Kite Runner + Great Gatsby Thoughts
The Kite Runner:
Reading The Kite Runner and Hassan as a character really stood out to me. The portrayal of his loyalty towards Amir, how he values their friendship despite Amir's betrayal, his appreciation towards Amir's father, his obedience towards his father, his difficulties, his love towards the wife and son, his well treatment towards his mother who used to abandon him, his dreams and how they shattered, and his ending fate, are intensely heart-breaking to me. I can't help but sympathise with the character. Nevertheless, the way Hassan carries himself, through his speeches, actions and his final letter to Amir do not show that he wants the readers' sympathy or compassion. Symbolically, he wants us to know and understand that he still chooses goodness and sincerity, in the midst of the hatred and lies. Despite having his own problems, he still hopes, wishes and wants the best for the people he loves and cares - and he does all that unconditionally. He has a very pure heart and soul. In the story, he may be seen like a victim, yet symbolically, he is the hero. The ending is beautifully inspiring. He ends it by giving Amir a light of hope - telling the readers, that despite anything, there is some hope. No matter how hard circumstances are and were, hope for something better is always there.
The Great Gatsby:
I’ve read the Great Gatsby more than a dozen times. It’s one of books that I find I can come back to it again and again and learn something new each time. As a story there is nothing that amazing about The Great Gatsby. It’s so simple and in many ways predictable, yet works so wonderfully well, making it irresistible. It’s constructed as a series of ticking time bombs that make you simultaneously want them to go off to relieve the pressure, but not go off, so you can enjoy the way things are slowly unraveling for as long as possible. My favourite part is definitely the first person narration, and how easy Fitzgerald makes it seem to put
Reading The Kite Runner and Hassan as a character really stood out to me. The portrayal of his loyalty towards Amir, how he values their friendship despite Amir's betrayal, his appreciation towards Amir's father, his obedience towards his father, his difficulties, his love towards the wife and son, his well treatment towards his mother who used to abandon him, his dreams and how they shattered, and his ending fate, are intensely heart-breaking to me. I can't help but sympathise with the character. Nevertheless, the way Hassan carries himself, through his speeches, actions and his final letter to Amir do not show that he wants the readers' sympathy or compassion. Symbolically, he wants us to know and understand that he still chooses goodness and sincerity, in the midst of the hatred and lies. Despite having his own problems, he still hopes, wishes and wants the best for the people he loves and cares - and he does all that unconditionally. He has a very pure heart and soul. In the story, he may be seen like a victim, yet symbolically, he is the hero. The ending is beautifully inspiring. He ends it by giving Amir a light of hope - telling the readers, that despite anything, there is some hope. No matter how hard circumstances are and were, hope for something better is always there.
The Great Gatsby:
I’ve read the Great Gatsby more than a dozen times. It’s one of books that I find I can come back to it again and again and learn something new each time. As a story there is nothing that amazing about The Great Gatsby. It’s so simple and in many ways predictable, yet works so wonderfully well, making it irresistible. It’s constructed as a series of ticking time bombs that make you simultaneously want them to go off to relieve the pressure, but not go off, so you can enjoy the way things are slowly unraveling for as long as possible. My favourite part is definitely the first person narration, and how easy Fitzgerald makes it seem to put