The Kite Runner; blog #4

The end of this novel was full of so much information! I was surprised by the ending and I was a little let down that there wasn't any real sort of closer. One of the main lessons this book teaches is that no matter who you are dealing with you need to treat them the way you would want to be treated. When Amir learned about Hassan's background, he regretted even more the way he treated him. This novel also taught me not to expect a book to always be happy, becasue that's not how most people's stories end.
I'm so glad i read this book. I was really impressed with the connections between the charaters and how the author was able to amke all of the characters relatable. It's one of my favorite books.

Blog #3; The Kite Runner

This story has many ups and downs. First its happy then it turns to sad then it's back to happy and just when you think the story will keep getting happier, it turns sad again. Baba's death was so sad. A lot of people showed up to the funeral but Amir was heartbroken. I'm really glad that he convinced his father to talk to the general before he died though. Amir and Soraya make such a good cuple! Also I think Baba's growth as a character was very big. He went from being ashamed of his son to really caring for him. Showing him the light on his watch to keep him focused in the dark fuel tank truck, getting him a car, supporting his writing, helping him with his marriage, and including Amir in his life. I've really enjoyed this story so far, all the ups and the downs.

Blog 2; The Kite Runner

As i continue to read The Kite Runner, I am still disappointed in Amir. Although he feels guilty for not helping his friend he does nothing about it. Instead he accepts everything his father gives him, he always wants to spend time with him and for the first time his father is willing to do it. Even though Hassan is clearly going through a rough time, Amir does nothing. There were plenty of times where Amir could talk to Hassan and work things out but he doesn't. I really don't like that he is slefish and that he didn't do anything when Ali told Baba they he and Hassan were leaving. But i am really enjoying the story.

Blog 1; The Kite Runner

I chose this book because earlier in the year we read A Thousand Splendid Suns and I really enjoyed the writing style. So far I have like The Kite Runner a lot. It sets up the setting very well, as well as the character relationships. So far I have learned that Amir uses Hassan when it is convenient for him and then he becomes ashamed of their friendship when anyone else is around. I can tell as I read this that Amir is kind of ashamed of himself for doing this to Hassan but at the same time he doesn’t change his ways. He doesn’t treat Hassan fairly and Hassan does everything he can for him. The end of chapter 7 was really sad; I don’t understand why anyone would think to do that. I also was very upset by what Amir did, but it didn’t surprise me in the least.

What responsibilities do we have to each other?

As a race we have the responsibility to keep each other safe. In Frankenstein Victor did not keep this responsibility very well. He created a monster much larger and stronger than humans and once he had brought it to life, he just let it go because he was afraid of it. Victor did not think out his experiment, he didn’t think about how it would behave, if it would integrate into the world it was created in, weather or not it would pose any kind of threat to others, or how to control it if anything went wrong. It was Victor’s responsibility to make sure that by creating this monster, no one would be hurt. Another responsibility that we have to each other is companionship. As humans we have a desire to be loved and cared for. The monster was denied this right because Victor, again, did not think everything through. Creating something so hideous and large left no room for it to have a companion especially if its creator wasn’t even able to care for it.

Pride and Prejudice

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife" (Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice) Is this true or false? This line not only begins the novel Pride and Prejudice but it also begins a lot of disputes. Many people, even in our own class, have different ideas on what Jane Austen is trying to say and what she means by this line.
Personally, I don't think Jane Austen meant much by it. She acknowledges that during the time period in which she was writing, this statement was true, or so every woman thought. Mrs. Bennet proves to be an excellent example of this. Her only wish is to marry off her daughters and once she hears that a single wealthy young man is coming to town her first thought is that he will of course want to marry one of her daughter. This does not mean that he will marry her, but considering that it is common knowledge that a man with a good fortune is only in want of a wife, he must.
As i continue reading i find more and more evidence that Austen's first line of this novel is her opinion on how most women during that time viewed men. They thought that every man wanted a wife, which is usually true but not always. Mr. Darcy seems to be a good example of a wealthy man that truly has no desire to marry. He does not want a wife nor is he looking for one. He, like Elizabeth, is waiting for it to happen. I feel that Austen wrote this first line so that she could provoke thought in her readers to make them think about why men are proposing and why marriages are taking place.

Blog #2

As we continue reading i feel like the sense of adventure has dwindled down. It has become very predictable and isn't as interesting as it was when he was first landed on the island or the story that landed him there. I can see the foundations for the more modern novels in Robinson Crusoe but i feel like because i am used to the modern writing a can't fully enjoy the simpleness of this story. There aren't too many complex ideas, nor is there a lot going on to keep the mind working. In today's discussion we talked about the point of view and how Crusoe is telling the story or has told someone the story. Hopefully this means that then ending of this book will be exciting to read. How he gets off the island, if he gets off, or if someone comes to the island, these ideas give me hope that this book wont have a bad ending. Maybe there will even be a surprise twist.