The Kite Runner Socratic Seminar #1 Reflection

 This particular seminar focused on the use of emotional appeals, which exposed me to a number of ways of thinking about situations. By hearing the thought processes of my classmates, and the decisions they would individually make in similar situations in The Kite Runner, I was able to see the complexity of the many decisions we are faced to make. This would include the idea of prioritizing- who do I put before myself? When do I put myself before others-, the effects of events on one’s life – the death or departure of a family member or the way others treat you- and many other such topics. The seminar made me think more about the tradeoffs that people make in their lives, and how these shape who they are. A particular statement that I hadn’t thought of in such depth was when someone stated, “I love my mother, but I don’t like her.” I though it was interesting to hear of the personal parent/child relationships of my classmates. This made me think of the complexity of such roles. While parents must care for their children, they must also ensure that they teach them and prepare them to act individually, which may often involve methods that children do not enjoy.  

The statement that I agreed with the most was when someone stated that Amir strives to meet the demands of his father, and is driven by his desire to please his father. Amir seems to think that he was responsible for his mother’s death, and has failed his father by not being like him. In his quest for acceptance, Amir neglects Hassan, who may be his only true friend. In the alley, Amir describes Hassan as a sacrificial lamb who must be given up so that he can gain his father’s respect. Although Amir’s actions were unacceptable and deemed immoral by everybody in the discussion, the group was able to recognize his motive, and why he acted the way he did. The statement I agreed with the least was when someone stated that all children want to be better than those that surround them. While I agree that being “better” than someone at certain skills is a feeling many desire throughout their lives, I believe that the driving force of this feeling is the search for identity. Particularly in the earlier stages of life, people look to establish their own identity. The question of identity is one that a person must find on their own, and each set of skill every person builds makes them who they are. If there had been more time to discuss/opportunity to bring up anything, I would have liked to further discuss the prevailing discrimination in Afghanistan, and how The Kite Runner acts as an accurate depiction of this society, and others as well. Religious, racial and ethnic tensions exist worldwide, and such feelings drive wars and resentment. I would have also like to speak of how this discrimination emotionally effects the characters in The Kite Runner. Hassan and Ali seem to receive the most discrimination due to their ethnicity and religion, which makes their characters seem more submissive, both in their jobs and personalities. I think that these are important themes to address because they are so prevalent in the world.

A particular aspect that worked really well for the seminar was the use of emotional appeals. Past Socratic Seminars saw the domination of logical, or even ethical appeals, where it was harder to generate emotional responses. I think that The Kite Runner brings up some very pressing themes and questions that many people may find themselves asking individually. Because the text was so emotional, everybody was able to generate their own emotional opinions. Further, many of the questions asked generated emotional responses. For example, would you want Baba or Ali as a father? Would you risk your life for somebody? Should children and parents automatically have the respect of each other? Through questions such as these, many emotional responses were shared, and it made it possible to hear what my classmates were thinking. I feel that the use of emotional appeals made it easier to connect to the text, and even clarify what the characters would be thinking, and how we would react in similar situations.

I believe that the group should work on incorporating a wider range of topics as well as connecting the plot to real life. A particularly great thing about this past seminar was that we were able to discuss topics from the book in relation to our daily lives without straying too far away from the text. Regardless, it would have been nice to spend more time on some of the subjects that had been brought up. For example, one participant asked why rape victims often do not speak up.  I feel that this topic, and specifically the rape of Hassan, was danced around, but never fully discussed. Much of the conversation focused on father/son relationships or the friendship between Amir and Hassan. The Kite Runner brought up a variety of themes, including discrimination, ethnic hatred and social injustice, a wealth of topics to discuss. I think that incorporating all of these themes into the discussion would enrich it and give everybody a deeper understanding of the plot, and even the world issues and injustices that exist in our own society.