Animal Farm Trailer

What is Going to Happen to the Milk?

Three months pass between the death of Old Major and the actual animal revolt. What were some of the animals doing as they waited? How do their actions foreshadow the possibility that things may not play out as equitably as Old Major had hoped?

Rebellion! Will the Lives of the Animals Improve?

"Man is the only creature that consumes without producing," states Old Major, the older, benevolent boar who first inspires the animals on Manor Farm to consider rebellion rather continued submission. During his speech he clearly points out all the reasons why life would be better for the animals if they were to assume control over their own situation and expel Farmer Jones. However, as he speaks, we get the perfect opportunity to watch the animals and learn about them. What particular characteristics or stereotypes do you begin to associate with what animal and why do you think that characteristic could help or hinder a successful rebellion?

House of Sand and Fog: A Choice Response

Although we have discussed this film in class and online, there are still areas worth a more thorough examination. Select one of the following prompts below and respond in a responsible and thoughtful manner.

1. In the movie, the house in dispute is not just a house. It also symbolizes different things for Kathy and Mr. Behrani. What does the house symbolize for each of them?

2. There are several instances of bird imagery (verbal and /or visual) in the film. Describe three instances of this imagery in the film and explain its significance.

3. Compare and contrast the immigrant experiences of Baba and Amir (Kite Runner) with those of the Behrani family (House of Sand and Fog). Be sure to include both similarities and differences that go beyond the superficial.

4. Why did Colonel Behrani kill himself and his wife?

House of Sand and Fog: The Escalating Conflict

As you have been viewing the film and noting some of the similarities to events and/or characters in Kite Runner, what do you think are some of the specific causes to the escalating conflict between the Colonel and Cathy and between the Colonel and Lester? What specific prejudices or assumptions do the characters make, limiting their inability to communicate effectively? What about the Colonel's wife and son, Cathy's mother and brother, and even Lester's wife?

Intermission: Discussing and Viewing House of Sand and Fog

As we continue to view the film House of Sand and Fog we have had many opportunities to discuss characters, particular events, and themes. We noted the similarities between the Colonel and Baba from Kite Runner. We couldn't miss the obvious cultural conflicts that escalated the tension between Lester and the Colonel or the pride that contributed to the destruction of three families. However, we haven't really talked about the imagery - the trees, the birds, or all the fog and sand that seamlessly link the story events together. Why are they there? What do they mean? In today's blog response select just one of those repeating images and tell us what you think it might mean and how it figures into the story. (Oh, you cannot say a tree is just a tree here.)

"Why are you here?" asks Farid. "I mean, why are you really here?"

When Farid poses that question to Amir the night before they plan to meet the Taliban leader whom they hope will help them recover Sohrab, Amir replies, "For the boy." Yet that response isn't enough for Farid. Years and years of cultural values and beliefs force him to push Amir more and he then asks, "What I mean to ask is why that boy? You come all the way from America for....a Shi'a? This, of course, kills all the laughter in Amir. In what way has this cultural perspective, and/or cultural discrimination, shaped and twisted not only Amir's life, but that of his father's life, and even the lives of his fellow Afghans? As you continue to read chapters 21, 22, and 23, please reflect on the events and circumstances discussed in earlier chapters and tell me how good men, men like Baba, Rahim Kahn, Amir, Farid, and even Baba's father, find themselves perpetuating a cultural practice they know devalues and dismisses a segment of their own society? Do you think it had to be this way? Why or why not? (In responding to this question, please feel free to extend your opinion through text-to-text or text-to-world connections.)

You've Always Been a Tourist

After successfully escaping Afghanistan and building a new life for himself in America, Amir is forced to confront his past and the truth about himself, his father, and Hassan. When Rahim Kahn telephones asking for his help, Amir has no choice but to get on a plane to Pakistan. Once he arrives, he learns the truth about the ties that bind he and Hassan together. Of course, now he has no choice. He must agree to Rahim Kahn's request that he return to Afghanistan, find Hassan's son Sohrab, and smuggle him out of the country. Although he realizes the danger involved, Amir soon finds himself sitting in the back of an old car wearing a carefully woven beard and some traditional Afghan clothing. His driver Farid is taking him through the Khyber Pass and into Afghanistan. Amir is sick and Farid treats him with contempt. He resents Amir and soon exclaims, "You've alwaysbeen a tourist here, you just didn't know it." What distinction does Farid draw between the life Amir lived in Afghanistan and the life most Afghans lived? Based on what you know and what you're reading about life for the typical Afghan, do you agree with Farid's accusation? (Please support your response with some textual evidence and even extend it with a connection to real life.)

Now Why Did He Do That? The Author, Not the Character.

As you probably noticed, there are many similarities between Kite Runner and Things Fall Apart. Both authors are telling stories that involve fathers and sons, are set in countries/culture seemingly different than our own, and confront cultural conflicts within a culture and between cultures. Of course, in order to tell these stories in an engaging and interesting way, the authors have made some similar "storytelling" choices. What are some of the techniques both authors use to help you as readers better understand what's going on in the story? (Don't be afraid to consider some of the choices we discussed in class with Things Fall Apart.)

A Common Enemy

Although Chapter 5 may open with gunfire, that threat is nothing compared to the bully of the Wazir Akbar Khan section of Kabul. With his stainless-steel brass knuckles, the tall, blond, blue-eyed Assef terrorizes the boys in the neighborhood, especially Amir and Hassan. Assef is truly a scary young man. Beyond the immediate physical threat he poses to the boys, what about his words and actions did you find the most frightening? Select one thing that is said by Assef, explain what about his words you found the most unnerving, and then connect it to some real world circumstance or event.

Kite Runner: Children Aren't Coloring Books

One of my favorite quotations in these first few chapters is the statement made by Rahim Kahn. When Baba, Amir's father, complains to Rahim that Amir is not the kind of boy he expected to have as a son, Rahim Kahn replies, "Children aren't coloring books. You don't get to fill them with your favorite colors." Parents are often guilty of this. They project their own wants or needs onto their children and rather than helping them find their own paths in life, they push their children along a path of their own design. This only makes people unhappy. The children either live lives that are not truly their own or they live their lives feeling they aren't really worthy of their parents' love and respect. Do you agree or disagree with Rahim Kahn? Please support your position with a text-to-text or text-to-self connection. Don't forget to use some specific details from both Kite Runner and another text or your own life.

Kite Runner: Building Background

On Friday, March 12, we begin reading the novel Kite Runner. Since the novel, set in Afghanistan, introduces the custom and art of kite fighting, please view the video clip attached to this blog and then click on the link below and read a short article that provides more specific information about it. I am sure you will find it very interesting.
http://www.afghana.com/Entertainment/Gudiparanbazi.htm
After viewing and reading, please share your thoughts or reactions to what you have learned.