A brief written assignment prior to the DD and A&S Scholars Camp

Well, i finished the stroy about a 2 weeks ago. It was an amazing story. I tried watching the movie afterwards, but it just didn't have the same effect. But I guess the most important thing i gained from the story is one of those basic lessons of life that everybody has heard millions of times: every action you make has a consequence. And the majority of the time, when you choose a positive action, the consequence will be positive. When you choose a negative action, the consequence will be negative. Even when you think that you have escaped what you've done and no one will ever find out, in some way or another, you'll have to face the consequence...

I guess the most important thing I had to have learned is that to do nothing is to support. That is to say, if one stands idly by and watches an act that he or she feels is inherently wrong without any attempt to contest it, then he or she indirectly gives his or her consent for the action, and therefore only exacerbates it.

It's kind of hard to explain, so I guess I'll summarize as "not doing anything is the same as joining in."

I think we all know which scene sparked this epiphany *shudder*.

I think a very big theme presented in the book is that of nature vs. nurture. Amir is naturally the opposite personality of his father, and yet he grew up knowing virtually no other role model(since his mother died at birth). The two rape scenes in the book are the biggest example of this shown in the contrasting ways the two men deal with their situation. Amir hides behind a wall and Baba fights for his beliefs. It's the most important element in to book to me because it shows that each person has the ability to control their personal fate and shape their own personalities.

I loved this book. At first I assumed it would be kind of like all the other books I've had to read for school (boring, etc.). It was AMAZING! And like a lot of you I agree that the book was WAY better than the movie and the movie didn't affect me as much as the book did. The most important information I gained from this book is that family can make a person do extremely crazy things. At first Amir didn't want to go get Sohrab, but after finding out they were related he went to the ends of the Earth to save him and bring him back to America. It was so touching all the pain that he underwent for someone he never knew, but was related to. Blood changes everything.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved that it was so easy to get into and once I got into it, I couldn't stop. The most important thing that I will take with me from the book is that you should always do what is right, what your gut tells you is right. Sometimes it can be hard to do the right thing. Whether you do it or not plays a part in the ending of your story. So decide what kind of ending you want to have and what kind of person you want to be and that, in turn, will create your story.

I think the greatest thing I got from the book was a much better understanding of the conflict in Afghanistan. I have to admit that I was pretty uneducated on this topic, I didn't really know the gravity of the situation with the Taliban until after reading this book. I also think the media has people believing that the Taliban is a good example of Islam and this is not the case at all. There are a lot of Muslims in my area and after recent events and seeing the Taliban on the news I sometimes found myself thinking, "How can they believe in a god that thinks this is okay?" I have a friend from Tunisia and the first time I went over to her house I noticed that there was a copy of the Qur'an on her coffee table. Obviously I didn't say anything, but I have to admit I felt a little uneasy knowing that at some level her family was connected to this god that wants people who don't believe in Islam to be killed. After reading this book I realized that this really is not the way of every muslim, there are a few bad apples that spoil the bunch and that's the only side of Islam that really gets any attention.

I also thought it was interesting that in the end, even after all that Amir had seen done to his best friend, his best friend's son, and his homeland, all of it supposedly done in the name of Islam, he turned to the same religion to thank Allah...

I also think that the most important thing I learned from the book was a better understanding of Afganistan, the beliefs, and such. It's so easy to think that the news is telling you both sides of an argument when it obviously isn't. I'm glad I read this book, even if it was the most depressing book I've ever read.

I have what I like to affecionately call "book empathy." Whether I like it or not, I feel the feeling that the author writes about as if they were my own. Whenever I put the book down I'd feel guilty and horribly depressed. My mom even asked me if I was feeling OK becuase I looked so listless. While reading I had my own conflicting emotions of not being able to put the book down because it was so good and wanting to throw it across the room, cry myself to sleep, and never touch it again.

In the end, I love the book, and I've learned so much from it that is valuable to me. It makes me hope that when/if the war ends that their country can live the way they wantto live and be happy.

The most important theme in the book for me is the fact that no matter who we are or where we live, all human beings have problems-and that those problems can be dealt with. In other words, the tale embodies the human condition. This is highlighted towards the end when Sohrab is still depicted struggling with his "demons" but shows small rays of hope for his healing.

Another theme in the book that caught my attention was realizing how truly privileged we are in this country to have the opportunities that we do. The story opened my eyes to the tragic life of many people in countries like Afghanistan, especially in times of adversity. It's very difficult to think of myself living in and dealing with situations such as those occurring in the book and I consider myself lucky to have what I have.

Well, I've read the book a couple times for school and such. And with it came two very contrasting emotions and very important views on life. The first came during the stoning scene at the stadium. I got through the rape scene fine, disgusted of course, but fine. But during the stoning scene I found myself doing something I have never had to do before. I shut the book for over a week before I was ready to pick it up again. I needed time to think about how the vast majority of people have learned to be complete enablers. A thousand people in that stadium would never have risen up to thirty people with machine guns to keep the stoning from happening. That's sad, but at least understandable because of the danger involved. However, social experiments prove that most people would rather walk past something they could help prevent than just step in and stop something horrible. From this book, I learned that I want to teach myself to never be that person.
Secondly, and with an extremely different emotion, came the lesson that "there is a way to be good again." These words of Rahim's pretty much say it all. It is a good feeling knowing that we can redeem ourselves from the bad things we've done in the past. And that to let the past control who you become is just so wasteful.

Loyalty was a major theme in this novel and to me, was one of the most important and most interesting points that the story touched on. Hassan's loyalty to Amir is unbreakable it seems. He never forsakes Amir throughout the entire novel although Amir abandons him countless times. I noticed that throughout the novel Hassan's loyalty seems to blind him to Amir's faults...or perhaps it is because of the bond that Hassan has the strength to forgive. I found it difficult to understand the strength of his loyalty and could instead only liken him to that of a Christlike figure, able to forgive again and again the wrongs done to him. Was it ignorance that kept him so constant? I don't think so. Perhaps Hassan was just born with a forgiving nature. It would be interesting to discover Khaled Hosseinsi's purpose for this character. Perhaps he was created as catalyst in spurring Amir's character for growing up. Also the loyalty of Amir to Sohrab was unique. It was not necessarily for Sohrab but for Sohrab's father that Amir went through the efforts of retrieving the child. This was a loyalty of a different kind, that of having guilt and the determination to make up for past wrongs. Only Hassan's motives seem genuine and without the cloud of the past goading him on toward bravery.

I finished the book a few weeks ago and I was BLOWN AWAY. It was a slower read but the twists and plot turns kept me hooked and just when I thought things were settling down to a predictable end SHIZAM and it started all over again. I personally took many themes and life-lessons from the book. But the most important one for me was the dual-theme of one-way loyalty and the consequences of inaction. I was taken aback by Hasans undying loyalty to Amir. But I was more taken aback by Amir taking advantage of the fact and not returning the loyalty and friendship to his servant and friend. When Amir left Hasan to the bullies I died a little inside. I learned that if you see something you don't like, you have to act or regret will become a regular part of your life. I've done things that I'm not proud of, but doing nothing in the face of adversity is not one of them. Amir has frequent flashbacks to the times when he abused Hasan and he regrets his actions but it is too little too late. In my view it is better to have lived, loved, and stood up for what/who one believes in rather than stand there and be dead inside as well as have others take the fall.

The most important lesson that I got from the book is forgiveness. Also the importance to seek forgiveness as soon as possible. Amir didn't seek forgiveness from Hassan and it drove him to distraction, causing him to do so much more harm to Hassan and both of their families. It shows that forgiveness sought right away can bypass so much future hurt on both sides.

The other aspect of forgiveness that I got from the book was that it can always be gotten, no matter how much later after the incident it is achieved. Hassan wasn't even alive anymore, but during his travels in Afghanistan, Amir learned that Hassan had forgiven him and that knowledge allowed Amir to forgive himself for what he had done to and failed to do for Hassan.

I suppose the most important thing I learned about in this book was about Islam and what was really going on with it. The American idea of women as second citizens and Hazaras as servants is much harsher than what was really going on in the 60s and early 70s. Before the Taliban took over there was so much honor in what was going on that it was a lot less harsh than what we think of when we think of American second citizens or servants. Our idea is that without something to try and make sure these people are safe and heard from and supported of course they're abused, which would be the case in America, but in Afghanistan, this wasn't really what was going on. People harassed Hazaras and what happened to a lot of them was horrible, but not as bad as what we would expect. And then after the Russians and Taliban took over it gives a new idea to the whole war idea there. I still support the fact that I don't think we should be over there... but I mean, if we fight the Taliban off or help the Afghanistan's reestablish the more honorary system they had with the monarchy, then maybe it's not such a horrible thing that we ended up there.

If we were judging it on prose or literary merit, I'm not sure this would've been the book to assign, but with all the different avenues it could go in the way of discussion, an excellent choice.

Being a journalism major in Scripps and looking at some kind of foreign correspondence, the book's cultural richness was what gave me a lasting impression. I had no idea what Afghani life was like before the Soviet invasion. Coming from a smaller town and not personally knowing a single Muslim, it's nice to start to learn the different ways people practice Islam (Amir's baba, almost apathetic; Amir, a moderate who finds faith on his own; Assef, a sharia supremacist and militant). With as big of a deal to the world as Islam is, I think everybody should get an idea that the religion isn't just extremists and those who go with the flow.

The main thing I really got out of the story was the distinction of culture gaps. I wasn't completely surprised but it showed how two different societies that have existed for comparable amounts of times can be completely and utterly different, and how in not understanding these cultural gaps between the societies can result in some pretty bad situations. Not to say that there was ever a defining moment when the book was like "america shat on us afghani's" but I think Hosseini intentionaly pointed out the differences between the two cultures and showed what could happena dn what has happended as a result of the cultural gaps that occured between Afghanistan and other more western cultures (primarily russians so i guess not to western). All in all i think that Hosseini was trying to point out the importance of bridging these gaps and acknowledge the importance of understanding and respecting the cultures of everyone. sorry if i rambled.

While there were so many issues presented in this book, the most important message was that of loyalty. At the end of the book, even though countless terrible things happened to him, I wanted to be Hassan. I am a firm believer in forgiveness and although I believe that Amir earned it, I'm more impressed with Hassan's ability to dish it out without so much as an apology. That is true loyalty: standing by your friend even after they completely wronged you.
One of my favorite lines in the whole book is, "And that's the thing about people who mean everything they say. They think everyone else does too." This one line is a life lesson in itself and it applies to my life more than anything else in the whole book. This line asks us one question: Who are you going to be? The one that means everything you say? ...Or the one lies and thus, hurts others?

The main thing that I got from reading The Kite Runner was the idea that any action, however big or small, will impact you for the rest of your life. The scene that struck home with me the most was the one in which Amir redefines the word imbecile in order to humiliate Hassan without Hassan even being aware of it. I'm a huge word person, and so I remember that scene really clearly...Amir doesn't forget it either. That made me think about all the little cruelties we sometimes commit (bumping into someone and not excusing ourselves, snapping at a friend or family member just because we're in a bad mood, being rude to a stranger, etc.). Those things never really go away, particularly if they're done to someone to whom you are close. It makes me think of the story of the man who had his son hammer a nail into their fence every time he got mad. Even after he learned to control his anger, when he took the nails out, the holes were still there. That's true of our everyday actions too. Amir didn't defend Hassan in the alley, which is where most of Amir's guilt comes from. However, Amir didn't defend Hassan from Amir, either, and that was equally significant to me. Everything we do is eventually going to come back to us in some way or another, and The Kite Runner illustrates that idea very clearly.

Do not lie. I feel that this is the most important idea I gained from the book. Although the book makes many points about human nature and morality, each negative consequence results from a lie. Baba lies about the true nature of his relationship to Amir, thus "stealing" from family and friends, and most importantly from Hassan, a better understanding of themselves. Consequently, Baba lives his life smothering silently under a blanket of pride. Hassan, too, builds his own burden starting with small lies to Amir about the meaning of certain words, lies about what happened to Amir when he ran the kite, about Amir stealing his money, and ultimately lies about the emotional void that preoccupies his subconscious; He is doomed to a life of lying to himself, a life without a true identity. He tells himself he lives happily in America, that his state of mind is nothing less than content. He even lies to himself about his belief in God.
Do not lie. This message spoke to me because, personally, I lose sense of myself when I lie, not only because I know that I should not have to lie to others to feel better about who I am, but because when I lie, I feel worse about who I am. Honesty is my favorite virtue in those I surround myself with.
Lying to others and to oneself; There is hardly any other action in this world that brings with it a greater feeling of emptiness and disrespect. This book teaches that better lives are lived when the truth is accepted, or at least when the truth is heard.

It's tough to put my feelings towards 'the Kite Runner' into words. I just finished the book a couple of hours ago, and it usually takes me at least a day or two to fully comprehend how I feel about important books or movies. That being said...

The one thing that I know I will take away from 'Kite Runner' is Baba, both as a character and as a representation of atonement, or lack there-of. In the beginning of the story, Baba appears to be this immortal, incorruptible, almost god-like being, incapable of doing wrong. He is (relatively) nice, brave and, perhaps most importantly, honest. He comes off as a bit cold sometimes, particularly towards Amir, but as they begin their lives in America, the character becomes much more accepting and compassionate (in his own "tough love" sort of way). As the story progresses, we learn more of his past, particularly of him fathering Hassan. It becomes painfully clear how important Hassan truly was to Baba; how the fact that he could never be a true "father figure" hurt him, perhaps more so than the death of his wife. Baba's failure to publicly announce Hassan as his, and not Ali's, child indeed seemed to cast a shadow over his life, particularly his relationship with Amir. Even though he died happily, seeing his oldest son getting married to the woman of his dreams, you can't help but wonder how different the story would have been if Hassan and Ali had moved to America with them. Or even how differently things would have been if Baba decided to ignore the Afghanistani culture, and take in Hassan as his son. His inability to cope with this truth shaped the entire book, perhaps more so than Hassan getting attacked by Assef.

though i'm not particularly religious, the theme (and principle, i guess) that stuck with me the most was redemption, and the whole concept of accepting what wrongs you may have committed in the past, & moving forward to make things right.

what i like so much about redemption is that it's a bit different from forgiveness. i really don't think amir ever completely forgave himself for sacrificing hassan (or even going back on the promise he made with sohrab). i think most people could never forgive themselves completely. but he did redeem himself. and that was probably essential to accepting his past and being able to live his life.

i've seen so many people (myself included) focus on what they're doing wrong as opposed to accepting their faults/mistakes, and using them to move forward.

there is a way to be good (again)!

I thought that the ability of Hassan to continually forgive and accept Amir was astounding. Time and again, Amir tested Hassan's loyalty, yet when Hassan needed Amir the most, Amir failed. Even when it was made known that Hassan knew Amir had seen the rape and done nothing, Hassan tried to rekindle their friendship. And throughout his life, he looked back on memories the two shared and felt nothing but love for Amir. His acceptance of Amir's selfish and cowardly ways truly speaks to the heart of mankind. It often seems that people born to privilege don't recognize the importance of helping humanity; of caring for other human beings. They don't see the similarities people throughout the world share and are blinded by the differences of class, religion, and race. Hassan's view of the world was not blurred by these differences. To see the beauty in people of all walks of life and to support each other's strengths is necessary for the survival of good in humanity. Hassan perfectly demonstrated this most important quality.

After reading the Kite Runner, I feel that the lasting impression I got was that of choices in your life ultimately affecting so much more of your life than one simple situation. All of Amir's decisions ranging from the decision to participate in the kite fighting tournament or not, to the decision to pursue writing changed his life in many ways. And unfortunately for Amir, not all of his choices had positive impacts on his life. Without a doubt, the biggest choice he made had a horrible impact on his life, that being the decision to let Hassan be raped. For the rest of his life, Amir was haunted by that decision, and the way it changed everything between Hassan and himself. I suppose as we go about our lives, we don't realize that small decisions can have huge impacts on our futures, but the Kite Runner shows us that they can. Amir participated in the kite fighting tournament, won the tournament, and ultimately won his father's pride because he won. I guess the main point I'm making is that as we live day to day, we need to weigh carefully what we choose to do with ourselves, because even the smallest on-the-spot decision can change our lives forever.

I'm finished with the story for the second time now. I guess the most important thing I took from it, or at least what impacted me most, was how one thing that happens when your young can haunt you and have an effect on you the entire remainder of your life. In the story something presents itself which can kind of correct what happened. So, hopefully that second chance happens for people in real life.

The most important thing I gained from reading Kite Runner was that running way from guilt is pointless and only begets more guilt. This is most apparent when Amir abandons Hassan to try to ease the guilt he feels by removing what he figures is the "source" and the reminder of his failure to help. What he doesn't realize is that guilt is contained within oneself and that by removing Hassan from his life he lost (at the time) his only means of redemption. Later another fact is revealed to Amir, and that is that the longer one waits with guilt in his heart to redeem himself the more arduous and hazardous the journey. Kite Runner was a great read, stayed up far far too late to finish it :P

Well.
I read the book last May before we were told to for DD, and I am now in the process of reading it again (just about done actually), and I've come to realize that when I read a book, I just enjoy reading it, and I don't actually read into the story and plotline. I see everything that is going on, but i dont really have a need to know why it is. But the one major thing that I loved about this story that I held onto was that when he foud that he was wanted back in his homeland, he went. I think he felt some sort of attachment and longing to just be back at home. That is what I love about reading. The feelings that are inside of books. And that includes the feeling of love and family.

The most important thing I got out of it was a better understanding of Afghani culture. Before I read it, I didn't realize how similar the lives of an American and an Afghan could be, but the book showed a more human side of Afghanistan, rather than snapshots of a country torn apart by conflict, and controlled by an iron-fisted religious regime. Like other people have commented on, the issue of loyalty throughout the book also kept popping into my head, but the greatest idea I gained from the book was that people are still similar, no matter their language, culture, or location.

I was very excited to read The Kite Runner for the second time. It was not and will certainly not be the last book I read about the Middle East. It is very interesting (and very important) to read this book as it was written by a native Afghani. We see that gender/masculinity play a large role in this book. Amir's father says on pg. 22-23 "...you know, he never fights back. Never. He just...drops is head and....There's something missing in that boy....A boy who won't stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up to anything." It is very evident that masculinity is similarly defined in Afghani society as it is in American society. Here is what we can glean from the book--a man must be a man, strong, daring, fast, confident, have pride in himself and his work, love soccer and always strive to be the best--anything less than excellence is failure. Americans much of a similar viewpoint on this matter, however because we are Americans living in the land of opportunity, there are so many variations of masculinity that we, as a society, do not hold men to such a tall order. It's a tall order; one that Amir doesn't add up to. He knows this, especially as a child and it frightens him, scares him and it influences some of his decisions. For example his actions as he watches the rape of Hassan. He sees the blue kite as "[M]y key to Baba's heart" (p. 71). This is his one chance to prove to his Baba that he is worthy that he is a man (at least as much of a man that a teenage boy can be). Nothing will stand in his way of that--this is one of the things he completely sure about. He was afraid of course, during that scene, yet he does nothing. He doesn't use the fear to propell him forward, into action instead he runs. "I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me, I was afraid of getting hurt. That's what I told myself as I turned my back to the alley, to Hassan. That's what I made myself believe...Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba" (p. 77). It is sickening really, to imagine that he believes that winning the kite contest will bring him more glory in the eyes of his father than standing up and defending his friend/himself against the biggest bully he knows. Yet he runs, and he will always regret that. It haunts him, the memory refuses to be erased from his mind and clings to him until he finally has an opportunity to right it by saving Hassan's son. There is nothing more important to them than their manhood, their honor. It is more important than anything else. This simple fact offers us tremendous insight into their world and grants us some grain of understanding into their cultural mindset that is both similar and very different than our own.

I was struck most profoundly by the spotlight put on what tricky and complex thing guilt is through the course of this story. I'm not sure why exactly, but the visceral churning within Amir through the book was as difficult for me to experience with him as it was fascinating in its revealing nature. The difficult and enlightening social and cultural themes of this certainly book didn't go unnoticed but I kept coming back to Amir's long-lasting sense of responsibility and anguish over his actions as a child and how those events shaped him and led to his intense desire for repentance. The revelation that Amir's own life was shaped by the pain and guilt of his father's cemented this for me. The personalization of this strange emotion is such a unique and complicated matter as Amir's guilt was only barely a function of Hassan's blame, in fact Hassan's forgiveness seemed only to intensify Amir's pain and his warped perception of the best course of action to relieve it. Amir was held captive by a moment of inaction but the captivity was self-imposed under the guise of cowardice. Amir's belief about what he was brought him to actualize this belief until he finally took the bold action he ran from as a child. I cried more during this book than I'd probably normally admit, but the breakthrough (and the hysterics) came during Amir's "penance" at the hands of Assef when he realized the kind of man he really was and began to step out of his unlocked prison door. Being good again didn't just mean righting a wrong with Hassan's family, but allowing himself to be good again.

It's extremely hard to pick only one thing that is important to me. However, I would have to say that "thinking outside of the box" is something that I have gained the most from. Early in the book when Amir was telling Hassan about his story: The man who gets pearls for every tear. Hassan exclaims that the man should just smell an onion. His innocence and youth is brought out by this statement. It is likely that a mature, educated man would not have thought of the same statement.

The Kite Runner is a novel that displays many instances of childhood guilt being atoned by more mature adult actions. I found this theme shown most clearly in the father/son relationships in the book. Amir spends his childhood wishing for the approval and acceptance of Baba and much of the time, he takes out his frustration and jealousy on Hassan. In America, Amir gains admiration and respect from his father as he learns to live and succeed in a culture that Baba does not know or understand nearly as well as his son. In the second half of the book, Amir spends a great deal of time hoping to become a father, and his later rescue of Sohrab brings to life his desire and goal to be a parent and a loving influence on another person. It takes time and maturity for Amir to realize that parents support and teach their children in different ways. However, only parental experience can show him that children teach their parents just as many things.

This would be the second time I have read this book, and it's one of those reads that give you something new every time you read it. I remember distinctively what I managed to grasp from the book after the first read, and that was a better understanding of the Middle East region. With our country currently in the conflict in that area, I would say the media and general opinions of the populace are negative towards that area. Most of the negative view is simple blind ignorance.

I was able to come to a better understanding of the Middle East's religion, attitude, and customs. Something that I felt has made me humanize the people in that area much more than the normal person.

After reading The Kite Runner the second time, I managed to learn something new. I've learned that true loyalty is something rare in this world. People tend to trust others, and to make sacrifices for others. But, this loyalty is only to a small extend. The loyalty expressed from Hassan to Amir is its truest form.

Amir, like many others, don't tend to really cherish the loyalty of their friends, and he mistreats Hassan, and doesn't stand up for him. It's a sad sight to see, for me, that such an amazing loyality is only a one way street.

But by the end of the book, Amir redeems his loyalty back to Hassan, and the true bond of this friendship is shown.

I finished the Kite Runner about a week ago and loved it. The thing which I consider the greatest thing I gained from the story was how Amir dealt with his guilt over what happened to Hassan and the consequences that entailed. For most of his life Amir tried to so whatever he could to avoid facing what he had done, by pushing away anything that reminded him of that day. His treatment of Hassan after the attack was in many ways just as harmful as his actions during the attack. Amir waited and hid from what he had done for over 20 years, until he went to save Hassan's son, causing Hassan and Ali to leave and the hurt that caused Baba.

Also on that theme it struck me how Baba dealt with his sins compared to how Amir deal with his. Baba, while he never admitted and covered up his sins, worked his life to atone for them through acts of good. He did not push Ali away but spent much of his time trying in little ways to make up to Ali and Hassan for what he had done. The lesson I drew from Amir's story was of the importance of working to be good again.

Importance is hard to quantify, but to me the most significant motif within the novel is shame. Whether it is the shame that Baba felt for his illegitimate son, what Hassan felt about his rape, or most obviously the shame Amir felt about his inaction, shame controls all actions and interactions. More interestingly the contrast between Amir and his father, their opposite ways of dealing with that shame, highlight the importance of shame in the course of life.

I think the most important subject in this book was the clash of cultures with Amir as he tried to compromise between the Afghani way in which he was raised, and the American way he was trying to adopt. This struggle illustrates the difficulties many immigrants have assimilating, as each have unique situations, pasts, and dreams. I believe it's truly important for all students to recognize how attempting to compromise played such a vital role in all his life decisions.

The most important thing that I learned from the book was the Afghan idea of family. For Amir, he had to work for affection from his father, which involved (as he thought at the time) lying to other people. Not only was the importance of attention and appreciation a part of their family, but the social status had a huge impact on how future generations would 'begin' a family.