P2+Daniel+and+Josh


 * 1. Josh Wilson and Daniel Kron

Theme

Honor/Redemption

** Throughout most of the story, Amir seemed to be only capable of failing. He felt that he was a failure in his dad’s eyes for not being the son that Baba wanted. Baba was constantly disappointed with Amir because he is not into any sports (besides kite fighting) and never stood up for himself. Amir also felt like a failure in his relationship with Hassan. Hassan always fought Amir’s battles, cleaned up after him, and did whatever else Amir wanted him to. But when it came time to Amir’s turn to defend Hassan when he was in trouble, Amir hid. It was when Amir flew out to visit Rahim Khan, Khan that Amir had found a way for him to finally redeem himself. Amir was finally able to find redemption and gain back his honor by finding Hassan’s son and bringing him to American to live with him. To prove that he has gained his redemption and can finally start over, he says "But I'll Take it. With open arms. Because when spring comes, it melts snow one flake at a time, and maybe I just witnessed the first flake melting" (Hosseini 371). What Amir is saying is that he is trying to start his life back over with Sohrab and he knows that it is going to take some time. Amir is okay with that and compares it to when the snow starts to melt in the spring time. The quote also shows that he has finally atoned for his sins and that there is great hope for a bright future.

Hosseini, Khaled. //The Kite Runner.// New York: Riverhead Books, 2003. Print

Sterner, Doug. //Congressional Medal Of Honor Society.// Home Of Heroes. 2009. Web. 12/3/09.

2. Daniel Kron & Josh Wilson

Event

Amir meeting with Rahim Khan



Life in Afghanistan is different than life in the United States of America in almost all way but one; Afghans and Americans all base their life off of respect and honor. Baba feels like Amir is not a child that lives with respect in his life; he feels like he takes things for granted. According to Baba, “If I hadn’t seen the doctor pull him out of my wife with my own eyes, I’d never believe that he’s my son” (Hosseini 23). In Amir’s childhood he never stood up for himself, he relied on Hassan to stand up for him when he was being bullied. Amir had kids push him around and disrespect him to his face and Amir never did a single thing, it was always Hassan who took the beating. In the end it was Amir’s cowardliness that ruined Hassan’s and Amir’s relationship. As time goes on throughout the book Amir slowly gains his father’s respect as they move away from Afghanistan and into America. After Baba gets sick and eventually passes Rahim Khan, one of the very few people who stood up for Amir while he was living in Kabul, contacts Amir and tells him that there is a way to be “good” again. The relationship between Amir and Rahim Khan were like they were friends, “When I was a kid, he was the first grown-up I ever thought of as a friend” (Hosseini 191). Amir respected Rahim Khan, he treated him as an equal, and Rahim was the first one he told about his writing outside of Hassan. Rahim was the one who helped put Amir’s writing by giving him a book for his birthday. Sometimes Amir felt as if Rahim was a better father to Amir than Baba was to Amir. When he heard that Rahim Khan was sick, it was a no-brainer; Amir knew that he was going to fly to Afghanistan and see his beloved friend. While he was with Rahim in Afghanistan he learned many things; he learned that his best friend got married, he learned that Hassan had a kid, and he also learned that Hassan’s son was an orphan. Most importantly Amir learned that he was living his childhood as a lie, that Hassan was related to Amir. After that meeting Amir’s entire life changed everything he thought he knew was put into focus it really reshaped his life.

Hosseini, Khaled. //The Kite Runner.// New York: Riverhead Books, 2003. Print.

3. Josh Wilson and Daniel Kron

Symbol

Infertility



During chapter 13, a key symbol occurs in the form of Soraya and Amir finding out that Soraya cannot bare any children. After a year of trying to conceive a child, Soraya fails to become pregnant. So she tells Amir that she wants to go to the doctor to see if anything is wrong. After months of countless tests Dr. Rosen, Soraya’s doctor, informs Soraya that she is infertile and cannot have children. According to Amir “when the tests were over, he explained that he couldn’t explain why we couldn’t have kids…It was called ‘Unexplained Infertility’” (Hosseini 185). This is a key symbol because it changes their lives completely. This upsets Amir because this means his bloodline will end with his death, and both Amir and his wife are upset because they cannot be parents. They are also upset because they cannot find a reason why they cannot have children, as explained in the quote. But maybe, as the story goes on, it is because they were meant to adopt Hasssan’s son, Sohrab. Maybe it was Amir’s fate to not be able to have a child on his own, but to adopt and take care of Sohrab as a way to be forgiven and redemption for what he did when he was young.

//Care For The Family.// Your Family Charity. 2009. Web. 12/3/09.

Hosseini, Khaled. //The Kite Runner.// New York: Riverhead Books, 2003. Print.