Blog Post (Snow Day)

In The Kite Runner, the main character, Amir, discovers that one decision he made changed his life. When Amir won the kite race, he ordered his best friend, Hassan, to go find the kite. Hassan, being a loyal friend, retrieved the kite but was violently beat up by three Afghan bullies. Amir watched the bullies beat his best friend up, as he was much to cowardly to stand up to the bullies. The relationship between Amir and his best friend changed, and they never saw each other again. Amir now realized that the one action he did caused his life to change entirely.

So far, I am enjoying Romeo and Juliet. I like how Shakespeare uses metaphors to suggest the reader to think about what exactly is happening. Shakespeare also uses vivid language to really embellish the way we interpret the text. I also like the personality of Mercutio, being the playful friend who is sarcastic and funny. Relating the book to the movie allows us to compare our imaginations to the characters presented in the movie. Reading Romeo and Juliet may be difficult, but is nonetheless a moving tale about two lovers.

Blog Post #6

The best thing about my book is the vocabulary and imagery included in the text. In The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini describes each scene in vivid detail and descriptive vocabulary, giving the story a metaphorical meaning behind it. For example, when Amir is describing the way he feels about America, Hosseini creates a metaphor in the form of Amir's thoughts. "America was different. America was a river, roaring along, unmindful of the past. I could wade into this river, let my sins drown to the bottom, let the waters carry me someplace far. Someplace with no ghosts, no memories, and no sins." In this particular thought, Amir expresses his feelings of America as a form of a sanctuary, or a place where he can be free of his past memories. Amir feels that in America, his memories are washed away. He feels that in America, his past is something insignificant. Amir believes life in America is altogether a new one for him. This is all shown in metaphorical text by Hosseini, with the river being Amir's life washed away. The vocabulary and imagery really add to the overall meaning behind the story in The Kite Runner.

This article gives more insight into The Kite Runner.
 

Blog Post #5

Just yesterday, I began the book The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. The novel begins by taking place in the winter of 2001. It seems like the story will take place in the middle eastern country of Pakistan, although the story begins when the narrator is walking along Spreckles Lake in the Golden Gate Park. In the following excerpt from the novel, Hosseini shows his writing capabilities through imagery. "The early-afternoon sun sparkled on the water where dozens of miniature boats sailed, propelled by a crisp breeze. Then I glanced up and saw a pair of kites, red with long blue tails, soaring in the sky. They danced high above the trees on the west side of the park, over the windmills, floating side by side like a pair of eyes looking down on San Francisco, the city I now call home." This passage makes me think of a certain eutopia where the environment is perfect. I also like the way Hosseini used personification "...danced high above..." and "..like a pair of eyes looking down...". The personification allows for more description and imagery. This part of the first chapter thoroughly describes the setting of where the narrator is presently. This is shown by the vast amount of sight sensory details and figurative language.

This picture shows Golden Gate Park.