Thursday, October 30, 2014

All Boys, All Blogged: October 30, 2014

Focus: How can student-led discussion lead us to a better understanding of The Kite Runner, Chapters 11 and 12?

1. Warm-up: Building up your background knowledge to better understand The Kite Runner

a. As a class, brainstorm which words, people, historical events, terms, etc. have come in The Kite Runner that you don't quite understand.

b. With your grid groups, select the two or three topics that you'd most like to know about, and take a little time to research them.  Discuss how the research helps you understand what's happening in The Kite Runner (be sure to write down research and responses in your grids).

2. Participating in Fishbowl #2: Chapters 11 and 12

3. Wrapping up a discussion with a whip-around: What are your take-aways and questions?

HW:
1. Study for tomorrow's vocabulary quiz over Kite Runner words in Chapters 7-10.

2. Bring your independent reading book or The Kite Runner to class tomorrow; also bring your sticky notes or blue journals.


3. Start reading and annotating Chapter 13 for Monday.

124 comments:

  1. Why do you think the story jumps forward in time?

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    1. It jumps forward because nothing very important happened in those years.

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    2. I think it jumped forward in time because the author wanted to show the change in the main characters. By having a different setting, and different characters, the author shows that someone can change a lot.

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  2. Why do you think Amir made Baba ask Soraya to see if she would marry Amir?

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    1. Because Amir knows that Baba is going to die soon, and Amir knows he will be alone. I think he wants her not only because he loves her, but he is afraid to be alone when Baba is gone.

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    2. Also, it is custom for parents to arrange marriages more so than in the U.S.

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  3. Why does Baba love the idea of America?

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    1. America provides a safe haven for Baba and Amir because they don't have to fear for their lives or run away.

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    2. I think Baba loves the idea of America because he hates the Russians and America was helping the Taliban to take over Afghanistan from the Russians. Also their is nothing really bad going on in America so it would be a good place to live.

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    3. To Baba he loves that he can see the ocean and know that he is in a more safe place. It is way safer than Afghanistan but he also is missing his culture.

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    4. Baba loves how America accepted them for a new start. They don't have to be worried about Russians or Taliban killing them.

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    5. Baba and Amir love America because it is a new beginning for them. It gives them a chance to forget there past and move on.

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    6. Baba likes the idea of America because it is a place for a new beginning and so he can give Amir a great place to live.

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  4. The years in between that may have been insignificant to the plot; therefore the author excluded it.

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    1. The author probably thought the plot wasn't important and he should show the outcome.

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  5. Why is Baba starting to get upset over simple things that don't effect him very much?

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    1. I think he's getting upset easier because he missed Afghanistan, and he's not as wealthy and as happy as he was in Afghanistan.

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    2. He was also in a way higher class than he is in America, he was a face everyone recognized and now he is nothing, just a worker.

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  6. I like the part when they brought up how Amir and Baba were bonding and Amir told him that he wanted to be a writer.

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    1. Why do you think that Baba said that a writing degree would be useless for Amir even though he brags about it to the General?

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  7. On page 164, Amir says "I envied her,her secret was out...Soraya Taheriwas a better person than me. Courage was just one of them." Do you think Soraya Taheri will change Amir for the better? Meaning that she will help persuade Amir to fix things with Hassan?

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    1. She could change him. It could also help him if he wanted to find and be friends with Hassan again.

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    2. Soraya could change Amir's life. She could convince him to fix things with Hassan and I think eventually she will but it might take a long time for Amir to say the words out loud and not just in his thoughts.

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  8. On page 131, "Baba walked out of the welfare office like a ma cured of a tumor." when he rejected the food stamps. Would being caught by another afghan using food stamps from the welfare office lower Baba's respect?

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    1. Maybe Baba thought that since he was in the upperclass in Afghanistan when he saw another Afghan watch he pay with food stamps he might think his respect is lower

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  9. Baba is used to telling people what to do not people telling him what to do. Hes also not use to the laws and regulations of a country like the US.

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    1. Baba had a lot of respect and money in Pakistan. Then over night he losses all that when he leaves. So he has to start from the bottom again then work his way to the top.

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  10. I think its hard for Baba to adjust from Afghanistan to America because the government is based totally different.

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    1. I think it's also hard for him because the culture and rules alone are different as well. On page 127, Amir mentions: "In Kabul, we snapped a tree branch and used it as a credit card. Hassan and I would take the wooden stick to the bread maker. He'd carve notches on our stick with each loaf of naan we owed..." This explains why Baba had such a hard time with getting asked for his ID at the store. That didn't generally happen in Kabul.

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    2. He also doesn't have many people in America that know of him while in Afghanistan, almost everyone knew him because he is a big guy and a good businessman.

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  11. On page 128, Baba quotes,"What kind of a country is this? No one trusts anybody!" How does this show Baba's attitude towards the country? Give examples. Also, what could this symbolize?

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    1. This goes back to Afghanistan. He was known in Afghanistan and he was rich and everyone knew his name. In the U.S. he isn't well known and is seen as an outsider. I think this is just his reaction to a new role in his life. He isn't the center of attention anymore so he had to have an outburst where he was the center of attention.

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  12. Do you think in this story Amir will go back to Afghanistan or will the setting remain in America?

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    1. I think Baba is going to die soon.

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    2. I think it will stay in America because at the begging of the book it talked about how Amir was all grown up and living in San Francisco. (pg 1,2)

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    3. I think the setting will remain in America for the time being. America is where Soraya is and Amir wants to stay for her. It seems like Baba doesn't really like America but he thinks its better than where they came from.

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    4. I think he will stay in America because at the beginning of the book he gets a call from Rahim Khan and he is in San Francisco.

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    5. I think it is possible that Amir returns to America because that is where he grew up. Also because of his curiosity of what happened while he was away, I don't think Baba will return because he is too old and his health is bad.

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  13. In Kabul, Baba was wealthy and respected. In California, he earns low wages working at a gas station.

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    1. You have to rebuild your reputation in a different culture. Moving cause them to start back at the bottom.

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  14. On page 129 it says " we ate in silence that night. After two bites, Baba pushed away his plate." Does this show anything about the relationship between Baba and Amir, is it changing again because Baba feels as if he is less respected in Maerica?

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    1. I think their relationship is reverting back to how it was in Kabul. They are becoming more distant.

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  15. On page 129 Amir says, "You were happier there (Afghanistan), Baba. It was more like home. Do you think Baba is going through "culture shock" as Cooper mentioned, also do you think this move was beneficial to Amir?

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    1. Yes, I think he is in deep cultural shock. Baba is used to being very respected, friends with everyone, having servants, and having trust. Here in America, not one thing is the same. This will benefit Amir because in a way, Amir has more power than Baba now.

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    2. Baba is indeed going through a culture shock. On page 128, Amir quotes,"My father is still adjusting to life in America...". Also, this move was very beneficial to Amir. He graduated high school and now has a major in mind for college. Amir is now away from his past in Afganistan, so he can start over.

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    3. I think that Baba is going through a major culture shock when he came to America. America is very different from Afghanistan and it seems very hard for Baba to adjust to their new life.

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  16. Off what Zach said, Baba is almost sacrificing himself for his son to be in America so Amir can live a better life and be successful in the future.

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    1. It's almost like Baba respects Amir more in America then he did in Afghanistan.

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  17. Do you think he regrets moving at all?

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    1. I think Baba does but Amir does not.

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    2. I do not because they left a place that was in a very bad shape. Then they came to America where it is a lot better then Pakistan.

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  18. I think it was a good decision because if they stayed in Kabul they couldve died.

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  19. The reason that Baba doesn't want to back is really because of Amir, When they left they left because of the bad environment and how it was less safe for Amir. Even though Baba is having a hard time adjusting I believe that Baba does like America and the freedom.

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  20. Do you think Amir and Baba miss anything from Kabul? If so, what?

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    1. Well first of all they sure loved being rich and respected. Now in America, everyone looks at them like trash.

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    2. I think Amir misses Hassan and his friendship .

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    3. Both Amir and Baba miss Kabul itself. Back at their home, Baba was highly respected and praised for his work. Amir was famous for winning the kite cutting competition.

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    4. I think Baba misses Kabul the most. He misses their wealth and social class. He also misses the community in Kabul, how everyone knew each other and were friendly. Baba doesn't like how everyone is mean to each other in America. Amir most likely misses Hassan but he still holds that guilt of seeing Hassan get raped. He isn't ready to face that.

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  21. Do you think Amir sees moving to America as an opportunity to escape his past?

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    1. I think that Amir just wanted a fresh start and moving to America is that fresh start for Amir because nobody knows him or his family. He is free to be whoever he wants to be now that he lives in America.

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    2. Yes, I think he does. But I think it is going to teach Amir, and he will fix his mistakes.

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  22. What is the difference between Baba's and Amir's views on America?

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    1. Amir sees it as a fresh start, but Baba sees it as a step back because he now has to work his way back up to the upper class.

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  23. Background Knowledge: The Taliban Took Kabul on September 27, 1996 the bodies of former Afghan president Mohammed Najibullah and his brother Ahmadzai were hung by a traffic light on a busy Kabul street

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  24. On page 159, Amir finds out that Baba has brain cancer. What do you think Amir was feeling when he was first told about the cancer? Do you think the cancer will eventually kill Baba or do you think Baba will live through it?

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    1. I think that Amir feels the same way Hassan did when he was being raped. Amir is probably sad because that hinders the time that his has to impress his dad and earn his fathers respect. I think that if they still lived in Afghanistan since they were rich and respected it would be easier to get treatment but, in America since they are poor it will be a lot tougher and end up killing Baba.

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    2. Why did the author make Baba love America so much with the quote, "It was living un America that gave him an ulcer," on page 125. How does he use the word ulcer?

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    3. "There is chemotherapy, of course," he said."But it would only be palliative."What does that mean?" Baba asked. Dr.Amani sighed. "It means it wouldn't change the outcome just prolong it." page 156. Because Baba doesn't want treatment he will probably die in a future chapter.

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  25. My point is Kabul has never been a safe place

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  26. "By Afghan standards"(147) By this line you can tell that there are certain social standards everyone in Afghanistan tries to live up to. Baba is trying to live up to these standards.

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  27. Has Amir and Baba's relationship gotten stronger since they moved to America?

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    1. I think their relationship has gotten stronger because they now have to almost everything together, like run their both at the flea market. Also since Baba has gotten cancer he needs someone to be their for him and that someone is Amir.

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    2. They have become closer as friends and as father and son. They respect each others decisions even more. There is no more blood money or being proud of a kite.

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  28. On pg 137 Amir and Baba on "Sunday mornings, they drove to the flea market, and sold the junk for a profit." This really shows how they were adjusting to america, business is different from Afghanistan to America, America is a huge country built off of business

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  29. Do you think that Amir has more power than Baba now? Because of the way Amir understands the american culture a lot more?

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    1. I think Amir does have more power because he chose to go to college for creative writing which Baba disapproved of but he didn't care.

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  30. On page 128 Baba says "What kind of country is this? No one trust anybody!" What aspects of an American life is Baba going to have to adjust to?

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  31. "Baba loved the Idea of America"(125) America is known as the dream land to many people in middle eastern countries. Baba knows if he lived in America he would have a much better life.

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  32. Do Baba and Amir "switch roles" when they move countries?

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    1. The social roles people play in America are much different then the roles they played in Afghanistan.

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    2. In a way they do Harrison. Amir has figured out the lifestyle in America faster than Baba and this helps him with his own life. Also, once Amir goes to college and gets an American education it will help him.

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  33. On pg. 134 "A pair of steel hands closed around y windpipe of the sound of Hassan's name." What does this show about the guilt Amir still has, Amir has changed as a human but he still has regret and guilt thinking about what had happened to Hassan.

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  34. Why was it so easy to adapt the American culture for Amir and so hard for Baba?

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    1. I don't think it is at all because they had nothing and they had a lot of money and respect in Pakistan. They do not have that in America.

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    2. I think it was so easy for Amir to adapt to the American culture because he was ready to forget and move on. Amir was ready to move on and forget about what happened to Hassan.

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    3. I think in a way, it is how you are born. Baba was born and raised for the majority of his life in Afghanistan. Amir still has a long way to go, and from the start, I think he struggled to fit in Afghanistan because he was just meant for the american life.

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    4. I think it was easier for Amir to adapt because unlike Baba he only spent through his teen years in Afghanistan but Baba spent his whole life there.

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  35. Does the kite still hold any symbolism at this point?

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    1. Yes it does, I think it will come back later in the story.

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    2. I think that the kite from the beginning doesn't hold as much symbolism as it did before, but it still has some symbolism because it is was caused this whole story. Without the kite, Hassan would have been fine, Amir and Hassan would still be friends, Amir and Baba would have not left Afghanistan, and everything else that has happened and will happen in the book would be very different.

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  36. I think it foreshadows him not having anyone if she runs away which is a point where Hassan can come back into the story?

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  37. On page 136 when Amir says, "I used to tell Hassan that we'd walk on a strip of seaweed-strewn beach, sink our feet in the sand, and and watch the water recede from our toes" Do you think what happened to Hassan still haunts him and he regrets what he did?

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    1. I think Amir will always feel guilty for not stepping in and at least saying something. What he saw in that alley that day was the defining moment of his life so I think that he thinks about that day a lot because he still feels guilty.

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    2. Of course it still haunts both Amir and Hassan. Hassan got raped. That will stick with him for a long long time. And Amir watched it, and that will also stick with him for a long long time.

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  38. The end of chapter 12 may foreshadow Amir's past getting exposed later in the book.

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  39. What will the relationship change throughout the book, them being married and knowing they both have dark secrets how will it be exposed, Amir knows her secrets but she doesn't know his secrets. It could be a positive marriage or a negative marriage.

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    1. If he tells her it will be a positive relationship, but if he doesn't their marriage will seem strong at first until she finds out.

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  40. Why does the author make Baba love America so much even though he makes no money and is practically invisible? On page 125 Amir states, "It was living in America that gave him an ulcer." How does Khaled (the author) use the word ulcer in this sentence?

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    1. Ulcer:
      1.Pathology. a sore on the skin or a mucous membrane, accompanied by the disintegration of tissue, the formation of pus, etc.
      2.peptic ulcer.
      3.any chronically corrupting or disrupting condition, element, etc.

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    2. In this sentence the author uses ulcer as a moral blemish or corrupting influence.

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    3. I think Baba likes America so much because it is a fresh start and a new beginning. They can start over from the bad life they had in the middle east and they could leave from all the Taliban.

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    4. Thats what I thought Harold.

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  42. "Soraya Taheri. My Swap Meet Princess" pg. 142. What does Swap Meet princess mean?

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    1. A swap meet is another term for flea market.

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  43. Will Hassan appear back in the story? If so, when and how?

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    1. I think that Hassan has to enter the story again because Amir still hasn't healed from that day. He still feels guilty and so it is still affecting his life each and everyday.

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  44. With Amir having the rape on his mind do you think he could ever picture Hassan in another way or would he always picture Hassan as his servant who got raped?

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  45. I don't think that anyone can say that if Amir tells about the rape it could be helpful or not, that's a huge statement to make, Amir could benefit knowing that just telling someone for the first time would be helpful or telling his wife who has had dark secrets too will accept it.

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  46. On page 155 Amir says to Dr. Schneinder, "I'm sorry doctor, this isn't going to work out." Why does Baba care so much about his doctor being Roussi when Amir seems to be fine with it?

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  47. How do you think Soraya will feel about Amir's past if he exposes it to her? What do you think she will do?

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  48. How do you think Amir will make up for what happened to Hassan? Was the first chapter foreshadowing Amir trying to "avenge" Hassan?

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  49. I would agree that Amir might not understand how much his dad loves him until he passes away.

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  50. Do you think Amir has changed and learned from what he did to Hassan?

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    1. Slightly, but as long as he keeps it a secret Amir will never be a changed man. I think that he will continue to become better as he grows closer to Soraya and he adapts more to American life.

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  51. Do you think Amir realizes all the sacrifices Baba makes to live in America?

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    1. Yes Harold, Baba wants Amir to succeed in the future.

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    2. Baba moved to America for Amir. He sacrificed his homeland so Amir can get a better education and live in peace.

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    3. I didn't ask if Baba wants Amir to succeed in the future, Blake.

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  52. Do you think Amir will solve his past and his problems with new wife wen he goes back to Afghanistan?

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  53. On page 157 Baba says to Amir, "What's going to happen to you, you say? All those years, that's what i was trying to teach you, how to never ask that question." What does he mean by this?

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  54. Do you think if Baba dies Amir will want his approval more than he ever did before, or do you think he'll move on?

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    1. I think he will want the approval more because Amir was willing to give up his friendship with Hassan just to get his fathers approval.

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