The circumstances in which this passage takes place is obviously the time after Hassan's rape, in which the guilt is killing is torturing Amir and he is has realized that the choices that he made that day has truly hurt more people than he could've ever imagined. A metaphor that I found that led me to believe this would be him saying, ". . . the monster in the lake". I think that this metaphor represents the moment in which Amir has begun to acknowledge that he is the person that unintentionally is causing the ones around him to suffer with his selfish actions, the monster. Another metaphor that I found would be, "I was the snake in the grass". This metaphor represents Amir seeing that the people who are around him get hurt by him unexpectedly. Think of Amir as obviously the snake hiding within the grass and he's the predator. Hassan would be the prey …show more content…
This metaphor represents Amir desiring not to continue to live his life with the guilt that was basically suffocating him to the point where he was beginning to regret his choices and deeply reflecting on who he was as a person and friend to Hassan. Aside from that I found a simile, "I flinched, like I'd been slapped". This meaning that the emotionally pain that he's suffered is similar to someone being slapped. This passage could represent the themes of betrayal, redemption, and love. The love in this story being the brotherly loved that Hassan has towards Amir being selfless while Amir's towards Hassan could be called selfish. Even though Hassan knew of Amir being present that day in the alley his love towards Amir was strong enough to forgive him. The betrayal being that despite the loyalty and friendship that Hassan has given Amir he decided to not stand up for him, he betrayed Hassan's trust. The last theme being redemption due to Amir wanting to do something in order to redeem Hassan's friendship and trust back but isn't doing anything to do
Hosseini shows that it is Amirs immense guilt that drives him to want to make things right and to earn redemption. We learn the basis Amir's guilt through his memories. It is caused by a lack of response at a time when his loyal servant and close friend Hassan is in trouble. Amir makes a conscious decision to hide in the distance and just watch, not because he was afraid. He sacrifices Hassan in order to earn his fathers attention and affection. This decision results in Hassan suffering though a traumatic experience and is the root of Amir's lasting regret.
Anybody who is placed in a situation where there's no rule, no leader, no responsibility, fighting, and there’s something to be afraid of they will turn to the darkness within all of us. This is shown in Lord of the Flies, school boys are stranded on an abandoned island they kill a pig after that they hunger for slaughter, meanwhile they need protection( from the beast) so they hunt and leave gifts for the beast. In chapter nine Jack has his own tribe and the group is getting riled up meanwhile Simon is coming from the woods to tell that the beast is just a dead parachute man but the Jack's tribe kills him. When they first got on the island they would never have done this type of thing, but after time they realized they can do what they want
Sharon Kennedy, I agree with your response because Amir was obviously clueless when Baba told him that Hassan is part of the family. Also, Amir was unaware of the fact that Hassan was really his own family, his own brother at that time. Instead, he thought Baba meant family like relationship. If Baba had revealed the truth to Amir earlier in the book, then Amir might not actually blame Hassan for stealing his watch and the money. Also, Assef and the two Pashtun boys might not really assault Hassan in the alley; Assef only raped Hassan because he was a Hazara Servant. Khaled Hosseini uses these various word choices such as diction to set the tone of the story. You explained very well by clearly describing about the passage you chose. I liked
Many people in today’s society tend to believe that a good education is the fastest way to move up the ladder in their chosen. People believe that those who seek further education at a college or university are more intelligent. Indeed, a college education is a basic requirement for many white collar, and some blue collar, jobs. In an effort to persuade his audience that intelligence cannot be measured by the amount of education a person has Mike Rose wrote an article entitled “Blue Collar Brilliance”. The article that appeared in the American Scholar, a quarterly literary magazine of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, established in 1932. The American Scholar audience includes, Company’s , Employees,
From Amir's actions, thoughts, and attitude, I have come to the conclusion that he portrays the traits of one of a Pisces, the zodiac sign characterized for its creativity as well as its indecisiveness. Depicted as two fish swimming in contradicting directions, Pisces are often portrayed in situations of uncertainty and doubt, as they struggle to determine between two choices, two decisions, or two pathways in life. This certain aspect of a Pisces is evident in Amir as his mind persistently remains upon the scene he witnessed, reminded of his regret and decision in the alley way that has haunted his life as he stood watching, lacking the courage and will to intervene. As a result, it is stated that he often wonders what would ahve occurred
In the essay, “What You Eat is Your Business”, Radley Balko writes to tell his audience about how the government is trying to control people’s health and eating habits by restricting food, taxing high calorie food, and considering menu labeling. Balko includes in his essay that government restricting diets and having socialist insurance is not helping the obesity problem, but it is only making it worse because it not allowing people to take their health in to their own hands so they have no drive to lose weight or eat healthy. In his essay, Balko is targeting society, including those who may be obese, he is trying to show them that the laws our
The intense feeling of inferiority was emerged in a variety occasions, which became so overwhelming it lead to betrayal. The novel basically revolved around Amir and his struggle of jealously from Hassan. Amir is constantly jealous and telling lies to obtain his desire of his father’s attention and affection. An example of Amir lying to his father to be alone with him is, “He asked me to fetch Hassan too, but I lied and told him Hassan had the runs. I wanted Baba all to myself.”
The young boy feels just as bad as Hassan does when he got raped. For example, after the rape, Amir is in a crammed room with his family and he can’t fall asleep. He whispers to himself hoping other people would hear, “I watched Hassan get raped” (Hosseini 86). This represents, as a result of how Amir finally accepts his guilt for Hassan, and want to fix his sins in the past.
One of this novel’s themes is the ability to redeem oneself by removing political and religious barriers and fighting for what is right, without allowing obstacles to prevent such action. In the first quotation presented, Amir redeems himself for hiding money beneath Hassan’s mattress to frame him for larceny. Years later he has “planted a fistful of crumpled money under a mattress” (pg. 254), this time it’s to provide for an impoverished household. This is Amir’s way of starting to apologize to Hassan. The subsequent quote presents Amir realizing that the only way to be released from his past is by repenting. Amir says ““I have a wife in America, a home, a career and a family”. But how could I pack up and go back home when my actions may have
Amir’s selfishness is often channeled through his guilt and sense of fear. Although Amir witnesses the tragic event that unfolds in front of his eyes, he immediately realizes that he fails to prove his loyalty to Hassan. While staring down the alley, Amir realized that he “had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan-the way he’d stood up for me all those times in the past-and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end…I ran because I was a coward” (77). By witnessing what was happening in the alley, a sense of fear rushed over Amir, ultimately leading to his decision of running away like a coward. By running away, Amir shows that he cares more about himself in this situation than he does about Hassan. He has a fear of what will happen to him if he intervenes, when
Due to Amir betraying Hassan he feels that he has an unsettling amount of guilt, which makes him embarrassed about his childhood and adulthood. Finally, Amir has his father’s respect, but it doesn’t feel as satisfied knowing that he betrayed Hassan. When Amir sees his family, after the kite ceremony he feels like an outcast. He went away from them, and was “sitting on the edge of the pool, empty save for a layer of slushy snow at the bottom, feet dangling in… It shouldn’t have felt this way. Baba and I are finally friends…. that should have been fun, spending the day like that with Baba, hearing the stories. I finally had what I’ve wanted all of this years. Except now that I have it, I feel empty as this unkempt pool I am dangling my legs into” (84-85).
Through the use of disturbing descriptions of events that occur all throughout the novel, imagery can best be seen in the way in which Amir goes about treating those around him. While struggling with an immeasurable amount of guilt causing him to not think clearly, Amir decided that the best way to solve his problem was by turning to violence, which many people in today’s society also do. Until one confesses to their actions, as Amir finally did at the end of the novel, that guilty feeling will eat away at one’s conscience and
This quote is mainly about Hassan, and how he’s a good friend to Amir, but it also shows how Hassan protects and defends Amir no matter what. This could also foreshadow on
Throughout the novel, Amir endeavors to be approved by his father, Baba, who is admired by people in Kabul. Unfortunately, Baba believes that Amir, unlike him, is very unmanly “and [that he] never fights back. He just... drops his head ” (Hosseini 24). Since Baba wishes for a son who would stand up for himself, he can’t help but observe that Amir’s friend Hassan, as the guy who “steps in and fends the [bullies] off” (Hosseini 24) is his idea of the ideal son. Though aware of his father’s expectations, Amir is unable to change himself and instead envies Hassan and the fact that Baba treats him like his own son by“[patting]Hassan on the back. [and even putting] his arm around his shoulder [like a fatherly figure]”(Hosseini 15). Despite the manifestation of this hatred in Amir, he continues to recognize the bond that he shares with Hassan, “ brotherhood between people who had fed from the same breast” (Hosseini 11) which is because both their mothers died during birth. The confusing emotions he feels for Hassan has Amir face a situation in which he acts inappropriately and allows the guilt to manifest upon him. After winning a very important kite tournament for the first time and “seeing Baba on that roof, proud of [him] at last” (Hosseini 71) Amir begins to search for Hassan who had gone to run his kite earlier. Finally, Amir finds him in a dark alley and as he “peeks around the corner” (Hosseini 75) he witnesses a sight that eradicated not only his relationship with Hassan but also Baba’s brotherly relationship with Ali, Hassan’s father. Peeking through the corner of the alley, like a bystander, he watches his one and only friend getting raped. The guilt that came upon him was for two reason; one, his lack of courage to stand up to
The expression "riddled with guilt" is a good way to describe the main character's life, Amir, in the book The Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseini. The Kite Runner is a story about an Afghan boy, Amir, who has many hardships throughout his life as he grows from a boy living in war-torn Afghanistan, to a successful writer living in America. Amir experiences many events that caused him to carry a great amount of guilt throughout his life. So much guilt that it even turned him into an insomniac. He needed to find a way to make amends which would allow him to forgive himself and hopefully, one day, be able to sleep soundly again.