Thursday, November 20, 2014

All Boys, All Blogged: November 20, 2014

Focus: What does it mean to "enter the belly of the whale"?

1. Warming up by "entering the belly of the whale"

Offering you a broad definition

Exploring how it works in Finding Nemo (1:08:12)

  • What is Marlin’s attitude at the beginning of this scene?  At the end?  What changes it?
  • What internal and external battles is he facing? How does the external reflect the internal?
  • What might the different elements this scene symbolize?
  • Why is this an important step in the hero’s journey?


Considering how it works in The Kite Runner

Find a specific scene from a chapter you've read this week in The Kite Runner where you see Amir "entering the belly of the whale."  Reread that scene.

  • What is Amir's attitude at the beginning of this scene? At the end? What changes it?
  • What internal and external battles is Amir facing?  How does the external reflect the internal?
  • What might the different elements of this scene symbolize?
  • Why is this an important step in his hero's journey?


2. Enjoying our final fishbowl discussion of The Kite Runner

3. Wrapping up: Is Amir a hero?  Did he find a way to be "good again"?

HW:
1. Study for tomorrow's vocabulary quiz over KR, Chapters 15-20.

2. Bring your journal/sticky notes for our final annotation check.

2. Prepare your book talk if you haven't given it yet.

78 comments:

  1. On page 371, when Amir says, "For you a thousand times over," what do you think that symbolizes in the story as a whole?

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    1. As the story developed to an end, I think that Amir really changed his whole self to Hassan. He changed into treating others like Hassan, and he is really trying to imply the affect Hassan had on Amir, not onto Sohrab.

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  2. Do you support the way the author ended the book, or were you more on the disappointed side?

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    1. I did like the ending of the book because it didn't surprise me. The author was hinting at something bad happening to Sorhab ever since Amir got him. The book also ended with hope of a happy ending with that one smile.

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    2. I agree with Will, it kind of left you on the edge of your seat thinking that something might happen to Soraya or Sohrab but ended up ending it in a happy way.

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    3. I am not sure if I support the way the author ended the book because it left you wondering what happens to Amir and Sohrab

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  3. I like how they brought up the part about how Amir wants to be a father.

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  4. Do you think that when Sohrab tried to kill himself, that it was when Amir was in the "belly of the whale"?

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    1. I agree with you. That was when Amir was in the "belly of the whale".

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    2. Amir could have been in the whale multiple times. I think Sohrab was in the belly of the whale at that time.

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    3. I think Amir was in "the belly of the whale" while Sohrab was in the hospital. While Amir has had previous rough times, this was the first time it occurred while trying to do something good for someone else, showing to me that it's part of his hero's journey.

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    4. I think that yes, this was one of the times. But I also think that he was in this position many other times throughout the book.

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  5. Do you think Sohrab forgot about what has happen in his life when he flew the kites with Amir?

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    1. I think he still knew he just forgot about it for that moment.

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  6. When do you think Sohrab will start speaking again? Will he be able to forgive himself and others for what has happened to himself?

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    1. I think he will go through a healing process and finally be as he once was, which was happy and will turn to Amir as his dad.

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  7. How big of a plot twist would it be if Sohrab ended up dying in the end?

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    1. The book would have been terrible if Sohrab died in the end.

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  8. Do you think its apart of our human nature that we must go through the belly of the whale at some point in our life?

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    1. I think it is human nature that we all go through rough things in our life. It is how we react to the rough thing that makes it count.

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    2. Yes, I think it is human nature to go through the Belly of the Whale because we all have bad or dark moments, but everyone is different in how deep they go into the belly of the whale.

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    3. Yes I believe it is not by choice that we get stuck in the belly of the whale but the belly of the whale will be different for all of us. A different challenge created for us to face.

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    4. Yes, I think everyone has to go through the belly of whale at some point in their life. I don't think it's by choice.

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  9. Do you think when another person exits the "belly of the whale" another is thrown in?

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    1. In our lives we go through rough time so when someone gets out they might not be in as bad of a time so they aren't as deep in the belly.

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    2. That is a great question. I think yes, because your actions will always affect some one else as well. No matter what you do, there will be some type of impact on someone else.

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  10. What scene was Amir really in the belly of the whale?

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    1. It was when he saw what happened to Hassan or when he saw Sorab commit suicide. When he saw what happened to Hassan he did not do anything. But he did something different with Sorab.

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    2. I think he entered the belly when he watched Hassan get raped and he he got out of it when he went back to Kabul to get Sorhab.

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    3. When he broke his promise with Sohrab about not sending him to the orphanage. This lost the trust between them that was key for Sohrab's happiness.

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  11. On page 356 Amir says " my hands are stained with Hassan's blood;..." Do you think that he has found simpathy for what he believes he's done?

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    1. Yes I do think he has finally found sympathy for himself. He realizes that no matter what he does he cannot fully redeem himself and how his life is stained with the image of watching Hassan get raped.

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  12. On page 371 when Amir says, "For you, a thousand times over" Do you think flying the kites brought back happy memories from Hassan?

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    1. I think the kite was a little for Amir to relive those times with Hassan.

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  13. Why does Sohrab try to commit suicide in a bathtub? What does it symbolize?

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    1. Water tends to represent a rebirth in most stories. I think that by using a bathtub, the author tried to show us that not only was Sohrab finding a new life, but so was Amir.

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    2. I remember Sohrab saying that he felt dirty to Amir when he ran away. I think he though the only way to become clean was ending his life in a clean environment.

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    3. He does it because the promise that he had with Amir about not sending him back to an orphanage was broken and he thinks that his life is only filled with suffering, he attempts suicide because of that and it symbolizes how hard the lives are of kids in that part of the world at that time and how they would rather die than suffer.

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  14. On page 361 Amir tells General Sahib , "One last thing General Sahib. You will never call him 'Hazara Boy' in my presence. He has a name and it's Sohrab."
    Do you think this is the final stepping stone for Amir and him exiting the "belly of the whale" now that he is standing up for Sorhab (could represent Hassan)

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    1. I think that saying that the boy is not Hazara but his own really shows Amir trying to get out of the belly of the whale.

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    2. I believe so because he always hid away from problems and either let others settle them even if it was his problem, but once he stood up for someone that wasn't himself I think he lost that feeling of being scared and felt what it was like to help another being just like his father used to.

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    3. I believe that this was him stepping out of the whale's belly. I think that when he stands up for Sohrab, he truly redeems himself in the front of Hassan he does not have to feel as bad about failing Hassan.

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  15. If there was another chapter in the book, what would happen?

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    1. I think it would continue to show their relationship growing.

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  16. I think hassans whale was assef

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  17. When Amir takes Sohrab to the hospital after he tried to kill himself does it makeup for what happened to Hassan when they were kids?

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  18. "The Taliban scurried like rats into caves" (362) How do you think Amir and Sohrab felt about the Taliban being attacked by the Americans?

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    1. I think they felt a little good about them getting attacked. The wrongers are getting wronged back. Karma has happened.

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    2. It probably brought up bad feelings in both. Both Amir and Sohrab experienced terrible things with Taliban, so while they might have been happy, it was probably hard to be constantly reminded of the past.

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    3. Depending on what their inner selfs were feeling, they could of felt anger and rage against them but also they could of felt sorry because they were people too just chose a different path

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  19. Did Sohrab do the right thing?

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  20. WIll America change the way these characters feel?

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    1. I feel they will be aloud to do they things they want to do. They can fight kites and not go in trouble.

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  21. How do you think Sohrab and Amir are going to act over the whole suicide attempt? How drastically did their relationship change?

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    1. I don't think their relationship will change much because he wants to make up for Hassan, where their relationship went down the hole after Hassan got raped and he doesn't want that to happen with Sohrab and him. And Amir is just happy Sohrab is alive.

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  22. Religion plays the role of the book. Different opinions cause tension. This is what changed the novel.

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  23. How did Amir praying for Sohrab show his love for him?

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    1. Prayer is something very important in Middle Eastern countries, it shows health and that you're thinking about them.

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    2. I believe Amir is showing his love for both Sohrab and Hassan.

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    3. I am surprised at the amount of love Amir felt for Hassan. By praying for him, which had not done for 15 years before that, really shows Sohrab that Amir cares for him even more than a father.

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    4. Coming from an area in the world that is very religious then prayer does not seem like much there, but in America, where people pray less, then praying for someone is a much bigger meaning and really shows his love for someone.

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  24. How did Amir and his wifes relationship change when he told her his entire story?

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    1. I think she saw the real person that Amir is.

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    2. I think she was happy for him, that she was able to see Amir able to face his inner demons.

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  25. "Are you Happy?"(333) Amir was hoping Sohrab would be happy but he is being quiet and keeping to himself. Sohrab Defentily feels a lot safer though.

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    1. With Sohrab keeping quiet, I think Amir feels that he can relate because that is what he did growing up after the what happened in the alley.

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    2. Amir and Sohrab have a special connection because they both had rough childhoods.

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  26. On page 371 when the author said, "Hardly there. But there." shows that Sohrab is starting to open up to Amir once more after they went to America. What do you think will happen to Amir and Sohrab's relationship in the future?

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    1. I think they will have a good relationship with each other. Amir showed Sohrab that he cares about him. He is trying in the relationship and Sohrab is noticing this.

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    2. I think that depends on how he decided to treat him

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    1. Do you think Amir cares so much because he wants to get rid of his guilt?

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  28. Why don't you think that the author made a bigger deal in the scene when Amir told his wife his whole story. It was represented as if it was something small, but in reality is was a huge deal.

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    1. Amir has changed and the author wanted to show that he is stronger now.

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  29. Amir has changed and has redeemed himself from what he did when he was a kid.

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  30. Do you think Amir's love for Sorhab is how he should've treated Hassan?

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    1. Yes he is trying to redeem himself with Hassan.

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    2. Yes, I do think that he's love for Sorhab is how he should've acted with Hassan, but now that Hassan is dead, he must feel like Sorhab is Hassan's reincarnation and he truly loves him like he should.

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