The Kite Runner: Part 2

I can't find a structured way to present my text-to-self annalization of "The Kite Runner. I apologize now for any confusion. This will be organized rambling.

I will start with the connection between Amir and Rahim. I believe that Rahim was the father Amir wanted when Baba was being "cruel." Rahim encouraged his writing and admitted his writing had talent. My sister bought me a writing journal when I first got interested in writing and encouraged me to stick with it. I think that Amir should have told Rahim what Assef did to Hassan. Rahim would have understood Amir's worry in telling someone because of his young age and would of helped him get it out, maybe in way of writing. Rahim reminded me of a gusrdian Angel that is there when you need him and gone when you don't. For instance, after Amir finds Hassan's son, Farid, you learn that Rahim has disappeared again because Amir has Farid and is heading back to America, he is no longer needed.

I could not make any connection to Assef, besides the everyday bully. But Assef wasn't the everyday bully. The difference between bullying someone and rapeing someone is thick. Looking at the time in which this happened; Afghanistan is being controlled by Russia, Hitler's reign is over, and classes are still strong. What I mean by classes is the servant and master. Hassan was a born servant and Assef believed him to be scum. That does not make what Assef did ok, but it does explain his actions. Rape does occur in America today, but more because of lust then class level. I am explaining the connection I didnt have?

On page 92, Amir throws pomegranates at Hassan, provoking Hassan to hit him back, get mad at him, but he doesn't. This is after Hassan is raped and Hassan doesn't know that Amir saw everything. Amir is filled with guilt at this point, he wants Hassan to know he knew, then have Hassan take his anger out on him. I have never known anyone as loyal as Hassan is to Amir, after being hit multiple times and yelled at by Amir he picks up a pomegranate and hits himself with it. Asks Amir if he is happy now, then walks away.I believe that Amir deserves that guilt, although he is young he knew what happened was a horrible thing and as the only person to see the incident (besides Assef's evil minions) he needed to tell someone.

To concentrate on the text-to-self analizing I will relate the kite running contests to my longboarding. Longboarding is what I do when I am stressed, mad, sad, happy, confused, etc. . . It is a large part of my life and the feeling I get when I am "surfing the concrete" is unexplainable. Although it is a feeling everyone gets, what they do to get it though is always different. To Amir and Hassan it is kite running.

"Better to get hurt by the truth then comforted by a lie." Page 58. I have said the like many times in my life. A lie covering up a truth only makes the truth worse, the sooner you tell it the better. To lie is to steal someones right from the truth. We also learn this from the book. Truth and lies are strewn throughout "The Kite Runner" and I see it as a major theme. Is never telling the truth the same as lieing to cover it up? Baba never told Amir that Hassan was his half brother. Is that better then if Baba had told him he wasn't? Amir never tells Hassan that he didn't see the rape. So rather it being truth and lies that are strewn throughout this book, it is truth and never telling it.

The random flash back on page 261 is amazing. It was placed perfectly and gives the strong sense of remeberance as he walks up the driveway of the house he used to inhabit. It's a meaningless yet strong flashback and it reminded me of how I think. I am horrible with names but I will remember a face for a lifetime. When I revisit a place I think of the faces that surrounded me when I was there. This is how I remember.

When Amir is an adult I relate to him incredibly! We are both awkward, care for our loved ones, and do whats best for everyone.

If there is anything I missed, or something of importance anyone thinks I should touch on let me know!

The Kite Runner

Khaled Hosseini is an incredible author who really knows how to tell a story. Throughout the book his straight forward and blunt descriptions of every detail never refrain from shocking you. I also have to say that this book is extremely depressing, to me anyway. It was a page turner and I don't regret reading it. It has a great moral to the story and leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

I assumed from what I've heard about the book that it was rich in style, so I chose to take notes on the authors style and try to feed off of it. However, after the first chapter I changed my direction. Although the book is rich in style, I believe that the author has two or three main styling tools in his writing. Blunt descrptions, importance of past events, and strong connections between people. When I figured these out from the first ten chapters or so, I switched to relating the story to my own life (text to self) because of how descriptive and family/friend oriented it is.

The first large connection I made was Baba to my dad. Page twelve, the begining of chapter three is when I first made the connection. When Amir is describing him as someone who is never doubted, and his booming snores on page 13. This connection helped me vision Baba in my head and understand him more as a character.

The next relation came when Amir is describing Baba's belief that stealing is the worst sin, and that every other sin is of a different variation of theft. The worst variation of theft being murder. I had never made the theft connection to all sins and once I read and understood Baba's belief I couldn't agree more. In my past I have dealt with murder and loss and theft, so making that connection definatly tied me into the book.

To end (since my mom needs the computer) the first part of my "Kite Runner" blog on a happy note, I will pay notice to my connection with the main character, Amir. He is a writer, a story teller. I consider myself a free lance writer but I do enjoy the occasional fairytale and fictional story every now and then. His continuos effort to show his father his writing and make Baba proud of him is a mirror image of my effort to please my parents with my writing. The difference is that my parents do appreciate my writing, and did right away, but I still try to impress them more and more.

I will continue another day, hope everyone likes my thoughts so far! :)