Monday, September 30, 2013

Fish Bowl #5, Chapters 19 and 20 of The Kite Runner

Welcome to your fifth fishbowl!

A few reminders if you're looking for an A for the day:

(A) Bring at least one quotation and/or page reference into at least one of your responses.
 
(B) Explain your thinking thoughtfully and thoroughly (try to avoid the one-sentence response).

(C) Keep it professional, including the usage of proper grammar and spelling.

(D) Comment frequently from the beginning of the conversation to the end.


Remember also that you're welcome to get into a hotseat in the inner circle for a little while and earn some of your daily participation points there.


Enjoy!

117 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. What do you think it means when Amir says "I was afraid that I'd let the waters carry me way from what I had to do." on page 231

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    1. I think he was afraid that he would get too worried and end up not going to Afghanistan to get Sohrab

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    2. He really doesn't want to go and redeem his loyalty but he knows that he has to

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  3. Do you think that amir is scared of going back to his home

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    1. I think Amir is afraid of how much has changed in Afghanistan from the days he grew up there

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    2. In way he could, but at the same time I wouldn't know for sure.

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    3. Yes, i think that Amir feels as if hes going to the first day of school, he has butterflies in his stomach

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    4. I think that Amir knows a lot has changed since he's been there and that he might be more nervous than scared.

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    5. I think he knows how much has changed, obviously for the worst so yes there is a part of him that is almost dreading going back home.

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    6. I think that he is affraid to go back because he loved it so much when he was a kid that he will be really upset if it is in a really bad condition.

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  4. Do you think Amir is happy that he can have a child even if it belongs to Hassan? Do you also think that finding and taking care of Hassan's son is an act of redemption?

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    1. I think it is a way of redemption. He is taking Sohrab in honor of Hassan and treating him like his own son. That's the least he can do after abandoning Hassan all those years ago.

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    2. Amir feels he owes it to Hassan after all that has happened and all that Amir has put Hassan through

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    3. I think that Amir is happy because he always wanted one with Soraya and he is helping out with Hassan when he helps take care of his son.

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    4. I think that Amir would prefer to have Sohrab as his son because he has a connection with him.

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    5. I think Amir is doing that as an act of redemption. Amir will always feel guilty for the way he treated Hassan and what happened with there relationship and since he can't go back or change anything now, he is doing this to make up for mistakes in the past.

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    6. In the end, I could see Amir having redemption for himself, but not for Hassan. Hassan left his legacy behind and I bet he wanted someone to take care of his son, so Hassan may have forgave Amir since he taking care of his son since in the end he couldn't.

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  5. Why does Amir feel like a tourist in his own country? (page 231)

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    1. he feels this way because the country is so different than he remembers.

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    2. Because he hasn't been there for a really long time and everything has changed.

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    3. I believe that Amir feels like a tourist because he hasn't been to Afghanistan in such a long time that everything is changed and he doesn't think of it like the same.

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    4. he does because he hasn't been there in 20 years and a lot of things have changed and its not beautiful anymore. He doesn't remember it that way.

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    5. It is like a completely new place in the way it looks and the way it is run then it was before.

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    6. Amir feels like he is a tourist in his own country because, he has not been there in a very long time and so much has changed that he is not use too. Its like an immigrant who moved to America when he or she was young and grew up in America, then went back to his or her country 20 years later. Much has changed within that 20 years.

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  6. What journey does Amir have in front of him to get Sohrab? (page 258)

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  7. Do you think It would be better for Amir to have Soriah as his son than a kid that he has no family connection with with?

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    1. Yes, i think this is the only way for Amir to redeem himself from what he did.

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    2. Yes, Hassan and Amir have a special relationship and they can both relate to each other. I think Amir is doing Hassan a great deed.

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  8. on page 240 Amir says "I woke up with a scream trapped in my throat." Why does Amir say this?

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  9. "I was afraid I'd deliberate...." (page 231) Is the only thing that makes Amir want to save Hassan's son because of the rape?

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    1. I think that is a reason but he also feels guilty about leaving Hassan for all those years and finally finding out they are brothers after Hassan's death.

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    2. No, there is something more than that, in their relationship it was never that good. But Amir blames himself for Hassan getting raped and killed, so he feels he has a obligation for him.

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  10. "I feel like a tourist in my own country" pg 231 Would Amir feel that Afghanistan was never really his home but rather just his place of birth?

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    1. I think that in his mind it will always be his home, but the physical place is lost forever and only exists in his memory.

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    2. I think he still considers it his home because his childhood was spent there. The quote is a way of saying how much the country has changed since he last lived there.

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    3. I think he thinks that way because the Kabal he remembers is gone now and there is destruction and sadness all throughout Afghanistan.

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    4. I think Amir feels Afghanistan is his home even though it has completely changed. He may not rely on Afghanistan for safety, he can still call it his home.

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  12. Did Farid's reaction to Zaman selling the orphans surprise you?

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    1. It was a little surprising but understanding. How else was the orphanage supposed to support itself?

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  13. What do you think Amir is talking about when he says "for the first time since we crossed the border, I felt like I was back"?- Page 240

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    1. He could feel the old Afghanistan again, not the war zone it had become.

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    2. He probably saw something that reminded him of the Afghanistan he grew up in and it was probably the first time he has seen something like that because it is so different.

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  14. Amir must be jealous of Hassan. But still feels like he owes Hassan

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    1. Why would be be jealous of Hassan?

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    2. I would imagine because Hassan has stuck his neck out for him so many times I fell like he would owe him something in return by paying him respect.

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  15. On pages 255- 256, Amir gets to the orphanage to rescue Sorab but the director says he was taken by a Talib official. Where do you think Sorab is and what happened to him? Do you think Amir will find Sorab?

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    1. On page 257 Zaman, the director of the orphanage says that Sorab is at the Ghazi stadium. I think he was taken their as someone to help out with something. I do think they will eventually find him.

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    2. If you think about what happened to Sohrab, he was bought "he brings cash with him, not a lot, but better than nothing at all." pg 255-256 Sohrab was pretty much a slave and when it says, "not a lot" that means that he was bought pretty cheap too. Not even bought for full price

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  16. On page 231 Amir describes how he feels when he is going back to Afghanistan. He sounds like that was best for him. How do you think he feels?

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    1. I think e thinks its best for him

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  17. Why would Amir still think that its his country?

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    1. Because he was born and raised there. He is also most likely a citizen there.

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    2. Maybe because it was his home for so long and all of his most memorable times took place in Afghanistan and with Hassan. He feels as though he will never be able to forget the past so he continues to believe Afghanistan is still him home, or the place that everything was "simpler".

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  18. Amir is jealous of Hassan but still feels that he at least owes him enough to take care of his son

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    1. Yes that is why he went to Afghanistan to get him

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    2. Hassan always did so much for Amir and Amir treated him not even like a friend. so that's the least he can do.

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  19. On page 232, it says that "you've always been a tourist, you just didn't know it." What can this quote tell us about how the Afghans feel about Amir living a wealthy life and then moving to America?

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    1. Maybe because America has always been stereotyped as wealthy so the person saying the quote feels like the reason Amir moved was due to money.

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    2. This quote can tell us how the Afghans think of Amir is selfish and only cares about his family.

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  20. In the book it talks about how a child froze to death in the "orphanage". Why did they not use the carpets to keep warm? Or was it not enough?

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    1. They would not have enough for all the children, and we don't know how thick the carpets were

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    2. maybe they didst know it was a carpet factory at the time

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  22. "You've always been a tourist here, you just didn't know it." pg 232 Is it true that Amir has never fit in with Afghan culture? After all it never describes Amir having very many friends besides Amir.

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    1. I think that in Amir's mind, Afghanistan was peaceful and flourishing but in reality, outside the walls of his house there was poverty and violence even before the revolution.

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  23. is Amir excited about meeting hasans son or scared

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    1. I think he is pretty nervous just because he doesn't know what to expect meeting him.

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    2. I think that Amir is scared and excited because at first he was not all into the idea of meeting his son but he is excited to see how it all turns out.

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    3. I think he would be nervous and scared because he has been blaming himself for Hassan's death and for him and Ali leaving. I also think when Amir sees Sorab he will feel all those feelings back of Hassan and betraying him.

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    4. Probably a little bit of both, because Amir has always wanted a child but its Hassan's so he might feel guilty

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    5. He is probably both excited and scared. He is probably wondering if he is anything like Hassan, but he could be nervous because he might only be able to look at Hassan's son and see what happened to his friend.

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  24. Why would Amir not want to go back to Afghanistan to pay his respects to Hassan

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    1. Maybe he was scared about the Taliban.

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    2. I think Amir wouldn't want to go back because, he already has a lot of guilt from the past and going back would bring back more memories and guilt.

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  25. In the beginning of chapter 19 it explains that Farid had children and lost two daughters and 3 fingers on his left hand due to a land mine. How could someone recover from such a tragedy and how will it effect him for the rest of his life?

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  26. On page 232 Farid tells Amir,"You've always been a tourist here, you just didn't know it." What does he mean by this?

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    1. I think that Farid means Amir didn't grow up in the poor part of the country and grew up in wealth so he didn't really know what it was like to be treated poorly and not be as fortunate as most of the people.

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    2. That he never really knew what was going on. He lives a sheltered life and doesn't really almost know whats going on in his own country.

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    3. Maybe he is saying that he never really saw the real Afghanistan he was just living in a dream world and he never saw the bad of Afghanistan until now.

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  27. On page 241, why do you think the hosts of the house Amir stayed at gave all the food to Amir and not their children? Does it have to do with something going on in Afghanistan?

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    1. I think that it might not have been all there food but most of it. Amir did give them the watch that they could possibly sell to buy more food, he also left them money.

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    2. I think they would be embarrassed if they couldn't feed their guests. They can only afford so much food and they don't want to show Amir how much they are suffering.

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  28. In the book it says "you've always been a tourist, you just didn't know it." on page 232. He knew there was poverty but he knew that it was more thriving in the area. Do you think he was always a tourist? I think that he knew it was there but know that buildings are destroyed it seems completely different.

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    1. What he is saying is that someone may live an entirely different life than you and they might see things that you dont

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  29. On page 233 Amir said " My mother died giving birth to me" how do you think it made him feel talking about that? why would he want to talk about that?

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    1. He might of wanted to talk about his mother to get it off his chest and that talking about her might make him feel better, but it only made him feel sick.

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    2. On page 250 Amir says, "Baba had always described my mother in broad strokes, like, 'She was a great woman'". He never really got to talk about his mother with Baba so he never felt like he knew much about her.

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  30. Do you think Amir will ever get over his guilt that he has with the past?

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    1. No because its something that he can't take back and never will be able too.

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  31. In the book it says that Amir left money under a mattress like he did with Hassan. Is this a form of redemption for him?

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    1. He is helping a family in need and I don't think he is doing it for redemption but more out of the goodness of his heart.

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  32. What makes a hero a hero? Will Amir ever be a hero?

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    1. I think that Amir will become a hero at the end of the book for something special that he does.

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    2. I think going back to Afghanistan to get Sohrab makes him a hero in itself. A lot people wouldn't put their lives at risk to go get their half brother's child.

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    3. A hero is someone who saves someone else for nothing. I think anyone can be a hero no matter what they have done in their past so yes I do think Amir can become a hero.

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    4. Every hero has to get hit at their lowest point of their story,but he will become a hero in the story even though he was a villain in part of the story. He also changed too.

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  33. On page 240 Amir says he feels like a tourist in his own country. How has Afghanistan changed? Why would he say this?

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    1. well it looks like a war zone and everything is different there are no trees and he doesn't fell like he is at home

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    2. Well in the video we watched there was debris from fallen buildings and a missile, and in the book he says that all the trees where cut and that he didn't remember anyone. The Afghanistan he remembered is gone forever.

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  34. What caused Farid and his brother to finally accept Amir?

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    1. After they found out that Amir was on a journey to get his dead servant's son, they respected him for his bravery because a lot of people wouldn't do that.

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  35. "Returning to Kabul was like running into an old, forgotten friend and seeing that life hadn't been good to him, that he'd become homeless and destitute(246)" What does Amir mean by this?

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    1. I think Amir means that it had changed a lot and was different.

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  36. Why did Amir feel like everything changed after he got back to Afghanistan?

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    1. It was nothing like it had been when he was younger. People's attitudes were different

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  37. what does this quote mean on page 244 "We drove past the burned village, and the dog didn't move."

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    1. it means the dog didn't move

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    2. Their's something deeper to the quote though.

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  38. In the beginning of chapter 20 Amir describes signs of war in Afghanistan. How can war plummet a country and the people in it.

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  39. pg 236 "It's always the same thing, sell this land, sell that house, collect the money, and run away like a mouse." Why does Farid think so lowly of Amir?

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  40. Did Amir put the money under the mattress in remembrance of Hassan?

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  41. What does the Taliban want with small children like Sorab? Why does it say they mostly take girls? Are they selling the children?

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  42. On page 245 Amir talks about all the beggars he encounters while in Afghanistan what did he think of them?

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