Wednesday 10/11/2010

Yes, I am posting this blog a little late, however I really haven't had the time to blog since Wednesday and at least I'm blogging now.

So, on Wednesdays lesson, we looked at the different voices in chapter 17 of The Kite Runner which were Amir, Hassan and Rahim Khan. I was particularly interested in the voice of Hassan, how his voice was expressed through letters to Amir. It seemed his confidence in writing and his intelligence shown in the letter how he has grown up and developed, yet as the letters are described to be 'childlike' his innocence has not been lost.

I was also interested in Rahim Khan's reactions and emotion when it comes to telling Amir that Hassan, his illegitimate half brother, has been shot dead. He is emotionless, and it can be ambiguous as to why he is so non challant about it. Perhaps because he is so used to the violence in Kabul that he is used to things like this happening, or perhaps he is numb to the idea of losing Hassan.

Now, I am going to have lunch. As Fiona would say, Toodles.

Wednesday and Friday Lesson

On Wednesday, we looked at 'How Hosseini tells the story in chapter 10' and it followed with a homework. This is a good practice exam question as it looks at all the different points throughout the chapter. Chapter 10 is the 'changing' chapter, where Amir and Baba leave Kabul and Afghanistan to live in America safely. We also learn that the relationship between Baba and Amir has gone 'back to it's old ways', as they are uncomfortable with each other, and Amir cannot stand up to him- "Do you always have to be the hero?"

On Friday, we read Chapter 14, where Amir gets back in touch with Rahim Khan, one of Baba's old friends. When Amir flies to Kabul, he does not still see it as his home. Rahim Khan now also is frail and weak, which mirrors the deterioration of Baba's health in previous chapters.
Homework set was to make two bubble-diagrams of chapter 16 and 17, on 'How Hosseini tells the story in these chapters'.

Half Term Blog

For ''revision'' of Chronological Topography, on Wednesday, Fiona and I watched 'The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button' (we were going to watch The Kite Runner and Memento, but Amazon failed to deliver by Wednesday) The film wasn't that good, but told the story of a man growing old to young, the story was told by one of the characters who was reflecting about her past (analepsis?). Also finished The Kite Runner properly, and just completed the essays.

Lesson 20.10.2010

Unfortunately, it was me who had to read aloud Chapter 7 of The Kite Runner- and Hassan's rape. The essay given about this chapter was "Discuss the ways Hosseini tells the story in chapter 7". The six main sections to focus upon in this essay will be foreshadowing, references to chapter 1, contrast in character, contrast in events, breaking of the narrative and setting. At this point in the book, the story is beginning to thicken and deepen and I am thoroughly enjoying analysing it.

Update 18.10.2010

Just finished annotating bits of chapter in The Kite Runner, it is an interesting yet horrific chapter which see's the rape of Hassan. I am finding that going through specific chapters in class is interesting, as you get different points of view, and ideas from everybody else. Also the short 30minute essays are useful.

Update

Recently in English, we have been studying The Kite Runner, which I am finding very emotive and interesting. We have already done a short essay about how Hassan's character was presented in chapter two, and currently looking at Baba's character in chapter three. I am finding that doing the short essays are helpful and useful for time management, and it is providing a deeper understanding of the characters in the book.
I also found that researching the Hazara/Pashtun was very helpful because it provided social and historical context.

Next lesson we will be looking at chapter five, which should be interesting, as the story is beginning to have a plot, and is about to get very interesting..

Update of lessons

After half an hour of trying to sign into Blogspot, I cannot remember what I was going to write.

29/09/2010
Chronalogical topography:
Literal definition is the sequence or order of something. We looked at the first chapter of Khaled Hosseni's 'The Kite Runner' and noticed how that only in the first page, something significant has happened in 1985, before the present time. I found it interesting how the sequence of a text can have an impact on the story itself.

01/10/2010
Speech:
This lesson was focusing on the different types of speech; mainly direct and indirect. Speech can have a big effect on a text, it can set past/present/future and it can be key to a story. It can be used in different ways too. In Khaled Hosseni's 'The Kite Runner', not only is there direct speech, but also speech which is indirect, which is more like a memory and written without speech marks. An overall usefull and interesting lesson.