Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Are you KIDDING ME?
Just when we think Amir has sunk as low as a person can go, he sinks further. What is interesting to me here, though, is our reactions to his choices and how Hosseini builds his story that leads to these reactions. So, tell us what you think of Amir and this point, but more importantly, explain how you think the author inspires our reactions.
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Watching Amir do this to Hassan is completely heartbreaking. You don't want to believe that someone could be so selfish. I think that Hosseini creates these kinds of reactions by making the reader fall so in love with Amir. On some level, I felt as though it was my responsibility to save Amir from his wretched fate. Hosseini purposely takes the time to tell old stories about Amir and Hassan, and all of the things Amir has done for Hassan. It is through this windows into the past that the reader becomes not only attached to Amir, but also to the friendship between the two boys.
ReplyDeleteAmir shocked me. The reading prior to today still showed some hope for Amir. I felt that even though he did not step in and save Hassan from being raped, he still fully accepted that he was wrong. He showed remorse and felt guilty for not helping. However, in this next reading I somewhat lost hope for Amir. I feel that his character's morals really came out. His planting the money under Hassan's pillow was disgusting. Hassan continues to show his loyalty. He takes the blame for stealing even though he did not do this. Although Hassan must resent Amir on the inside, I do not believe he hates him. I believe that there is some sense of devotion and commitment to Amir. He feels so connected to Amir because of their childhood. Despite this, Amir must feel guilty... he just cannot admit it. The bus ride scene also showed much significance. We see Baba's strong morals come out again. He seems to be a genuinely good man. However, Amir's puking seemed to have more meaning than describe in the text. I feel like he is both overwhelmed and disgusted with his recent behavior that he cannot hold it in anymore. He pukes to try and rid himself of remorse... but I do not think this worked.
ReplyDeleteI feel so heartbroken for both of them. I think that even though Amir was being a bad friend I think that he has this immense amount of guilt that I almost feel bad for him. Also, when he asks Hassan to leave (away from his doorway) when Hassan wanted to go on a walk with him, it breaks Amir's heart too. He doesn't know how to get rid of the knowing feeling that he has ruined someone's life and the only way to ease the pain a little is to stop hanging out with him. I think this reaction is intentional. He wants the reader to become attached to these characters. Amir was terrified of stepping in to help Hassan in the ally because if he did step in, he might've lost the kite ad the key to Baba's heart. But i think it goes deeper than that. If he stepped in, like Hassan had done for him so many times before, than he is showing the world and Assef that he cares for a Hazara. It is sad that he does not yet have the capacity to realize what is right and what is wrong. I think that Baba would have been more proud to know that his son saved someone than to have the kite.
ReplyDeleteAmir's decision to frame Hassan, placing money and presents under neath Hassan's mattress evokes a even more disgusted response from the audience. I think that Hosseini rather than create this monster, is diving deeper into meaning behind Amirs actions. Amir's approval and love for his father is constantly threatened by Hassan, and the difference in class creates this awful and disloyal response from Amir. This final moment when Amir blames Hassan is a attempt at riding his guilty conscious and removing Hassan from his life forever.
ReplyDeleteAmir feels such desperation, such anger, and such disgust in himself for his lack of actions while he watched his best friend be rapped. Instead of apologizing or admitting to what he saw, Amir translates his feelings into the only thing he can think of: get rid of Hassan. Amir goes so far as to hide money and his new watch under Hassan's bed to be found, hoping that Amir's father, Baba, would find it and consequentially fire Hassan and his father. Yet after being framed, and after admitting to the act he did not commit to, Hassan and his father leave by their own will. It is so shocking to try and comprehend Amir's way of thinking and how he could betray someone further than he already has.
ReplyDeleteAmir is crazy. He can’t stand to see Hassan. I have no sympathy for him. It is too bad that Baba does not know what is going on between the two boys maybe he could have done something to prevent Hassan and Ali from leaving. Ali and Hassan only left because of Amir, he doesn’t want to see them anymore. So he puts money and a watch under Hassan’s mattress knowing that Hassan will take the blame and lie and say it is his fault. But does Amir know what he has lost by driving his them away? He lost a loyal friend, brother, servant; who is Hassan to Amir. The author inspire us by making the main character a type of person you might not root for, I definitely don’t. In the scenes with Hassan and Amir I was rooting for Hassan. The author makes us question who Amir is, he has two sides to him. Deep down inside, he a person who knows right from wrong but why doesn’t he speak up?
ReplyDeleteI am disturbed by Amir's decisions. Setting up Hassan because he is to guilty shows his immaturity by not facing the situation. The situation shows that Amir is to selfish to do the right think; he craves his fathers attention more than standing up for his life-long friendship with Hassan. When driving to pakistan, Amir is vomiting from the guilt that has taken over his body. It can be seen as karma because we learn that Baba is embarrassed by Amir's sickness.
ReplyDeleteAHHHHHH!!!! WHY?!?! Amir is a selfish coward whose only worry is taking care of himself. He is distraught with what he saw and he deals with it by just getting rid of Hassan altogether. Covering up the problem instead of being brave and solving it. It is so frustrating reading about Amir's decisions, it just makes me hate him even more.
ReplyDeleteI have lost complete faith in Amir. Every time he tries to rationalize his actions, my blood starts to boil. I don't think I have hated a character EVER as much as I hate Amir. First, he does not stand up for his friend who would do anything for him. THEN he pushes him out of his life, and frames him for theft, something his father believes the only sin.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Is anyone else a big fan of Baba right now? He's a badass who ISN'T afraid of standing up! It is ironic that Baba would stand up for a woman he doesn't know, while Amir ran away from Hassan, who was practically his brother.
I was absolutely shocked. I had hopped that Amir would have tried to redeem himself, but by framing Hassan, Amir has but a shred of respect remaining in my mind. He hid a watch and money that he had gotten for his birthday under Hassan's mattress and told his father that he couldn't seem to find the watch. He did it thinking that his father, Baba, would immediately disown Hassan. But Baba does the opposite, Baba forgives Hassan, and asks him to stay. Amir was baffled on how Hassan took the blame for the watch he did not know about, and that his father forgave his servant. His selfish actions made me resent Amir. And somewhat happy how Baba's forgiveness was like a smack in the face for Amir.
ReplyDeleteI am beyond disappointed. Amir feels remorseful of what he has done. Amir's conscious has been eating away at him due to the fact that he watched Hassan get raped and did not interfere. Amir then proceeds to frame Hassan in stealing of his watch and birthday money. This results in Hassan and Ali leaving Baba's estate. Amir cant deal with the guilt eating away at his conscious. The author inspires us to see Amir as this non understandable idiot who pays for his actions. On Amir's exile from Kabul he experiences physical and mental pain mainly because he knows that he is wrong.
ReplyDeleteI am disappointed by Amir. I cannot lie and say thatI am shocked by what he did, but I felt like he has no integrity at all. I once thought there was a heart deep down inside, and I still do, but I feel like society and truth have overpowered the heart he had. He lied and said Hassan and Ali stole from them because he knew Baba's thought on theft, but ultimately Amir just committed the biggest theft. "When you kill a man you steal a life. You steak his wires right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie , you steal someone's right to the truth When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. Amir did not see or understand this quote. He cheated because the truth was ate away at him and he could not possibly go on, he took the easy way out. He stole Hassan and Ali's right to a life and job, and most importantly, family. He was not fair and lied. He stole everyones right to the truth.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Amir appears to be a coward and liar, he is just a 12 year old boy. He is immature and ill-prepared for the rape of Hassan just like many 12 year olds would be. Until this point, he has never stood up for himself, Hassan or his beliefs in fear of mockery and shame. After all, Hassan is just a Hazara, right? During the rape, Amir was alone and afraid; he did not know whether to fight for his companion or for his cultural beliefs, so he froze. Dead in his tracks, paralyzed. And now, he is left to bear the shame of not rescuing Hassan and the sight of the now miserable Hassan. He knows that he is a disgrace to his father, his family name and to humanity, and has to contemplate his decision for the rest of his life. Hosseini conveys Amir's thoughts carefully and successfully by Amir's actions and inner monologue.
ReplyDeleteAs the book progresses, Amir has become extremely obnoxious. Amir has made a lot of personal choices that have had horrible outcomes. He doesn't seem to realize how his choices are impacting his future. In my opinion, Amir is out of control. Every time he does something awful he thinks it will make him feel better or get Baba to love him more. I still can't figure out why Hassan lets Amir do all of the things he does. I think Khaled Hosseini has decided to make Amir into a character that readers will love and hate. I think Hosseini is setting readers up for some sort of redemption scene for Amir. Once Amir has gone to his worst he will rise up and become better.
ReplyDeleteI am both disappointed and enraged by Amir's behavior. He has betrayed and hurt his best friend Hassan to an unbearable extent. First, he protects a tournament winning kite over Hassan against three ruthless bullies. The bullies rape Hassan, who still defends the kite to please Amir. After months of ignoring and insulting Hassan, he sets him up to what he think will get Hassan and his father fired as his servants. Amir decides to hide an envelope of money and a watch under Hassan's bed to make it look like he stole from Amir. And although Amirs father forgives them, Hassan and his father ultimately decided to leave due to Amirs harassment. Amir's actions are immature and upsetting.
ReplyDeleteI was baffled at the thoughts and actions of Amir. Speechless. So speechless that I had to go back two pages and reread to assure myself those were the words my eyes just grazed over. Who has the audacity to dismiss someone like a brother, a best friend to blame someone for a simple act of theft that he didn't do. It seemed so evil to me that Amir went as low as accusing Hassan for theft because he knew that was what Baba despised and believe that was the lowest point one can reach. The author stylistic choice was to make it vague so that when you connected the dots it really hit you. The red puffy eyes that symbolized Ali's discovery of the tragedy his son experienced. The unwrapping of the REAL Amir. Such a moving and intense scene.
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