Tuesday, May 4, 2010
The Kite Runner- Chpt. 21 - 25 Discussion Questions
'There is a way to be good again' (page 2) promises Rahim Khan, a phrase which resonates throughout the novel. After Baba's death circumstances bring many truths to light for Amir, internally as well as externally. Upon learning the truth and considering his own betrayal to Hassan, Amir's purpose in finding self redemption becomes evident. Does Khan's quote from earlier in the novel prove to be the case for Amir? If so, discuss how you feel this has come to him. Ultimately, how important is the relationship Amir has with Rahim Khan to him? Do you think he would have come to the conclusion he did without Khan's presence in the story? Why or why not?
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Rahim Khan’s statement, "There is a way to be good again," definitely relates and is the case for Amir. This is proven while Amir is fighting Assef. As he is getting beaten up, he feels this is redemption for not sticking up for Hassan in the alley. He feels so relieved that his bad choices are finally being repaid, that he actually begins laughing. Also he feels that he is getting what he deserved when he finds later, in the hospital that he now has a scar that resembles Hassan's harelip. Rahim Khan's relationship with Amir is so important because he is the only one alive that new the secret of Hassan's and Amir's kinship as well as the feud between them. If Rahim Khan had not been in the story, Amir probably wouldn't have felt at peace with himself, because he would never have found out that Hassan was his half brother, therefore not finding or even knowing of the existence of Sohrab and never getting into the fight with Assef to end his bad memories once and for all.
ReplyDeleteThe quote "There is a way to be good again" guides Amir throughout his entire journey with Sohrab. The notion of making things right is the entire reason he goes to find his half-nephew. He acknowledges that he was a horrible friend to Hassan and that the only way to fix that is to do this good deed. Rescuing Sohrab is Amir's way of making himself good again. However, I don't think Amir would have had enough motivation to do so if it was not for Rahim Khan, which is why their relationship is so important in this book. Amir was filled with remorse, shame, and guilt for not standing up for Hassan and sending him away; so when Amir finds out via Rahim Khan that Hassan was his half-brother and that he is now dead, all of his emotions are amplified. Without Rahim Khan, there is a very good chance that Sohrab would still be with the Taliban at the end of the story.
ReplyDeleteWhat Rahim Khan said has most definitely proved to be true for Amir. Even though he once let Assef get away with doing such horrible things to Hassan, he redeemed himself and got revenge for Hassan when he saved his son and fought Assef. I think that the most important part of Amir's whole journey to "being good again" was his relationship with Rahim Khan. Without Rahim Khan he would not have even known Hassan had a son, or that the son was in danger. He would have never gone back to Afghanistan; he would have never discovered that Assef was now a major player in the terror the Taliban was creating. If Rahim Khan had not called Amir, he would have continued living knowing he had once betrayed his friend and never having a chance to make up for it. If he had not been there to tell him about Baba being Hassan's father, he may have not felt as driven as he did to save the boy. When he saved Hassan's son from Assef, he redeemed himself for not saving Hassan from Assef so many years before, and it was because of his respect and close relationship with Rahim Khan.
ReplyDeleteAmir definitely took what Khan said on the phone personally. Amir was feeling alone since his father’s death and was also guilty about the secret he had kept for so long. When Khan said that there was a way to be good again he immediately thought about Hassan. Amir travels to Afghanistan to visit Khan. Khan tells Amir that Hassan was his half brother, and that Hassan and his wife had been killed. However, they had a son named Sohrab who survived the massacre, and was in an orphanage. Amir wants to make right by Hassan and goes on a journey to retrieve his nephew. Amir goes on the idea that he is trying to be good again. If Khan had never said that quote then Amir would have never thought about Hassan. The relationship between Amir and Rahim Khan is very strong. Amir has always looked up to Rahim ever since he gave Amir’s story a good review when he was a child. If Rahim was not in the story then Amir would have never had the idea to return to Afghanistan. He would have never come to a conclusion about what happened to Hassan or even know about the existence of his nephew.
ReplyDeleteAmir always felt like Rahim Khan was more of a father to him than Baba was. Rahim Khan took the time to try to understand Amir, to read what he wrote, and to be kind to him. Rahim Khan knew was Amir did to Hassan, or rather, what he didn't do to help him, and yet he was still by his side. Amir, knowing all Rahim Khan had done for him, had an incredible amount of respect for him. That was why it was the words of Rahim Khan that he let help him find redemption. Without what he said, Amir doubtlessly would never have done anything to redeem himself fully, and would have lived his life moping over the past. When Amir is thinking about how Baba's two sons were two very different people, he sees how Hassan is the son that really was 'Baba's son' and he knew Baba saw that too. He said he didn't feel a sting when he thought that, which shows that he has truly redeemed himself to a point where he understands he no longer bears the burden of so much guilt. He was able to 'be good again' through his adoption of Sohrab. It was through the wisdom and guidance of Rahim Khan that Amir was able to find his goodness and be happy again.
ReplyDeleteI think the quote "There is a way to be good again" said by Rahim Khan is true for Amir. Hassan was always sticking up for Amir and doing things for him. Amir never did anything in return even when Hassan was raped. This makes Amir feel guilty, but in the end Amir gets rid of his guilt by helping Hassan's child. Amir risks his life to save Sohrab's life and he is successful. He provides Sohrab with a home and this fills the void in Amir's life because he did something in return for Hassan and it gives Amir a child which he always desired to have with Soraya. I think the relationship between Amir and Rahim is very important to Amir because it replaces the rough relationship that Amir has with Baba. Rahim is close with Amir and is like a fatherly figure. Amir never would have returned to Afghanistan and got rid of his guilt without Rahim calling him. Rahim's words from the beginning of the novel are also inspirational to Amir's life. Amir probably wouldn't have been able to do what he did without Khan's presence in his life. Khan gave a reason for Amir to be happy and forget his guilt by redeeming himself.
ReplyDelete"There is a way to be good again" is basically the moral of the novel. After Amir witnessed what happened to Hassan when they were children, Amir has felt guilty. And this quote proves to be the sole factor in helping Amir get over his guilt and become a better person. When he gets Sohrab from Assef, he is helping Hassan's son. If Hassan was alive, Amir would be the only person that he would trust his son with, especially if he knew they were brothers. And by Amir taking in Sohrab, he is making Sohrab's life better and taking some of his childhood guily off of his shoulders. When he tells Soraya what really happened in his childhood and he comes clean about everything he is "becoming good again" he is becoming pure by being honest. This is also true when he tells Soraya's parents the truth at the end of the novel. I think that Rahim Khan is truly the most important person to enter Amir's life. He told Amir that him and Hassan were half-brothers and he is that one that told Amir that Hassan was dead and he had a son. He is the push in the right direction that Amir needed to be happy again.
ReplyDeleteRahim Khan's words, "There is a way to be good again," ring true for Amir. After so many mistakes and remorse that he has felt since the moment he let Hassan, the one he knew, die inside, taking in Sorhab was the way to redemption. This is the only way to rid of his guilt since he knows that this is what Hassan would have wanted. After all, who better to trust than the one "of the same breast" and his half-brother. By putting his life in great risk to save Hassan's child, Amir saves Hassan's in a way. This is the child of his own body and after Hassan served Amir for so long, this is what he needed to return. Rahim Khan's presence in Amir's life truly makes the most difference. Without this man whom he felt comfort from in his childhood and was able to give his stories to read, Amir would have found himself off course. However, Rahim gives Amir the direction he needed to go out and save this boy whose father he owed so much to. It is the words of Rahim Khan that Amir had always taken in and trusted that guide Amir to being good again.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the quote, "There is a way to be good again," really guides Amir throughout the book and relates to him. Since the beginning of the novel, Amir has had so much guilt of just standing by and watching his friend get hurt. Amir rids some of this pent up guilt by deciding to help Hassan's son who was recently orphaned due to the Taliban. This turns out to be a win-win situation for everybody because Soraya will now have a child, Amir feels less guilty, and now the child has parents.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the relationship between Rahim Khan and Amir is a very important aspect in this book. He was often a father- figure to Amir and encouraged Amir to do the things he loved, i.e. writing. He also brought Amir back to Afghanistan and told Amir his father's secret.
If Rahim Khan was not in the novel, a lot of very important events would not have happened. For one thing, Amir would never know that he was related to Hassan, or know that he had a nephew. Also without Khan, Amir would never have returned to Afghanistan.
Khan’s quote from earlier in the novel certainly pertains to Amir. Once Amir got the call from Rahim Khan, he decides to leave his life in America to go back to Afghanistan. He finds Hassan’s son, Sohrab, and he is able to provide him with a better life. The fact that Amir is able to improve the life of Sohrab shows how he has “become good again,” especially considering that it is probably what Hassan would have wanted. Like most of the people above me said, Hassan would only trust Amir with his child, since, after all, Amir is his brother. I feel that by saving Sohrab from Assef, Amir has removed the guilt that was once on his shoulders; in the beginnig, he chose not to help Hassan as he watched him get raped, but he indirectly makes up for his lack of aid to Hassan by caring for Sohrab.
ReplyDeleteAmir’s relationship with Rahim Khan is extremely vital, for it was because of Rahim that Amir chose to become a better person again. If it wasn’t for Khan’s call to Amir, Amir would have never thought of going back to Afghanistan, and he would have remained guilty forever. In addition, it is because of Khan that Sohrab’s life changed; Amir would not have saved Sohrab if Khan did not tell him that he had the chance to become good again. I don’t think that Amir would have come to this conclusion on his own because he was so filled with guilt that the thought never occurred to him, and he wouldn’t have known that Hassan was his brother (and Sohrab was his nephew). Rahim steers Amir in the right direction by reminding him that there is still hope to be good again, and Amir follows through paying back Hassan by caring for his son.
This is true in Amir's case. He greatly disappointed Hassan once in the beginning of the book. He was not going to let it happen again. Although Hassan is not alive. Amir will do whatever it takes to get Sohrab and bring him to safety. He even fights Asseef the man who brought such misery to his life and Hassans. He definitely wants to be good again. I agree with Katie that by saving Sohrab all the guilt has been lifted off his shoulders. He has done a good thing for his half brother.
ReplyDeleteThe relationship between Amir and Rahim Khan is extremely important. If Rahim had never called Amir, Amir would never have known about his half brother and he would never be able to save Sohrab.
I think it does prove to be the case with Amir. When he finds out that he and Hassan are related, and that he has a nephew, everything changes, and Amir ultimately decides to adopt Sohrab, stopping at no obstacle along the way to do this. When Sohrab is finally at Amir’s house, he doesn’t speak, but Amir does not give up; he keeps trying to get the boy to talk. The trouble that Amir went through for the son of hid deceased half brother are so great and even horrifying that I agree with my classmates that, yes, Amir did become good again, and finally was relieved from the haunting memory he had for all of his life. Amir’s relationship with Rahim Khan is very important to him, and I do not believe that Amir would have done the things he did if not for Khan’s persuasion. The words that Khan spoke, about there being a way to be good again, caused Amir to reach the conclusion that he had become good again. Amir would not have made that conclusion without Rahim Khan. Because Khan spoke these words, Amir had in his head to become good again, and made sure that happened, ultimately leading to the conclusion that he would become good again, and at peace with himself
ReplyDeleteI think what Amir has said to him is very important to him as Khan's approval is really another thing that Amir longs for. Khan forces Amir to judge his previous actions, and to be aware of his own conscience. When Amir learns of his nephew, and his relation with Hassan, the whole tone of the story changes and now it seems Amir is finally taking claim to his previous horrible actions. When he brings Sohrab back to his home in America, he finally feels like he has made things right with Hassan, and without Khan calling him this never would have happened. THis is how Amir could have been good again, and him saying that to Amir made him make the choices at the end of the novel.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the author did do that un purpose but and that Amirs sins by the end of the book were supposed to be veiwed as "forgiven." I also felt that as the end drew nearer Amir became a more and more likeable character. Although he did do these things though I personally do not think it redeems him from all of the bad times he put his family through when he was a child. Instead of looking for redemption later he should have just been a good person in the first place. Even without the aspect or thought of redemption the adoption of Sohrab in my opinion was a necessary thing to do so I ultimatly do not feel that Amir "Redeemed" himself but if this adoption that he did helps him sleep at night good for him then. I also feel this way because I do not believe he would have adopted Sohrab with out Rahim Kahns advice which is also horrible that he cant think for himself at all. So in conclusion I guess that I'm trying to say that I do not really agree with any of the posts above mine.
ReplyDeleteI feel that that quote fits into everything that happened so perfectly. For example, throughout the novel, Amir was always way too hard on himself about everything. Him having such a hard situation to live with, and for him to have so much regret, he felt like he was in this dark hole and there was no way out. That quote, "there is a way to be good again," brought a new light to a way out of that hole. Amir achieved "being good again" by going back to Afghanistan to visit Khan. During this visit, he's told about Hassan being his half-brother and naturally 'redeems himself' in a way by helping to save the life of Hassan's son, Sohrab. I feel that this may have still taken place even without Khan's saying because it seems like Amir wanted this from the inside anyway, because he's had that guilt for so long. I feel like this will to be good was inside of Amir the entire time, but this situation was what brought it out for the first time.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the quote proves to be true. Although Amir wasn't always a loyal friend to Hassan, and didn't stick up for him in his greatest time of need, Amir tries to be good again by saving Hassan's son. During the process of saving Sohrab, Amir is beaten by Assef, and he is happy about this because he finally feels like he has received what he deserves. Without Rahim Khan telling Amir about Hassan and his situation, Amir would have never knew that Sohrab even existed and would have felt guilty for what he did to Hassan for the rest of his life. Therefore the relationship that exists between Amir and Rahim Khan is extremely important.
ReplyDelete"There is a way to be good again" Said by Rahim Khan, this helped Amir realize what he must do in life. This causes a chain reaction, which starts when Amir immediately thinks of Hassan, to whom he has been a terrible friend. Amir feels obligated to then visit Hassan, before he learns that he died. His son, Sohrab, is left as an orphan, so Amir feels the need to adopt his nephew as one of his own. In my opinion, this act was just to feel redemtion from his guilt, and a spur of the moment reaction, but it was, in fact, the right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteThe relationship between Rahim Khan and Amir is very strong. Amir looks up to him and listens carefully to his advice. I don't know how Amir would have reacted if anyone else told him that (the quote from question above). When Rahim says it, Amir is then motivated to go good deeds. This then empowers him to be a better person and enlightens him.
When Amir says, "There is a way to be good again",it seems to be a type of foreshadowing for the future of the novel, and the well being of Amir as the story progresses. This quote seemingly is the theme or constant that is never changing within the story, because as the audience finds Amir in several bad positions, this quote can be related back to and connected to almost every situation that has taken place. Amir's internal desire to become good again is also very evident as the story unfolds. Although he may have disappointed many people, particularly Hassan , in the beginning, it doesn't meant that all ways to be good have been discredited. This quote means that no matter what situation or dilemma Amir is facing, he can always revive and pull himself out of it and make things right, or the way that they should be. Actions such as the care taking of Hassans's son, after he let Hassan down countless times such as when he was raped, and additionally, risking his own life to save Sohrab's show that Amir has become a very honorable and respectable person since the beginning of the novel. We have watched an evolution of a character progress as each chapter passed, and the dynamic potential of Amir is very great.
ReplyDeleteYes, the quote from earlier does relate to Amir's situation. He can gain redemption by taking in Hassan's son, Sohrab. Sohrab had been molested by the same man his father was molested by. The first time, Amir stood by and did nothing, but the second time he did, and so he was even. The relationship between Amir and Rahim Khan is almost as important as the relationship between him and his father. in fact, in his childhood, Amir wanted Rahim Khan to be his father. over time, however, due to more time spent with his father and less time with Rahim Khan, Amir saw the good in his father. The importance of the relationship between Rahim and Amir is enough to have Amir risk his life to carry out the wishes of Rahim.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that there would have been the same outcome had Rahim Khan not been in the story. Before Khan said that there was a way to redeem himself. Had Amir not heard this, he probably would not have journeyed to his homeland and saved Sohrab. instead, he would have died with the guilt on his shoulders.
Amir does take these words "There is a way to be good again" seriously because he makes diverse changes, as the novel progresses. He goes to find Hassen and then raises Hassen’s abandoned son, as if he was his own. At then end he flies/ runs kites with Sohrab, replaying the childhood memories he once shared with Hassen. His sins from Hassen are forgiven with the caring of Sohrab. However, as much as Amir did redeem his sins, he would not have done so without the help of Rahim Khan and his important phone call. The tight relationship throughout the book between Rahim Khan and Amir started with the notebook present, and turns out to be one of the most significant relationships in this novel.
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ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I wasn't able to respond to this last night - I had the same problem that we were having in class where it wouldn't let me comment, even when I refreshed the page. Hopefully it'll work now.
ReplyDeleteSaving Sohrab is Amir's "way to be good again", giving Hassan's son the life that was never available to Hassan. After discovering that Hassan was his half-brother, Amir is even more motivated to atone for his sins in his betrayal of Hassan. Bringing Sohrab to America and caring for him there, Amir redeems himself for his poor treatment of Hassan when they were younger in the only way that he still can after Hassan's death.
Without Rahim Khan, Amir never would have known the truth about Hassan and he wouldn't have had the same determination to save his half-nephew from the Taliban. Rahim Khan was the only person alive who knew of the truth, and without him Amir never would have been able to rescue Sohrab and redeem himself.
Ever since Amir's childhood has he been too hard on himself. He blamed himself for not stopping Hassan's rape, and for that he leads a guilt-ridden life. He was always feeling like he couldn't be truly happy until the day Rahim Khan set him on a journey for Hassan's son, Amir's nephew. By adopting Sohrab Amir believes he is doing right by Hassan after all these years. Rah Rahim Khan made a profound difference in Amir's life. Before he had felt laden with guilt, even after 30 something years, but even then he felt so liberated. All those years of pain and suffering were over after Rahim Khan lead the way for Amir. He was the only person in Amir's life who truly believed in the goodness of his heart and that he could do the right thing. With Rahim Khan's strength Amir sets up for redemption, "a way to be good again." Because Amir admits in the novel that he is a coward we can conclude that without Rahim Khan's guidance, Amir would have lead a sad life. Rahim Khan's presence in the novel is the driving force behind the fact that Amir can be good again. Without Rahim Khan, we would've seen a passive and saddened Amir.
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