kooky_scholar

The Kite Runner Chunk 8

2008-06-11T23:20:00.000-07:00

Amir immediately makes arrangements to see Rahim Khan, and he is anxious to discover a remedy for the guilt that has been plaguing him for most of his lifetime . Upon his arrival to Peshawar, he is welcomed by a frail, ailing Rahim Khan . After sharing maor details about each other's current lives and catching up with moments missed, their conversation leads to the inevitable,and they start talking about Hassan. Rahim Khan explains that soon after Amir and Baba left to America, Ali was killled. Rahim Khan, who was all alone in Baba's huge house in Kabul invited Hassan and his wife to come and live with them. Initially, they completely deny his offer, however they resort to living in the headquaters behind the house, where Hassan had lived as a child. They soon have a son, Sorab, and he grows up in the likeness of his father. Rahim Khan ends the story describing the tragic murder of both Hassan and his wife by the communist soldiers. Rahim Khan then reveals his request for Amir to rescue Sorab from an orphanage inn Kabul, and bring him to Peshawar to a cople waiting to adopt him. He gives Amir the name of the couple, and noticing that Amir is hesitant about such a huge favor, Rahim Khan finds the need to convince him further. He then reveals to Amir that Hassan was his half brother.
Question: Could Amir have guessed as a child that Hassan and his father had a deeper connection than merely servant boy and master?

The Kite Runner Chunk 7

2008-06-11T22:46:00.000-07:00

After several weeks, Baba's sickness was getting progressively worse, and he soon found out he had cancer. During this time, he asked Soraya's father for her hand in marriage for Amir; the Afghan way to do it. Soon after the wedding, Baba died, and Soraya and Amir remained happily married. They tried repeatedly to have kids, and gradually gave up after a while. After 10yrs of marriage, Amir receives a call from Rhim Khan, who informs him that he is very sick, and that Amir should come to Pakistan as soon as possible.The twist, however lies within Rahim Khan's last statement prior to him hanging up the phone. "Come. There is a way to be good again" ; confirming Amir's suspicions that he was aware of Hassan's rape the whole time.
Question: What was Amir anticipating by going to Pakistan?

The Kite Runner Chunk 6

2008-06-05T04:26:00.001-07:00

Soon after Ali and Hassan leave, things get worse in Kabul, with the Russian communists raiding the city. Baba and Amir flee Kabul on a bus with several other people, leaving their property and possessions to the care of Rahim Khan. The bus ride is uncomfortable and crowded, with many people in similar situations. During the trip, Baba again proves his courage, when he stands up to a Russian soldier who tries to rape a woman, claiming to rather loose his life than witness the soldier commit such an act. At the end the woman is saved by another soldier, while Amir questions and admires his fathers courage. When they get to America, Baba finds it hard to adjust. Amir attends college, and to his father's initial dismay, major's in creative writing. Baba is getting older, and his health is notably deteriorating. They start selling some goods at an Afghan market on Sundays, and Amir meets a woman he falls in love with, and names her his "Swp Meet Princess"
Question: What was the significance of Amir seeing Kamal in the basement?

The Kite Runner Chunk 5

2008-06-05T04:25:00.002-07:00

On Amir's thirteenth birthday, his father throws him an extravagant party, with half the people in attendance unfamiliar to him. Assef is there with his parents, whom Amir notice, seem intimidated by their son's meer presence. Amir receives a book about Hitler as a gift from Assef, which he immediately discards without even reading the first page. Hassan and his father, on the other hand, painstakingly save up enough money to buy Amir a brand new copy of Shahnamah, his favorite book. Amir feels undeserving of their kind gesture, and finally decides that he cant live with the guilt. Knowing that his father hates theft, he purposely puts his birthday gifts under Hassan's pillow and accuses him of stealing his things. Hassan does not object to the accusation, and even though Baba forgives him, Ali and Hassan decide to leave. Amir is suprised that his father forgives Hassan, and he is even more surprised when his father cries as they leave.
Question: Should Hassan's departure remove Amir's guilt?

The Kite Runner Chunk 4

2008-06-04T04:25:00.000-07:00

Amir continues to live with the guilt of witnessing Hassan's rape, and for about a month, he tries to distance himself from him; waking up just in time from school, preoccupying himself with school work, and ultimately becoming an insomniac. Hassan on the other hand, remains loyal to Amir, making his food in the morning, speaking to him frequently, and trying to rekindle their relationship, only to be turned down by Amir, who still feels guilty. As a result of his accomplishment during the kite running competition, Amir's father starts to spend more time with him, however, Amir understands that the relationship is not sincere, realizing that his father's newfound attention is tied solely to the competition. One day, Amir suggests that his father get new servants to replace Ali and Hassan. Infuriated by this mere suggestion, Baba harshly asserts that he would never consider that, stating that "Hassan's not going anywhere...this is his home and we are his family." Baba also warns Amir to never mention the subject again.
Question: What is revealed about both Hassan's and Amir's character when Amir repeatedly throws the pomegranates at Hassan who does not retaliate?

The Kite Runner Chunk 3

2008-05-27T22:19:00.000-07:00

Hassan and Amir participate in an annual kite running contest in Kabul, their hometown. This time however, Amir feels an added pressure to win in order to impress his father. Both boys practice throughout the year, and discover that Hassan has a gift of detecting exactly where the kites would land. On the day of the tournament, to his amazement, Amir's kite is the last left flying, so he wins the first half of the tournament. Hassan succeeds in winning the second half of the tournament by retrieving the second to last kite left standing. Upon his acievement, Assef and his group approach Hassan in an alley and demand that he hand over the coveted kite. Hassan refuses, and in anger, Assef rapes him in front of his two friends. Amir, who witnesses this tragedy, runs away, without attempting to help Hassan. He carries this guilt with him for the rest of his life.
How would Amir's life have been different if he stood up for Hassan?

The Kite Runner Chunk 2

2008-05-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

Amir and Hassan continue to spend endless time together and form a brotherly bond. Amir finds himself concerned about the fact that Hassan is a Hazara only when they are confronted by the neighborhood kids. One particular kid, Assef, teases Hassan, who retaliates in an attempt to defend Amir. In response to Assef, Amir almost finds himself reducing Hassan to a mere servant in hopes of defending himself. Assef promises both boys that he will "get them" someday. Soon after that, Amir's father arranges for Hasan's hare lip to be fixed for his birthday.Contrary to what might be expected, Amir also notices that his father never misses Hassan's birthday.
Why did Amir only think about Hassan's true identity when confronted by the likes of Assef?

The Kite Runner-Chunk 1

2008-05-22T23:23:00.000-07:00

The Kite Runner begins with the narrator revisiting an old friend upon his request in December of 2001. He attributes the person he is today to a nameless event that took place in the winter of 1975. The plot then shifts to the days before the event, where Amir(the marrator) and Hassan(his servant) spend alot of time playing together as children. Hassan who was a hazarat( a shunned group in that part of Afghanistan), was the son of Ali, Amir's father's servant. After boh losing their mothers before the age of one, the boys grew up more like brothers as opposed to mere acquaintances. Hassan, who was illiterate, anticipated hearing Amir read stories to him, and the boys soon formed an unbreakable bond. However, after observation and an overheard conversation, Amir begins to feel less thne Hassan, and also senses his father feels this way...

How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents

2008-05-12T02:41:00.001-07:00

The thmes of "Conformity(wanting to be like others)", and "the struggle to fit in(having two cultures)", could not be more apparent in the lives of the four Garcia sisters in Julia Alvarez's How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents. The Narrative begins in the Dominican Republic where Carla, Sandra, Yolanda, and Sofia enjoy a luxurious and adventorous childhood with their family and friends. In the middle of this all, their lives take a drastic change when their father gets in trouble with the secret police and they have to move out of the country as soon as possible. Each of the girls assimilated into the American culture differently, some faster than the others. From boys, to friends, to loved ones, and even strangers, each of their stories entwine to form an unforgettable tale of culture
Question: What clues does the title give about the story? In what ways did the Garcia sisters(directly or indirectly) "lose their accents"?

Flowers In The Attic

2008-05-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

"Way upstairs there are
four secrets hidden.
Blond, beautiful, innocent
struggling to stay alive...."
V.C. Andrew's Flowers In The Attic displays the themes of 'loyalty v.s deceit', and 'overcoming human cruelty.' A mother 'trades' the freedom of her 4 children for a fortune promised to her by her father, when she locks them up in an small attic for years. Her attempt to hide her children from her father is fostered by her own mother who deems the children "devil's spawn." Their grandmother treats them horribly, resorting to unthinkable acts in order to prevent them from turning out "like their mother." Eventually, what began as a harmless concealment turned into the murder of her own son by arsenic poison. After three miserable years of confinement, the three remaining children travel to Sarasota, Florida, where "the flowers bloom everyday of the year."
Question: Can the mother's actions be jsutified if she claimed to want the inheritance to 'give her kids a better life'?

A Child Called "It"

2008-05-04T19:47:00.001-07:00

The Child Called "It" by Dave Pezler is an autobiographical account of a severe child abuse case.Much like The Narrative of Frederick Douglass, this book recurringly presents the theme of 'overcoming human cruelty.' Overtime, Dave, who was constantly abused by his alcoholic mother, became less than her son, less than her slave, and a mere "it."Throughout his childhood, Dave had to devise ways to either outsmart his mother, or at least make it out of her "games" alive. On several rare occasions, particularly days when the social worker was expected to visit the house, Dave's mother attempted to treat him like a human being. However, as soon as the social worker was gone, she carried on with her absurd games such as burning him on the stove, and restricting him from eating even out of the trash can.
Many of the scenarios in the book were gruesome and extremely saddening, but I was still able to enjoy the book, finding comfort in the fact that Dave survived and shared his story to make people more aware of child abuse.
Question: In what other ways can Dave's story(and other child abuse cases) be compared with Frederick Douglass' story(and other slave stories)?

Full Frontal Feminism #2

2008-03-04T23:08:00.000-08:00

"You're a feminist.I swear"
In the second "chunk" of the text(ch.5-10), Jessica Valentini adresses issues such as abortion, women in the working world, unnecessarry expenses, motherhood,and traditional gender roles. Taking these controversial topics from a feminists point of view, Valentini asserts that every woman has a right to decide for herself what, when or how to live their life. Valentini believes that people who are against sex ed classes teaching contraception care more about young women being "punished"(i.e. pregnancy) for having premarital sex, than about decreasing the number of abortions. Valentini declares "big fat weddings" unnecessary, and categorizes wedding fever as the "scariest disease" she's ever seen. Throughout the whlle chunk, Valentini counters the absurd notion that women should "stay in their place", and she urges young women to create their own standards and not be restricted by the "norms" of society
Tone
Argumentative
Rhetorical Terms
Logical Appeal-"A 2006 report showed that 87% of "pregnancy crisis" centers-which have received more than $3o million in federal funding- provided false or misleading information about abortion.
Question(s)
-Will the distribution/discussion of contraceptives in sex ed classes cause a significant decrease in abortions or does it give teenagers the wrong idea?
-Are big expensive weddings worth it since its only one day?

Full Frontal Feminism:A young Woman's Guide to Why Feminism Matters

2008-02-20T21:13:00.001-08:00

"Your a feminist. I swear"
In "Full Frontal Feminism", Jessica Valentini boldly asserts her opinion regarding society, the government, as well as women's misconceptions about feminism. She suggests that many young women are "feminists at heart", however, they "are too afraid to say it- or even to recognize it." In the first few chapters, Valentini counters several stereotypes about feminists who are apparently portrayed in society as either ugly, lesbian or old. She also indicates that feminism is almost too often associated with the word anti; "anti-sex, anti-men, anti-everything." Valentini adresses issues from 'sex eduction vs. abstinence only', to 'unattainable beauty standards', in every case suggesting that society as a whole contributes to young women's uncertainty about what exactly is "acceptable."
Tone: Blunt/Revealing
Rhetorical Devices: Logical appeals-statistics
Anecdotes
Informal Language

Fabulous 40: Cultured-civilized: marked by refinement in taste and manners

Are any actions required from a young woman in order for her to be considered a feminist?

Putting a Plague in Perspective

2008-01-02T19:42:00.000-08:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/01/opinion/01halperin.html
In “Putting a Plague in Perspective”, published in the New York Times on Jan. 1, 2008, Daniel Halperin counters the, in his opinion, “unreasonable” claims made by the leading Democratic presidential candidates to “outdo even President Bush’s proposal to nearly double American foreign assistance to fight AIDS”. Halperin, an HIV AIDS specialist for 15 years refers to these claims as “missing the mark”. The candidates have pledged to commit $50 billion dollars to surpass President Bush’s request of “only” $30 billion for AIDS and related problems. Halperin suggests that this significant raise in HIV funds is unnecessary, not only because the $50 billion is only limited to the HIV-AIDS program, but also because many other public health needs in developing countries are being ignored. Contrary to what many people think, “most African nations have stable adult H.I.V. rates of 3 percent or less”. On the other hand, “many millions of African children and adults die of malnutrition, pneumonia, diarrhea motor vehicle accidents and other largely preventable, if not headline-grabbing, conditions.” Nevertheless, last year, the U.S. spent almost $3 billion dollars on AIDS in Africa while they spent only $30 million on safe water projects. According to Halperin, this 100-to-1 imbalance in funds is undue, and after visiting some countries in Africa, he accounts “While in that sparsely populated country last month, I learned that much of its AIDS money remains unspent, as even its state-of-the-art H.I.V. clinics cannot absorb such a large influx of cash.”
Tone:Argumentative
Questions: Should so much money still be invested in AIDS? What other epidemics/pandemics or foreign problems are generally ignored? How should the imbalance in funds be fixed?

Zimbabwe's AIDS patients in an endless line for drugs

2007-12-31T19:59:00.000-08:00

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-aidsdrugs30dec30,1,1992841.story?coll=la-headlines-world&ctrack=6&cset=true
In his 2007 LA Times article, Robyn Dixon discusses the growing problem with drugs for AIDS in Zimbabwe. Dixon explains that since the government started to ignore the need for treatment, the people have resorted to the help of traditional healers. Alexander and Perpetual Mudewe, a couple living with AIDS in Zimbabwe loose all hope after waiting in a five hour line for antiretroviral drugs, only to be told that the hospital was not registering any more HIV patients. “They just tell you to come back tomorrow. You come back tomorrow and there’s another long queue again…you end up giving up…you end up going home” they explain. According to the World Health Organization, only 91,000 out of 321,000 people who need drugs in Zimbabwe have them. Dixon uses the stories of various people with AIDS in Zimbabwe to show the level of exigency regarding the need for drugs.
Tone:Informative
Question:Should the people in Zimbabwe give up hope? If not what can they look up to as a source of hope?

Project 50 for the Homeless

2007-12-31T18:42:00.000-08:00

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-homeless26dec26,0,2585919.story
In “project 50 for the homeless” which appeared in the LA Times on December 26 2007, an anonymous author asserts the opinion that “starting small on skid row just might work.” The author discusses a new program called “Project 50”, a nonprofit organization that plans to house 50 people on skid row. By interviewing each skid row resident, the Los Angeles County workers are able to determine which 50 people are the “most vulnerable.” Project 50 then plans to put these people in “permanent homes with the healthcare, drug treatment, mental health services and counseling they need.” The author refers to Los Angeles as “the nation’s homeless capital” and ultimately suggests that the even though Project 50 is a small step, the next step is 100, then 1,000, then 10,000 people.
Tone: Optimistic
Question:Is it worth it to start out small on skid row?What will happen if the plan does not go as planned?