Monday, October 15, 2007

The Kite Runner - Discussion Ques # 4

Throughout the story, Baba worries because Amir never stands up for himself. When does this change? Explain.

12 comments:

Denise Persaud said...

When Amir doesn't finally stand up for himself until him and Baba move to California. Baba develops cancer and is slowly dieing and Amir has realized that Baba is not going to be around much longer and he has to step up to the plate and take responsibility. He takes Baba to the doctor to get him checked out after Baba gets 'sick'. Amir also follows up with the doctors by calling, asking questions, and making earlier appointments. Amir also stands up for himself and talks to Soraya without having anyone around to help him. I can't wait to see what happens if/when Baba passes and how Amir is going to hold over in his new life with a wife.

Safa said...

Baba worries about Amir throughout the story because he witnesses the many situations amir is saved in by Hassan. This changes after Amir moves to America. There are several examples such as how he refuses to be pushed away from his dream (be a writer) by his father. Another would be how he did not change his mind about Soraya once he found out the true story. Mostly Amir Changes when Baba gets cancer and Amir realizes he will not be with him to guide him for the rest of his life.

martha said...

Baba gets worried when Hassan is always standing up for Amir and not standing up for himself. I remember him saying to Amir that one day he will eventually have to stand up for himself. As Safa mentioned in her blog, the different times that Hassan took the initiative to stand up for Amir in times of trouble. As Denise mentions in her blog, that Amir does not learn to stand up for himself until he and Baba move to California. When Baba gets sick and Amir has to take him to the hospital to get a check up Amir worries in his head that he might be alone if Baba dies. Amir wants Baba to take care of himself so that he can get better. Then one time while they were at the flea market a man notices Baba on the ground and looks like he is having a seizure. This is the moment when it all changes for Amir because he begins to take full responsibility of everything. Such as searching for garage sale items to sell at the flea market on his own. Baba tells him that he does not want any treatment. Amir starts to feel sad and scared but Baba tells him that this is why he wanted him to be able to stand up for himself when he was younger. This change also occurs because Amir begins to fall in love with Soraya and ask Baba to ask her father for permission in her hand in marriage. As Denise also said, I can not wait to see what will happen next!

Dave DeLuca said...
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Dave DeLuca said...

Baba is always talking about how amir never stands up for himself. Throughout the story, it always seems that Hassan stands up for him in amir's time of need. There have been a few times where amir does nothing while hassan stands up for him. but once amir and baba move to california is where amir starts to really establish a spine i guess you can say.

Once Baba becomes ill with cancer is when amir starts to take a stand and become more responsible, and do things on his own. he would go to garage sales and get things for the flea market, also he would stand up to baba and tell him that he should get chemo. baba doesnt want any treatment, and even though amir stands up to him and tells him that he should get it he refuses. amir gets baba to all his appointments and sets up all the visits to the doctor which really shows responsibility. also he talks to soraya by himself with no help from anyone else. also he asks baba to ask the general for sorayas hand in marriage. if baba is gone amir has to stand up for himself, and when he has a wife he will have to stand up for himself.

baba wanted amir to take a stand, b.c eventually baba is going to be gone and amir is going to stand up for himself. and that was what baba was trying to teach to him all along.

x said...
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x said...
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x said...

Throughout the book baba is worried about Amir. even Amir knows that he is not the type of son baba always wanted to have.he wanted amir to be able to stand up for himself and be a little more like hassan.as it is meantioned before by other students baba is concerned with the fact that what will happen to amir if there is no one to stand up for him.when amir and hassan were in afhganistan hassan used to stand up for him all the time,while amir shoud his weak side, especially when his best friend hassan needed him the most. but eventually everything changes when baba and amir move to america. While baba is suffering from a terminal disease , amir becomes well aware that it is his turn to stand for himself and his father. he tries to take care of him, making appointments for him and sending him to the doctor for check up. he understans that basically he is alone and should be able to survive in this hard world.this is the time in amir's life where everything turns around for him.he is not anymore the little kid who would hide under baba's arm or behind hassans back, but he would have to stand up and fight for himself.

Prof Riotto said...

How do you feel about Amir as a main character? Why do you think it took so long for him to stand up for himself?

martha said...

I think that Amir is not being honest with himself and that he still feels some guilt about what he saw happen to Hassan. As a main character, I think he has many diverse qualities that make him a well-rounded character because their are some good and bad things about him. I have noticed a change in Amir from when he was a young child living in Afghanistan and him being an adult and married in California.
I think it took so long for Amir to stand up for himself because he always had Hassan by his side as a child standing up for him. Also because I think that he never realized it until he saw that Baba was getting ill and was going to die soon. As a result, he finally realized that he would need to stand up for himself sooner or later.

Safa said...

Amir is a very selfish character. He is willing to hurt the people around him in order to get what he wants. Amir is also a coward. the fact that he had a rich family is probably the reason why it took him so long to stand up for himself. Having Hassan there is defending him all the time is another reason.

Oleg said...

Amir starts to stand up for himself when Baba and him move to California. I think this starts to happen because Hassan is not there anymore and Amir is on his own. When Amir discovers his father is sick, he realizes that one day Baba is going to die and Amir will be left by himself. He prepares himself for that.

I think that Amir does not appreciate what Hassan did for him before. Even after Amir came to California, I still feel like Amir is selfish. Amir is scared what happened to Hassan, and he knows that it has something to do with him, but he tries to forget it. It took Amir a long time to stand up for himself, because before he came to US he took everything for granted. He didn’t have to work, Hassan was there to defend him and Baba was in a good health coniditon. Then, when he came to US, Amir lost all of these things at once.