Reader Response for Chpt. 1 -5:
Using The Kite Runner as the basis of your response, please explain how the history and culture of Afghanistan has a direct impact on the relationships Amir has with those around him. What are your impressions of these relationships and what kind of a person is Amir? His father seems to have some concerns about "something missing" in him. Should he be concerned, and why or why not?
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Throughout history, Afghanistan has always had a rigid social structure. Amir's best friend is his father's servant’s son Hassan. When walking through the street a man made fun of Hassan's mother for leaving their family and made vulgar comments about her. Amir later goes into his father's study and finds a book about Hassan's people and how they were persecuted throughout history. Amir is fascinated by the history. When Amir goes to show this book to his teacher his teacher snickered and stated that the Shi'a people were martyrs and was unimpressed by the book. No matter what people have said Amir still spends time with Hassan and treats him as an equal. This shows that Amir is a very accepting boy and does not seem to care about the tensions that exist in society. Thus, his father should not worry about Amir having something missing in him. Even though the world may not be a very accepting place, Amir has good qualities and ignores this social divide that separates him from Hassan and his people.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the previous comment that shows how Amir stuck by Hassan even when he was made fun of for it. The two boys grew up together and Amir knows where his loyalties lie, even if means fighting tradition Afghan culture.
ReplyDeleteThrough chapter five, Amir seems to be a trustworthy person. He and Hassan have been friends since birth and are still close. He doesn't seem to care much about what others think of that friendship, but one must wonder if that is partially because he has nothing to lose. His father is rich and very influential - why would the opinion of some people on the street sway him?
In Afghan culture, as in most other Islamic cultures, women have very little rights and patriarchy is accepted. This is why Amir's father is concerned when his son starts to show interest in poetry and writing, two activities that were not viewed as masculine. From a modern point of view, his father should in no way be concerned. However, it is understandable as to why he is worried. He wants the best for his son, and thinks that writing will never take him far and that it is not a respectable job.
Although the two comments abopve me states that Amir has a respect for Hassan, I disagree. I feel that although Amir spends most of his time with Hassan, he feels as though he is superior since he is a Pushtun and Hassan is Hazaran (Shi'a). When Amir is reading to Hassan and comes across a word Hassan doesn't know, he tells him another definition so that he can make fun of him without his knowledge. I feel that Amir has an air that is shone in small glimpses when he makes fun of Hasasan's intelligence. It is also because of the social structure that Amir treats him differently. He thinks that even though he plays with Hassan everyday, he can't be considered a friend and he doesn't even think he has to apologize when he does something wrong.
ReplyDeleteIn Afghanistan culure there is an emphasis on father-son relationship[. Amir's father is concerned about Amir's prioriteies and his ability to live up to his status. His father doesn't feel that he is like he was as a boy or the others his age. The fact that Amir is more creative isn't a bad thing. Even though his father doesn't think so, Amir only wants to please his father and show him that he is worthy of his approval. Amir even gets jealous whenever his father is kind to Hassan and gives him a gift or smiles around him.
I agree with Danielle in saying that Amir believes that he is superior to Hassan. The socioeconomic conditions in Afghanistan demonstrate the difference between the majority (Sunni Muslims) and the minority (Shi'a Muslims) and how people discriminate against each other based on physical features and religious beliefs. This is somewhat evident in the friendship between Amir and Hassan.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Casey, in why the father may be concerned for his son. Because Amir is not interested in soccer and is more interested in poetry and books, his father may see this as a feminine trait that would not be widely accepted in their culture. His father may be concerned about keeping up his image to the town, and wants to look out for Amir.
I have mixed feelings about the relationship between Amir and Hassan. It is interesting to note that while they are friends and hang out together a lot (something that is frowned upon by those who wish to segregate their two ethnic groups), Amir can be quite condescending towards Hassan, as Danielle explained in her comment above.
ReplyDeleteThe culture of any society has an impact on its members, and Afghanistan is no exception. The values and relationships expressed by Amir and the other characters are directly influenced by cultural elements, including wealth, race, and social position - factors that affect our American society today as well.
I agree with Kelly because she mentioned that Amir is intrigued by the history and culture around him, like the book that he showed his (disapproving)teacher. This effects the relationships with others because he does not seem hesitant about being friends with Hassan, his father's server's son who practices a different religion. He, in fact, defends Hassan when people make fun of him for his mother leaving him. This makes Amir a genuinely kind hearted and sweet person who accepts every type of person.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Casey and Catherine in that Amir seems to have "something missing" according to his father because he has interests that are unlike what a boy in that society should posess. This includes that fact that he does not like many masculine things, and is more accepting to other cultures. This makes his father want to look out for him to set him in the same path he is on.
Because of Afghaistan's history of religious and class conflict, Amir sometimes has trouble with the other boys in his town, especally with Assef. Amir's friendship with Hassan, a boy of much lower class, is often tested when the other boys tease Hassan about his religion and appearance. However, because Amir and Hassan are so close, their friendship is not affeted. The relationship between Amir and his father is very strained, and more professional than close and family like. Amir's father wants Amir to follow in his footsteps, and want Amir to be more like him. However, Amir would rather read and learn new things about the world. I like that Amir doesn't change who he is so that his relationships can be better; I like that Amir sticks to his instincts and that he always acts how he thinks he should act, and is not trying to be someone he isn't. Amir is a good person that doesn't judge anyone, and isn't afraid to be who he wants to be, despite what society says. Amir's father is very concerned that Amir lacks bravery and courage. I disagree with most of the other comments - I think that Amir's father does have reason to be concerned for his son's traits. If Amir doesn't gain some courage or bravery, he may be hurt by opthers or severely injured sometime in his life. However, I also agree with a lot of the comments in that the traits Amir does have are good traits (i.e. his tolerance) that will help in life.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kelly and Casey. Even though there are many reasons, according to society, that Amir should not be friends with Hassan, they stay friends. Amir doesn't seem to care very much about what society says is right and wrong. He sticks to his own beliefs which I think is a very strong quality.
Since Amir and Hassan are considered different types of people, Amir being wealthy and Hassan being a minority Hazara, they share a difficult relationship. Amir treats Hassan like a true friend when they are in the comfort of his home but he never goes out of his way to include him in anything that involves showing their friendship in public. I agree with Alex in which their relationship is not all out in the open because of the social differences of the two young boys. Amir cares a lot about what his father thinks of him and is not a genuinely kind person. He always wants his father to himself and doesn't like when his father tries to include Hassan. Even though this is a natural response for a son to have, he still gets jealous of Hassan and does not appreciate all the things he does for him day after day.
ReplyDeleteAmir seems to be an accepting person because he is friends with people that have different beliefs, but that doesn't affect their relationship. Even when Amir finds out about past tensions with Hassan's people, he still treats him like a normal human being. I agree with Alex because society is being influenced by the past, but I don't think this affects the decisions of Amir. He isn't like his father even though he attempts to be like him. Amir's father feels like his son is missing the ability to act as a man and be like his father. I agree with Rachel because Amir's father is trying to mold Amir into himself. Amir's father should let Amir be himself. This is more of a Western idea, so Amir's father isn't going to let Amir be himself.
ReplyDeleteComments above me seem to disagree with the fact whether Amir has good character or not. Amir is a man looking back on the time of his youth. In my opinion Baba is right that something is missing. Afghanistan is a place where the Hazara hate the Pashtuns and the Pashtuns are in favor. Baba and Amir are both part of the favorable class while Hassan and his father are servants living on Baba's land. I think Amir is a teenager and is easily conflicted with "trying to fit in" and he doesn't exactly know his point of view on certain things. The only thing he knows for certain is how he wants his father to not be disappointed in him, so when the boys attack Hassan and Amir and Amir thinks of Hassan only as a servant, can you blame him? He doesn't know what he wants, therefore he doesn't know what or who to stand for.
ReplyDeleteBaba isn't that great of a role model for this problem of the Hazara and Pashtuns conflict as when Baba was little and Ali lived with him, unlike Amir who makes a little effort to be friends with Hassan, Baba made none. I think that Baba should be concerned about what Amir is doing with his relationships because Amir doesn't know what he wants and what is right. If you don't know the difference between right and wrong you can be in a lot of trouble.
I agree with most of the above comments that state that Amir stuck by Hassan therefore he is a loyal friend; however, I disagree when saying that Amir has a respect for Hassan, because if he had a respect for Hassan he would have stuck up for him more often. Amir even stated in the beginning of the book that he never really thought of Hassan as a friend. And if anything is missing in Amir, that's what it is. Baba should be worried that Amir doesn't have respect for Hassan and other cultures. I think that his marraige with Soraya will help him with all of his secrets that he has had to keep about Hassan being raped because Soraya has secrets as well.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with all of you who say that Amir doesn't respect Hassan. He does have respect for Hassan, it's evident in the way that he describes him. With such a powerful father he could probably be friends with anyone he wanted but nevertheless Hassan was his best friend from birth. The reason he doesn't stand up for him and doesn't even really call him his friend is because of his relationship with Baba. Baba is Amir's idol and it's through watching Baba's relationship with Ali that Amir founded his relationship with Hassan. Baba never called Ali his friend because he knew that it would defy stereotype and racial prejudice, and so Amir thought he should treat Hassan the same because of his observations. What Amir is 'missing' is the street smarts that Baba has. Amir is a gentler person than Baba, so he doesn't have that strong personality and he can't command the same respect. Baba doesn't understand people who aren't like him.
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree with everyone who says that Amir respects Hassan. I feel like although they do play and spend a lot of time together, the fact the Amir cannot actually admit to himself that they are friends really shows something. It is true that Hassan is a servant, but sometimes when Amir gets it in his head that he must prove he is better than Hassan, the mind games that he likes to play on Hassan show a complete lack of respect for him, and a total disregard of any friendship they might have. This obviously stems from the Afghanistan history with the "Hazaras" makes him programmed to automatically look down on Hassan. When Amir's father says there is something missing in him, I feel like this could be looked at two ways. Although in a traditional Afghanistan culture it would be normal to look down on someone like Hassan, in Amir's father's eyes people should not look down on other people.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above response as well as the others that feel that even though Amir does "hang out" with Hassan, he doesn't really considered him a friend. The relationship in Afghanistan during this time in history between Pushtuns and Hazarans, resembled that of ruler and servant. Amir played with Hassan, because his father grew up with Ali, Hassan's father; however, Amir never truly felt a strong kinship between himself and Hassan. Amir plays pranks on Hassan, like lying about the meanings of words, where Hassan, believes Amir is like his brother. I also agree with Cristen that the "something missing" is Amir's respect for Hassan. Baba is worried and has a right to be worried, because Baba always respected Ali like a brother, the way he expects Amir to respect Hassan. I also agree with Sarah; I think that society definitely affects the actions and views of Amir, because when Hassan and Amir were faced by the neighborhood bully, Assef, or the soldiers, it seemed that Amir didn't know who to believe. When he went home and found a book on Hazaras, he realized that Hassan's people have always been inferior, which made him feel superior yet, further confused on which side to stand and with whom to believe.
ReplyDeleteThe rigid class system displayed in Afghanastan deffinitly played a role on the relationship between Amir and Hassan. Since Hassan is Amir's fathers servant it makes Amir look at Hassan as beaneth him. I agree with Alexis in that Amir does not really see Hassan as a "friend." The tricks that Amir plays on Hassan shows his lack of respect. Amir doesn't even believe it is his place apologize to Hassan when he does something wrong.
ReplyDeleteAmir's father thinks "something is missing" in his son because Amir likes writing and poetry while his father likes more masculine things like soccer and architecure. His father wants his son to be more like him and grow up to be as successful as he is.
I feel that the relationship between Hassan and Amir is greatly affected by the culture around them and the tension between the two religious cultures. I feel that they seem at first like great best friends and are displayed as perfect fits. This is because they have a lot in common. They both never met their mothers, they were born on the same soil, and they're neighbors and like brothers. I've also noticed that Amir seems to take a fatherly role in their friendship somehow.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, i agree with Cristen and i feel that Amir's father thinks that there is "something missing" because although the author primarily depicts the friendship between Hassan and Amir to be flawless in the beginning, there is something missing from their friendship, and i believe that that hole in their friendship is caused by the tension between the different cultures and religions, and that tension is too strong to seem non-existant. In other words, i feel that since Amir and Hassan are both exposed so much to the tension between the cultures (Amir even says that his teacher told them in school that the Hazaras are mice-eating, flat-nosed, load-carrying donkeys) so much that it's difficult to ignore.
I agree with Alexis. Even though Hassan and Amir are always spending time together, that the relationship isn't sincere on behalf of Amir. Although Amir is of the wealthy educated class and Hassan is from the poor uneducated class, it is obvious that Amir is jealous of Hassan. Baba is constantly trying to include and praising Hassan for his talents such as skipping rocks while not showing much enthusiasm for Amir's talents such as poetry. This lack of attention makes Amir jealous and feels that the only way to win back his father is to suppress Hassan.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Casey's statement that Baba fears that his son is lacking masculinity. While Amir has exceptional poetry skills, they do not correspond with Baba's dream for Amir.
I agree with most of the comments above, especially Kelly’s. I believe that the history of his country does not really affect his relationships with anybody, especially Hassen. When Amir finds the history book that explains the back story about his and Hassens heritage, he learns about a conflict that has shaped his present society. He learns that he is a Pashtun and Ali and Hassen are Hazaras. Afghanistan’s culture and history between these two religious groups (Pashtuns are Sunni Muslims while the Hazaras are Shi'a). I feel that even though the culture and history of their country should act as a barrier between the two boys, it somehow does not. Yes they are affected by it daily; as Ali is taunted walking down the street, or Ali and Hassen are called names such as "flat-nosed," however, Amir treats Hassen and Ali as if they are equals. This shows that Amir is not afraid of Afghanistan’s culture, because he treats those of the opposite religious group with the same respect as he shows towards his own.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Casey on the fact that Amirs father sees that the "something missing" in him is the sort of masculine qualities that a young boy should possess, instead of the feminine ones that he does possess such as reading history, poetry, and writing. Amirs father views these interests as feminine qualities, and in Afghanistan society women were inferior. He is looking out for the best in his son and he wants to fill that missing hole with qualities of life that will help him become successful in his future, and should only be concerned because of the present status/impact of their culture.
-ALYSSA PAUKER'S RESPONSE
I agree with both Allie and Catherine. I think that Catherine's point of view is very valid in that Baba most likely doesn't connect with Amir due to differences in personality. While Baba is very strong willed and socially accepted, Amir shows signs of creativity, artistic talent, and compassion. Due to the strict Afghan cultural boundaries, Baba probably sees Amir's actions as feminine and inferior. Baba then goes on to claim that he feels something is missing, probably referring to Amir's sense of pridein his religion, which also comes with discrimination against the Shia as seen in Baba himself.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to Hassan, I believe that Amir truly wants to respect him. At this young age, it seems that Amir is torn between showing his father respect, a major priority in Afghanistan, and helping his friend. On one hand, Amir senses how different he is from his father and strives to be more like him. On the other hand, he realized just how ridiculous the Sunni/shia prejudice is and wants to be a nice person. Therefore, we see this conflicted emotion where Amir is very accepting of Hassan, but refuses to call him a friend. It seems that Amir is stuck between a rock and a hard place, almost being forced to take sides with his father and icon, or his friend. At this critical stage in his life, Amir must choose whether to follow along with Afghan culture and discriminate against Shias, or break free from the social shackles and learn further compassion and understanding.
Based on all of the responses above, I'm going to have to agree with those that think that Amir and Hassan’s relationship is not sincere. Just because Amir and Hassan spend an immense amount of time together, does not mean that they have respect for one another. It is clear that Amir feels he is superior to Hassan. Evidently, Afghanistan has had a history in which the Hazara are persecuted and the Pashtuns hold a higher position in social status. Like Alyssa said, Amir finds out that the Hazara had an uprising during the 19th century, but the Pashtuns were the people to suppress it; therefore, this event has shaped the Afghanistan culture. With that said, I feel that Amir has no choice but to treat Hassan as if he is, so to speak, of less importance than himself. I say this because Amir is surrounded by a culture that holds this viewpoint, and even his own father feels this way. Amir truly idolizes his father, and he does indeed try to be like him. Perhaps, Amir feels obligated to follow the rest of societal opinions (because of the influence of his culture), even though he may disagree with them.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though Amir’s father has great reason to be concerned for his son, especially because he has different interests than most others. I agree with Catherine 100% in that Amir is not interested in soccer like the others; rather, he enjoys literature, which can be seen as a feminine trait in their society. This can account for a lot of worry in Amir’s father because of the impact it will have on their image to the rest of the town. In addition, I agree how Sarah R. said that Amir lacks the bravery found in many other boys, which can pose to be a problem in Amir’s future life.
I think that Amir's relationship with Hassan is only out of the fact that they have been friends forever. I don't think Amir is truly sincere to Hassan because even in the first chapter we see Hassan takes the blame for Amir, and in the fifth chapter Hassan protected Amir. It seems like Amir is realizing with age and exposure to the changing Afghanistan that being friends with Hassan (of the lower class) comes with a price. We saw foreshadowing in chapter 5 when Assef compared the new republic to Hitler's Germany. Assef represents the new force that is underway in Afghanistan and that will test Amir and Hassan's relationship.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Baba should be concerned that there is "something missing" in Amir which would be masculinity. In Afghan society it is necessary to be viewed as strong and superior to all the others, just like Baba is feared and respected by everyone else. Amir just doesn't show the same qualities as his father, but more of an artistic side. This is disappointing to Baba.
I agree with Casey's statement that Amir may seem loyal to Hassan, regardless of social divisions, but his father's position in society gives Amir this safety net. If his father wasn't so influential in society would Amir admit to being Hassan's friend (which is my prediction for the upcoming chapters)? Also, I agree with Allie's point that Amir founded his relationship with Hassan based off of Baba and Ali's relationship, which is the same situation. Amir is just trying to gain respect from his father who looks at him as if there is "something missing."
Afghanistan has long had a history of conflict with religion and class. If you are not of a specific religion nor do you make a certain amount of capital, you are bound to be ridiculed by the people surrounding you. Further, you will not be able to achieve much and most likely subjected to subservient jobs like Hassan and his father. This class structure has a large affect on the relationship of Hassan and Amir. Although they are very much brothers in a sense, the way that Hassan is teased is very embarassing to Amir that at times, his ability to be a friend to him is lacking. He does not stand up for the boy at all times who would always stand for him. Further, I would agree with everyone that Amir has a professional relationship with his father. He is expected to be tough, brave, and a business man and is missing those aspects in him according to his father. Instead he is more curious and creative and would rather spend his time reading. However, I believe that he should not be concerned about this. The "missing piece" does not fit Amir's gentle personality. He does not need to be the intimidating man like his father, some are just not born that way. However, to survive in his tough country where there will be many problems to come, I agree that he should develop some form of bravery in order to continue to stand up for his beliefs as time goes on and issues become more complex. Otherwise, he will fall victim to societal beliefs and never take a stand.
ReplyDeleteReligion has always played a dividing factor in the Middle East, especially in factionalized areas such as Afghanistan. The difference between Shi’a and Sunni Muslims has created a tension and often violence between the two separate groups. There are hundreds of ethnic groups currently residing within the Middle East which in turn has created violent opression for racial supremacy and conflict for centuries. Wealth is, and always has been regardless of regional location, a source of latent hostility between the upper and lower classes. Amir has been raised in an environment which incorporates both of these cultural divisions, and it is naturally excepted for him to regard Hassan and other Hazzara peoples as socially inadequate. He has known nothing but wealth and is naturally ignorant to the struggles of those under him. He is a weak coward, to his father’s dismay. Single Father-Son relations are strong and shape the rest of a child’s life. Without his father’s support and love, Amir will surely struggle with his own insecurities and inner demons.
ReplyDeleteAfghanistan has always been a border between the Sunni and Shia branches of Islam as well as the border between the Pashtun and Hazaras. This created a deep social and economic rift between the two groups. This gap is visible in the relationship between Amir and Ali and Hassan. Ali and Hassan are Amir and Baba's servants. Even though Amir plays with Hassan, Amir can not see Hassan as a friend. Amir does not respect Hassan, or at least he respects him very little. You can see the lack of respect when Amir made fun of Hassan when he did not know what "imbecile" meant. This relationship is also seen between Baba and Ali.
ReplyDeleteAmir is a bad person. He's not an angel but also isn't a saint. He uses his higher social status to hide behind whenever he feels insecure about himself. He also gets jealous. He once didn't invite Hassan to go to the lake because Hassan is better at throwing rocks. Amir also takes his anger out on Hassan. I feel that Amir's problems stem from a lack of a mother and from an unloving father.
The "Something" that is missing from Amir is his inability to stand up for himself. Baba should be concerned because not only can he not stand up for himself and others, he must rely on someone. That someone is a servant who wants to be Amir's friend so badly that he will do anything for him. Amir will not have that later on in life, and will be lost.
The ever changing and extremely rigid social structure of Afghanistan is an extremely unstable environment for anybody to dwell. Naturally, this is going to have a very meaningful impact on Amir's relationship with those who surround him. Whether this is a positive or negative effect is what is truly to be studied in this situation. Personally, i believe the hostile area that Amir has spent his life in causes him to have fewer relationships because of lack of trust, however, i feel that since he has fewer relationships, the concentration of these friendships makes the friends that he does have very close and strongly legitimate. When his father mentions that there is something missing in his life, it is very believable as well as understandable. When this excerpt is alluded to, i think that there are a lack of people in Amir's life, and because of the hostility of Afghanistan and the rigid life lead there, people are not of the essence in the environment
ReplyDelete