The Kite Runner:7

"I laughed. Partly at the joke, partly at how Afghan humor never changed." (page 266) This literary device is humor. I did not want to include the entire passage, but Amir and Farid are telling "Mullah Nasruddin jokes". It may seem like just another scene, but I think that it plays a huge role in the situation and the people in Afghanistan. There is war, injustice, and violence rampant in Kabul and all of Amir's native country. Despite the stress and seriousness of the situation, there is humor used in the story. It may have been a way for the author to relieve the reader of the serious, melancholy tone. Also, it could have been a way for him to relay to the audience that despite the situation surrounding them, the characters are still human. They have emotions and are not immune to the terrible situation surrounding them. Amir and Farid share in a moment that shares their human emotions and how in even the worst situations, a country cannot take this from them. They cannot be dehumanized completely no matter what the Talibans try. In other words, I think it was a way to show that even though they are the 'choosen' race according to Assef, they are still against the treatment of women, Hazaras, and all the others faced with the injustice.

Potpourri Blog #4

"You're Ugly,Too"
At first, I felt really bad for Zoe. She was making her life a joke, but it seemed like deep down it made her sad. She made a joke about her not getting married when she said "I'm not married? Oh , my God..I forgot to get married"(30). I thought this was funny, but at the same time I felt bad. I thought of those people who joke about themselves to cope with sadness. Then, when Evan tells her she is getting married she is just blank. I think that showed that she really wished she could get married. Also, on page 363 when it says "This was what she'd become:a woman alone at the movies with everything in a Baggie". This allows shows that she isn't content with what she is. By the end of the story though, I really didn't like Zoe. She was so rude to Earl. He seemed genuine, and she didn't even give him a chance. She then pretty much called him a "fag" on page 369, and she pretend to push him off the balcony. None of this is funny. It is just plain rude.