Blog Entry 4: Halfway There...

This story makes me depressed :( but I love it! The main theme that permeates this novel is the theme of Family. Ali and Hassan, Baba and Amir, Assef and his parents, The General, his wife, and Soraya. Each grouping is a family with their own problems and history. Each family has to deal with some kind of strife at some point, going back to their ties to Afghanistan, a nation in turmoil, a nation with no apparent future. Another theme is Regret. Amir regrets watching what happened to Hassan and not having done anything. His regret grows so strong that it begins to control his life. Insomnia, going out of his way to avoid facing Hassan, which includes suggesting he and his father be fired, an idea that angers Baba. He even puts money and the watch Baba gave him under Hassan's bed to make him look like a thief. This is the final straw and against Baba's will, Hassan and Ali leave the house, never to go back. The third and fourth themes are Tradition and Nationality. Tradition is an important part of Afghan culture, especially when it comes to gender roles. Men get to have the most power and can pretty much do whatever they want and manage to get away with it but women have limits. Men can have sexual relationships before marriage but if a woman does, her reputation is ruined, as seen with Soraya. No one would marry the poor girl because she had a made a mistake once and ran off with a man. However, the forgiver shows through in Amir, who loves her and marries her for who she is, not basing his decision on her "purity". This theme also shows up in the relationship between Baba and Amir. Baba wants Amir to be a tough, strong man but that is just not what he is like. He has a weak stomach and is very emotional, crying at every sad thing that happens. And to add to that, he is not good at sports like Baba nor does he enjoy watching sports, he prefers reading and writing. Nationality is a strong theme that every Afghan character seems to have some bit of. Each character dealt with pain in Afghanistan when the Russians or Roussi waged war against them and took over. Thousands of Afghan fled to Pakistan and left their homes, angered and saddened at the sudden change that occurred in their once comfortable lives. Everything changed quickly. Everything. But through their hardships, they remained loyal to Afghanistan and held it close to their hearts because it represented their nation, their home, their hope. I like Amir. He is one of the most interesting characters I have ever met. I love how he defies what a "real man" should be like. He cries easily and has a weak stomach. Even though I disagree with what he did (letting Hassan be raped), I feel that he is being punished everyday through his guilt. His guilt shows that he feels bad. If he were a horrible person, he would not feel guilty. His guilt is what keeps me from getting angry at him. He is obviously being tortured every single day. Sure he has moved on and made a new life but Hassan will never, ever leave his mind. I have a couple of questions about the second half of the book...How will Amir meet Hassan again? What has been the outcome of Ali's and Hassan's lives? Will Soraya and Amir manage to have a baby? I have been really enjoying reading this novel. I love the themes and the way the author describes the setting vividly and I can feel as though I am there, with the characters in Amir's grand house in Afghanistan, in the cramped basement in Pakistan, and in Fremont, California, where Baba and Amir start a new life. I have no problems reading the book. Sure its sad and some parts are shocking but it is such an interesting novel that I cannot stop reading it!