2. IRONY - In "The Things They Carried," there is tremendous tension developed when the narrator begins to describe the tunnels that men like Lee Strunk must explore alone. When he emerges, there is celebration cut short by Lavendar's sudden death. The author has created irony by having the reader prepared for one man's death, but it is another man who is killed. We experience irony every day, of a milder sort. Relate an experience when you were prepared for one circumstance but encountered its opposite. If you would rather relate a literary irony or an experience of someone else's, that would be fine. REMEMBER to SHOW the experience; don't just TELL.
My example of this is when one of my friends was in school and he had exams coming up. Soo he and all his friends studied for 2 weeks before exams. My friend alway worried about that one kid in the class who never opened his book he was going to fail.He volunteered to tutor everyone in the class but only 2 kids didnt show up. He didnt worry about one kid cause he thought the kid was super smart. So on the test day everyone passed but that one kid that he didnt wanna help.
Irony is that he tutored the guy that needed it and ignored the guy that didn't. In the end the one that was smart failed.
3. THE HEART IN CONFLICT - Tim O'Brien, the author, has said that he writes about the heart in conflict and that he often uses war because it naturally and automatically puts the heart under pressure. What book, story, or movie have your read or seen in which the protagonist underwent the same thing? Discuss briefly.
****There was this Indian movie my brother always use to watch. It was dealing with a guy who had is eye on a girl since he was 5 years old. Later on he meets a guy friend
who always likes the girl. He forces himself to get them together even though his heart wants her. In the end he does get her.****
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
prompt 1
1.Things Carried - Make a list of objects you carry on a regular, daily basis. What are the items you must have with you when you leave your house? After you have made your list, try to look at it from a different perspective. What would those objects reveal about the person you are to someone else? Are there any that you carry that are unique to you? Are any of them similar to items other students carry? Are any items connected to your memory of another time, another place? Do you carry anything that represents something else to you? Which physical objects are necessary for physical survival? Which are necessary for your peace of mind or your emotional survival? YOU NEED NOT ANSWER ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS. INSTEAD, THINK, DELIBERATE, THEN WRITE A COHERENT REFLECTION OF YOUR MENTAL EXERCISE.
When I leave my house, I usually have my books for class,wallet,keys,and cell phone. I
always have my cell phone with me incase of an emergency. Also I always have my lucky neckless in my wallet. It was given to me when I was 4 years old by my grandmother before she passed away. I have never worn it nor have i ever let anyone touch it.I leave it how she left it for me to have it in a safe place. For survival I have my phone and my wallet. Without these i dont know if I could survive because you cant call 911 without a phone. =)
When I leave my house, I usually have my books for class,wallet,keys,and cell phone. I
always have my cell phone with me incase of an emergency. Also I always have my lucky neckless in my wallet. It was given to me when I was 4 years old by my grandmother before she passed away. I have never worn it nor have i ever let anyone touch it.I leave it how she left it for me to have it in a safe place. For survival I have my phone and my wallet. Without these i dont know if I could survive because you cant call 911 without a phone. =)
Saturday, November 28, 2009
The kite runner
Topics:
1.Role of Women - Women in Afghanistan have the role of second-class citizens whose lives are controlled by Muslim laws and traditions. Women in Afghanistan are respected, however, must still live to serve their fathers and husbands. Even in America, Women are forced to live by traditions, though, they have more apparent role in making their own life decisions.
2.Betrayal - The theme of betrayal plays an important role in the Kite Runner. Betrayal is shown in the novel in full cycle from Amir's betrayal of Hassan to Baba's betrayal of Amir. Amir lives in guilt for betraying Hassan, which only grows more and more as he tries to avoid any memory of it. Later, in the book, when Amir learns the truth about Hassan being his half-brother, Amir feels betrayed by his father and even guiltier for his betrayal.
3.Brothers - The author showed through the actions of Hassan towards Amir and Baba towards Ali that you didn't have to be blood to treat someone like family. Amir never treated Hassan like a true friend or brother. At the end of the book Amir tries to make up for the betrayal of his half-brother Hassan by rescuing his own his nephew, Sohrab.
4.Guilt - Hidden Guilt - Amir lives his whole life with hidden guilt after he watches Assef rape Hassan and never helped defend Hassan like Hassan had defended him. He feels even guiltier for betraying Hassan later and forcing Hassan and Ali to leave their home.
Open Guilt - An example of open guilt is when Amir and Hassan are at the Pomegranate tree and Amir asked “What would you do if I hit you with this?” When Amir hit Hassan with the pomegranate at him, he yelled at Hassan “Get up! Hit me!” Amir wanted Hassan to hit him so he could have the punishment he craved and so he could sleep at night. Hassan did nothing and Amir called him a coward. After that, Hassan then got up walked towards Amir, took a pomegranate and crushed it on his own forehead and said “Are you satisfied? Do you feel better now?” Amir then cried.
5.Redemption - Amir's only form of redemption comes from rescuing his nephew, Sohrab, and bringing him to the United States where he can live a better life, something that was defined to his half-brother, Hassan.
6.Journey/Exodus - The most apparent journey in The Kite Runner is that of Amir and Baba from Afghanistan to America. Amir and Baba have a wonderful life in Afghanistan with a big house and servants, all of which they are force to leave behind, because of the Soviet invasion. Along with the physical journey, there is an emotional journey that father and son take together, which brings them closer together. The physical journey Amir takes later in life to rescue his nephew could be considered as closure to Amir's life long journey of searching for atonement.
7.Father & Sons - In a patriacharial family, the father is authority of the household. Whereas, the son's role is make his father proud by obeying his father and carrying on the Pashtun tradition. In The Kite Runner, it seems Baba, Amir's father, doesn't really understand Amir. Amir spends most of his childhood seeking acceptance from his father, only to be compared to other boys who show traits his father wished he had.
8.Class distinction - In Afghanistan, there is a class distinction among the people. There is the high class Pashtuns and the lower class Hazaras. In The Kite Runner, Hassan was a Hazara and put down by a lot of people, including his Pashtun half-brother Amir.
Style-
1. Parallelism - A parallelism in this book is how Amir and his wife tried and tried to have a baby but couldn't. It is similar to how Ali couldn't have a child himself. Another example is how Ali took Baba's son and treated him like his own, while Amir adopted Hassan's son and treated him like his own.
2. Character foils - Hassan is a foil character in The Kite Runner. He is Amir's foil; his qualities of honesty, courageousness, and loyalty to Amir are obvious throughout the book. These qualities make Amir's cowardice even more apparent. Hassan, though smaller than Assef, always stood up for Amir and protected him. However, after Amir is not strong enough to stand up for Hassan, he betrays Hassan in order to remove him from his life. It is because of these differences in their personality that causes Amir to live with guilt for the rest of his life. It is because of these differences that Baba seems to show Hassan more attention, despite Amir and Hassan being half-brothers.
3. Foreshadowing - An example for foreshadowing is when Baba tells Amir that the mullahs would
ruin Afghanistan and that the only sin is theft of any kind. Later in the book, when the Taliban takes control of Afghanistan, Baba's words become true, as the Taliban steals the rights from the people of the country.
4. Flashbacks - The author uses flashbacks to explain why Amir feels so guilty about his past and when he found out the truth between him and Hassan. He remembered how his father used to say “No matter what the mullah teaches, there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft”. Amir would always go back to the quote Baba used, "When you kill a man, you steal his life, you steal his wife’s rights to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you cheat, you steal someone’s right to the truth."
5. Positives & negatives aspects of the writing - Some could view that the author's lack of detail in the political and historical turmoil in Afghanistan as a negative aspect, while others could view it as a positive aspect as it did not deter the reader from the main story.
Setting-(5 cultural aspects of setting identified in novel)
1.Afghanistan Pre-War vs. Afghanistan Post-War
2.Pakistan vs. Afghanistan
3.Kabul vs. San Francisco
4.America vs. Afghanistan
5.Hazara vs. Pashtun
Minor Characters
1. Khala Taheri (Khala Jamila) - She was the wife of General Sahib and mother of Soraya. When her daughter and Amir met, she would secretly give information to Soraya about Amir and would always ask Amir to come to the table at the market anytime he wanted. Also, Khala Taheri taught Farsi and history at Zarghoona High school for girls in Kabul.
2. Farid – He was the driver who takes Amir back to Afghanistan. Farid calls Amir a tourist thinking he has only come back to take the money he gets from his father’s house, but Farid learns of the real reason for Amir's return and helps him.
3. Sanaubar – She was only mentioned in the book a few times, but she was Hassan's mother. Sanaubar abandoned Hassan soon after giving birth to him. She then returned after many years to take care of her grandson.
4. Dr. Armand Faruqi – He was the surgeon who operated on Amir's injuries after his fight with Assef.
5. Raymond Andrews – Mr. Andrews was the man at the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan who told Amir that it was going to be very difficult to take Sohrab back to the U.S. Raymond introduced him to a guy that could help, Omar Fiscal. Omar and Amir talked about how maybe Sohrab had to stay in an orphanage one more year, but Amir said no.
Symbols & Significance-
1. Slingshot - The slingshot symbolizes both Amirs’ childhood and the need to stand up for what is right. In his childhood days, Hassan used the slingshot as a threat to protect Amir from Assef. Later in life, Hassan's son, Sohrab, actually uses the slingshot to stop Assef from hitting Amir.
2. Amir’s scar- Amir’s scare reminds Amir of Hassan and symbolizes his relationship with Hassan. After being beaten by Assef, he realizes his scar makes him just like Hassan, and how they are alike now that they each have their own “harelip.”
3. Kite Flying - Kite flying is symbolic of freedom and joy. When Amir and Hassan were growing up, flying kites was a very popular event to be in. Then in 1996 it was banned in Afghanistan entirely.
4. Sohrab - Sohrab symbolized change within Amir’s life. When Rahim Khan told Amir the truth, Amir knew that Khan had called him to come because he and Baba were alike with the same sins, theft. Now Amir knew that the boy, Sohrab was the only way Amir could make up for the sins him and Baba had made.
5. Pomegranate Tree - The pomegranate tree symbolizes the friendship of Amir and Hassan. When they hung out at the tree they carved their names in. When Hassan is dead, Amir is filled with guilt. Amir goes back to the tree and thinks of the memories of his past and sees that their names have faded away.
1.Role of Women - Women in Afghanistan have the role of second-class citizens whose lives are controlled by Muslim laws and traditions. Women in Afghanistan are respected, however, must still live to serve their fathers and husbands. Even in America, Women are forced to live by traditions, though, they have more apparent role in making their own life decisions.
2.Betrayal - The theme of betrayal plays an important role in the Kite Runner. Betrayal is shown in the novel in full cycle from Amir's betrayal of Hassan to Baba's betrayal of Amir. Amir lives in guilt for betraying Hassan, which only grows more and more as he tries to avoid any memory of it. Later, in the book, when Amir learns the truth about Hassan being his half-brother, Amir feels betrayed by his father and even guiltier for his betrayal.
3.Brothers - The author showed through the actions of Hassan towards Amir and Baba towards Ali that you didn't have to be blood to treat someone like family. Amir never treated Hassan like a true friend or brother. At the end of the book Amir tries to make up for the betrayal of his half-brother Hassan by rescuing his own his nephew, Sohrab.
4.Guilt - Hidden Guilt - Amir lives his whole life with hidden guilt after he watches Assef rape Hassan and never helped defend Hassan like Hassan had defended him. He feels even guiltier for betraying Hassan later and forcing Hassan and Ali to leave their home.
Open Guilt - An example of open guilt is when Amir and Hassan are at the Pomegranate tree and Amir asked “What would you do if I hit you with this?” When Amir hit Hassan with the pomegranate at him, he yelled at Hassan “Get up! Hit me!” Amir wanted Hassan to hit him so he could have the punishment he craved and so he could sleep at night. Hassan did nothing and Amir called him a coward. After that, Hassan then got up walked towards Amir, took a pomegranate and crushed it on his own forehead and said “Are you satisfied? Do you feel better now?” Amir then cried.
5.Redemption - Amir's only form of redemption comes from rescuing his nephew, Sohrab, and bringing him to the United States where he can live a better life, something that was defined to his half-brother, Hassan.
6.Journey/Exodus - The most apparent journey in The Kite Runner is that of Amir and Baba from Afghanistan to America. Amir and Baba have a wonderful life in Afghanistan with a big house and servants, all of which they are force to leave behind, because of the Soviet invasion. Along with the physical journey, there is an emotional journey that father and son take together, which brings them closer together. The physical journey Amir takes later in life to rescue his nephew could be considered as closure to Amir's life long journey of searching for atonement.
7.Father & Sons - In a patriacharial family, the father is authority of the household. Whereas, the son's role is make his father proud by obeying his father and carrying on the Pashtun tradition. In The Kite Runner, it seems Baba, Amir's father, doesn't really understand Amir. Amir spends most of his childhood seeking acceptance from his father, only to be compared to other boys who show traits his father wished he had.
8.Class distinction - In Afghanistan, there is a class distinction among the people. There is the high class Pashtuns and the lower class Hazaras. In The Kite Runner, Hassan was a Hazara and put down by a lot of people, including his Pashtun half-brother Amir.
Style-
1. Parallelism - A parallelism in this book is how Amir and his wife tried and tried to have a baby but couldn't. It is similar to how Ali couldn't have a child himself. Another example is how Ali took Baba's son and treated him like his own, while Amir adopted Hassan's son and treated him like his own.
2. Character foils - Hassan is a foil character in The Kite Runner. He is Amir's foil; his qualities of honesty, courageousness, and loyalty to Amir are obvious throughout the book. These qualities make Amir's cowardice even more apparent. Hassan, though smaller than Assef, always stood up for Amir and protected him. However, after Amir is not strong enough to stand up for Hassan, he betrays Hassan in order to remove him from his life. It is because of these differences in their personality that causes Amir to live with guilt for the rest of his life. It is because of these differences that Baba seems to show Hassan more attention, despite Amir and Hassan being half-brothers.
3. Foreshadowing - An example for foreshadowing is when Baba tells Amir that the mullahs would
ruin Afghanistan and that the only sin is theft of any kind. Later in the book, when the Taliban takes control of Afghanistan, Baba's words become true, as the Taliban steals the rights from the people of the country.
4. Flashbacks - The author uses flashbacks to explain why Amir feels so guilty about his past and when he found out the truth between him and Hassan. He remembered how his father used to say “No matter what the mullah teaches, there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft”. Amir would always go back to the quote Baba used, "When you kill a man, you steal his life, you steal his wife’s rights to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you cheat, you steal someone’s right to the truth."
5. Positives & negatives aspects of the writing - Some could view that the author's lack of detail in the political and historical turmoil in Afghanistan as a negative aspect, while others could view it as a positive aspect as it did not deter the reader from the main story.
Setting-(5 cultural aspects of setting identified in novel)
1.Afghanistan Pre-War vs. Afghanistan Post-War
2.Pakistan vs. Afghanistan
3.Kabul vs. San Francisco
4.America vs. Afghanistan
5.Hazara vs. Pashtun
Minor Characters
1. Khala Taheri (Khala Jamila) - She was the wife of General Sahib and mother of Soraya. When her daughter and Amir met, she would secretly give information to Soraya about Amir and would always ask Amir to come to the table at the market anytime he wanted. Also, Khala Taheri taught Farsi and history at Zarghoona High school for girls in Kabul.
2. Farid – He was the driver who takes Amir back to Afghanistan. Farid calls Amir a tourist thinking he has only come back to take the money he gets from his father’s house, but Farid learns of the real reason for Amir's return and helps him.
3. Sanaubar – She was only mentioned in the book a few times, but she was Hassan's mother. Sanaubar abandoned Hassan soon after giving birth to him. She then returned after many years to take care of her grandson.
4. Dr. Armand Faruqi – He was the surgeon who operated on Amir's injuries after his fight with Assef.
5. Raymond Andrews – Mr. Andrews was the man at the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan who told Amir that it was going to be very difficult to take Sohrab back to the U.S. Raymond introduced him to a guy that could help, Omar Fiscal. Omar and Amir talked about how maybe Sohrab had to stay in an orphanage one more year, but Amir said no.
Symbols & Significance-
1. Slingshot - The slingshot symbolizes both Amirs’ childhood and the need to stand up for what is right. In his childhood days, Hassan used the slingshot as a threat to protect Amir from Assef. Later in life, Hassan's son, Sohrab, actually uses the slingshot to stop Assef from hitting Amir.
2. Amir’s scar- Amir’s scare reminds Amir of Hassan and symbolizes his relationship with Hassan. After being beaten by Assef, he realizes his scar makes him just like Hassan, and how they are alike now that they each have their own “harelip.”
3. Kite Flying - Kite flying is symbolic of freedom and joy. When Amir and Hassan were growing up, flying kites was a very popular event to be in. Then in 1996 it was banned in Afghanistan entirely.
4. Sohrab - Sohrab symbolized change within Amir’s life. When Rahim Khan told Amir the truth, Amir knew that Khan had called him to come because he and Baba were alike with the same sins, theft. Now Amir knew that the boy, Sohrab was the only way Amir could make up for the sins him and Baba had made.
5. Pomegranate Tree - The pomegranate tree symbolizes the friendship of Amir and Hassan. When they hung out at the tree they carved their names in. When Hassan is dead, Amir is filled with guilt. Amir goes back to the tree and thinks of the memories of his past and sees that their names have faded away.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
My compare and Contrast
The Two Religions
America is known for its diversity. Because America is notorious for its various job offers and big cities, people dream of moving to America to start anew. However, are the people who immigrate to America the same as those who were born and raised in America? Indians, for example, are very different from the typical American, but they still hold some similarities. In areas such as sports, work ethic, and religion, Americans and Indians are distinctive yet identical. Just like any culture compared to Americans, people share similar yet different outlooks on life.
Sports, can be the universal subject that anyone of any background can talk about. While both Americans and Indians participate in sports, the particular sport that Americans and Indians play in is different. America is known for its skill and love for football. The level of excitement is at an all time high the night of the Super Bowl game. Families are glued to their television sets rooting for their favorite team. The next day, people talk about the brilliant play that one of the teams did, or how one of the players scored five touchdowns. Football gives the chance for Americans to unite and root for their favorite team. Indians are interested in a different hand to ball contact game. In India, a majority of boys aspire to become internationally known Cricket players. Whenever the Indian Cricket team is playing, a majority of Indians huddle around their television sets or listen intently to their radios rooting for India to win. If India gets to the World Cup, children skip school, adults call in sick, just to watch India play. Although India and America love different sports, their love for that sport is unimaginable. The need to win and the passion they have for the sport is the same.
Along with sports, Indians and Americans share similarities and differences in work ethic. It is a basic principle that in order to support a family financially, one must have money. America is known for its work ethic. Compared to Mexico, France, and China, America has one the longest workweeks. In America, unemployment is frowned upon. Americans are always pushed to get a job and make money. In India, the mentality is the same. If one works, one gets money. Because India is the second largest population in the world, a job is hard to find. Job opportunities such as outsourcing and shoe shining are given to Indians because more people need to make money in order to support their family. In present day America, the economy is rebuilding itself since the stock crashed in October of 2008. Finding a job is hard for Americans too. The difference between an American and an Indian’s work ethic is the type of work that is searched for. In America, people want to make money. While a job as garbage man makes money, it is still frowned upon. Americans want to make “big cash,” which means that an American’s goal is to be rich. Indians, on the other hand, just want to make money. While the need to work is the same in both India and America, the type of work that is looked for is different.
Another way Indians and Americans differ and are alike is by their religion. Most Americans are either Catholic or Christian. Most Indians are Hindu. Both believe in a greater being, but Hinduism is polytheistic while Christianity and Catholicism are monotheistic. This means that Hindus believe in more than one God, while Christians and Catholics believe in only one God. Both of them celebrate holidays but for different purposes. Hindus have holidays such as Diwali and Holi where they celebrate one of the many Gods. Christians and Catholics have holidays such as Christmas and Easter where people celebrate one of the stories in the bible. Hindus go to temples to pray to their Gods while Christians and Catholics go to Church. Hindus and Christians both have books but the name and the stories in the books are different. Christians and Catholics have the Bible; while Hindus have the Vasu Devas. Both religions, however, agree that praying to their God(s) will bring prosperity and faith. Also, Indians and Americans both have the need to believe that there is a higher being that they can depend on. While the type of religion is different, the need for faith and belief is the same.
With all the similarities and differences seen in Indians and Americans, it is no surprise that those who are born and raised in America are different from those who emigrate from India. Those born and raised in America share the love of sports with those who were born in India, but the sport is different. Likewise, the need to work is the same in Indians and Americans, but the type of work wanted varies between Indians and Americans. Religions are quite distinctive between Indians and Americans, but the need to have faith in something that is not concrete is the same. Indians and Americans have their differences but they also have enough similarities to get along and live together.
America is known for its diversity. Because America is notorious for its various job offers and big cities, people dream of moving to America to start anew. However, are the people who immigrate to America the same as those who were born and raised in America? Indians, for example, are very different from the typical American, but they still hold some similarities. In areas such as sports, work ethic, and religion, Americans and Indians are distinctive yet identical. Just like any culture compared to Americans, people share similar yet different outlooks on life.
Sports, can be the universal subject that anyone of any background can talk about. While both Americans and Indians participate in sports, the particular sport that Americans and Indians play in is different. America is known for its skill and love for football. The level of excitement is at an all time high the night of the Super Bowl game. Families are glued to their television sets rooting for their favorite team. The next day, people talk about the brilliant play that one of the teams did, or how one of the players scored five touchdowns. Football gives the chance for Americans to unite and root for their favorite team. Indians are interested in a different hand to ball contact game. In India, a majority of boys aspire to become internationally known Cricket players. Whenever the Indian Cricket team is playing, a majority of Indians huddle around their television sets or listen intently to their radios rooting for India to win. If India gets to the World Cup, children skip school, adults call in sick, just to watch India play. Although India and America love different sports, their love for that sport is unimaginable. The need to win and the passion they have for the sport is the same.
Along with sports, Indians and Americans share similarities and differences in work ethic. It is a basic principle that in order to support a family financially, one must have money. America is known for its work ethic. Compared to Mexico, France, and China, America has one the longest workweeks. In America, unemployment is frowned upon. Americans are always pushed to get a job and make money. In India, the mentality is the same. If one works, one gets money. Because India is the second largest population in the world, a job is hard to find. Job opportunities such as outsourcing and shoe shining are given to Indians because more people need to make money in order to support their family. In present day America, the economy is rebuilding itself since the stock crashed in October of 2008. Finding a job is hard for Americans too. The difference between an American and an Indian’s work ethic is the type of work that is searched for. In America, people want to make money. While a job as garbage man makes money, it is still frowned upon. Americans want to make “big cash,” which means that an American’s goal is to be rich. Indians, on the other hand, just want to make money. While the need to work is the same in both India and America, the type of work that is looked for is different.
Another way Indians and Americans differ and are alike is by their religion. Most Americans are either Catholic or Christian. Most Indians are Hindu. Both believe in a greater being, but Hinduism is polytheistic while Christianity and Catholicism are monotheistic. This means that Hindus believe in more than one God, while Christians and Catholics believe in only one God. Both of them celebrate holidays but for different purposes. Hindus have holidays such as Diwali and Holi where they celebrate one of the many Gods. Christians and Catholics have holidays such as Christmas and Easter where people celebrate one of the stories in the bible. Hindus go to temples to pray to their Gods while Christians and Catholics go to Church. Hindus and Christians both have books but the name and the stories in the books are different. Christians and Catholics have the Bible; while Hindus have the Vasu Devas. Both religions, however, agree that praying to their God(s) will bring prosperity and faith. Also, Indians and Americans both have the need to believe that there is a higher being that they can depend on. While the type of religion is different, the need for faith and belief is the same.
With all the similarities and differences seen in Indians and Americans, it is no surprise that those who are born and raised in America are different from those who emigrate from India. Those born and raised in America share the love of sports with those who were born in India, but the sport is different. Likewise, the need to work is the same in Indians and Americans, but the type of work wanted varies between Indians and Americans. Religions are quite distinctive between Indians and Americans, but the need to have faith in something that is not concrete is the same. Indians and Americans have their differences but they also have enough similarities to get along and live together.
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