Chapters #20-end.
Examine what Amir finds when he returns to his childhood home. Analyze the symbolism of the house, the pomegranate tree, and the carving.
Using information revealed in Rahim Khan’s letter, explain how Baba is partially responsible for the kind of boy/man that Amir became.
Of what things is Sohrab ashamed? Why might Amir and Sohrab need each other? Do you think Rahim was justified in lying to Amir about Thomas and Betty Caldwell?
Why does it not bother Amir to think that Baba may have considered Hassan his “true son”?
How does Amir respond to General Taheri’s inquiry about Sohrab? What is significant about Amir’s statement?
Why do you think Hosseini decided that Assef should grow up to be a high-ranking Talib?
Of what things is Sohrab ashamed? Why might Amir and Sohrab need each other? Do you think Rahim was justified in lying to Amir about Thomas and Betty Caldwell?
How does Amir show his loyalty to Sohrab in the novel’s final scene? What do Amir’s actions reveal about him?
Jordan Demicco
ReplyDeleteWhen Amir returns to his fathers house in Kabul, it is not what he expects. Along the way, the see dead bodies, run down everything, etc. When they actually approach the house, it is run down, and not as great and young Amir remembered. Growing up he thought it was magnificent, and great; but returning only made him realize the true struggle they had. The house represents and symbolizes the time past, and how times have changed for Amir. It was once a great mansion, but now in not so great condition. But when they find the one lonely pomegranate tree standing, with "
The carving had dulled, almost faded altogether, but it was still there: “Amir and Hassan. The Sultans of Kabul.” I traced the curve of each letter with my fingers. Picked small bits of bark from the tiny crevasses" (Hosseini 264). This reminds him of his great youth in the city, and the amazing times and experiences he had. As he remembers the great moments he now overlooks the rundown city, that was once a booming thing called home for Amir. It really helps put the perspective of the friendship between Hassan and Amir and the differences, and struggles they have shared.
Owen Hilston
DeleteI agree with this post because Amir returns to his city in very poor conditions and wasn't at all what he remembered it so fondly to be. I think the quote you used was good too because it really does symbolize Amir and Hassan's friendship and their old lives in Kabul.
Matthew Moore
DeleteI highly agree with the connections you did make with the symbolism. However, I think that the pomegranate tree represents more than just Amir’s youth in the city. I think it represents Amir and Hassan’s relationship. The tree is dead, so their relationship is gone but the carving still remains meaning that their relationship is imprinted in their memories and makes up a core part of their personalities.
Katie Krofcheck. Examine what Amir finds when he returns to his childhood home. Amir finds that the house is in complete disarray. It's not as nice as he remembered it to be. The house symbolizes the state that Kabul is in, "Like so much else in Kabul, my father's house was the picture of fallen splendor." It also symbolizes a forgotten past. The tree symbolizes Amir and Hassan's friendship. Amir remembers carving "Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul". That's ironic because their social class is what ends up tearing their friendship apart. The tree dries up and fruit no longer grows, signifying the death of their friendship.
ReplyDeleteOwen Hilston
DeleteI think you have an interesting angle on the quote about Amir and Hassan's tree. I thought it had just symbolized that they would be friends forever despite their differences in the past and how it withstood the time while Amir was away; but now that I think about it, it makes sense that it could symbolize the death of their friendship as the tree is dead and there is no fruit.
Gabriella duris - I didnt even think about how the tree is dead and it symbolises the end of Amir and Hassan friendship. That was a great angel to look at. I do agree with the symbolism of the forgotten past. Amir did say that he only saw the beauty in Kabul and never realized what actually went on.
DeleteI like the more literal interpretation you gave of the house. I think that the state of the city has degraded with the Taliban and the state of the house really reflects this. I agree with your interpretation of the tree and like your interpretation of the second quote you gave. Both Hassan and Amir are sultans as children but as they grow up and they lose their naivety their social class drives them apart.
DeleteKatarina Cannata Of what things is Sohrab ashamed? Why might Amir and Sohrab need each other? Do you think Rahim was justified in lying to Amir about Thomas and Betty Caldwell? Sohrab is ashamed of what the soldiers who took him did to him and he is ashamed of killing the man who almost killed Amir: “WIll God…’ he began, and choked a little. ‘Will God put me in hell for what I did to that man?”(318). Sohrab is clearly very worried about what he did and feels like a monster for killing him. Amir and Sohrab need each other because they have both done horrible things in their pasts and they can forgive and understand each other, just like Amir and Soraya do. I think Rahim was justified in lying to Amir about Thomas and Betty Caldwell because Rahim knew that Amir probably wouldn’t adopt Sohrab unless he got to know him like he did on his journey to find the Caldwells.
ReplyDeleteSarah
DeleteI agree that Amir and Sohrab need each other to feel better about their bad pasts. Because they have both been through so much pain and suffering, they will be able to connect with each other about their pasts and hopefully hope each other overcome their pasts.
Owen Hilston
ReplyDeleteAmir comes home to Kabul in ruins. He sees dead bodies in the streets, destroyed buildings, and a place that doesn't even look like anything he remembers. I think the house symbolizes how Amir has grown and changed during his time away, and it shows just how far his life has been distanced from what it once was in Kabul. When he finds the pomegranate tree, he sees that "The carving had dulled, almost faded altogether, but it was still there: “Amir and Hassan. The Sultans of Kabul.” I traced the curve of each letter with my fingers. Picked small bits of bark from the tiny crevasses" (Hosseini 264). This reminds him of all his happy memories and simple life as a child when he lived in Kabul. It also symbolizes his friendship with Hassan despite their differences and struggles through the years.
Danny Abbass
DeleteI agree with you about the symbolism shown throughout the novel. The symbolism of the house was very powerful because when Amir came back to visit, he was a completely changed man. He was nothing like the playful kid he used to be because of all he has been through. His friendship with Hassan was powerful and even though Amir wasn't the best friend, the friendship molded him into the person he would become.
Gabriella Duris - I also agree that the house represented time. Amir was gone for a long time so everything was changing just like how he did with his time away. I also do feel as if the tree was a symbol of his and Hassan's relationship throughout the years because when they were children the tree was nice and full but when they started to separate more and more the tree would keep dying until it wasn't able to produce fruits anymore.
DeleteMorgan Viant
ReplyDeleteExamine what Amir finds when he returns to his childhood home. Analyze the symbolism of the house, the pomegranate tree, and the carving. When Amir returns to his childhood home he is shocked. Everywhere he looks he sees “rubble and beggars”. Amir notices that there are no trees - they were cut down for two reasons: the first, to provide fuel in the winter, and the second, to prevent snipers from hiding in them. The pomegranate tree located on the northern hill of Baba’s property is where Amir and Hassan would meet, play, and read books as children. Amir even recalls carving, “Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul” into the side of the tree. The tree and the carving are significant because it symbolizes Amir and Hassan’s friendship. “Like so much else in Kabul, my father’s house was the picture of fallen splendor” (Hosseini 262). The house is one of fallen splendor, and both Baba and the General represent the part of society that no longer exists. Physically, both Baba’s house and the pomegranate tree represent a world that has passed on.
Katarina Cannata
DeleteI also think that the tree symbolizes Hassan and Amir’s friendship, and when it was cut down that was foreshadowing that Hassan and Amir wouldn’t be friends again. I also agree that the house being destroyed shows the end of an era in Afghanistan.
Katie Krofcheck
DeleteI agree with this. The pomegranate tree does symbolize a world that passed on. It also symbolizes their friendship passing on. They would always meet there, and now the tree is cut down. The carving is very ironic and does symbolize their friendship as well.
Ava Lovell- I think Hosseini had two reasons for making Assef a high- ranking Talib. One, it allows the story to come full circle, and gives Amir the chance to face Assef to make up for the time long ago when he didn't. Amir remembers the time with the slinshot when they were kids and agrees to fight Assef: "Assef had backed down, promised that in the end he'd get us both. He'd kept that promise with Hassan. Now it was my turn. 'All right,' I said, not knowing what else there was to say" (Hosseini 246). Although this fight happens because of the slingshot incident, to Amir it is important because he wants to fight Assef to make up for the time that he sat and did nothing while Hassan was raped. Besides allowing for character development, pushing the plot forward, and bringing it back to the beginning of the story, Hosseini had another purpose in using Assef as a high- ranking Talib. The readers already know how terrible Assef is from everything he did when he was younger. We already know how he thinks and acts, how he praises Hitler and brings violence on peers. Hosseini uses this character to demonstrate the mindset of some of the higher- ranking Talib officials. By using Assef, he is able to clearly demonstrate why people would do these things and how they would justify their actions. While talking to Amir, Assef explains exactly what he believes in: "Assef's brow twitched. 'Like pride in your people, your customs, your
ReplyDeletelanguage. Afghanistan is like a beautiful mansion littered with garbage, and someone has to take out the garbage'" (244). Hosseini uses Assef to show what many of the Talibs believe and what their goal is. In the Kite Runner, the author makes Assef a high- ranking official to develop Amir's character and portray the mindset of many Talibs.
Katarina Cannata
DeleteI also think that making Assef a high ranking Talib to show how Assef’s mindset was the mindset that the Talib had and to show how they thought. We saw Assef when he was younger and how he grew up learning that he was better than everyone else, which led to how he was like in adulthood.
Danny Abbass
ReplyDeleteExamine what Amir finds when he returns to his childhood home. Analyze the symbolism of the house, the pomegranate tree, and the carving.
When Amir returns, his childhood home is falling apart and does not look anything like it used to. This is symbolic of the entire country of Afghanistan because the Taliban have completely destroyed the country. Nothing is remotely the same: "Rubble and beggars. Everywhere I looked, that was what I saw" (Hosseini 245). The beautiful pomegranate tree that Amir and Hassan used to go to is still there, but it no longer bears fruit. Not only are the buildings falling apart, but the environment is as well. Most of the trees have been cut down. Back when things were normal, Amir carved into a tree that him and Hassan were the sultans of Kabul. The irony is that in the end, the class differences between the two are what drove them apart. After the Taliban came, nothing was the same in Afghanistan.
Matthew Moore
ReplyDeleteWhen Amir returns to his childhood home/town it is not exactly the same as he remembers it. As he approaches his home, he realizes that his hometown is in shambles; the Khyber Restaurant was vandalized and there was a dead body nearby. When he reaches his childhood home he realizes that it too is in shambles. The house’s paint is peeling and the driveway is overgrown with weeds. The damaged house represents Amir’s lost youth and the damage that the Taliban has done to him. Amir approaches the pomegranate tree and notices that it is wilted and leafless. Amir and Hassan had shared many memories at this tree and thus the tree’s death represents their dead friendship. As Amir inspects the tree he notices an old carving: “The carving had dulled, almost faded altogether, but it was still there: ‘Amir and Hassan. The Sultans of Kabul’” (Hosseini 226). The carving is a remnant of Amir and Hassan’s friendship and symbolizes the friendship that was once there. It symbolizes how Amir still has memory of the friendship but the friendship is no longer occurring.
Danny Abbass
DeleteI agree with your analysis and I also thought the symbolism was very powerful. The damage the Taliban had done to the entire country and its population is disheartening. When Amir visits, everything looks so different from how it used to look when he was growing up. I thought the symbolism of the tree carving was particularly powerful.
Sarah
DeleteI completely agree with you. I liked how you brought up the faded carving on the tree and compared it to Hassan and Amir's relationship. The friendship has been gone for years, but Amir still remembers it which is why it is still slightly there.
ReplyDeleteWhen Amir returns to his home town he notices that is is not at all the same place. He sees the shell of what his home is now, there are no trees, none of the smells that he remembered. No music or happiness. When he arrives to his home he sees that it is very run down, how the Taliban haschanged his life. When Amir go's to the pomegranate tree he sees that it is lifeless, he see's the carving him and Hassan did years prior. The carvings faded and worn, the loss of the tree represents theloss of a once strong friendship, “The carving had dulled, almost faded altogether, but it was still there: ‘Amir and Hassan. The Sultans of Kabul’” (Hosseini 226).
Tyler Baka
ReplyDeleteExamine what Amir finds when he returns to his childhood home. Analyze the symbolism of the house, the pomegranate tree, and the carving.
As Amir returns to Afghanistan and sees his childhood home for the first time in many years, he is ultimately surprised to see the state that it is currently in. The driveway was overgrown with weeds and other plants as he first returns to his front gate and begins to reminisce about his childhood and all the memories he had with Hassan as a kid. Also, the house is in rough shape compared to when Amir was a child. “The ruff sagged and plaster was cracked. The windows to the living room, the foyer, and upstairs guest bathroom were broken, patched haphazardly with sheets of clear plastic or wooden boards nailed across the frames” (Hosseini 262). I believe the house symbolizes the current rough shape that Afghanistan is in, as well as the positive nostalgic memories that Amir has. The pomegranate tree symbolizes positive memories that Amir had with Hassan as kids even though the tree is now dead. The carving symbolizes the two’s friendship and it being forever because the carving still remained after all those years.
Gabriella Duris - When Amir goes back to Kabul he sees that the whole place is filled with rubble. There are no trees because the trees were cut down to stay warm in the winter and so snipers would be able to hit them. Nothing looked the same to Amir, “there used to be shops here and hotels,neon lights and restaurants,” (Hosseini 209). When Amir finally gets back to his childhood home he goes into his house to see all the memories. He then walks up a big hill that him and Hassan used to do when they were younger. Him and Hassan would sit by the pomegranate tree when they were younger. “Hassan said in his letter that the pomegranate tree hadn’t borne fruit in years,” (Hosseini 226). The carving on the tree Amir was looking for said, “Amir and Hassan. The Sultans of Kabul,” (Hossenini 226). I think the symbolism behind the house, pomegranate tree, and the carving is just time. The book describes how big he thought his house was but now it is just small to him. Or how he said the pomegranate tree hasn't produced fruit in years. Or even the carving in the tree is disappearing because of the time he has been gone. I think it is making Amir realize that he should have come back before just even for a bit.
ReplyDeleteName: Siddhant Sarkar
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think Hosseini decided that Assef should grow up to be a high-ranking Talib?
Presenting the overall attitude of Assef as a cruel racist and supremacist, Hosseini desires to display the embodiment of Afghanistan’s dark side to the entire world. Having Assef grow up to be a high-ranking Talib, just seems to be an obvious, but well developed aspect to the general flow of the story, as currently we know that Afghanistan is suffering from religious conflicts, social massacres, political destruction, and the demise of peace due to groups like the Taliban. As readers, we can see the progression of Assef’s attitude over time, and how it complements the hidden evil nature of the Afghani mindset, for example “Besides, I didn’t fight the Shorawi for money. Didn’t join the Taliban for money either. Do you want to know why I joined them? ”(Hosseini, 268). This quote shows the true reason Assef joined the Taliban in the first place: to quench his blood thirst for the minorities and torture the weak, which truly matches his overall terrifying nature as shown in the book. Hosseini knew that if Assef grew up to be some ordinary person, the characters in the book would have no meaning and therefore realized that the occupation of a high ranking official in the Taliban seems to be a perfect career choice for the antagonist. In conclusion, Hosseini’s choice of characters and plot towards the end of the kite runner seems to be so satisfying, as it draws all the dispersed characters from the start of the book towards the end, as Assef had to meet Amir, he had to sexually abuse Hassan’s legacy, and he also had to physically damage Amir in some way again, this links the story well making the idea Hosseini presents have a fulfilling effect.
Examine what Amir finds when he returns to his childhood home. Analyze the symbolism of the house, the pomegranate tree, and the carving.
ReplyDeleteSarah
What Amir found when he returned to his childhood home symbolized the downfall of the Afghanistan's society. Everything he once loved was either gone or destroyed, and Afghanistan looked drastically different: "Rubble and beggars. Everywhere I looked, that was what I saw" (245). This represents how much as changed since Amir was a child. All of the innocence and joy that he once had was destroyed. Basically everything he knew as a child, including his friendship with Hassan, was gone. The run down town basically symbolizes how much everything in Amir's life has drastically changed.