Kite Runner 10-17

Connection - Text to Self

In chapter twelve of the novel, we find out that Baba has cancer and does not want to do anything about it. Amir wants to do anything in his power to help him and make him understand he needs treatment but, he refuses and does not want to be seen by a doctor until the time comes that he is too ill. This relates to a situation I have been through before and unfortunately am going through again. A family member of mine was diagnosed with cancer a few years back. She did not want to deal with doctors or radiation, anything that had to do with the word "cancer." After a while of being weak and sick, she finally came to the conclusion to see a doctor and find a cure. Thankfully all went well and two years later she was cured and no longer had her cancer. All was well until her cancer came back this year, and now we are reliving the past in the present. Therefore I can relate to Baba and Amir very closely and understand what they are going through.

Vocabulary

• innards (pg96) - the internal mechanism, parts, structure, etc., of something.


• tarpaulin (pg96) - a protective covering of canvas or other material waterproofed with tar, paint, or wax.


• trek (pg99) - a journey or trip, esp. one involving difficulty or hardship.


• fretting (pg101) - to make a way by gnawing, corrosion, wearing away.


• braying (pg107) - to make a loud, harsh, disagreeable sound.


• staccatos (pg107) - characterized by performance in which the notes are abruptly disconnected.


• ochre (pg116) - any of several earthy mineral oxides of iron occurring in yellow, brown, or red and used as pigments.


• laborious (pg131) - characterized by or exhibiting excessive effort, dullness, and lack of spontaneity.


• mullah (pg135) - (in Islamic countries) a title of respect for a person who is learned in, teaches, or expounds the sacred law.


• burqa (pg183) - a loose, usually black or light blue robe that is worn by Muslim women, especially in Afghanistan, and that covers the body from head to toe.

Culture Information

As I was doing my vocabulary, I came across the word burqa, which is is an enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic traditions for the purpose of cloaking the entire body. I wanted to learn why the women wore them and what they were for, so I did my research. The women wore them as sand masks in windy conditions, some men also wore burqa's. This is still very common in the Middle East today. They also wore them in raids that involved the taking of women of child bearing age. The chance of a women being taken slowly decreased because it was extremely hard to distinguish the age.