Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Practice Fishbowl: Chapters 2-6 of The Kite Runner


Welcome to fishbowl! As you engage in an invigorating conversation on the outer circle, please keep in mind the following:


1. Hit the F5 key to refresh your screen and see new comments.
2. Reply directly to the person (or people) to whom you are responding.
3. Comment consistently throughout the discussion.
4. Proofread for spelling and grammar; avoid using texting language.
5. Bring in examples/quotations from the text when possible.
6. Above all else, keep it professional.

111 comments:

  1. How would you act in the shoes of an Afghan?

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    1. I really don't think that i would act any different because if my ethnicity, but being raised in their environment would change me.

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  2. Why are the boys white in the picture?

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    1. Maybe the picture makes them look white, or they could be white Afghans.

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    2. I dont think that it is supposed to be the boys from the book. I think its a picture of two kids and a kite.

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  3. 2. Why does Amir get so jealous of everyone and like bad things to happen to others?

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    1. I think he is missing the relationship with his father that he has wanted for a long time. He is a people pleaser and the first person he wants to please is his father and he hasn't done that so any other attention that Baba pays to someone else, Amir is jealous of it.

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  4. Why do they enjoy the kite flying so much every year?

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    1. They love kite flying like we love football. It is just the sport that they all enjoy.

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    2. They enjoy kite running every year because that is the one thing that amir is good at, and the only thing that amir and his father have in common.

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    3. I think it is more on building on tradition so they grow up with this sport and learn to love it and wish to participate.

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  5. Why are boys expected to play sports rather than read?

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    1. Cause boys are superior at athletics

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    2. It's sort of a stereotype, and Afghanistan seems to be very traditional.

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  6. Replies
    1. He is Baba's business partner, but can also be considered Amir's supporter in his writing.

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    2. He is also sort of the dad Amir never had

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  7. Does Baba not care about Amir, or is he unable to deal with his personality?

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    1. I think Baba cares about Amir, but they're just so different that he doesn't know how to be with him, and meet his needs.

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    2. I think he wants to care about him, but he is so different that he finds it hard to care about Amir.

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    3. I think that he cares about Amir but he has a strong opinion about what his personality is supposed to be. It sounds like Amir has a personality like his mother. It might be painful for Baba.

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    4. I think Baba really does care about Amir but because he doesn't have the same interests, he is unable or frustrated to deal with it so he spends his time trying but not succeeding.

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  8. What does agha mean?

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    1. Agha means sir. You add agha to the end of someones name or just call them that if your respect them.

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  9. How does it effect the boys that they don't have moms?

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    1. I think it brought them closer. Having something in common makes it easier to get to know someone.

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    2. I think the boys are effected by not having a sense of sympathy in their life. Mothers always have an extra sense of sympathy that sometimes fathers don't always possess. Mothers can be more understand and loving about certain situations and I think sometimes Amir and Hassan need that and can't get it from their fathers.

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    3. They are more manly and that they can't bring their problems to the moms they just have to keep them to their selves like Amir does with hassan getting rapped.

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  10. How do you think Amir is emotionally affected when his father doesn't pay him the attention he desires?

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    1. He probably wishes his mom was there because when people have dads that are hard on them or don't give them attention they deserve they usally have a better relationship with their mom.

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    2. I agree with Ireland, I think that he probably longs for that mother figure in his life.

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    3. He tries to find happiness out of other people's tough times, to make him feel better about himself.

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  11. What does it mean when Hassan calls Amir "agha"?

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    1. It is a term of respect, it is like saying that someone is above you.

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  12. How would you feel if someone hired a plastic surgeon for you without your consent?

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    1. I think it depends on how the person feels about what is going to be fixed.

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    2. I would almost feel betrayed, because it is sending the message that they think I need to be changed or that I'm not good enough for who I am.

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    3. I think it's rude, because it's kind of saying like you don't look the way I think you should, so let me change you so you look normal.

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    4. I would feel thankful. If I had a cleft lip I would want to fix it and look normal like everyone else.

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  13. Why doesn't Amir consider Hassan a friend even though they grew up together?

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    1. He does, but so as not to deal with public prejudice, he denies any sort of relationship above master and servant.

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    2. Hassan gets a lot of praise from Baba. Baba is Amir's dad and Amir just feels jealous. Amir's pretty whiny and annoying.

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  14. Why does Baba seem to like Hassan better than Amir?

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    1. I think maybe because Hassan in a way is more "talented" than Amir. Baba also thinks that something is lacking with Amir. When Baba watches him, he sees that Hassan is braver and acts like a man whereas Amir is very low key.

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    2. Hassan resembles more of your average Kabul child. As Baba said, there is something different about Amir, Amir is special. He is smarter, and wiser than the rest. Unlike his father he is interested in school and not sports. Hassan isn't into school like Amir and Baba sees that. He sees how much more he resembles Hassan and not Amir. Amir isn't like his father and his father doesn't seem to have patience for that.

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  15. How does Amir view his relationship with Hassan?

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    1. He says that he never would've thought it would've happened in the usual sense.

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  16. Why doesn't Baba see the good inside Amir instead of the bad?

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    1. I think that Baba is trying to make Amir want to be a better person, by only focusing on the bad, so that Amir is more motivated to do better

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    2. It is probably because in a way Baba is being egocentric and he suspects that since he was born with his father's blood then he doesn't see why he isn't similar. Also because in a way his opinion is the way he sees to being a successful person

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  17. I don't understand why theft is the only sin. (page 17)

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    1. What Baba is saying is that no matter what you do you are stealing something away from someone else. An emotion, a person, a confidence, a pride.

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    2. Baba says theft is the only sin because it connects with a lot of other bad actions. For example, killing a person is stealing their life.

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    3. I know that was odd to me too. I think maybe Baba was not raised with a religion. A lot to rules come from religion, defining what sins are.

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    4. He is basically saying theft is related to every other sin.

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  18. Is it common for mothers to abandon their families?

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    1. It is uncommon because the women are supposed to submit to their husband because they are a lower species to them.

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    2. In our society today I feel like its more likely for dads to abandon their families than mothers.

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  19. Can you stand-up for your self without the use of violence?

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    1. You can try, but in a situation like when Assef was threatening them with brass knuckles it seems almost impossible.

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    2. It depends on the situation and who you are dealing with.

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  20. Why were there gunshots going on outside for a day?

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    1. I was wondering about this too... I think it was a big historical/political event. It also sounds like they got out of a dictatorship maybe because the bullies were talking about the president.

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  21. Why are Amir and Hassan different?

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    1. Is that racially or like mentally?

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    2. Social classes set people apart and make differences. Hassan is Amirs servants.

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    3. Really they are not different, its their family's that make them look like they are different.

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  22. Why would Amir not think of Hassan as a friend, or Baba think of Ali as a friend?

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    1. They are servants, it is not approved by the public.

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  23. Why doesn't Baba see that Amir looks up to him and wants to be like him?

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    1. Because Amir doesn't succeed at anything his Baba is good at, they don't have any common interests.

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    2. I think that Baba does see that Amir looks up to him, but I think that Baba wants Amir to be his own person maybe, instead of turning out like him.

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  24. What does baba do for a living?

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    1. He is a merchant. A rich one that likes to prove others wrong.

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  25. I’m wondering why the kite is so important? (25, “Never mind we spent entire winters flying kites, running kites.”)

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  26. What is Baba's job? And has he always been rich?

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  27. What does kite flying symbolize in this story, and how will it later relate to the title of the book?

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    1. Right now I think it symbolizes the only connection Amir and Baba, and I think it is Amir's way to get Baba's attention.

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  28. What happened in the Alley?

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  29. What do the Kites symbolize in this book?

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  30. I'm still not clear about what happened in the alley.

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    1. That is later in the reading. You find out in Chapter 7.

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  31. Does Amir see Rahim Kahn as a father figure more than Baba?

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    1. In some ways yes, but he still aspires to be like his Baba above all else.

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  32. What is the driving force of someone who puts others down (a bully)?

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    1. There are a lot of elements that could influence it, one could be parents and they way they treat the kid. Or it could be a sibling, most of the time it is a home problem.

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  33. To find out about what happened in the alley, read chapter 7. It is more disturbing than The Yellow Wallpaper.

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  34. Why does Rahim Khan take so much interest in Amir and his writing? Why does he support him when Amir's own father doesn't?

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    1. He is like the kind grandfather that supports the child no matter what.

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  35. Does the social status of the two boys affect their friendship?

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    1. I think it's starting to, because when Assef was cornering the boys, Amir almost said that Hassan wasn't his friend he was his servant.

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    2. Definitely, their friendship is not accepted by the public, their status prevents them from getting closer.

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    3. definately because since one is a hazara Amir thinks that they aren't friends....but they actaully are even though amir betrayed hassan in the alleyway and hassan wouldn't let the boys take his kite

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  36. Why do the kite runners want the kites so bad?

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    1. I feel like if you were in a group of kids that chased after the kites, I feel like you would want to get the kite first. As Amir says, it is kind of like a reward.

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  37. Why do the people like cut the kites off?

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    1. I think its a part of the competition. It evaluates people out of the competition and the last remaining is the winner.

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    2. It's how you win the competition, by being the last kite standing.

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  38. What do they mean by fighting kites?

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  39. What is the concept of kite running?

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    1. Kids who fetch the cut down kites.

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  40. Will Amir's competitiveness play a role in his and Hassan's relationship?

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    1. It already does, seen by his attempt at keeping Baba's attention solely on him.

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  41. Will Hassan ever defend himself to Amir?

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