3rd Blog Post

     The Kite Runner is a story about social class and injustice from the point of view of a fairly affluent boy named Amir living in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion. It is a story about loss of innocence and it starts that is brutally honest. Amir reads to illiterate Hassan, a Hazara and a servant boy, and while he might have a cleft lip and be of a lower class they get along fairly well a pass a great deal of time together. Instead of reading stories Amir starts making them up and realizes he has a great talent despite his father’s disinterest. After the coup d’état they are harassed by the local bully Assef and Hassan uses his sling shot to help them escape a beating. They have the annual kite running contest and Hassan is the champion but Baba says that he could win and Amir suddenly hungry for first place so he can make his father proud. When he does win against Hassan, Hassan goes to retrieve the kite. Amir grows concerned when Hassan takes a long time to come back and goes to look for him. He sees Hassan get raped by the boys who had harassed them previously and does nothing. Even though Hassan crying and vulnerable they boy opt to avoid a conversation. Amir cannot live with Hassan because he is racked with guilt and does everything possible to get Hassan out of the way eventually faking a theft of his birthday gifts. When Hassan admits to the theft in spite of being innocent he sees that Hassan say Amir in the alleyway during the rape and is once again giving himself up for his friend.

     They end up becoming refugees and during their escape his father stands up for a woman’s honor when the Russian says they can only pass if he can have his way with one of the women in the vehicle. When they get to Pakistan they encounter one of the boys who raped Hassan with his father and he is weak and sickly. His father alludes to his boy being raped, the boy no longer speaks. When they are leaving Pakistan the boy dies and the father kills himself subsequently due to grief.

     Upon arriving in America they live a much less lush lifestyle, Baba now works at a gas station. They live meagerly but get by. Baba could have returned to Kabul but he chose to stay so his son could complete his education despite his dislike of Amir’s chosen major. He becomes infatuated with Genereal Taheri’s daughter, Soraya, they are also Afghani immigrants. His dad gets cancer and refuses treatment, his health declines quickly and Amir request ask General Taheri for his daughter’s hand in marriage. They get married quickly so Baba can attend the ceremony.

     Baba dies shortly after and Amir and Soraya and consider starting a family. They have difficulty conceiving a child and it strains their relationship. A friend of Baba’s calls and says he needs to come back to Kabul, that he has chance to right his wrongs. He tells Soraya he has to leave and upon arriving in the family friend explains that Hassan was his half-brother and he and his wife have been murdered so he must go to the orphanage and retrieve his son so he can be taken to a new adoptive family. He eventually agrees and on the way to the orphanage he remarks that he feels a like a tourist in his own city and is told by Farid, the man who is to take him there, that he has always been a tourist because he never experienced the struggles of Afghan people.

     That night they stay at Farid’s brothers home and are welcomed with open arms. Upon learning that the children of the home went without dinner so he could be fed Amir leaves money for the family in the same way he hid the money to frame Hassan for theft. On arriving in Kabul it has the air of a ghost town and everything is in a state of disrepair. The director of the orphanage says that he no longer has the boy because the Taliban comes and takes children and he must let them because it is the only way he can feed the others. The next day they go to see a Taliban official about the boy, Sohrab. He is brave and snarky and eventually realizes the Taliban official is Hassan’s rapist. The exchange severe and harsh words and he explains to Amir that believes he has been put on a mission by god to rid the world of impure races. Then he beats Amir to a pulp, and he is glad because he feels as he is finally gets what he deserved for letting his half-brother suffer, he can finally heal. Farid and Sohrab leave as Amir is getting beaten.

     After waking up in a hospital he reads a note left to him by his father’s friend, now deceased explaining that his father was harsh with him because he could not openly love with his illegitimate son. Soon after he realizes there was never an adoptive family waiting for Sohrab. He comforts the little boy who is upset and feels unclean after all of the molestation he endured and tells Sohrab that his father would be proud of him for saving his life and helping him get to the hospital.

     He learns from the American embassy that adoption will be messy if not impossible because it cannot be proven that the boy’s parents are dead. He tells Sohrab that he might have to go to another orphanage in order to go be adopted and he has a break down. Amir talks to Soraya who says there are ways to keep him in the country once they get him there. He goes to tell Sohrab and discovers he has attempted suicide.

     Sohrab survives and they go back to America where Soraya has a nice family dinner prepared. Eventually General Taheri is tiered of avoiding the elephant in the room and asks why he has a Hazara boy. Amir says it is his nephew and to never call him that again. After the events of September eleventh General Taheri is summoned back to Afghanistan and Amir and Soraya raise money for a hospital in the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

     Despite all of the drama that occurs, the story ends on a positive note. Amir and Sohrab go kite running and he proves to be as talented as his father. When they win he goes and retrieves the kite for Hassan’s little boy.

     Often times when we think of countries in the middle east we don’t take the time to realize they are just as human as us. They are normal civilians, rich and poor, going about their lives when the Taliban took over. It is terrifying because as well adjusted and safe as we feel here we are just as capable of the exact same atrocities. And if the Taliban has the resources and power not only to put of the initial embers of a rebellion but to abduct children and brainwash then and abuse them till they either believe in their sick ideals or are too afraid to disagree you end up with entire generations who have no idea what it is like to feel safe wanted or free. It was refreshing to see a more holistic view of the culture instead of the way most Americans view them, as terrorist. Because the people there live in more terror every day of their lives than we can imagine.

     There were references to Nazi Germany throughout the novel as the people of Afghanistan had a hierarchy based upon race and the further east your ancestors were the less valued they were. The Hazara are descendants of the monguls and have prominent Asian features and are considered less cultured and intelligent despite the fact the “racially pure” people took on Hazara women as concubines frequently and while there were many Hazara children they did not have access to education. While this takes place years after World War two it is similar to how the Germans caused conflict in Japan and had them join a war that was none of their business for the sake of eugenics. What they did not get was they were not a part of the master race and should Hitler have succeeded with his plans they most likely would have been wiped out or enslaved

     Both of these novels are about the sins of the father. Both Oknonwo and Amir have the opportunity to follow their father’s footsteps and make the same mistakes and fall to the same vices or learn for their parents mistakes. Amir sees too much of his father in himself in his father and decides to change the way he lives his life while Oknonwo tries too hard to be the antithesis of his father without realizing how dangerous extremes are. They both teach us that while we have are not our parents there is more of them in us than we would like to admit. If you can try to harness the good you see in your parents it can make you great, but if you resist all that they are you are destined to end up just as awful or worse. 

Blog Post 2

      To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming of age southern gothic novel written in New York during the 1950’s by Harper Lee. It is written in the first person by the main character Scout, a middle class elementary school student in the south during the great depression. Occasionally it is from her perspective as it happens and other times she is looking back as an adult. Because of her youthful naiveté she is very honest and unbiased perspective.

     Since this novel deals with race relations in the south during the great depression, it is important to have the point of view of a child who hasn’t been taught the stereotypes and hatred of society and still views people as equal. And she is very observant and clever, providing a good voice for the novel with clear descriptions of Maycomb and vivid imagery. The setting contributes quite a bit of necessary context to the story; it explains the culture and language and provides an explanation for the result of Tom Robinson’s trial.

      To Kill a Mockingbird deals with the loss of innocence of Scout Finch and her older brother Jem as they lose their illusions that their small town of Maycomb Alabama is constituted of essentially good people. The novel starts the summer before Scout starts schooling. She and Jem meet a boy named Dill who is visiting family for the summer and they become inseparable. They are fascinated by the Finch’s reclusive neighbor Boo Radley and continuously try to lure him out of the house. They have heard many vicious rumors about Boo (fueling their curiosity) such as one that says he killed his own father.

      Atticus Finch has raised his children to be unapologetically themselves even if it defies social norms. This is evident by Scout’s being a tomboy. While most parents would have her learning manners and wearing dresses, Atticus is more concerned about her soul. With a moral compass like Atticus’ raising them it’s no wonder they believe the whole world is inherently good. But as they grow older, he can’t shelter them anymore and this illusion slowly starts to shatter for Scout on her first day of school. Her teacher puts rigid and uninspiring curriculum above her students’ well-being and intellectual growth. Despite a few other incidents that cause her to question how good people really are, she remains extremely sheltered and thinks most people are good until her father took over the Tom Robinson case. Tom is an innocent black man accused of raping a white woman Mayella Ewell. Even though Tom is respected in his community and Bob Ewell is literally white trash, in the south the word of a white person always trumps that of a black person.

      Scout and Jem are constantly heckled; their Aunt Alexandra chastises Atticus for taking on the case and nearly accuses him of brining disgrace upon the family name. Jem finally snaps and retaliates when the crotchety old lady insults their father and destroys her flower bush. Even though the lady did not deserve his respect, he shouldn’t have acted out and Atticus had him read to the woman every day. Jem also starts being patronizing towards Scout and telling her to be more feminine, which shows that he is starting to grow up and see his sister not as Scout but as a girl and so therefore she should act like the other girls.

       Jem grows up a lot in the chapters surrounding the trial; he and Scout begin to see Boo Radley as more than some ghoulish figment of their imagination but as an actual person. When Dill runs away from home, Jem tells Atticus straight away instead of hiding him there as a child would have. Also when they see the lynch mob, Scout is too trusting and naïve to even realize what’s going on and starts chatting up a man that she recognizes as the father of a boy in her class. Jem however refuses to go when Atticus orders them home because he wants to protect his father. We see Scout’s maturity when she comforts Dill (who symbolizes childhood throughout the novel) when he cries during the trial. His youth limits him to that reaction while Scout’s maturity makes her want to soldier on despite her confusion at Maycomb’s hypocrisy. She even manages to have sympathy for Mayella Ewell because she must have been the “loneliest girl in the world”.

      Jem is forever changed by the verdict. He loses his faith in society and starts questioning everything except his father who has always fought for what was right. It gets to the point where he starts to abhor Maycomb stating that that Boo Radley probably doesn’t leave his house because he doesn’t want to face the evil outside. He becomes much more aware of the vulnerable “mockingbirds” of the world. For example when he has Scout save the roly-poly that she was about to squash on the grounds that was harmless and innocent, which at the time she perceives as weak and almost feminine but was really his internalization of the lesson his father taught him.

      Scout’s growth and maturation is a little more subtle but equally impressive to that of her brother. She starts to realize that not everyone in the world is good, without becoming jaded and resentful like her brother. She is often confused by the hypocrisy of the townspeople of Maycomb. She can see past people’s flaws and realize that everyone is fallible, something her brother can’t seem to manage.

      This all ties back to the main theme of the book which is to hold back judgment because no one is truly innocent. The title to Kill a Mocking Bird is a prime example. It means that it is a sin to punish something pure or innocent. The book uses simple clean prose and symbolism to portray some greater truths about life in general, for example Boo Radley. He was ostracized and shunned by society when in reality he had done nothing wrong. Maycomb’s citizenry demonized him and created vicious rumors, they “killed a mockingbird”. And with Miss Maudie’s no-nonsense voice we get that she talking about more than the poor soul in the house next door, she is talking about everyone who has been excluded from society from being different.  All throughout the book we see people being judged too quickly and have been given undue respect (i.e. Bob Ewell) or have been shunned before they even have the opportunity to show what good they have to offer (i.e. Tom Robinson, Boo Radley and Mr. Dolphus Raymond).

      Another forming tenet of the book is that “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” None of the characters are quite what they originally appear to be. When we are first introduced to Atticus the kids complain that he is older than the other dads and doesn’t take them fishing, Scout even complains he doesn’t have time to teach her when as the story develops we see that she and Jem are the most well educated students in their school (no thanks to their teachers). Also he has taught them many valuable lessons that you can’t learn from a book and he is also very much a man’s man contrary to what they thought, with the best gun aim in the county. Also our first introduction to Maycomb is generally positive, the people seem welcoming and sensible but as the novel progresses we see the hypocritical and evil underbelly of the quaint southern town.

      In the end it all boils down to the fact that you cannot make assumptions, and judgments are best kept to yourself until you know the person’s character. It also speaks to the amount of faith and courage you must have to stand up for what you know is right. Atticus knew that he would lose the case and possibly his reputation, yet he took it on anyway because he knew it was the right thing to. Sometimes we have to fight for what is right even if “licked” before you even begin.        

1st Blog Post

     “The Penalty of Death” H.L. Menken manages to make a biting critique of those who support the death penalty while keeping his tone informal enough to make his satire evident. His manipulation of language allowed him to create a wry commentary on the judicial system, specifically capital punishment. His attitude and intentions are made clear throughout with his sarcastic overtone showcase the disdain he feels towards the idea of killing criminals, no matter the crime. The manner in which he handles this topic is indicative of the time period. This essay was written in 1926, during both the Progressive Era and the Roaring Twenties. This was a time period known for its revolutionary and frivolous nature. So, it comes as no surprise that author would oppose the death penalty and advocate for a change but still wish to handle this delicate matter with humor.

     Also indicative of the time period is his use of biblical allusions to showcase how disingenuous he believes Christians who are proponents of the capital punishment to be. The idea of revenge goes completely against the turn the other cheek mentality Christianity is intended to teach. When he states “Christianity is adjourned, and even saints reach for their sidearms.”  he is in effect undermining the tenants of the religion as well as the moral fortitude of those are members of the faith. This would appeal to the oppressed peoples such as women and African Americans who consistently had the bible used to excuse their lower status in society. Those who are acutely aware of hypocritical aspects of the faith will be more likely to empathize with this criminal after hearing this because they too have been cast away due to zealots misinterpreting or ignoring the values Christianity preaches.

     He continues to highlights the hypocrisy of the death penalty when he brings up the time that criminals have to wait before dying as the most grievous aspect of capital punishment rather than the actual dying. It insinuates a lack of the proponents understanding of the issue at hand. “Unhappily, a murderer, under the irrational American system, is tortured for what, to him, must seem a whole series of eternities. For months on end he sits in prison while his lawyers carry on their idiotic buffoonery with writs, injunctions, mandamuses, and appeals. In order to get his money (or that of his friends) they have to feed him with hope.” When Menken calls out the lawyer for his cruelty he does not acknowledge that no one in any other profession, whether they do it for the love of the craft or simply to pay the bills, can continue to keep servicing a client who cannot pay them. It is not a matter of the lawyer being cruel but the lawyer’s survival. He shows that those in favor of the death penalty would rather hold lawyers and judges accountable for these criminals’ fates rather than addressing the blood lust of those who demand the death of criminals. He hints at the irony of those citizens so offended by these murderers that they are willing to become murderers themselves.

     Earlier in the passage Menken uses parallel structure to compare the hangman to many other virtuous but unpleasant professions “There are, indeed, many other jobs that are unpleasant, and yet no one thinks of abolishing them--that of the plumber, that of the soldier, that of the garbage-man, that of the priest hearing confessions, that of the sand-hog, and so on. Moreover, what evidence is there that any actual hangman complains of his work? I have heard none. On the contrary, I have known many who delighted in their ancient art, and practiced it proudly.” to show that being a hangman is an honorable career path. Menken does not say it directly, but the juxtaposition with such esteemed occupations raises the status of the hangman. There is an ingrained respect that people have for priest and servicemen that is now linked to the hangman. This comparison along with the criticism of the lawyers depicts proponents as willfully ignorant people who can judge the lawyer for defending the criminal and praise the hangman who sealed his fate.

     That irony is explained thoroughly in his detailed explanation on the importance of katharsis. The examples used for katharisis represent it as a base impulse. While he says that we should give into it since it a natural human reaction, after reading how evil and childish it makes the person look one would hope to be above such juvenile and hurtful acts. Menken uses the allegory of the child and the teacher to show the pettiness of those clamoring for the death penalty. The image of a spoiled child harming an unwitting teacher is meant to reveal that these people are unable to view this issue from an adult perspective and analyze why they want this person to die. The Shopkeeper A example presents the victim of the crime as an equal to the criminal. Their vindication does not come from reparations but from the pain he was able to have inflicted on another person, “Thereafter A can sleep. More, he has pleasant dreams. He pictures B chained to the wall of a dungeon…”.  More time is spent explaining the masochistic joy A gets from imagining B’s suffering than it does discussing how A was wronged by B in the first place. This shifts the focus onto A’s transgression rather than B’s. 

     Menken’s used his understanding of the social moirés and political issues of the time to take an issue that would usually have a lot of support and show the immorality of its underbelly. The idea of killing those who have killed and ridding society of their violence seems like a good idea but he reveals that those criminals bring society as a whole down to their level making everyone who allows this to continue a murderer. He plays on his audience’s individual sense of morality by implicating them in what he sees as a crime. H.L. Menken manipulates the burgeoning disassociation of America and Christianity and utilized people’s desire to seem avant-garde and compassionate in tangent with sardonic diction to make people pity those whose behavior is inexcusable.