stop thinking about the good memories they had.

meghank said...

I think that Baba is a better father now because he can focus completely on Amir because Hassan is gone now. Baba lost his wife and now someone who he looked at as a son; he doesn't want to lose Amir now too.

Liap said...

I agree with Allison I think Amir wishes he could have apologized. In response to Emma's question, I do think that Baba is having a very difficult time in America, because he is no longer one of the richest men around, nor does he live comfortably with his friends and family, like he used to. Often the hardest part of America for immagrants is leaving their loved ones and being on their own.

annies said...

I think there are many things why Baba is having a hard time adjusting to life in America because he is realizing that no one trusts one another like they do in Kabul.

nilec said...

Shay, that and the fact that things in America are mmore equal might have opened Baba's eyes to how he had been treating Amir

georged said...

Macy asks, "Why is Baba being a better father to Amir now that they are in the US?"
Because they are now in the US and having nothing left of Afghanistan, Amir and Baba have each other and that is it. Now that baba does not have all his possessions, he becomes more in check with reality and realizes he needs to hold onto what he has left. "I am moftakhir, Amir,' he said. Proud" (131). Amir has actually made Baba proud and happy for what he has. Also, Amir is becoming more independent.

RachelK said...

I agree with Sam when she says that now its easier to focus on a relationship with Amir and not just being control. It can be hard to adjust to a whole new country, but it's also a chance to start over and build relationships/ a new lifefor the better.

Nicole said...

I think Baba adjusts quickly to other lifestyles. However he is feeling a bit homesick, even though he won't admit to it.
Amir even explains it.
Baba is also exhausted from working at the gas station but not even that will break him down.
He is a very strong character.

KatieW said...

I think the the move to America affects Baba a lot. He is now working at a gas station and that is a big step down from how powerful he was at home. I think it also hurts his pride a little but he is willing to do it for his son.

samh said...

I feel like, since they are now living in America Baba has lost some pride. He is showing Amir not to rely on other people and he just feels kind of low.

Pye said...

I think Baba refused the food stamps because he has too much pride. He worked hard for what he had in Afghanistan and he feels like he can work just as hard in America and become wealthy again.

Shay N said...

He doesn’t take the stamps because he is an independent person and is showing Amir that it is better to work for your things and food rather than depend on others.

AprilH said...

I think Baba is having a harder time in America because he miss his old life. He misses having parties and talking to everyone he knows. Also, they aren't living as well as they did at their old home. For example at the store Baba got upset because they asked him for an ID and he was upset because he thought they didn't trust him event though it's the law in the U.S.

NowlanS said...

I agree with Nicole that Baba starts to be a better father because he is humbled by America and does not feel anymore power over Amir anymore. In America Baba's power is worthless.

samh said...

I agree with Allison that Amir is using the move to America as an escape. He sees it as a fresh start and a way to forget what had happened in Kabul.

michellev said...

I agree with Jamie and Baba doesn't want to rely on other people, he would rather do it alone. Baba was so rich when in Afghanistan to coming here and not having anything compared to where he was. I would think its hard for anyone who knows what its like to be rich and have a lot to becoming poor and just trying to survive.

elizabeth k said...

I think Mark is correct when he says that Hassan will come back later in the book. Baba and Amir do feel bad and I think that eventually Hassan will be brought back into the result of the story.

ddenton76 said...

I dont think Baba left because of what happened to Hassan but I think that Amir wanted to leave because of what happened to Hassan, I think he wanted to try to rid himself of the memories

Liap said...

I agree with Meghan; I think that Amir and Hassan's paths will cross again, and Amir will have an oppurtunity to ask for Hassan's forgiveness,

Nicole said...

I agree with Allison. Amir is using America to forget his dreadful past, to get a new start.
What happened will haunt him forever, but he won't think "down that road leads to the ally."
It's different surroundings that don't hold those dreadful memories.

annies said...

I don't think that they left Kabul because of their memories of what happened to Hassan, because Baba didn't know what happened to Hassan and he was the one who made the executive decision to move to America. So I think it helped Amir try to forget about Hassan. But the reason that they left is because the Russians took over Afghanistan so Baba and Amir had to leave

alenav said...

I do not think that Baba has to much pride. He is used to working and getting what he needs on his own. He is used to his old ways and has not yet learned the value of generosity. I don't think he is doing anything wrong he just doesn't want sympathy.

Jake H said...

If Baba and Amir had to leave, why didn't they take Hassan and Ali with them?

BrianW said...

I agree with Sam when she says that now it’s easier to focus on a relationship. That Baba and Amir can have a real father son relationship.

NowlanS said...

I agree with John, Baba refused the food stamps because of his pride. I also think he does not believe these food stamps are real or in other words i believe he thinks that their is some catch to using these food stamps.

JasonV said...

I think that Amir being a refugee is a positive and negative thing to him because now he feels like the pain he caused Hassan is more justified beacuse he is in pain too, but he also doesn't like beign in a foreign country and he wishes life would be like it was.

JeniC said...

Nicole, you said, "He is a very strong character" refering to Baba. Is this why Baba sometimes doesn't show alot of love towards Amir? Because he does not want to show any weakness? I agree with you, but everyone has their breaking point and I wonder if Baba is going to snap soon.

Nicole said...

Amir admits to it that it is improper for two unwed people to chat so casually together.
The General probably just wants it to happen "the good way" and wants to protect whatever reputation his daughter has left.

alenav said...

I agree with a lot of the comments. I think Amir left because of his past. He needed a fresh start and to get out of the place that kept reminding him of what he was trying to forget. Eventually he may be able to put it in the back of his mind but he will never truly be able to forget.

georged said...

It was asked if Amir left Afghanistan to escape his memories.
Although Amir is grateful for leaving, that has nothing to do with their actual escape. Baba and Amir had to leave simply because it was dangerous for them to stay in Russian occupied Afghanistan. America is a logical place for them to go because they can start over and will be safe for sure.

Liap said...

I think that Baba wants to keep his cancer a secret because he is used to being a strong, powerful figure and people could see his cancer as a weakness.

elizabeth k said...

Jake-
I think they didn't take Hassan and Ali with them because they felt bad but they didnt want it to be an ongoing battle with them. im not sure but thats what I think.

Jake H said...

I think that Baba is scared for Amir and that like what Allison said he doesn't want charity. He is an independent person and that cancer won't hold him back.

Mark W said...

I think that Baba won't let Amir tell anyone about his cancer because it will ruin his reputation and his pride. Plus, he doesn't want all of the attention from friends who will try to help him get better.

KatieW said...

I agree with Allison when she says Baba doesn't want people to know he has cancer because he has a lot of pride and anyone who would try to give him charity or help would hurt that pride. I also think he doesn't want anyone to feel bad for him.

AprilH said...

I agree with Allison. Amir is happy to be in a new place and he wants to forget the past. America is Amir's fresh new start and he wants to put the past behind him. In the book he talks about he wants to pursue his writing and work on that. So that could show how he is working on his dreams and trying to leave the past behind.

nilec said...

Inner circle, I agree with Allison that the reason Baba does not say anything about his cancer because he has too much pride. He has always been seen as a strong person and he doesn't want to have any weaknesses.

samh said...

Baba is the kind of person who doesn't want to be seen as a cherity case. He doesn't tell people abput his cancer and he doesn't want anyone to know because he doesn't want people to see it as a weakness in him. He is a very independent person and he needs to be seen as a strong man and if people hear of his cancer then they may feel sorry for him and he doesn't want that.

annies said...

Baba doesn't want Amir to tell anyone about his cancer because Baba is someone who is powered by pride, and if he has people feeling sorry for him, like Allison said, then he won't feel as proud because he will have an illness that will impair him, and he will most likely die... not to be a negative thinker but Baba probably doesn't want his family, or Amir to worry about him too much.

Pye said...

Amir and Baba's relationship changed when they moved to America, not because of the cancer. Now that Amir and Baba have time to spend together without Hassan, Ali, or Rahim Khan, Baba can focus his attantion on his son rather than his friends.

meghank said...

I think that them moving to America is going to help Amir and Baba realize how lucky they were to have what they had. It seemed like Amir thought that he deserved certain things and that he didn't really have to work for it but now Baba is working harder for less and it is bringing them closer and more humble.

Nicole said...

Mark:
I agree that Baba doesn't want to ruin his pride, since before he was always described as a Hurricane. The attention that he would get would make him feel patronized, and that's just an infuriating thought to him.

BrianW said...

I think that Baba is hiding his cancer because he doesn’t wasn’t to show his weakness to Amir.

elizabeth k said...

I think that Baba refused the food stamps because he wants to be able to work for what he has. He doesnt want things just handed to him.

JasonV said...

I don't think that the cancer made Baba and Amir closer, their relationship was already in turmoil and the cancer just deepend both of their inner depressions.

RachelK said...

I think that Amir would become more caring and loving towards his father because this is a chance to show his care/love I guess to make up for not showing any to Hassan. This might mean a lot to Amir, and he could try to change the relationship with his dad for Hassan, to show that he's not some rich, snooty boy. I think his father's cancer will make him a better person.

JeniC said...

So many people keep saying Amir left for different reasons. Is it really Amir who left? I thought is was Baba who chose to leave and Amir followed. I think that Baba left to start a new life, Amir may have wanted that too, but it was Baba who made the initial decision to leave.

Jake H said...

I think that Amir would have treated Hassan better in America because there are so many different diversities that it really would impact their friendship in a positive way, and Amir wouldn't feel ashamed to be Hassan's friend.

KatieW said...

Yes, I think that the realties of America has made Amir feel even worse for how he treated Hassan. I agree with Ellen when she mentioned the stores and how there were Afghan sections and other sections and it didn't seem like anyone really cared. Also, she mentioned the part where he saw kids of different diversity were playing together in the park and wished that's how it could've been with him and Hassan without all of the complications.

AprilH said...

Baba is a strong man. In the book he says that he is a man that works for his money and that he could never accept anything for free. Baba is a hard worker and doesn't want anything to come easy he wants to work for what he needs to feel that sense of accomplishment. He feels that if Amir tells anyone about his sickness he won't be looked at anymore as a strong leader and man.

NowlanS said...

I agree with George in that Amir and Baba did not move from Afghanistan to escape their memories but to escape the political situation being faced in Afghanistan presently. I do believe they both thought it may help to move away though.

Nicole said...

If Hassan lived in America, he would still be a humble and kind person. However he would see that he is his own person, and that thought might even be a little frightening to him since he's always grown up in the degrading environment.

ddenton76 said...

I think that moving to America is Amirs fresh start, because there are alot more opportunitys in America than there are in Afghanistan

georged said...

To me, Baba's cancer seemed to symbolize the consequences of his actions. Directly, he smoked a lot, so he got lung cancer. Indirectly, this represents the consequence for his strained relationship with Amir for so many years. Even though it improved once they were in America, Amir was still left with a bad childhood. True, it is sad that Baba gets cancer, but he had it coming and because of it at the end of his life he appreciates Amir more than ever.

elizabeth k said...

I agree with Brian. I think that Baba does not want Amir to think that he is weak. Baba wants Amir to think that he is strong and everything is ok. I also think that he wants to be the one to take care of Amir, and he doesn't want Amir to take care of him.

Pye said...

Hassan has a loyal personality, no matter where he grew up he would still be Loyal to Amir just not on the same level as it was in Afghanistan.

Jake H said...

Jeni- I think that Baba wanted to leave and Amir pressed him to make the desicion.

Shay N said...

I think the cancer helped with their relationship because Amir realizes that his dad is very sick and may not be alive for very long she he wants to spend as much time as he can.

BrianW said...

I think that Hassan's way of life is to be kind and loyal because that was how Ali raised him. Its not like Hassan to be cruel

annies said...

I agree with Jamie when she says that if Hassan had come to America he wouldn't have to worry about being a Hazara. If Hassan didn't have to worry about being a Hazara, and being a Hazara wasn't bad, then Amir also wouldn't worry about people looking down on him for playing with a Hazara.

RachelK said...

However, the cancer couldn't change their relationship completely. Moving to America has opened Baba's eyes more, but Amir can't stop thinking about Hassan. I think that in time, Baba will realize that America is different, social class doesn't "discriminate" people as much as where they used to live, and the relationship between him and Amir will become more trusting and caring.

NowlanS said...

I agree with Jason the cancer just drove Amir and Baba farhter apart. Their relationship was already a mess and week and the cancer just made it weeker by depressing both Amir and Baba

Liap said...

I agree with Allison that Hassan wouldn't change if he moved to America, but had he been born and raised in America he might not be as trusting or as honest and loyal.

nilec said...

Dillon, I agree that America can be a frexh start for Amir. I also think there is a possibility that he will be dragged down by his memory and lifestyle in Iraq.

meghank said...

I think that if Hassan and Amir had grown up in America their relationship would have been very different. I don't think that Hassan would have done as much for Amir, he wouldn't have trusted him so much and he wouldn't rely on Amir so much because he would probably be educated therefore he would be more able to take care of himself.

Nicole said...

Hassan would be easily conned (having a con artist trick him into giving them a lot of money), however he would learn about it all. With the confidence that he does have, he would get along with America. That is after he got used to it.
I agree with Allison that it would definitley change how Hassan is. It would make him a stronger individual, I think.

JasonV said...

I think that if Hassan/ Ammir had both grown up in America, their relationship would be very different, if they even had one at all. Because society in America was different, Hasan wouldn't have been binded to Amir as a servant and his father wouldn't have felt so compelled to become Baba's "servant". Hassan and Amir also could have possibly grown up as equals if they had rejected societies rules.

annies said...

I agree with Aaron when he says that Amir is trying to keep his life story away because he doesn't want to remember it. It would be too hard to bring all of what happened between him and Hassan would be too much for him. So it is just better that he doesn't tell her things because it will make him feel guilty all over again and I think the guilt is just too much for him.

georged said...

I disagree with Allison. I do not believe location has much of an impact on what your personality is. Amir is still sometimes a nice person, but also not brave. Even in America, he does not really stick up for himself. I think that if Hassan had been his servant in America, Amir would still try to be better than him.

meghank said...

I think that Amir is trying to forget about what he did to Hassan and his way of doing that is to just not talk about it and try to deal with it on his own inside of his mind.

KatieW said...

I agree with the inner circle when they talk about bringing back up the subject of Amir's mom. I don't think he wants to tell his wife because it would be like digging up the past and he came here to start fresh. Also, if he does happen to tell he would be afraid of spilling his whole past including all of the things he did to Hassan and he is really ashamed of that. Not to mention, the trust that he might lose from his wife for not telling anything in the first place.

AprilH said...

I agree with Aaron. I think Amir was ashamed of it. This memory is one of his biggest memories. He is very sensitive about it and it is hard for him to talk about. I do think that eventually he will talk about to her or to someone else. He has to get it out and talk about it so he feels better. I feel it would make their relationship a little bit awkward but they will get through it.

michellev said...

If Amir grew up here I think his personality would change because you can even see it in the states of America and how different people are in each state. When someone grows up in two totally different countries their personality would be totally different.

Nicole said...

It's not a good way to live life, with all the bad things buried. Because in that darkness they grow and infest the mind.
I think that Amir would find a little bit of peace if he admitted it to another person, so long as they didn't kill him or anything.
I think that he will share with his wife what happened. I'm just not sure how she will react.

Mark W said...

I agree with Aaron because he doesn't want to regret what he has done even more than the regret that he is currently living with. He knows that what he has done is wrong.

Shay N said...

I agree with Nicole Hassan is such a trustworthy person and a good kid that he could be easily tricked into something that could get him into a lot of trouble.

RachelK said...

It's hard to forget things that have changed your life forever, especially things that want to be forgotten about. Amir seems to have that problem. He moved to America, yet he can't stop thinking about what happened to Hassan and how bad of a friend he is or was. In a new country, a new life is expected, the politics are different, societies, economies, lifestyle, etc. Amir can build off of his bad memory by doing something to not make it so bad anymore. My point is is that he could learn the ways of the US, learn to accept it, and show love to his father and other people in honor of Hassan.

BrianW said...

I agree with Jake and if Amir told his wife then she wouldn’t know if she could trust him, because he didn’t help Hassan when his was in the alley.

JeniC said...

Let's not forget about Assef. His being a bully is part of what drove Amir and Hassan apart. What if all three of them lived here? Would Assef's communist views still be the same? Would he have still hurt Hassan? If they grew up here, Hassan and Amir may still be friends.

KatieW said...

I think that Amir envies his wife because he wish he was brave enought to come clean with the wrongdoings he has done in his past, it would probably make him feel better, but I think he was afraid of the outcome it could have with him and his wife and he didn't want to lose her too.

NowlanS said...

On the passage Mrs. Leclaire brought up, I believe that Amir shows that he wants to get rid of the guilt he holds and he wants to confess to someone but he does not have the courage and the coward in him continues to appear.

Nicole said...

I agree with you Rachel.
It's like he's trying to make up for everything that he did, yet the memory still haunts his mind.

meghank said...

I think that a lot of the reason why Amir doesn't tell his wife is because he is terrified to not be accepted. Even when he was a child in the book that was always his problem; that is why he never told anyone that Hassan and he were friends because people wouldn’t accept him if he was friends with Hassan. He wants to be accepted and he is afraid that his wife will not accept him after she knows what he did.

georged said...

On page 166, Amir envies Soraya for having more courage than him. Since he recognizes this, why doesn't he just man up and tell her? He knows that he is being a coward but is not doing anything to change it. This really reflects on Amir's character, showing that he would rather save some face than have a clean conscience. He always wants to seem good to other people (he is more like Baba than he knows).

Pye said...

I think that Amir didnt tell Soraya about his past because he is a coward. Soraya was couragous enough to tell her secrets of her past and Amir, even though his past is much worse than hers, doesnt have enough courage to tell her about it because he knows once the secret is out he will have to deal with it for a long time.

annies said...

If Amir can't even be loyal to his best friend to help him when he's getting raped, how can he be loyal to his wife/fiance who he hasn't known for a long time like he knew Hassan?

Shay N said...

Baba has a lot of courage because moving is hard and not knowing anyone after you were once a popular and rich guy but in America now he doesn’t have either of those.

RachelK said...

Amir's memory of Hassan and what happened is still bad, but doing something to learn a lesson for the future from the memory can help. Living in a new country where everything's different can be a foundation to help along the way.

Nicole said...

Jeni:
That is a really good point. I think that if the story took place in America the incident wouldn't have happened because people would be less likely to follow Assef.

nilec said...

Knowlan, I agree that Amir is guilty and wants to get rid of it. I also think that he is just searching for the right person to tell his secrets. He might have trust issues.

Mark W said...

I think that Baba has a lot of courage because he had the courage to move to America, which is completely different to what his Afghani lifestyle was. He has the courage to live in America, but he needs to adjust to the different customs.