Pgs 1-15 NFTU Ciara

Honesty, what the actual fuck. It's only been 15 pages and I have already thought harder than I have this entire year. Atlas Shrugged has nothing on this book. Atlas Shrugged is basically a book written about a concept that would take up a single paragraph in Notes from the Underground. 

Dostoyevsky presents ideas that take a while to process, at least for me. I think it's obvious that he is presenting the idea of "ignorance is bliss", but it doesn't stop there; that would be too simple. Dostoyevsky argues that the clever, thoughtful person experiences an intense enjoyment when at his/her lowest point. This lowest point could be pain, shame, spite, anger, etc. After the first few examples, I still was not understanding the direction he was taking; however, the example of the toothache shed some light on his idea. 

When we are in pain, we want people to know we are in pain, and we want to make people acknowledge our presence and situation. The enjoyment comes from having a spout to vent from, and from having the ability to be the person you want to be. Pain provides and excuse for some of our censored emotions to come out with reason, and we love the fact that we can express our faults without explanation or verbal judgment. So we enjoy it.

Or I could be completely off. 💁

Kite Runner Movie vs. Book Comparison

                The Kite Runner movie was better than I expected although it ultimately fails at capturing what made the book truly great. What I think the movie did well was tell an entertaining story with the time constraints of a feature length film. Furthermore, I thought the actors playing Baba and Amir did a good job portraying their characters. The problem with the movie is that you are never as emotionally invested in the character as you are in the book. When reading the book, I was often awed by the raw emotion and tension that Hosseini can create. Although the rape scene was uncomfortable in both the book and the movie, I found myself more distraught when I read it then when I watched it. The movie also overlooks certain parts of the book that perhaps should not have been and consequently the pacing always seemed a bit off in my opinion.

                Baba remained my favorite character in the book and the movie as he was just as I expected him to be in the movie. Although he was very tough with Amir , his admirable qualities shine through in the book and the movie as both make him out to be generous , powerful , and comically cynical.

                Visually, I thought the move was superb and really made me feel like I was in Afghanistan , especially in the childhood scenes. Although Hosseini did an amazing job of conveying afghan culture through words, I thought the movie did it even better as nothing compares to actually seeing the scenes played out accompanied by a good soundtrack. The action scenes also seemed really well done as the final fight scene between Amir and Assef was thrilling to watch.

Another thing I noticed was that Amir’s troubled relationship with his father came across much better in the book than in the movie. Although Homayoun Ershadi does a great job of playing Baba in the film, the film will ultimately fail in conveying Amir’s inner thoughts concerning his father and as a moviegoer you never truly understand the emotional tribulations that make Amir act the way he acts.               

                Some scenes seemed very rushed as well such as Amir’s relationship with Soraya. In the book Hosseini makes it clear that in Afghan culture even expressing interest in a woman is seen as imprudent. In the movie Amir just goes right up to talk to her. Although this understandably flows better with western audiences I did not like the fact that Amir Rushes the process in the movie and it felt like the movie was distancing itself from its middle-eastern roots.

                Overall, I thought the film was done well but did not quite meet up to the standards of the book. Although the performances and cinematography was great, nothing could capture the raw emotion of the story better than written word.

Movie vs Book

            Books are almost always regarded higher when compared to their movie equivalents, and I felt that this rang true for the Kite Runner.  Although the movie as a whole was enjoyable, intense, and satisfying all together, when put in a direct comparison with the novel, the movie falls short.  Whether it was for a shorter time, or to prevent scaring audiences, the movie downplayed many of the violently striking scenes that were so intensely described in the novel.  One of the most important scenes from the novel is where Sohrab attempts suicide because he believes that Amir is going to put him back in the orphanage.  This helps to explain why Sohrab is so distant from Soroya and Amir at the end of the novel, and makes the reader understand why Amir is so satisfied with just one smile from Sohrab at the very end.  The ending of the novel makes more sense, because the audience clearly understands why Sohrab is so upset and has a lack of trust in Amir.  The suicide was completely glanced over, and I felt I didn’t quite understand why Sohrab was so upset.  He had a new life in America, and although not as good as his early years with his parents in Afghanistan, it far exceeded his slavery with Assef.  Another scene that I felt lacked the emotional power that was clearly expressed in the novel was when Ali and Hassan left Baba’s house to find a new place to live.  In the novel, Baba clearly expresses great sorrow and confusion as to why Ali is leaving, and it takes a great length of time for Baba to accept the fact that they are gone.  In the movie it is a relatively short, unemotional scene.  I did not feel a real pain in the actor’s portrayal of Baba when Ali leaves.  Considering how close Ali and Baba were, I feel the book more accurately represented the way the character of Baba would have felt.  Not all parts of the movie were bad portrayals of the novel.  I thought the scenery in the movie was amazing.  It seemed very accurate to the way that Amir described it in the story, and I feel that the director did a great job with creating a realistic scene of Afghanistan in the 1970’s and early 2000’s.  The way in which Afghanistan changed from 1970 to 2000 was also done very well.  The book went into great detail over the differences between the beauty of Afghanistan in the past, and the desert like conditions of the present.  The movie, I felt, accurately portrayed these changes and helped to form a better idea of the living conditions of Afghani’s today.  If the more emotional and violent scenes had been more accurately represented and present in the film, I felt that this movie could have been as good as the book.  It is just lacking the emotional power that the novel exerts onto the reader.  

Movie v. Book

          While the story of The Kite Runner itself is remarkable no matter in which way it is told, I felt that the book ultimately captured the emotions of the characters best, while the movie was more successful in emphasizing the context of the setting and the vibrant Afghan culture.

          Though it understandably had to make some cuts due to the limited time frame, the movie version was mostly accurate to the book. In fact, watching the movie highlighted certain details that I never really thought about before. While the book always mentioned how Hassan and Ali worked around the house, actually seeing the two, especially Hassan in his diminutive stature during Amir’s party, carry around trays hit the point closer to home. I also found it immensely interesting and telling the way the blue kite was framed and placed in an in-your-face manner on the staircase in Amir’s house; this little touch truly elaborated on Baba’s pride for Amir’s kite-running win, something I thought the movie depicted accurately.

          In addition, I felt that the Afghan culture came out particularly well in the movies. The wedding scene and intense kite-running tournament portrayed a vivacity that I thought the book could not completely demonstrate, and the Afghan-American culture also came out more clearly due to the constant switch between languages by the characters. Details such as the political speaker on the radio in the beginning and the kabob-selling on the streets not only allowed me to visualize Amir’s city better, but also helped bring to life the vast difference Amir felt between the past and present versions of Kabul; the stoning scene was particularly heart-wrenching to watch.

          But while I liked many aspects of the movie, there were also some that I felt took away from aspects crucial in the book. For one, Baba did not cry or beg when Hassan and Ali left; I thought this downplayed their importance to him. In addition, I felt that the movie version of Baba’s character in the US was not as unsure or somewhat meek, as in the book. Another detail that truly bugged me was how completely different Assef was from the book. Instead of a blue-eyed blonde around the same age as Hassan and Amir, he was significantly older and larger with brown hair and eyes. At Amir’s party, he did not seem to command his parents, or actually his father in the movie, and did not present Amir with the Hitler book; I thought that this scene in the book was essential in establishing Assef’s deranged nature and foreshadowing his powerful control.

          While I did like the movie’s kite-running ending, I felt that the book’s ending and movie’s ending were in too different contexts to compare; without Sohrab’s suicide attempt and the struggle to bring him back to the US, the movie’s ending was significantly more light-hearted and hopeful. Overall, I felt that due to the movie’s limited time frame, the scenes skipped around more to cover all the events without the same emotional investment the book put into the characters. Without a doubt, though, the movie is still a great supplement to the reading due to how successfully it visually impacts the audience.

Book and Movie comparison

      People often say that films cannot compare to the original material. This notion is absolute true in the case of the Kite Runner and the film. As a stand alone project, the movie is actually very good. But after having read the novel, I feel that the movie failed to capture the emotional intensity that the novel does so brilliantly. One of the main problems in the movie, in my opinion, is it removed the grittier, more violent scenes. These scenes are hard to swallow but very necessary. The movie essentially edited the entire last act of the novel. The film decided to completely remove Sorayb's attempted suicide and his painfully slow transition to "normalcy." His torturous silence after the event made much more sense in the novel than it did in the movie. Though the transition to America would be hard for any child, it's less believable in the movie. I assume that time constraints affected the decision, and it by no means ruined the film or compromised it. But I did feel it sort of rushed the ending and left some questions unanswered for those that have never read the book. Another aspect that left me confused was the character Assef. Many times he was described as blonde with blue eyes... but in the film, he is very clearly Afghan. I'm not sure if the filmmakers forgot this detail or felt it unnecessary, but I was distracted looking for a "blonde" Assef when the audience should be focused on the thematic material.

It's hard to fully connect to actors when I've already envisioned the character's appearances and gestures. That being said, the casting decisions were excellent. I thought the child actor that played Hassan brought the appropriate amount of quiet nobility, and similarly, young Amir portrayed the pained sullenness that was written so vividly in the novel. Amir's and Baba's relationship in America was also very well developed and extremely believable. I felt that relationship was most faithful to the one I witnessed in the novel. All in all, the movie was enjoyable and left me satisfied with the ending. But in my opinion, it cannot compete with the novel.

Juan's movie vs. book comparison

The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini was a ground breaking novel published in 2003. Shortly thereafter, the story was converted into a motion picture. When comparing the two works, there are certainly notable differences in not only the overall plot, but in the development of the story as well.

To begin, the plot was altered from the very beginning, where we meet the older version of Amir first. In the novel, Hosseini introduces us to Amir's younger self first. In doing so the reader is also able to see Amir's thought process, establishing a better relationship between the reader and the protagonist on an emotional level. This aspect is essential to the development and overall enjoyment of the story, thus leaving out from the film an important element. Unlike the book the film only shows the direct actions of the characters and what happens in the story. When given introspective one is able to comprehend the story much better, and in the end, because the watcher of the film is not given the privilege of knowing Amir's thoughts, the character from the film and the character from the book are different.

Subsequently, the most noticeable difference, in my opinion, between the novel and film is the intensity in each. The novel's descriptions and overall plot are much more intense than those of the film. Intense can be an ambiguous term, thus by intense I mean that the novel impacts and affects the reader much more than the movie does on the watcher of the movie. For example, the scene where a boy's father shoots himself after the trip in the gas tank is removed entirely from the film. While this scene is unimportant to what happens in the overall plot, it does add to the mood of the story. In the end, this particular scene contributes to how harsh the conditions were and how much Amir had to go through, evoking a feeling of empathy from the reader. Another scene that was crucial to the intensity of the novel was that of Sohrab trying to commit suicide. This scene puts the cherry on top of the intensity sundae as not only the idea of a child attempting to commit suicide, but the imagery as well, can be shocking to a reader. In the movie, the story ends with a happy ending, avoiding this scene. Perhaps producers have done studies showing that audiences prefer happy endings and thus they altered the ending of the story accordingly. Because this scene was cut out, the story was changed entirely and one can even say it was made inaccurately.

One final noticeable difference between the story and the book is the emphasis of a cycle. In the novel, a cycle exists between the moment that Hassan was betrayed by Amir and the final moment when Amir says to Sohrab, “For you, a thousand times over!” This cycle is seen in the scar that both Hassan and Amir obtain, one from an operation and one from a fight with Assef. It is again seen when Hassan and Amir both say “For you a thousand times over.” Finally, it is seen when Assef physically hurts both Amir and Hassan. This is why Amir feels healed when Assef delivers the beating he does. In the film, the evidence of this cycle is nowhere to be found as it is certainly not emphasized like it is in the book.

Overall, I believe that the details included in the book made it better than the movie. As a result, I enjoyed the book, which is one of my favorite books now, much more than the movie.

Maya's Movie vs Book Comparison

        After watching the movie and reading the book, I can decidedly say that I enjoyed the book more than the movie. I feel like Hosseini’s writing style and the descriptions he chose to incorporate were able to capture the characters’ emotions and the strain that most of the events in the novel caused better than the movie. I did not dislike the movie, but I feel like it lacks a certain something the book has. The first half of the movie, for the most part, stayed true to what happened in the book. However, the director chose to leave out a lot of major plot points during the second half. 

        First off, I think the director chose to cut what he did because it made Amir seem, in my opinion, like a more agreeable main character. In the book, he comes off as more self-centered and kind of spineless. The first time I noticed this was when he is shown at the orphanage looking for Sohrab. Instead of his driver becoming outraged by the director of the orphanage essentially selling children to the Taliban, Amir is the one who decides to speak out. This scene portrays Amir as someone with a strong moral compass who isn’t afraid to voice it; as anyone who has read the book knows, this usually is not the case with Amir. It also draws a parallel between him and Baba. Baba spoke out against the cruelty being shown to the woman in the van by the Russian soldier and Amir did the same for the orphans. 

        Also, there is never a point in the movie where Amir shows apprehension towards leaving Soraya and risking his safety in Afghanistan. When Amir ultimately travels to Pakistan to meet with Rahim Kahn, Kahn doesn’t mention an American couple that could lift all the responsibilities of taking care of Sohrab off of Amir’s shoulders. The movie shows Amir’s journey to retrieve Sohrab as something he is doing completely out of his own will and not because he feels obligated to save a blood related family member. 

        The only thing I have no idea as to why it was cut is the entire scene with Soraya’s infertility. I feel like that was such an integral part to Amir switching from feeling obligated to save Sohrab to actually wanting to go save him so that he and the woman he loves can parent a child together. It was a big plot point in the book but it was never visited once during the movie. 

        With respects to the actors, I feel that the actor who played Baba did the best job. His performance was truly convincing. I believe he did the best job of portraying his character the way he was in the book. 

The Kite Runner Book Vs. Movie by Raoul Khouri

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is the most real book I have ever read. Every page was organic and stayed true to the sadness of the life of a Kabul man. After reading the book I was scared to see the movie because I did not want to see the vivid scenes such as the stoning of the man and women, or the rapping of Hassan. After watching the movie, I was relieved. I believe that the producers of the movie did a good job making the movie realistic and true to Khaled Hosseini’s story line, while still making it not overly gruesome. But I do believe that the producers of the movie did not do a good job of making a connection between the reader and the characters of story.

            Like most books that are turned into movies, The Kite Runner lost many specific details. Most of these details for The Kite Runner were not important to the storyline; however, they helped build a connection between the reader and the characters. For example, in the movie interpretation many of the scenes, when Amir is living in America are cut out in order to save time. Never the less, those scenes help us see Amir’s transition to becoming a man. They also help the reader create a connection with Amir.  On the other hand, the producers of the movie had to make a movie that was under two and a half hours. In order to achieve this the producers had to cut out parts of the story. My personal opinion is that the authors made a good decision on the scenes that they chose to cut out because they stayed true to the story and still achieved some of the emotional connection with the characters.

            Even though the producers of the movie stayed true to the story line of the book, they did cut out a few critical scenes that I found important to the story line. For example the producers cut out the entire immigration and adoption problem, which leads to Sohrab’s suicide attempt, which is also cut out. I do not believe that Sohrab’s suicide attempt should have been cut out of the movie because it shows the sadness of the story. By cutting out the scenes the story loses its organic nature. Never the less, the movie was true to many other parts of the book and still achieved a sad and real story.

            Overall, the story of The Kite Runner is an amazing story no matter on which medium. I believe that the book is definitely a more engaging and emotionally connecting medium. On the other hand, the movie is still engaging and tells the story which accuracy, but it is much quicker and time efficient. If it were not for this English class I probably would have just watched the movie (not a big enough difference to be worth the time). But I am happy that I did read the book and I would recommend it to anyone with the time.

Book vs. Movie

Like most movie adaptations, the book is always better. The details that comprise a novel create an in-depth storyline that the movie cannot possibly fit into its 90-120 minutes time slot. The Kite Runner is no different. While reading, a reader has the ability to interpret the text on the pages and create a personalized vision of how each scene and part of the novel should be laid out. It is only natural to compare these instinctual personal images to the directors of a movie. Unfortunately, it is rare for two visions to match up. Therefore, while watching the movie I found myself constantly picking out details that bothered me about the actors chosen and the way the director chose to depict a scene.

            I guess I was satisfied with the actors picked for the children versions of Amir and Hassan and even Amir as an adult. However, I imagined Baba being taller and more ruff-n-tough looking. In my mind, Baba resembled a big teddy bear of a man, but in the movie he is too wimpy looking. Also, the actor chosen to be Assef did not even closely resemble the character of Assef described in the novel. This aspect of the movie is understandable because it can be hard to find a talented actor that fits the role of a character. The movie did match the most important personality traits of the main characters.

             The first detail that I felt should have been mentioned in the movie was the connection that Baba and Ali had. In the novel, their history serves as the basis for Amir and Hassan’s relationship and tells of the two families past.  Advancing further into the movie, I think the transition from Kabul to America should have been emphasized more. In the novel, America serves as a new beginning for Amir, while it is a sacrifice for Baba. For the beginning, Baba has a hard time adjusting to the American way, however it is worth it for him because Amir is happy. This part of the story marks an important step in Amir and Baba’s relationship, as Baba accepts Amir for who he is and who he wants to be.  One vital scene that I was shocked not to see in the movie was Sohrab’s attempted suicide. I do not think the movie captured Sohrab’s dark side or how much he was effected by his transition to a normal life. The scenes in the end of the novel with Amir and Sohrab were amongst my favorite and it was unfortunate not to see them mentioned in the movie.

            All in all, the movie was sufficient, but not satisfying. I would recommend reading the book over watching the movie any day, even though it takes way more effort – it’s worth it. 

Ciara's Movie vs Book

As usual, I was much more captured by the book than the movie.  In order to keep the movie concise, the director chose to eliminate certain crucial scenes that were present in the book; however, I believe the omission took away from the vitality of the story.

Most importantly, the movie was not able to convey Amir's true feelings because, while the book was written in first person, the movie was more of a broad scope of the entire situation.  As a viewer (as opposed to being a reader), I was not able to form a personal connection with the characters as easily, which left me feeling slighted. My relationship with Amir from start to finish was tumultuous while reading the book, and as he grew throughout the story, my view of him developed as well.   I expected the same connection going into the movie, but I was foolish to think so; I find that words are able to evoke a kind of emotion that visuals are incapable of invoking.

As for the deleted scenes I understand there are  boundaries in terms of the film’s length, but I feel like many of the scenes removed were imperative for moving the plot forward effectively. A director’s goal should be to trim the story line of the book without drawing from the power of the novels message. Personally, I think that the director failed to do so.

In the book I had a hard time listening to Amir's thoughts because he is an anti existential antagonist; he often cowardly, selfish, and cruel.  However as the book progressed I came to respect Amir for the way he handled his future. The movie did not allow for this development of perspective; though the does does portray Amir as a cruel child, the director makes the Adult Amir seem so just and brave, even though this was not so in the novel.  In the movie, when Amir goes to the orphanage with Farid, it is Amir rather than Farid who gets blows up on the orphanage owner.  Furthermore, in the movie, Amir decides he is going to take Sohrab home with him from the moment he hears of his existence; in the book, he intends on bringing him to an orphanage run by Americans before he finds out the orphanage doesn’t exist.  I think the fact that Amir’s crippling guilt extends into his adult life shows how deeply rooted this guilt really is, and the effect that day all those years ago had on the rest of his life.  The director’s choice to make the adult Amir seems so brave and willing to face his demons made Amir’s decision to return to Afghanistan and to take Sohrab home seem so easy; anyone who read the book would know this was not the case.

Overall, I thought the movie was interesting because it was nice to put a face to the characters I came to know so well; however, I would’ve liked to see what a more renowned director could’ve done with this movie because it was missing the powerful emotional depth that I loved so much about the book.

Ryan C Reaction to Movie

The movie had many distinct differences when compared to the novel. These differences changed the overall tone and feeling of the movie. I feel that Baba and Hassan’s relationship is not as greatly seen or explored in in the movie. One important scene left out of the movie is the Hassan’s cleft lip. In the novel Baba pays for Hassan to have surgery on his lip as a birthday present. This scene greatly showed that Baba clearly cared for Hassan; he did not just care about him because he was Ali’s son, or because Baba is a good person. Instead Baba clearly cares about Hassan enough to go out of his way with this gesture. When it is finally revealed that Hassan is Baba’s son it does not come as such a big surprise. Had I watched the movie without prior knowledge this fundamental part of the novel would not have been as clear or comprehensible. Another fairly important scene from the novel that is left out is Sohrab’s attempted suicide. This was a very emotional and touching scene from the novel that gives us more insight into Sohrab. In the movie Sohrab is not so much a character, but instead a prop. The novel elaborates more on Sohrab, his situation and his personality, but much of this is omitted from the movie and therefore makes it difficult to connect with Sohrabs character. The ending of the movie seemed rather rushed and this also adds to the viewers’ inability to establish a connection with the characters. Soraya’s infertility is left out of the movie as well. Amir and Soraya’s inability to conceive creates a great burden on their relationship, and it is because of this that Soraya is so eager to have a Sohrab. In the novel it explains how she had envisioned them doing all sorts of activities together, she had decorated his room and even bought him new toys, but much of this is left out from the movie. It may have been an issue of timing, or a choice that the directors decided on but I think that leaving this important detail out changes the relationship between Sohrab, Soraya and Amir. 

Despite the differences between the movie and novel I greatly enjoyed watching the movie. The directors did a great job casting each character, and I believe that each actor accurately represented their character. I also believe that the directors did a great job with the setting of the novel. Most of the scenes occurred as I had envisioned them, although watching the movie made them seem more “real”. Overall I enjoyed watching the movie, because it followed a very interesting plot and had great actors, but I would recommend that anyone who wants to watch the movie should first read the novel.

Alexa Ferrer movie comparison

The movie did a pretty accurate job portraying The Kite Runner despite missing a few important events. For the most part is it difficult to compare the two because with my knowledge of reading the book I subconsciously fill in any information the movie left out. I love the character choices for everyone in the movie, especially Hassan and Amir as little boys. What the movie lacks in description of Hassan, it makes up for with his innocent and adorable appearance. However Hassan’s harelip is missing in the movie perhaps to refrain from explaining more details. I loved how the movie managed to present Hassan and Amir’s relationship. Although it was done in a few short scenes their relationship is described effectively showing the love they have for each other but also the intense jealousy Amir has towards Hassan.

The rape scene was described in more detail in the book, but I think the movie recreated it appropriately because it leaves just enough to create the visual and the drops of blood at the end show how disturbing the act that just happened was. The scenes in America are done so to match the book very well in my opinion. Soraya’s dad is exactly how I imagined him and Soraya herself is adorable. I loved watching their relationship cultivate on screen it is funny to see adults sneaking around like if they were in middle school. Their fertility problems are not as developed in the movie, however; Amir does mention to Rahim that they were unable to have.

The second half of the movie is where most of the changes occur, primarily because the movie would be too long if it followed the book word for word. Rahim’s story to Amir is brief in the movie and Hassan’s mother is never mentioned. I found it very interesting that Amir was the one to yell at the orphanage and not Farid. I think that change was made to show that Amir was finally taking a stand for something in his life. Another change was the hospital scene being completely omitted and Amir’s beating being less severe than it actually was. The movie would’ve lingered on too long had the changes not been made. However, there is one change I think is vital to the story and I was not happy that it was completely omitted. Sohrab never commits suicide, which is important to show how desperate he is in his life and how easily he loses complete hope in Amir. I think it is an awkward transition to have Sohrab become completely silent when his silence occurs after his attempted suicide in the book. Another part completely omitted was Amir’s trouble with the embassy, which gives further insight to the corrupt state of the Middle East. Those two were the only major changes I had a problem with other than that I loved the movie and I loved the last scene with Amir yelling, “For you a thousand times over.”

Comparison between Kite Runner novel and movie

After reading a novel, I usually refrain from watching any kind of movie that relates to the book because it tends to alter my perception of the characters. I enjoy being given the freedom to imagine my own characters based on their descriptions in the novel and I feel that watching the movie restricted this freedom. After reading The Kite Runner, it was easy to find flaws in Hollywood’s variation of the novel. The transition between scenes in the movie was noticeably “choppy” because the producers failed to include important detail. Kamal’s character never appeared in the movie. Although he was one of the supporting characters in the novel, I felt that his role was important since he was also a victim of sexual abuse. Surprisingly enough, I felt that there was more emotion depicted in the novel than in the movie. The book provided a firsthand account of everything Amir was feeling during any given scene and the movie failed to recreate his anxiety, feelings of abandonment and envy towards Hassan. Although the movie failed to provide us with some of the vivid details that appeared in the novel, reading the novel before watching the movie helped me gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between the characters, specifically Amir and Rahim Kahn and Amir and Sohrab.

I thought Hollywood did a good job in recreating some of the scenes of Assef’s sexual abuse that would otherwise be considered too graphic. Instead of filming the actual rape scene, Hollywood hinted towards it, giving the audience an understanding of what happened. There were scenes from the novel that were excluded from the movie, such as Sohrab’s suicide attempt, when Amir was admitted into the hospital after his fight with Assef, and the difficulty in bring Sohrab to America. The exclusion of these important scenes are what led me to believe that the transitions were “choppy”. I think Sohrab’s suicide attempt was one of the most important scenes in the novel because it shows how much a little kid could hate an orphanage and how badly he could have been treated. No kid at the age of around 11 and that lack of maturity would consider suicide. I felt that his actions were overdramatized. Not only does this scene show how Sohrab is, but it also shows the corruptness and cruelty of Afghanistan.

My preconceived idea of the physical descriptions of the characters was morphed completely by Hollywood, specifically Assef and Baba. In the novel, Assef was depicted as a blonde hair, blue-eyed boy, however, in the movie he was shown as a dark-skinned dark brown haired man. The Assef that appeared as a child was not the Assef that appeared as a man. The actors were noticeably different, in fact, I did not realize it was Assef until Amir voiced it in the movie. I imagined Baba to be a more plump-looking man with a stern face and voice, however, the Baba that appeared in the movie was skinnier and “softer-looking”.