How Change Can Change Your Life Forever - 975 Words

Change. It’s funny how one change can immediately alter your life forever. But the best changes come unexpectedly, like a sudden gift. My gift arrived on February 4th, 2012. I groggily opened my eyes and pulled myself out of bed. I loathed leaving the confines of my blankets this early on a Saturday, but I had already promised I would make my parents pancakes today. So I trudged down the stairs, trying hard to snap out of the foggy haze that surrounded me. By the time I began pulling pancake mix out of the cabinet and milk out of the fridge, I had reached a kind of mostly awake state. So when my dad thumped down the stairs as loudly as an elephant, I was a bit confused. My parents never woke up before 10:00 on a weekend. If one parents woke up before the other, they had to be extremely quiet. â€Å"Theodora, go get dressed!† my dad exclaimed. I goggled at him like I would a crazy person. Get dressed? Was he insane? It was 8:00! I had no school, and plans for lazing around all day. Where could we possibly need to go? â€Å"But why?† I asked, demanding an explanation for this absurd situation. â€Å"BECAUSE WE NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL! YOUR MOTHER IS HAVING A BABY! Now go get dressed!† I raced upstairs, adrenaline washing away all traces of sleep that still lingered. I pulled on my clothes, not caring if they were inside out or backwards or mismatched. A strange fear of being left behind surged through me, filling me with a new determination to hurry.. As I sat in the car with myShow MoreRelatedI Think Tuck Everlasting, By Natalie Babbitt779 Words   |  4 PagesIs living forever a good thing, or a bad thing? I think Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt, has many messages in it, and can definitely influence people. However, could a book influence decisions in life? How about your life? This book can change the way you think about some things. Decisions for school, life, your family, etc. Winnie was faced with a difficult decision, many, actually. 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The Kite Runner Free Essays

Loyalty is an attitude of devotion, faithfulness and affection. In the novel The kite runner Loyalty is a prominent theme throughout. There are signs of loyalty between a few characters but the main ones concerning Hassan and Amir . We will write a custom essay sample on The Kite Runner or any similar topic only for you Order Now Hassan comes from a rough social background, lacks education and is the main victim of disloyalty by Amir however he was the character who portrayed loyalty the most. Amir is constantly putting Hassans loyalty to the test. He asks him if he would chew dirt and Hassan answers him in saying that if he was asked to then yes he would but he challenges Amirs loyalty at the same time in saying â€Å" but I wonder, would you ever ask me to do such a thing amir agha† . Hassan shows loyalty to Amir when he admits to stealing his watch and his money. He knew all along that Amir wanted to get rid of him and Ali however being the loyal servant and friend he was he admits to a crime which he did not commit for Amirs sake . he does this To ensure Baba does not see Amir as a liar. The main incident which proves the magnitude of Hassans loyalty towards Amir was when Amir watched Hassan get raped but did nothing to stop it. And although Hassan endured the most traumatic experience of his life he remains loyal to Amir and disregards the fact that he witnessed the entire scenario. He ignores Amirs sinful actions and instead asks if HE had done something wrong. Throughout his life, Amir is haunted by the disloyalty with which he has always treated Hassan, especially since Hassan had always been unquestionably loyal to him. Little things like hand washed and ironed clothes neatly placed on the chair and the wood already burning at breakfast time reminds Amir of Hassans continuous loyalty and causes him extreme guilt Hassan even dies a loyal man by resisting the Taliban when they came to take possession of Babas house. Amir finally gets the opportunity to change his life for the better and for a change demonstrate his faithfulness towards Hassan after his death. By Amir making a dangerous trip back to Afghanistan to rescue and raise Hassan’s son -Sohrab from the Taliban is a prime example of returning his loyalty to Hassan . Amir flies kites with sorab and tells him how hassan was the best kite flyer. He develops a close relationship with sorab and treats him as if he were his own son. He truly wants the best for Sorab and he is finally given the opportunity to be as loving and loyal as Hassan once was How to cite The Kite Runner, Papers The Kite Runner Free Essays Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul This literary analysis will evaluate â€Å"The Kite Runner†, directed by Marc Foster and based on the novel â€Å"The Kite Runner† written by Khaled Hosseini. The movie contains many universal themes however the symbolism and significance of the pomegranate tree often represents and supports the nature of Hassan and Amir’s friendship as the story progresses. The first element that needs to be analyzed is the symbolism behind the pomegranate tree. We will write a custom essay sample on The Kite Runner or any similar topic only for you Order Now The pomegranate is mentioned in the Qur’an as being a fruit from paradise. In the Qur’an it is described as being ripe and rich in color, but mirroring the pomegranate tree in The Kite Runner, it too becomes lifeless, suggesting a fall from paradise. The pomegranate trees resemble the friendship between Amir and Hassan. As it falters and weakens, so too does the pomegranate tree. Hassan has an unrequited love for Amir. He admired Amir for his knowledge; Amir would have and know things that Hassan could not. The pomegranate trees at the beginning of the movie are representative of the strong friendship that the boys share. Its bright red fruit representing new life and opportunities as they grew, and its large braches like outstretched arms sheltering them from the outside world. Hassan found refuge in Amir’s friendship just as he found refuge in the pomegranate tree. It was a positive and happy place where the boys like to play. Amir reads to Hassan underneath the trees which transport him away from his illiteracy, but just like the trees, Amir towers over him with his knowledge. Amir uses Ali’s knives to carve â€Å"Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul† into the trunk of the tree. This act represented the boys bound to one another and to the tree. After Amir bore witness to Hassan being rapped, he feels as though it is impossible to be in the same room as him. They walk up to the pomegranate tree where the boys sit and talk. Amir picks up a pomegranate asking Hassan what he would do if he hit him with the fruit. This seems as though Amir wants to test Hassan’s loyalty. Amir hurls a pomegranate at Hassan’s chest, demanding Hassan to fight back. . â€Å"Hit me back! † Amir demands. He wants Hassan to hurt him so he can feel pain. Amir wants Hassan to get revenge on him because of the guilt he had after the rape. Amir pelts Hassan with pomegranates, leaving him drenched in red fruit. The boys share the pomegranate tree; they carved their names on the trunk, fed from the same breast and they also share the same blood. Hassan being covered in red symbolizes the blood spilled after the rape. Although Hassan was the victim, the rape literally cut both of the boys, they were both hurt and their blood was shed. Hassan bled after the rape and Amir will continue to bleed because he failed to help. The rape cut their friendship apart. After being hit repeatedly with the fruit, Hassan cracks a pomegranate over his own head without saying a word. Hassan displays his unwavering loyalty towards Amir. He would never do anything to hurt Amir and the simple act of Hassan breaking the pomegranate on his own head symbolizes this loyalty and humility. The cracked pomegranates represent the cracked relationships that form between Amir and Hassan and Baba and Ali. A literal crevasse forms and divides all of the characters after they move away from one another. The tree isn’t seen again until Amir returns to Afghanistan. He travels back to his home and back to the pomegranate tree. Amir and Hassan lifted each other up just by being in one another’s company. Life for them seemed to flourish along with their friendship. The tree represents this. In times of happiness it produced rich red fruit and sunlight flickered though its leaves. The tree is a part of the boys. It seemed to feed off of them and their relationship, when it was strong the tree prospered and grew. When Amir betrayed Hassan and broke the friendship, the tree died. Their names are carved in it; they have laughed, played and fought around it. It was the centre of their lives for years. Amir, unaware of how far the ripples of his decisions could travel, killed the relationship in an instant. With the death of this beautiful friendship comes the death of the pomegranate tree. All that remains is a faded carving and fading memories of happiness. It mirrors the relationship between Amir and Hassan perfectly as well as the country of Afghanistan. Amir has lost everybody that he loved when he was a child. His soul is empty and barren, a mirror image of the landscape that surrounds him when he travels back to Kabul. Throughout this film, we see the relationship between Amir and Hassan transform. It begins with Hassan’s unwavering loyalty and great love for Amir and ends with the separation and death of the friendship. The use of the pomegranate tree is a great visual representative of this changing relationship. How to cite The Kite Runner, Papers The Kite Runner Free Essays A healthy father-son relationship is built on trust, since the older father is in a position of power and authority over the younger son. Without trust, the essential bond can only extend as far as the dishonesty lasts; when the truth comes out, there can be only bad feelings. In The Kite Runner, Baba conceals his parentage of Hassan from Amir both for cultural reasons and because he doesn’t want Amir to feel jealous of Hassan. We will write a custom essay sample on The Kite Runner or any similar topic only for you Order Now When Amir finds out, many years later, his reaction shows how much of his life the broken trust affects: How could he have lied to me all those years? To Hassan? He had sat me on his lap when I was little, looked me straight in the eyes, and said, There is only one sin. And that is theft†¦ When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth. Hadn’t he said those words to me? And now, fifteen years after I’d buried him, I was learning that Baba had been a thief. And a thief of the worst kind, because the things he’d stolen had been sacred: from me the right to know I had a brother, from Hassan his identity, and from Ali his honor. Hosseini, The Kite Runner, Google Books) Because of this essential lie, Baba’s relationship with Amir was always strained; even though Baba’s lessons stayed with Amir for his entire life, and even though he found his father admirable in many ways, the revelation of a lie held throughout his entire life taints all of his memories and shows just how much and how deeply Baba hid — both from Amir, and fr om himself. How to cite The Kite Runner, Essay examples The Kite Runner Free Essays Question: Even though countless events occur in the novel, the title refers to kite fighting and kite running. What do these activities represent in the novel and why are they so important? To whom or what does the title, â€Å"The Kite Runner,† refer? Kite fighting and kite running represent the fights in the novel and how you can lose the game and someone important in your life. If you win you can gain someone’s love and you can lose someone’s love in an instant. We will write a custom essay sample on The Kite Runner or any similar topic only for you Order Now For example, Amir won the competition and at the same time he won his fathers’ love, but he lost Hassan.Imagine if Amir would’ve lost he wouldn’t have gained his fathers’ love, but Hassan wouldn’t have gone for that kite and he wouldn’t have gotten raped and their relationship would have never gotten tainted. I think the title â€Å"The Kite Runner,† refers to Hassan because he’s the infamous kite runner that doesn’t need to follow the group and doesn’t go in the same direction. Hassan goes his own way and always gets to the location a while before the kite actually gets there. Hassan is also a very fast runner that was an advantage for him to go along with his perfect kite running skills.He would all do it for Amir since he was so loyal; the title of this novel is something Amir probably would’ve named it. The title â€Å"The Kite Runner,† represents loyalty, because when Hassan ran down his last kite he would ever run for Amir his loyal words were â€Å"For you a thousand times over. † When Amir wanted to be loyal to Sohrab, he ran a kite for him and he said â€Å"For you a thousand times over†. So the title â€Å"The Kite Runner† is loyalty and love and all the things that give you loyalty. How to cite The Kite Runner, Papers The Kite Runner Free Essays string(70) " move on because she has accepted her past and confessed her secrets\." The Kite Runner teaches friendship, atonement Review Royal Hamel â€Å"Hassan! † I called. â€Å"Come back with it! † He was already turning the street corner, his rubber boots kicking up snow. He stopped, turned. We will write a custom essay sample on The Kite Runner or any similar topic only for you Order Now He cupped his hands around his mouth. â€Å"For you, a thousand times over! † he said. So opens the pivotal event in The Kite Runner, a novel by Khaled Hosseini. The movie version, which is now in theatres, was nominated for a Golden Globe as best foreign-language film of 2007. Amir and Hassan, inseparable, fiercely loyal friends, have just won the annual kite-flying tournament in Kabul, Afghanistan in the winter of 1975 by cutting down all other kites in the air. Amir has just dispatched Hassan to retrieve as a trophy the last kite cut down. Hassan’s devotion will shortly be tested to its very limits. He is the best kite runner in the city. He finds the kite, but can he keep it for his friend? This remarkable story is played out against the backdrop of events occurring in Afghanistan from shortly before the Russian invasion of 1979 up to and including the Taliban takeover. It is a poignant, bittersweet movie that, in the context of Islamic life, portrays undying friendship, love between father and son and above all, the themes of atonement and redemption. The foundation of the story is the friendship between Amir jan (the â€Å"jan† is always added when expressing affection) and his servant, Hassan. Amir is a rich boy of privilege and prestige, while Hassan is poor and a descendant of the Hazerah people who are despised by the ruling classes in Afghanistan. Yet the boys, both motherless and raised in the same household, share a deep bond of friendship. Three older toughs trail Hassan and demand the blue trophy kite. But Hassan refuses to surrender his friend’s prize, for he loves Amir. Assef, their sociopathic leader, agrees to let Hassan keep the kite, but he will exact a steep price. Brandishing brass knuckles, Assef then attacks and rapes Hassan, as the boy is restrained by Assef’s accomplices. Meanwhile, Amir has come looking for Hassan. From behind a wall, he witnesses the grave unfolding events. He has arrived in time; Assef has not yet thrown Hassan to the ground. Amir can intervene. But he makes no cry to save his friend. The reasons are complex and deep, but not as deep as his traitorous silence. The Kite Runner has two recurring themes. First, there is the deep devotion that Hassan over and over again expresses to his friend Amir, captured in his memorable words as he runs off to bring home the trophy kite. In the face of such ardent devotion, Amir’s betrayal is of the worst kind and, even in his new life in America, he suffers remorse and inescapable guilt over the next two decades. The second theme in the story surfaces in an old friend’s cryptic challenge, â€Å"There is a way to be good again. † And the author, in magnificent storytelling fashion, weaves a tale of adventurous hope in which Amir seeks forgiveness, redemption and freedom from guilt by doing a good deed that he hopes will erase his evil past. Psychology has taught us to disregard categories like sin and guilt. Given this framework of thinking, it is surprising that this story of betrayal, consequent guilt and the quest â€Å"to be good again† should resonate with so many. Nevertheless the book is flying off the shelves. Perhaps the intellectual â€Å"faith† offered by psychology is not able to meet the real needs of people when they experience their dark moments of life. Indeed, any intellectual â€Å"faith† that rejects moral categories will always fail in the nitty-gritty of real life. It fails us utterly when we sting ourselves and others by stealing, lying, lusting, betraying and on and on and on. And so the question of how to find â€Å"goodness† again is perennial among us. We do wrong, we commit evil, we find ourselves consumed with guilt and remorse – we ask over and over, â€Å"How can I be good again? † The Kite Runner portrays one way of attempting atonement, a way as old as the hills – that of doing good deeds that will cover our past wrongs. But there is a totally different way to understand atonement. Yet another ancient way reveals that we receive forgiveness and â€Å"goodness† from another as a gift. Ironically this second way might be portrayed in Hassan’s magnificent words of devotion to his friend. What if Amir had been able to hear in his native language these words from the One once nailed to a cross: â€Å"Amir jan, for you †¦ covering your betrayals, blotting out your lies, washing away your shame †¦ for you, Amir jan a thousand times over †¦ there IS a way to be good again. † This article originally appeared in the Jan. 21 Guelph Mercury, for which Royal Hamel is a member of the community editorial board. Atonement would be a great theme to discuss in the essay topic above. The Kite Runner suggests that individuals can atone for the the bad things they have done in their past. Hosseini suggests that atonement is possible if the person who seeks redemption first admits their guilt. Hosseini explores the ideas of guilt and atonement through Amir and to a lesser extent through Baba. Rahim Khan explains the positive value of the guilt that has haunted Amir for years by showing him that it can lead to true redemption. In the novel by exploring the ideas of guilt and atonement through Amir, Hosseini is able to show the debilitating effects on his life. Amir is so haunted by his past that he fears that he and Soraya can’t have a child because he is being punished for his childhood sins. Even though Amir believes this he finds it hard to confess his sins to Rahim Khan and his secret can be compared to Soraya’s openness. Soraya has been able to move on because she has accepted her past and confessed her secrets. You read "The Kite Runner" in category "Essay examples" When discussing atonement show how Hosseini develops this idea through the development of Amir’s character. We see Amir grow in maturity, partly due to his separation from Baba as he now can accept the opportunity to atone. Rahim Khan as Amir’s mentor and friend helps to support the ideas about redemption and why it is still possible. Through Rahim Khan we see that Amir must complete his journey to achieve redemption. When Amir confronts Assef he also confronts his past cowardice and at last feels healed. By rescuing Sohrab he is not only reliving a past wrong doing he is also correcting it. The novelist Khaled Hosseini uses many stylistic devices such as foreshadowing, fragmented narrative and interior monologue to highlight the theme of atonement. In The Kite Runner, the novelist Khaled Hosseini implores that one can only atone their sins once they have admitted to their guilt and chose to seek redemption. In chapter 12 the theme of guilt reappears as Soraya, Amir’s wife, admits her past of running away to Virginia with another Afghan man. Even though Amir is stung by the thought of Soraya losing her virginity to another man, Amir still â€Å"envies her† because he is a coward and cannot pluck up the courage to confess his sins. However, it is only till chapter 24 where he reveals his past to Soraya. Amir finally admits his guilt and is on the path of redemption. He knows he must take on a new found maturity to look after Sohrab and rescue him from the taliban-Assef. The is evident in chapter 22,which takes the form of an adventure novel, as Amir sacrifices his well-being for Sohrab. In the ultimate lines of the novel Amir has redeemed himself to some extent as he repeats the lines of Hassan, â€Å"For you a thousand times over†. This is one of the most pivotal moments of the novel and Amir’s journey as he has now relieved his sins. Amir has now become the kite runner, hence the title of the novel. We know that Amir has developed and grown as a character from childhood into manhood as he helps ease his nephew’s transition from Afghanistan to America after facing turmoil. The Kite Runner: Is Redemption Truly Free? What is the worst thing you have done to a friend or family member? Lied to them? Stolen from them? After the dreadful deed, did they forgive you? And, more importantly, did you forgive yourself? While I am sometimes nostalgic for lost friendships, I know that for various reasons, history, distance, and self-preservation, there are some friendships better left in the past. But with exceptional friendships, when two souls collide and recognize and accept the humanity in each other, I believe we should all make the effort to sustain that growth. In the new movie, The Kite Runner, director Marc Forster poignantly portrays the main character’s release from guilt as he negotiates memories of his betrayal of his childhood friend. The scenes of innocent, yet precarious, friendship between two boys, Amir and Hassan (the son of Amir’s father’s servant), focus on what it means to be a true friend while mirroring the gritty conflict of Afghanistan’s volatile political and cultural history. The opening credits of Arabic-inspired calligraphy seem to represent the connection of all the characters in the story. This is a story of two boys in 1975, but also one that stretches the limits of culture and time to represent the most important of redemption stories. Spoiler Alert The movie begins with a phone call to the now-adult main character, Amir, played by British/Egyptian actor Khalid Abdalla, who has been hiding a shameful secret for over 25 years. The voice over the phone lines urges him that â€Å"There is a way to be good again. † This leads me to question what it takes to be good again. When we sin, do we essentially become bad? Christians are taught that redemption is solely brought about through Christ’s sacrifice? Can it possibly be this simple? Is it possible that a symbolic act on Christ’s part can, in fact, save all of us from all our sins? If this is the case, why are we often unable to forgive ourselves? Why do we feel compelled to perform penance when we are told that our debt has been paid? Is there some action—work, not faith—required of us beyond believing in Christ’s gift of salvation? Do we, as human beings, have a debt to pay to fellow human beings (and animals) when we have wronged them? Can salvation truly be free, or, in order to believe that we deserve it, do we need to make retribution before being able to open ourselves to salvation? Is the act of salvation tied to the act of self-forgiveness? For Amir, achieving redemption requires more than faith in a Savior. In The Kite Runner, despite the two main characters being from different cultural backgrounds (Pashtun and Hazara) that traditionally clash, the boys are raised together from birth, their fathers’ close relationship setting the stage for the boys’ relationship. Hassan (played by newcomer Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada) serves Amir (played by newcomer Zekeria Ebrahimi) cheerfully. He is the all-sacrificing Christ-figure, the one who, even in death, calls Amir to redemption. His character is an uncanny mix of innocence and strength. As a child, he is not petulant or resentful. As an adult, he reaches out to Amir even when one would expect the opposite. Amir’s personal conflict stems from his perceived inability to please his father, Baba (played by Homayoun Ershadi). Amir tries to win approval by writing stories that his father never reads. To his father’s disappointment, Amir is a coward; he relies on Hassan to defend them from their bully, Assef. Amir’s only adult supporter is his father’s friend Rahim Khan, played by Shaun Toub, to whom Baba despairs that Amir will ever amount to much by saying, â€Å"A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who won’t stand up for anything. † Rahim Khan, however, sides with Amir and encourages him in his writing. He willingly plays the role of a mother figure in the young man’s life, encouraging, comforting, and balancing Baba’s harshness. He also acts as Amir’s conscience throughout the movie, urging him to confess, to make things right. As a child, Amir finds that the only way to gain his father’s limited approval is to win the traditional kite-flying contest. Hassan always knows exactly where a kite will drop once its string has been cut. He becomes Amir’s kite runner (hence the book and movie title), chasing down fallen kites as Amir works his way to winning the competition. As Amir cuts down the last opponent’s kite, Hassan, eyes shining, shouts a farewell, â€Å"For you, a thousand times over,† and triumphantly runs to collect the trophy that Hassan will carry home to gain his father’s approval. This is the last time we see Hassan smile. Amir then commits the shocking act that requires redemption. He encounters his best friend being bullied, and ultimately raped by Assef, but does nothing to stop or even acknowledge this act. He simply hides, watching his friend’s assault, and then acts ignorant when Hassan limps to him with the kite. This act of cowardice so haunts Amir that just when we think that it cannot get worse and that Amir will confess or at least make up with Hassan, he further betrays his friend by forcing Hassan and his father out of their home. As Hassan and his father leave, Baba’s confusion and pain at the loss of the servant he grew up with do not prompt a last-minute confession from Amir. It seems as if he will truly have to live with his guilt as all chances of redemption pass by. Amir and his father flee to the United States when the Russians invade Afghanistan. Amir graduates from community college and establishes a relationship with his father only when Baba is no longer a successful businessman and philanthropist. There is another opportunity for Amir to come clean when he asks a woman to marry him and she tells him of her less-than-exemplary reputation. This is the perfect time for Amir to also confess, but he simply clams up. The moment passes. As Baba grows weak and dies, Amir still does not confess. And then he receives the phone call from Rahim Khan. The way for Amir â€Å"to be good again† is to return to Afghanistan. He learns that the Taliban have Hassan and his wife and Amir can redeem himself by rescuing Hassan’s son, Sohrab, from the Taliban leader Assef—the same man who bullied Hassan. Even Amir’s rescue seems to go wrong as Assef realizes who Amir is and refuses to allow Sohrab to leave. It is Sohrab who takes on the role of his father when he uses his father’s slingshot to shoot Assef in the eye, an act of vindication, although he does not know its significance. Upon returning to the United States with Sohrab, Amir is unsure how to relate to this traumatized boy with silent eyes. While walking through the park several months later, he buys a kite and, while flying the kite for Sohrab, shouts, â€Å"For you, a thousand times over,† echoing Hassan’s greeting to Amir 25 years earlier. As Amir flies the kite, we are left with a view of Sohrab’s hesitant smile. Things are going to be right. Amir is good again. And with this release of guilt, Amir’s conscience is light enough to soar with the kites. As a side note, the behind-the-scenes drama of The Kite Runner movie garnered attention with a story of its own. Amid possible reprisals and reaction in response to the rape scene, the movie’s release date was postponed so Paramount could secure the safety of the child stars. They were moved from Kabul to the United Arab Emirates, where the movie studio will continue to support them until they wish to return to their home country. Betrayal Redemption Betrayal, which can be considered a form of sin, is enduring and ends up being cyclical in The Kite Runner. For most of the novel, Amir attempts to deal with his guilt by avoiding it. But doing this clearly does nothing toward redeeming himself, and thus his guilt endures. That is why he still cringes every time Hassan’s name is mentioned. When Amir finds out about Baba’s betrayal of Ali (and subsequent betrayal of Hassan), he realizes that everything he thought he knew and understood about his father was false. And Amir himself feels betrayed. But Baba has been dead for fifteen years, and there is nothing he can do about the situation. Neither feelings of betrayal nor punishment are enough to redeem Amir. Rescuing Sohrab from Assef is not enough either. Only when Amir decides to take Sohrab to the United States and provide his nephew a chance at happiness and prosperity that was denied to his half-brother does Amir take the necessary steps toward atonement and redemption. Forgiveness Ideas about forgiveness permeate The Kite Runner. Hassan’s actions demonstrate that he forgives Amir’s betrayal, although Amir needs to spend practically the entire novel to learn about the nature of forgiveness. Baba’s treatment of Hassan is his attempt at gaining public forgiveness for what he has not even publicly admitted to have done. Yet the person who speaks most poignantly about the nature of forgiveness is Rahim Khan. In his letter, he asks Amir to forgive him for keeping Baba’s secret but also writes explicitly â€Å"God will forgive. Rahim Khan is confident that God will forgive all transgressions, and he encourages Amir to do so, too. Rahim Khan understands that it is God who readily forgives those who ask for forgiveness, but it is people who have a hard time forgiving. Thus, the only way complete forgiveness can occur is when one forgives oneself, and that will only occur when one has truly attempted to atone for the mistakes that one has made. http://flashcarddb. com/cardset/40798-quotes-k ite-runner-flashcards Flashcards with quotes for the UNSEEN SAC How to cite The Kite Runner, Essay examples The Kite Runner Free Essays A symbol is something that stands for or represents something else. In the book Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Hosseini uses many symbols along with direct and indirect characterization to show that guilt and regret over one incident can impact a person throughout their lifetime. The symbols of the blue kite, the slingshot, the pomegranate tree, the cleft lip and the brass knuckles develop throughout the book to create a deeper connotation for the inner theme. We will write a custom essay sample on The Kite Runner or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the beginning of the book, Kite Runner, Amir and Hassan enter a neighborhood kite fighting tournament. Amir was determined to win so he could finally win his father’s, Baba, love. â€Å"I was going to win, and I was going to run that last kite, Then I’d bring it home and show it to Baba. Show him once and all that his son was worthy† (56 Hosseini). As the tournament begins Amir cuts a kite and then another until his kite and a blue kite remained. About a hour later he cuts the last kite and Hassan turns and runs the kite for him. He sees Baba cheering for him, finally proud. â€Å"Then I saw Baba on our roof. He was standing on the edge, pumping both of his fists. Hollering and clapping. And that right there was the single greatest moment of my twelve years of life, seeing Baba on that roof, proud of me at last† (66 Hosseini). As Amir walks into his house after the tournament he sees Baba and Rahim Khan, his father finally showing how proud he was of Amir. â€Å"Then a smile played on my father’s lips. He opened his arms. I put the kite down and walked into his thick hairy arms. I buried my face in the warmth of his chest and wept. Baba held me close to him, rocking me back and forth† (79 Hosseini). The blue kite symbolizes to Amir how he wants his father’s affection. The meaning behind the blue kite for Hassan is his friendship and loyalty to Amir. Throughout the book Hassan is always trying to win Amir’s friendship and respect. Hassan says he’d do anything for Amir. â€Å"Would I ever lie to you? I don’t know. Would you? I’d sooner eat dirt. Really? You’d do that? He threw me a puzzled look. Do what? Eat dirt if I told you to? †¦ If you asked, I would† (54 Hosseini). In the winter of 1975 while running the blue kite Hassan runs into Assef and his gang, the Babalu Jeer. Assef asks for the blue kite but Hassan shakes his head saying â€Å"Amir agha won the tournament nd I ran this kite for him. I ran it fairly. This is his kite† (72 Hosseini). Even though Hassan suffered through Assef’s cruel act he wouldn’t give up the kite because he was afraid he would lose Amir’s friendship. The slingshot symbolizes protection, devotion, security to both Amir and Hassan; protection from the older boys, Hassan’s devotion to Amir, and the security of being safe. When Amir and Hassan are confronted by Assef he goes to hit Amir but Hassan threatens to shoot his eye out. â€Å"I looked in his crazy eyes and saw that he meant it. He really meant to hurt me. Assef raised his fist and came for me†¦ I saw Hassan bend down and stand up quickly†¦ I turned and came face to face with Hassan’s slingshot†¦ If you make a move, they’ll have to change your nickname from Assef to ‘the ear eater’ to One-Eyed Assef,’ because I have this rock pointed at your left eye† (42 Hosseini). The boys finally leave him alone, for the time being. Later when Hassan is bringing the blue kite back to Amir, the Babalu Jeer, corner him and threaten to hurt him. With no protection they ask Hassan â€Å"Where is your slingshot, Hazara? What was it you said? ‘They’ll have to call you One-Eyed Assef. ’ That’s right. One-Eyed Assef. That was clever. Really clever. Then again, it’s easy to be clever when you’re holding a loaded weapon† (71 Hosseini). Without his slingshot he has nothing to protect himself from the boys. Ironically enough the slingshot shows up again in almost the same situation. In the end when Amir goes back to Afghanistan to get Sohrab he is faced with Assef. While in Assef’s office Amir and Assef begin fighting and Assef begins to beat up Amir. Sohrab picks up a brass ball from a table and uses it to shoot Assef in the eye when he won’t stop hitting Amir. â€Å"Please stop†¦ Put it down, Hazara, Assef hissed. Put it down or what I’m doing to him will be a gentle ear twisting compared to what I’ll do to you†¦ Stop. Put it down. Don’t hurt him anymore. Put it down. Please. put it down! †¦ The slingshot made a thwiiiiit sound when Sohrab released the cup. He put his hand where his left eye had been just a moment ago† (290- 291 Hosseini). Sohrab’s uses to slingshot to protect Amir against Assef as Hassan had done many years before. In a cemetery there was a pomegranate tree in which held a symbol of Amir and Hassan’s friendship. They carve their names in the bark of the tree and later they return to the tree to read. As they sit under the tree an overripe pomegranate fell to the ground and Amir asks â€Å"What would you do if I hit you with this? † (92 Hosseini). Amir then throws the pomegranate at Hassan, trying to get him to hit him back in hopes that he will be punished for not doing anything about Hassan getting raped in the alley. By throwing pomegranates at Hassan, he hopes to provoke a fight. â€Å"I hurled a pomegranate at him. It stuck him in the chest†¦ Hit me back! †¦ Get up! Hit me! I said. Hassan did get up, but he just stood there†¦ I hit him with another pomegranate, in the shoulder this time. The juice splattered his face. Hit me back! Hit me back, goddamn you! I wished he would. I wished he’d give me the punishment I craved, so maybe I’d finally sleep at night Maybe then things could return to how they used to be between us†¦ Then Hassan did pick up a pomegranate. He walked toward me. He opened it and crushed it against his own forehead. There. Are you satisfied? Do you feel better? † (92-93 Hosseini). When Hassan hits himself instead of Amir it symbolizes how he could never do anything to hurt Amir. Even if it meant fighting back. The pomegranate tree also symbolizes Amir and Hassan’s loss of friendship. The two boys used to be best friends but after Hassan’s rape and they are no longer friends the tree stops bearing fruit, the fact that it eventually dies means that there is no way for the boys to regain what they had before the incident. Hassan’s cleft lip represents his status in society and his brotherhood with Amir. It signifies his poverty, simply because his family does not have the money to fix the deformity. Later Baba pays a surgeon to fix his lip, signifying his secret fatherly love. â€Å"Hassan, Baba said, smiling coyly, meet your birthday present†¦ my job is to fix things on people’s bodies. Sometimes their faces† (45 Hosseini). Hassan ends up with only a scar showing where the cleft lip once was. â€Å"The swelling subsided, and the wound healed with time. Soon, it was just a pink jagged line running up his lip. By the following winter, it was only a faint scar† (47 Hosseini). Later in the book, after getting beat up by Assef, Amir ends up having a cleft lip, like Hassan once had. â€Å"The worst laceration was on your upper lip, The impact had cut your upper lip in two, clean down the middle. But not to worry, the plastics guy sewed it back together and they think you will have an excellent result, though there will be a scar. That is unavoidable† (297 Hosseini). Showing that they are brothers and will always have some sort of connection to each other, whether or not they ended up being friends. The final symbol is Assef’s brass knuckles. Assef uses the brass knuckles to create fear in everyone who he is faced with. Anytime Assef comes across Amir or Hassan he pulls out his brass knuckles to make them afraid of him. â€Å"To an outsider, he didn’t look scared. But Hassan’s face was my earliest memory and I new all of its subtle nuances, knew each and every twitch and flicker that ever rippled across it. And I saw that he was scared. He was scared plenty† (42 Hosseini). The first time Assef threatens to beat up Amir and Hassan he slips on his brass knuckles and threatens to beat them up. â€Å"I saw with a sinking heart what he had fished out of his pocket. Of course. His stainless-steel brass knuckles sparkled in the sun† (41 Hosseini). When Amir returns to Afghanistan to get Sohrab, he comes across Assef once again and when he beats up Amir he uses his brass knuckles. â€Å"His brass knuckles flashing in the afternoon light; how cold they felt with the first few blows and how quickly they warmed with my blood†¦ The knuckles shattering my jaw† (288 Hosseini). The brass knuckles represent protection for Assef and fear for anyone who Assef threatens. Concisely, the book Kite Runner, is full of symbols that all create a deeper meaning for the innermost subject. The blue kite which represents Amir’s need for his father’s affection and Hassan’s friendship and loyalty to Amir; The slingshot symbolizes protection, devotion and security; The pomegranate tree stands for Amir and Hassan’s friendship; Hassan’s cleft lip embodies his brotherhood with Amir and Assef’s brass knuckles represents protection for Assef and to create fear in others. How to cite The Kite Runner, Essay examples The Kite Runner Free Essays The Kite Runner Suffering is The state of undergoing pain, distress, or hardship. People can suffer in many ways such as physical, mental, and sometimes spiritual. The novel The Kite Runner takes place in Afghanistan and Khaled Hosseini wrote this novel. We will write a custom essay sample on The Kite Runner or any similar topic only for you Order Now His novel about a guilt-filled child named Amir demonstrates true suffering. The characters in this book try to write the wrongs they have done and try to make piece with there suffering. Amir What is suffering to you? Suffering to me shows how a character comes in contact with a physical, mental, and sometimes-spiritual problem. I feel as if its Amir that suffers the most because his father never loved him also he feels like he killed his mother and that he had to deal with Hassan incident and that he suffers emotionally as well as physically from the incident and that he cant stand up for himself. When Amir was a kid he always try to prove to his father that he could be like him and tried to impress his father but his father never talk about Amir as if he was his son â€Å"If I hadn’t seen the doctor pull him out of my wife with my own eyes, I’d never believe he’s my son† Pg. and as much as Amir loves Baba, he feels Baba never fully loves him back. Amir desire to win Baba’s love motivates him not to stop Hassan’s rape. I feel as Baba feels guilty treating Amir well when he can’t accept Hassan as his son. He is hard on Amir, and he can only show his love for Hassan, by paying for Hassan’s lip surgery. Amir feels Jealousies about Baba’s love for H assan â€Å"l wished I too had some kind of scar that would beget Baba’s sympathy. It wasn’t fair. Hassan hadn’t done anything to earn Baba’s affections; He’s Just been born with that stupid harelip. Pg. 50 but as Amir tried to impress Baba with his stories Baba always turned a blind eye. Pg. 30 â€Å"Amir tries to show Baba the story while Baba is speaking with Rahim Khan, but Baba does not pay much attention†. But Amir always had a father fgure in his life if he new it or not. Rahim Khan who always supported Amir though his writing â€Å"My door is and always will be open to you, Amir Jan. I shall hear any story you have to tell. Bravo. † (P. 35) In the end Amir learns his father truly loved him even though he suffered to figure it out. When Amir was looking down that cold dark eternal alleyway watching Hassan getting raped he did not help because he new if he did he would get hurt to so he decided to save him self rather than save Hassan and this brings us back to what baba said early in the story â€Å"And where is he headed? † Baba said. A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything. † (Pg. 60-66) And after Hassan got raped Amir could never look at Hassan the same way so he tried to frame Hassan for stealing his watch and money too make then leave the house and n the end Amir had to suffer a lot more than Hassan even though Hassan got rape Amir dealt with the more mental and spiritual suffering â€Å"That was a long time ago, but it’s wrong what they say about the past, IVe learned, about h ow you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I nave been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years. † (Pg. 1-5) and in the end Amir trys to make everything right and try to make things right when he goes to find Sohrab and when he’s done battling Assef he feels healed and he has nothing to run rom anymore. â€Å"My body was broken†Just how badly I wouldn’t find out until later† but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed. † (p. 289) and this shows in the end Amir really has changes into the man Baba always wanted him to be. Amir was a good kid who went though a lot in his lifetime, but sometimes when you are afraid to be a friend because you hate everything about them. You suffer but maybe we suffer for the right reasons in life so you can change into someone you always wanted to be. How to cite The Kite Runner, Papers

The Story of Noahs Ark Essay Example For Students

The Story of Noahs Ark Essay In Judeo-Christian mythology, one of the best recognized stories from the Old Testament is the story of Noah and the Ark, and how they survived Gods great flood. This story is a common one throughout many mid-east cultures, both past and present. The most notable of these is in the ancient Mesopotamian mythology, with the story of Utnapishtim and his story of survival of the gods wrath. Though both are telling what is assumed to be a tale of the same event, there are many similarities as well as differences in certain details of the story. Although some of these differing aspects are for the most part, fairly trivial, some of them are quite drastic from one version to the other. The source of the myth in the two cultures is quite different, as well as the way the story narrated. In the case of the ancient Mesopotamian version of the myth, it is found in The Epic of Gilgamesh. It is told to Gilgamesh by Utnapishtim when Gilgamesh encounters him while on his quest for the plant of ever lasting life. Here we have a first hand account of the flood, by one of the sole survivors of the flood, the tale itself is found in an epic of a great king, which wasnt exactly revered as a sacred book in the Mesopotamian culture, but was still treated with a great deal of respect. This is quite from the ancient Hebrew account of the flood. In the Old Testament, it is presumably Moses who is telling the story of Noah in the book of Genesis. In this case, we have a second hand account of the story, found in what is considered to be a sacred piece of scripture, as written by one of the most important figures of the religion. The reason that man was to be exterminated from the face of the earth is also different in both myths. In the Mesopotamian version of the story, man was becoming an inconvenience for the gods he was so loud due to his numbers that he was keeping the gods up at night. Because man was causing this disruption, Enlil approaches the other gods and they agree to get ri d of man by way of a great flood, so that they may sleep at night once again. Utnapishtim is warned by Ea through a dream, and is instructed with a rough guide to the dimensions, to build a great barque for himself and his family, animals, craftsmen, and all of Utnapishtims belongings. This is an extreme contrast to what is found in the Hebrew version. In that account, man was becoming too evil for God to bear, and so it was decided by God that due to his wickedness, he should be wiped off the earth. In this case, man was not an inconvenience, he was just not in favour with God. Noah was the only one out of all of man who was still in Gods favour. So God came to Noah and told him to also build a barque, also with the exact dimensions given, and instructed Noah to bring on board his family, their families, and two, a male and female, of all the animals of the world. However, there is no mention of this news of a flood coming to Noah in a dream, nor of him being permitted to bring wit h him any other humans besides his immediate family, and their wives. Also, the amount of detail regarding the dimensions of the barque is quite different. In the Biblical story, the dimensions are very explicit, with length, width, and height given. However, in the Mesopotamian story, the dimensions are not as precise, giving only a rough guide as to what the boat should look like. The final warning before the flood is different in each version also. In the Hebrew account of the flood, once Noah has completed the construction of the Ark, God tells him to go out and collect a male and its mate from every type of animal and bird, and that in seven days, he shall bring forth the floodwaters and destroy man. In the Mesopotamian version of this aspect, there is not as much of an advanced warning given. Shamash comes to Utnapishtim and says that when the Rider of the Storm arrives that evening, to enter the barque and batten it down. Though in both stories, the hero is given some advance d warning as to when the flood will begin, in the Mesopotamian version Utnapishtim is not given as great of a length of time as Noah was able to enjoy to get everything loaded aboard. The duration of the flood is different between the two versions also. In the Mesopotamian account, the flood is said to have began in the morning after the arrival of the Rider of the Storm, and lasted for six days and six nights. It also states that the assistance of the gods of the Underworld was enlisted to help bring down the dykes and release the waters of the flood.Utnapishtim says to Gilgamesh that the flood was so dreadful that even the gods of the heavens were in fear of what the gods of the Underworld were doing, and that they retreated to the highest level of the heavens, that occupied by Anu. In the Hebrew description of the actual flood itself, it was said that it lasted forty days and forty nights, not the single week as was stated in the Mesopotamian account. It was also Gods wrath that man was suffering, and the creatures of the Underworld were in no way involved in this destruction of man, as man had brought this upon himself with his own wickedness. In the Mesopotamian myth, on the seventh day of the flood, the rain stopped and the water grew calm. Utnapishtim looked around for land, and saw the summit of the Mountain of Nisir. Utnapishtim then set the boat aground on the top of the mountain and there it sat for a week before Utnapishtim began to see if the earth had dried off yet. First he let a dove loose to see if the water had receded yet, but it returned when it had nowhere to land. Utnapishtim then let a swallow loose, but to no avail, as it too returned. He then let a raven loose. The raven saw that the water had since retreated, found something to eat, flew around, cawed, and then did not return. In the Hebrew story, Noah first set out a raven, which flew around until the waters had dried up. Noah then let a dove loose, but it returned because it had now here to land. Noah then waited seven days to release the dove again. This time it came back with an olive leaf. Noah waited seven more days, and released the dove a third time. This time it did not return, for it had found somewhere to go as the water had since dried up. The only noticeable difference between these two aspects of the story, would be the birds used and the length of time required for the waters of the flood to recede to a point at which man is able to again walk on dry land.The last point regarding the two stories is that of the sacrifice to God or the gods after the floodwaters had retreated to a point that man was able to return to the land. In the Mesopotamian account of the myth, Utnapishtim made a sacrifice to the gods on top of the Mountain of Nisir, after he let the animals and others free from the barque. All the gods were able to smell the sacrifice, and came to it. Ishtar was also able to smell the sacrifice and came to it. She then says that she will not f orget these days of the flood, and instructed the other gods to remember it also.She then told all the gods except Enlil to gather around it. Enlil was excluded from the sacrifice by Ishtar because he brought about the flood and destroyed man. Enlil, however, came and saw the sacrifice, and was filled with anger that man had survived. Ea then stands up to Enlil on behalf of Utnapishtim, and asks how Enlil could have brought about such destruction on to man. Ea then leaves Utnapishtim to the mercy of Enlil. Enlil takes Utnapishtim and his wife, blesses them, giving them longevity and places them at the mouth of the rivers to live. In the Hebrew version of this last aspect of the story of the flood, Noah lets all the animals off of the Ark, and then he makes a sacrifice to God, just as Utnapishtim did. God smelled this sacrifice and came to it. God blessed Noah, his family, and all the animals and birds, and told them to be fruitful and multiply in number. God then established a coven ant with Noah, saying that he shall never again curse the earth again with such a flood. As a sign of his intentions, God set a rainbow in the clouds, and said to Noah that when ever he brings clouds over the earth again, he will see the rainbow and remember his covenant with Noah. This is not much different from the Mesopotamian myth. In both cases the gods or God said that they would remember the flood, and Utnapishtim or Noah, which ever the case may be was blessed. In the Mesopotamian myth however, there is no mention of a covenant with the land or Utnapishtim to never curse the earth in such a manner again.Though both of these stories are telling a tale of what was no doubt, the same event, there are many discrepancies between the two. From details surrounding the structure of the barque, to the actual length of the flood itself, there are many differences between the two accounts. At the same time however, there are many similarities between the myths. The fact that both said that a bird was the way which the respective hero was able to tell whether or not the waters had receded, and the fact that both tales say that the gods or God would remember the flood are examples of this. The truth of the matter is that, regardless of whether or not there are discrepancies between the two tales, the fact that both are describing the same occurance is truly remarkable and definitely says something about the cataclysmic impact which this event must have had on the ancient world. .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d , .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d .postImageUrl , .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d , .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d:hover , .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d:visited , .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d:active { border:0!important; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d:active , .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Cultural Diversity Essay