Tess is a newlywed

The novel has only gotten more interesting. A lot happened in the beginning and i found it hard to believe that there could be any more drama. Tess runs into Angel once again, and to me he seems like a really great guy.
For me Tess really struggles with herself in this section of the novel. She is dealing with the guilt of loosing her child Sorrow, and at the same time is dealing with falling in love with Angel. Not only is there guilt from loosing her child, but she also is dealing with the perception that Angel has of her. Tess is hiding the fact that she lost her purity to Alec and Angel is lead to believe that Tess is really still a virgin. On Tess' defense i think that it is not really her fault what has happened to her between Alec and the child. I think she is too hard on herself and should trust herself with Angel. I think it is really unfortunate that Angel is disappointed with her especially since Angel does not have the cleanest past either.
I really hope the newly weds can work out their problem. To me Angel seems like a great guy. After all, all the girls on the farm were in love with him. Maybe Angels name has some significance. Maybe he is Tess' Angel and will help her through her hard times.
Over all I am sure the novel is guaranteed to get even more interesting, with more twists and turns.

The Lost Integrity

The second section of this novel shows the extreme change in our protagonist, Amir. He has undergone an extremely life changing event: his decision to not help Hassan in that alley. Because of this decision, his life is turned upside down.
This is obviously something that bothers Hassan as well. Ali tells young Amir, “’Lately, it seems all he [Hassan] wants to do is sleep’” (Hosseini 81). This, to me, shows a young man who is understandably affected, adversely at that, by what has happened to him.
The guilt of knowing what he did affects Amir as well. Amir and Hassan go up to their pomegranate tree and Amir laments, “the words I’d carved on the tree trunk with Ali’s kitchen knife, Amir and Hassan: The Sultans of Kabul…I couldn’t stand looking at them now” (Hosseini 87).
I really cannot imagine trying to live with having made the decision that Amir made. He knows that he has lost all shred of integrity that he may have once had. His life from that moment on was shaped by that decision. More than that, he knows that something that he had done, or not done, had changed the life of Hassan forever. He knew that he saw so much of Assef in himself.

Response: Angel Clare

Angel Clare was the first character I took a liking to in this novel. When he first appeared in phase the first, Angel really interested me. I enjoyed the idea of him and his brothers just passing through Marlott as they traveled. As Angel leaves, Tess and him have an unspoken moment, Angel regrets not dancing with her and the mysterious boy intrigues Tess. Immediately after I read of this would be encounter I sensed foreshadowing of them having a future together. However as I read further, I began to think maybe I would never hear of Angel again. Fortunately, this is not the case, and in fact, in phase the third, entitled, "The Rally", they begin to build quite a fancy for each other. Within the first description of Angel I felt he was superior to Alec, in a way, his replacement. The passage, "Beneath it was something educated, reserved, subtle, sad, differing."(87), was the first to give me this idea. In addition, an entire chapter was dedicated to informing the reader of Angel's past, and reasons for residing at Talbothays Dairy. This alone is a testament to how Angel is going to be a more significant and ethiclly sound character than Alec. Another reason Angel appeals to me as a character is how he lives and his way of thinking. Angel's desire to pursue agriculture rather than what his father wishes he would pursue also highly interests me, considering the time this novel takes place. I look forward to see how Angel and Tess's relationship builds and progresses.

Stand Up

In the novel "The Kite Runner" written by Hosseini, Khaled, Iam currently on Chapter eighteen. Although I am further ahead in the book I would like to go back to chapter 7 and 8. In the book "The Kite Runner" these are the most important chapter thus far. Although 8 is more significant than chapter 7. This is where all the shame comes from in the book. Amir does nothing and does not stand up for Hassan his life long friend. Although he runs away and comes back acting like nothing happened. Hassan said nothing. Amir feels so much guilt he is torn and feels hate towards Hassan. When Amir and Baba are in the garden Amir says "Baba, have you ever thought about getting new servants" (Hosseini pg.89). Of course his Baba gets very upset and wonders why. He assumes that is a fight between the boys, but he is wrong it is that Amir can't stand the thought of looking at Hassan. He know that day Hassan got raped he should have sticked up for him. Amir tried to get Hassan to fight with him, but he doesn't. After Amir tried to sabotage Hassan more he tells his father that Hassan stole from him. Baba goes to Hassan to ask him, Hassan says "Yes"(Hosseini pg. 105). That is the moment that Amir knew that Hassan new that he had seen what had happened. He new if he had said no that Amir would have gotten blamed, because Baba would have believed him. These two chapters are striking and explain all of the regret that Amir has on that day. He had let down his life long friend and brother of all people. Amir not standing up was the biggest mistake of his life losing a friend and having his Baba lose a son.

Truth Shall Set You Free

            I am now on page 165 for Kite Runner and at this point I am very disgusted and appalled at Amir. How could he subject his “best friend” and “brother” and someone who shared the same breast as him to such lies? Why would he want to get rid of Hassan and Ali and break his father’s heart? The father’s heart break is quite obvious when Amir notes, “Then I saw Baba do something I had never seen him do before: He cried,” (Hosseini 107). Amir talks about how his father forgives Hassan, “… When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth,” (Hosseini 106) and he was reacting with shock as if he couldn’t believe his own father would forgive Hassan yet Amir was a thief himself; he stole Hassan’s right to the truth, so why should he be anyone special? He was nothing but a total hypocrite, especially when he said he loved Hassan more than anything in that moment when Hassan confirmed that he stole the money and the watch. He loved him for not revealing Amir in his true colors, “…he was rescuing me once again, maybe for the last time,” (Hosseini 105). So why couldn’t he apply the same concept to himself – he would love himself more if he was there for Hassan or at least confess to the lies that he told.
            I am also kind of disappointed in Hassan… I would think after everything Hassan had done for Amir, that moment when he confirmed himself to have stolen the watch and the money should have been the moment where he spoke out, “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.” But then, after pondering this part in the story, I realize that he did say “enough is enough” because it was then Hassan and Ali had decided to leave regardless of Baba’s protesting and pleading. I found that very sad because I couldn’t imagine myself like Amir who were withholding such truth and going through with more lies, and not only that but continuing to be selfish. I still don’t understand why it is so hard for Amir to just admit to Hassan that he was a coward and that he couldn’t be there for Hassan in the way that he wanted to be. Sure, it would be difficult but you know the common saying of, “Truth shall set you free.”
            I guess “truth” did set someone free… it was Hassan, because now he would never have to deal with the burden of being so damn loyal to Amir "agha".

After The Last Kite Fell....The Kite Runner.

Amir is growing from his youthful ways into adulthood. Amir has gone from poking fun at Hassan to courtship. I believe this is a key prospective in the story. In the beginning of the story Amir was childish in his ways. " I had abandoned the text altogether, taken over the story, and made up my own, Hassan, of course, was oblivious to this" (Hosseini 30). Amir has developed his character. He is now a young man and has strayed away from this. He's now ready for commitment and for his life to begin. "That summer of 1983, I graduated from High school..." (Hosseini 131). This was a mile stone for Amir to cross. He now had an education and was learning the civilized ways of America. He was making his Baba proud.
Now comes Amir's final jump into adulthood. His Soraya he had finally found. Amir has now found, what is to him, his life's partner. "My heart stuttered at the thought of her. Soraya Thaheri. My swap meet princess" (Hosseini 142). Amir continued to grow quite fond of Soraya which developed into much more. Amir decided that he was mature enough that he was ready to pursue his life long partner. After his father becomes ill he has one more thing to ask his Baba. "i want you to go khastegari. I want you to ask General Taheri for his daughter's hand" (Hosseini 161). This is the peek of Amir's growth in to adulthood. I believe that Amir's growth is essential to the story, and he is finally starting to grow.

Jason Brown

The Story Kite Runner Blog C

Amir and Hassan aren’t every good friends anymore or not friends at all. It seems that Amir is done with helping Hassan now. The last time they went up to the hill Amir hit Hassan “Hit me back!” I snapped. Hassan looked from the stain on his chest to me” (92). Right there I felt that they have lost of what happens to many friendships and wouldn’t be the same after that. “ What am I going to do with you Hassan? What am I going to do with you”(93). Amir just wants to worry about himself and not to worried about both Hassan and himself so Amir decides to let Hassan go as a friend and moves on. Later on in the book when you read you see that Amir has been interested in someone.
In Chapter 12 you see that Amir is looking at Soraya which Amir finds very interesting and wants to be with her. When Baba and Amir are in the flea market Amir runs off to get them a coke, and amir stops to see Soraya. “Salaam,” I said “I’m sorry to be mozahem, I didn’t mean to disturb you”(145). After that moment at the flea market Amir wanted Soraya more.
When Baba got sick he didn’t want to go to the doctor at all and wasn’t worried about getting sick or even dying. Amir gets worried about his father Baba and makes him go to the doctor but Baba won’t go see any doctor at all, he doesn’t want to see an American doctor. “Baba, I read Dr. Schneider’s biography in the waiting room. He was born in Michigan. Michigan! He’s American, a lot more American than you and I will ever be!”(145). Soon after this Amir wants to get married and looks to Baba for help. “I want you to go Khastegari, I want you to ask General Taheri for his daughter’s hand”(161). After Baba talks with general Taheri, Amir finds out that they will be getting married.

"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"

            The way the author, Joyce Oates, wrote about Arnold Friend, she made him sound like an illusion, almost like he wasn’t a real man but a devil. For example, when I read this, “One of his boots was at a strange angle, as if his foot wasn’t in it,” (Oates 518). It reminded me of the physique of the devil. The devil is short and ugly.
            The fact of how he knew everything about Connie and where everyone was, it is almost like he has God-like powers, the ability to see “down” on people and know exactly what they are doing and who they are struck me as odd. Granted he might have been asking around but it didn’t seem like he ever bothered to ask around, he just simply “knew”. If he was asking Betty about Connie, Betty would tell Connie about the creep that was asking about her, wouldn’t she?
            The next thing that I found really convincing that he might be the actual devil, trying to pass off as a human being was when he said in the story, “'But why lock it,'” … “'It’s just a screen door. It’s just nothing,'” (Oates 518). It sounded like he was stating that he could go through it with no problem, just like a ghost could pass through a door. He probably realized this and he was about to blow his cover so he hastily spoke, “’I mean, anybody can break through a screen door…’” He also stated he could just as easily set the house on fire (Oates 518) and we all know what main component Hell is made from – fire.
            Lastly but not the least, he seemed to have the power to “hypnotize” someone as it seemed to show when the girl tried to pick up the phone but “something roared in her ear … she could do nothing but listen… “(Oates 520). By then I was definitely convinced that Arnold Friend was definitely not a friend, much less a human being but a devil. How could he send such terror with something as simple as roaring noise in the ear and STILL be standing outside the house like the story implicated him to be, the story also never implicated that Arnold Friend made the noise at all yet it was obvious it was him.

"A&P"

At the beginning of the story the cashier sounds like a guy who doesn't have a lot to do and these chicks walk in and catch his eye. To the first two chicks don't really interest him but the third chick he seems to be very interested, like he has never seen a lady like this at which point seems to be very very interested more.
When you read on in the story you see that they don't like the girls in the store because the way they are dressed. "Girls, this isn't the beach" (222). The manager of the store which gave me the idea that he disproved of what they were wearing in the A&P story.
At the end you can see how Sammy felt about what the manager did to the girls. "I quit" (223). Sammy said this to be some type of hero for the girls in the store, but the girls just walked out. After Sammy quit he walked out of the store and when we walked out and didn't find the girls he maybe felt some type of regret for quitting and maybe wanted his job back.

A & P

The story “A & P” is a well written story with excellent detail. While reading this story I felt that John Updike had done an amazing job of describing everything to create a vivid mental picture. The detail that Updike uses in describing the three girls like “She was a chunky kid, with a good tan and a sweet bread soft-looking can with those two crescents of white just under it” (Updike, 1) is probably the most detail I’ve ever seen or heard to describe a girls rear. At first because of the great detail Updike uses in describing the three girls I started to form the opinion that “Sammy” (Updike,20) and even Updike himself is kind of a pervert. Then I found that Updike goes into great detail in describing a lot of things like how he describes the aisle “they come around out of the far aisle, around the light bulbs, records at discount of the Caribbean Six or Tony Martin Sings or some such gunk you wonder they waste the wax on, sixpacks of candy bars, and plastic toys done up in cellophane that will fall apart when a kid looks at them anyway.” (Updike, 12) reminds me of a small town grocery store that I’ve been to. The way Updike uses detail made me feel like I was in the “A & P” with Sammy and the three girls.