Blog Response #8
Upon completion of reading your novel, what have you learned about a different culture? What shocked you? What seemed strange to you? What couldn't you believe? Take time to give specific examples from your novel that share what you learned about history and a different culture. Share your feelings about what you read.
In the book Night by Elie Wiesel, I learned a lot about Jewish culture. What impresses me the most is how faithful they are to their God and how positive they were even in some of the darkest times in history. No matter what happened, they all came together and prayed. They had such an amazing attitude towards something so negative and it impressed me.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to this feeling. I was impressed at how faithful Malala was about her religion, too. Even after all the horrors she witnessed, she talked a lot about God and her faith. It was fun to learn about the religion and culture that I had never learned about.
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Deletewhen reading Night a lot of the Jewish people still maintain their faith to their god even with the horrors they are Experiencing. This was crazy to me because i would have given up on religion and cursed my god for what me and his followers are going through i think their passion for religion is commendable. Elle also loses faith in parts of the book but at the end when he is reflecting his faith is a lot stronger i wonder what reignited his faith but its most likely due to the Jewish culture becoming more united afterwards and thus his faith
DeleteI also learned a lot about Jewish culture and how they do things differently then what like i would do. I also found it interesting that they would ride or die being Jewish and they would not care if they had to die due to being Jewish and just stuck it out.
Deletei can agree it was really sweet how faithful they were and how they were all still so strong through probably the hardest moment of there lives
DeleteI agree im surprised most of them stuck together throughout the whole book, like him and his dad. There was a few other people in the book saying the son left the dad so he could survive which surprised me.
DeleteI am also very impressed that the Jewish people were able to get through something this tough through their faith in god as well. It truly makes me believe that I should pray to god more often as well. Although I occasionally pray, I think it is something I could do more often. As state before though, I most definitely agree that it is extremely impressive that the Jewish people were still able to have faith despite the horrors going on around them during the Holocaust, and I will always have major respect for them because of that.
DeleteI learned about Jewish culture and what people went through during the Holocaust. At the start, Elie talks about his religion and how important his faith and community were, which shows how strong their culture was before everything changed. What shocked me most was how fast their lives were taken away and how they were sent to camps like Auschwitz and treated so badly. It also seemed strange and sad how people sometimes fought each other just to survive when there wasn’t enough food. I couldn’t believe how bad the jews where treated, and nobody in the world knew what was actually happening to them.
ReplyDeleteThe coolest thing about these books is learning about a culture you may or may not have known anything about. I would have liked to have read Night to learn about Jewish tradition, as well as the Holocaust. The effects on them must have been more than brutal. In my book, I Am Malala, I learned just how rich Pakistani culture is and what that meant to Malala.
DeleteWhat shocked me too is the fact that they started denying their God and faith as the book progressed. It's sickening to hear and see that the torture was so bad that they turned away from their faith. We can only imagine what they actually went through.
DeleteAs the book got farther people got more insane, cruel, and just flat out terrible human beings towards each other. One kid killed his dad just for a piece of bread and that just goes to show how far things had gotten between the prisoners. They lost hope and turned on each other for survival when at the start of the book they wanted equality and survivial together.
DeletePakistani history was a huge part of I Am Malala. For most of the book, we learn that Swat, where Malala & her family live, hadn't originally been part of Pakistan. We also learn a lot about the evolution of human rights in Pakistan over time. How women slowly began losing rights, and simple things like playing hockey. Or how the Taliban takeover in Pakistan resulted in the preaching for women to wear a burqa when they are out in public. They have to be accompanied by their husband or a male relative. And finally, when they tried to stop girls from going to school, and many did stop, as Malala described happened to many girls in her school. To me, taking away education and telling women what they can and can't wear was the most shocking. Especially since I have grown up in a society where women can go outside in shorts whenever they want. I also found it shocking that people have huge celebrations in Pakistan when a son is born. When a girl is born, it is almost treated as a depressing event.
ReplyDeletewoman's rights is something that needs to be a continued conversation in many countries including our own. It's almost something out of a horror film to know that many people in the world see woman and girls as nothing more than property and human incubators. a right to exist is a right that still needs to be fought for. and that's sad
DeleteI think you did a really good job pointing out how much control changed over time in Pakistan, especially with women’s rights. The contrast you mentioned with education and clothing really shows how much daily life was affected under Taliban influence. I also thought your point about how sons are celebrated more than daughters was really eye-opening, because it highlights a cultural difference that feels very distant from what many of us are used to. At the same time, Malala’s story shows how some people still fought to change that, even when it was dangerous.
Deletei agree about the women's rights they have been treated wrongly a lot just like in Afghanistan they were also treated very poorly.
Deletein the book night I learned a lot about Jewish culture, I had to learn a lot of words in Yiddish and a lot of words in german. more than a few Jewish holidays were sprinkled in the story like the Jewish new year. Celebrated with extra rations of bread and slightly thicker soup. Prayers and songs of the Jewish faith. the feeling of them trying to hold onto what they had left what couldn't be taken away was their faith. it was with them till the point they all died weather they believed in it anymore or not. It was sickening to know what happened by the end. how many of them lost their faith when surrounded by complete death and carnage.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was a really interesting addition to the book. Even throughout the terrible horrors that happened, Elie still managed to share a sprinkle of his culture. It was really cool to see how faithful they were in the beginning and how hopeful they were, praying to their God. It is sickening towards the end, I agree. The fact that thee torture was so bad that they started denying their own faith is powerful, and disgusting.
DeleteI couldn't agree more with what you are saying here. The holocaust was a truly brutal time period and absolutely wreaked havoc on the faith of both Jewish people and others as well. The acts committed by the Nazis were horrible and sick. It simply is hard to believe that a human could do some of those acts to another human. The holocaust was a time of horror, and destroyed Jewish faith because of it.
DeleteIn the book The Kite Runner i learned about Afghanistan culture and it was shocking about how different they do things. The biggest thing that shocked me was how women were treated. In some areas that were covered by the Taliban, they were not allowed to go to school, work, or even leave the house. They were used mainly for making and raising children. This is very crazy to me because that would never fly in the states. Men would also have multiple wives and sometimes be only married for a week. In the book, Baba had only one actual wife then a secret one who later turned out to be Hassan's mom.
ReplyDeleteI am shocked by the treatment of women is in The Kite Runner, especially under Taliban rule. That connects with my book I Am Malala, where Malala also describes how girls were banned from school and women were forced to follow strict rules about clothing and leaving the house. Both books show how education becomes something people have to fight for instead of something normal, which is really hard to imagine from a U.S. perspective. What stands out in both stories is how deeply the Taliban influenced everyday life and limited women’s freedom in similar ways.
DeleteI agree, that part of The Kite Runner was really shocking. The way women were treated under the Taliban was hard to believe, especially since they were not allowed to go to school or work. I also thought Baba’s secret was surprising because it showed he wasn’t as perfect at all. Another thing that stood out to me was how normal some of these rules seemed to people living there, which shows how much power the Taliban had.
DeleteI agree it's also shocking how this happens around the world and is more prevalent in Middle Eastern countries, such as Afghanistan, and also in Pakistan, where the Malala book takes place. In I am Malala the oppression of women is also a big theme throughout the book, and it's fine for them to be treated poorly and have more of a housewife role with little freedom. Also, in Malala, women can't really get much of an education, just like in parts under Taliban occupation in your book.
DeleteI am Malala also shocked me with the treatment of women not being allowed to do anything other than stay home. What really shocked me was that they couldn't even read.
Deletei feel like you did a great job with thjis blogz
DeleteIn America that used to be the standard for women, way back in the early 1900's. Could you imagine what it would be like if it was still like that. Things would be way different.
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ReplyDeleteA Long Way Gone taught me a lot about life in Sierra Leone during the civil war. Before the war, Ishmael Beah had a pretty normal life, he loved music, hung out with friends, and was part of a close community. It showed me that his culture wasn’t that different from mine before everything fell apart. What shocked me the most was how kids were turned into soldiers. Ishmael and other boys were given drugs and forced to fight, and violence became normal to them. That was really hard to understand and honestly disturbing. Some things seemed strange at first, like how people were scared of strangers, but that made more sense because they were trying to survive during the war. What I couldn’t believe was how numb Ishmael became to killing. It’s crazy to think someone so young could go through that and lose those feelings. Overall, the book made me feel worried but also hopeful. It showed me how bad war can be, but also that people can heal and move forward even after going through terrible things.
ReplyDeletein my book i also learned a lot about how the jews where treated during world world war 2
DeleteIn the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns I learned a lot about Afghan culture and how deeply war and the Taliban affected everyday life. One of the most shocking things to me was how little freedom women had. Mariam and Laila were expected to obey Rasheed completely and they couldn’t go anywhere even to work or make their own choices. That was hard to imagine compared to life now. I also couldn’t believe how common abuse was. Rasheed treats both women very badly and they have almost no way to escape. Mariam being forced into marriage at such a young age also seemed really unfair and strange to me. Overall the book did mke me feel sad but also more aware of how different cultures and events can shape people’s lives. It helped me better understand the struggles people in Afghanistan have faced.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the lack of freedom for women is really crazy. Even in The Kite Runner you can also see how strict the Taliban were to not only women but to the rest of the people there and how they controlled their lives, which connects to what Mariam and Laila went through. It also crazy to imagine not being able to make your own choices. The abuse you mentioned also connects to my book, because In The Kite Runner, Hassan is also treated unfairly and can’t really escape it. If i was put in their shoes i do not think i could live like that.
DeleteI also read a thousand splendid suns. I agree with your statement that it was shocking how little freedom women had. I think that if I lived in this culture I would have a very hard time living with the abuse of a husband, especially if I went from the US to there. I think that the early marriage thing is also very unfortunate. In the states the choice to marry early is a privilege, but in Afghanistan, this is not a privilege but a chore. I agree that this book brought sadness, and helped me understand the culture and hardships in Afghanistan.
DeleteI also read the book A Thousand Splendid Suns, and I agree with the major differences between the Afghan culture and our culture. Living like Laila and Mariam in todays world is unfortunately still something that happens, but on a very different scale as far as how many people are treated like that. I could not imagine living with Rasheed or in that culture as a woman who in our culture has freedom.
DeleteI agree it shocked me how little of freedom women got. It made me even more happy in the society that I live in.
DeleteI also read A Thousand Splendid Suns, but I also agree with you, the way women were treated and had no freedom. The men treated them with such cruelty that it was awful. Laila and Mariam were treated horribly by Rasheed. I genuinely couldn't imagine living in that time, and especially with Rasheed.
DeleteI can also agree with this the culture shock to me was crazy on not just how Miriam and Laila were treated, but all women in that country. It was atrocious the lashings they would receive if found without a head-covering, a man, or any of the rule listed were ridiculous to me.
DeleteWhile reading The Kite Runner it taught me a lot about their culture. One thing I learned is how important family and honor are in Afghan culture. For example, Amir always wants his father, Baba, to be proud of him, but he feels like he’s not good enough. It shows how much pressure kids can feel to try and live up to their parents expectations. One thing that shocked me was that was how Hazaras were treated. Hassan is kind, loyal, and a great friend, but people treat him badly just because of his race. The scene where Hassan gets attacked and Amir doesn’t help him was really hard to read .I also learned a lot about Afghanistan’s history. At the beginning of the book, life seems somewhat normal, but then everything changes because of war. The Taliban taking over and making strict rules was especially shocking because i thought they were supposed to be the good guys. The part where people are punished in a stadium was hard to believe. There were some parts of there culture that i though were interesting and a little bit odd like the kite flying but as it went on, I was able to gain an understanding of it and how important it is to them. Overall the book was good but had its sad times in it but it was a good mix of both emotions.
ReplyDeleteThis book taught me a lot about their culture like how much pressure the kids feel trying to live up to their families name. I feel like this is unnecessary because it causes the kids to feel unnecessary pressure and feel like they aren't good enough.
DeleteReading I Am Malala taught me a lot about Pakistani culture, especially life in the Swat Valley before and during Taliban control. I learned how important education is in her culture, especially for girls, even when it becomes dangerous to attend school. What shocked me most was how quickly daily life changed, like when the Taliban started taking away girls’ rights and even threatened/destroyed schools. I couldn’t believe that something as normal as going to class could put Malala and her friends at risk of being attacked, like what happened on the school bus. It also surprised me how much respect Malala’s family had for education, especially her father, who continued to support her speaking out even when it wasn’t safe.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, it really threw me for a loop how Swat was so peaceful one day and the next the Taliban was bombing schools and dumping bodies for the public to see.
DeleteI read a thousand splendid suns and its sad how dangerous education became for girls and how their lives where affected each day. Laila’s father valued education just like Malala’s father which really shows because not all parents support their daughters the same way.
DeleteIn I am Malala family and respect are very important, and people are known for being kind and welcoming to guests. However, girls are often expected to stay home and not go to school. Malala shows how her father believed girls should have the same education as boys. This helped mee see the strong traditions in their culture and how her father was very different from other parents by being proud to have a daughter and encouraging her to speak out.
ReplyDeleteI read a thousand splendid suns which held many similar values to I am Malala, unfortunately. In Afghanistan, girls were also expected to stay home and not be educated. This law similarly came from the Talibans ruling, and caused many issues for our main characters that are female. Like Malala, one of my main characters was Laila, Laila's father deeply valued education, and pushed for her to be able to go to school. This taught me the same lesson, that not every parent will believe in education, but the ones that do in these cultures must speak out for their children.
Deleteevery parent should be proud that they taught their children well enough to stand for what they believe in, to continue to push through the status quo when they don't believe it is pushing in the right direction. Malala's parents are amazing examples of such an act.
DeleteIn a thousand splendid suns, we learned about the Afghan culture and their norms. In this book, we were shown the process of matching off your daughter, the worthlessness of girls/ women, and the level of priorities in regards to schooling, marrying and having children. Because of prior knowledge that I have about other cultures in the middle east, these attributes were unfortunately all that shocking. However, when Miriam miscarried and was then beaten by Rasheed, and Laila was ignored and became a peasant to Rasheed after Aziza's birth was a bit of a shock to me. I did not think that the men would treat the women this way even though they were seen as property and just to be used. The parts that seemed especially strange to me were when Miriam and Laila as well as laila's friends were married off by fathers or males in their life. I continue to be confused by this idea as I feel as though the father would have some sort of connection with their daughter that would make this process difficult yet they continue to sell their daughters off to old strangers with no issue. This book helped me to better understand the connection between males and females in this culture, and who is believed to hold value throughout this culture. This was very difficult to read at some points.
ReplyDeleteI also read the book A Thousand Splendid Suns, and I was more shocked at the Afghan culture and norms than you mainly because I just completely disagreed with them. I did not like the fact that the women were treated terribly by their husbands and were seen as property.
DeleteI read the Kite Rummer so I learned a little about the marriages and stuff, but I didn't learn that much. I did not realize that the father sold their daughters in the process, I thought they were just arranged to carry on genetics and stuff.
DeleteMariam being forced into marriage and then abused after her miscarriages along with Laila being treated like a servant after Aziza’s birth shows how little value women are given in their society. I also agree that the idea of fathers arranging marriages is hard to understand because it feels like there should be more care for their daughters.
Deletei agree in my book the kite runner it was also about Afghanistan.
DeleteI also agree that Mariam and Laila's lives were horrible. The number of miscarriages that Mariam had is awful. The war Rasheed treated them both was awful and uncalled for. I didn't think that men would treat women this was either, but the rules there are different and cruel.
DeleteI also agree with this all the hardships that Miriam and Laila had to go through with Rasheed as a husband was terrible especially during the war, no wonder Miriam did what she did knowing the consequences.
DeleteAfter reading the book A Thousand Splendid Suns I learned a lot about the Afghan culture. Something that shocked me was the normality of polygamy between husbands, and the age gap between the husband and wives. Something that was strange to me was that women were not allowed to walk without a male accompanying them which is a rule the Taliban set and enforced. I could not believe how resilient the women were especially Mariam and Laila with abuse from Rasheed and Laila with having a unmedicated c-section. I enjoyed the ending of the book, but the beginning did not grab my attention because of the slow start. I also did not agree with the standards the women were held to, so that attributed to my disliking of the book.
ReplyDeletei can relate to you after reading my book i also learned a lot about the Jewish culture
DeleteIn my book the main culture was also Afghan and i also thought it was crazy how the women were treated. It is not right how they are used only to raise kids and can't so a lot of things unless they are with a man.
DeleteI agree about the age gaps, it shocked me how thats so normal for them.
Deletei agree i also lerned alot after reading the kite runner about Afghanistan
DeleteI read the kite runner and I agree with the slow start of the book. I also was surprised to learn about the age gap between the male and female in a lot of the marriages.
Deletethe polygamy aspect also shocked me alot as i only knew about the arranged marriages aspect
DeleteReading Night by Elie Wiesel gave me a much deeper understanding of Jewish culture during World War II and the horrible impact of the Holocaust. Before reading the book I knew basic facts about this period but the book made it more personal and emotional in a way that history textbooks never did. What shocked me most was the cruelty in the camps especially when innocent people were killed. I learned how important faith and family were but also how suffering made people question their beliefs. The book made me feel sad but helped me understand why this history should never be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteParts of the book I read A Long Way Gone kind of relates to yours when there were innocent people getting killed for no reason.
DeleteI can relate to you, in my book the cruelty shocked me as well they made it seem as if was normal though. Family also played a big role in my book and without it he wouldn't be where he is today.
DeleteI agree, the things that the Nazi's did to the jews should never be forgotten
Deletei agree, there questioning was really sad making them lose hope
DeleteI agree the amount of cruelty in the camps shocked me as well, i didnt know that much had happened throughout the camps.
DeleteReading A Long way Gone i learned a lot about life during the civil war in Sierra Leone and how different that culture and reality are from mine. One thing that shocked me was how normal violence became for children kids were forced to become soldiers and fight, which is something I couldn’t believe. It also seemed strange that villagers were often too afraid to help starving children, but I learned it was because they didn’t know who to trust during the war.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, I also learned about the civil war in Sierra Leone. I also didn't realize how the violence was normal for young kids in that country
DeleteI agree with what you said, especially about how shocking it is that violence became normal for kids. It is hard to imagine being forced to fight at such a young age. I also think your point about villagers being afraid to help is important, because it shows how fear and mistrust took over during the war. The book really shows how different life can be when people are just trying to survive.
DeleteI agree, I have never heard of a civil war in Africa until reading reading this book so I learned a lot. And the way that the kids are just thrown into battle to start shooting people shocked me as well.
DeleteIn the book A Thousand Splendid Suns is the strong beliefs on family honor and gender roles. For example Marium is called "Harami", as she carries shame for something that wasnt her fault. It suprised me how harshly she was treated because of this. what shocked me a lot was how women have to wear a burqa at all times and cant leave the house without male supervision.
ReplyDeleteI found it really interesting that Mariam was exposed to that word from such a young age and how it continued to appear in association with her
DeleteI agree with Emma throughout the whole book. There was a lot of times where you seen that gender rules played a huge part in the book because everyone always thought that men were superior over a woman, especially when she had gotten pregnant in the beginning and Rasheed told her that I needed to be a boy and only wanted it to be a boy which showed a lot of stress on her
DeleteAfter reading the book A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah something that shocked me the most is how the people just turn on their country so easily. The Rebels formed their own group just because they didn't want to follow the laws so they just start killing the people of their country. It just surprised me how violent they were to the people, going village to village burning them down and shooting every person in sight. This book taught me what it can be like in rural and poor countries.
ReplyDeleteI agree, that part was really shocking to me too. It is crazy how quickly things turned violent and how entire villages were destroyed without warning. I also think it shows how powerful conflict and desperation can be, especially in poorer countries where people may feel like they have no other option. The book really opens your eyes to how different and dangerous life can be in those situations.
DeleteReading A Long Way Gone taught me a lot about what life is like in a country affected by civil war, especially in Sierra Leone. One thing that shocked me was how normal it became for kids to carry guns and fight in the war, like when Ishmael is trained as a child soldier and forced to kill. It also seemed strange how quickly violence became part of everyday life, like villages being burned down and people constantly running for survival. I could not believe how young the soldiers were and how they were given drugs to make them more aggressive and easier to control. It really opened my eyes to how different life can be in other parts of the world and how war affects people, especially children. Reading this made me feel both sad and shocked, but also more aware of how serious these situations are.
ReplyDeletei agree with how sad it got when ishmael had to become a drug addicted child solider only a month into the war i think
DeleteAfter reading The Kite Runner, I learned about Afghan culture, especially how social class and ethnicity affect people’s lives. The difference between Pashtuns and Hazaras, like Amir and Hassan, showed how discrimination can shape relationships. I was shocked by the violence Hassan faced in the alley and how Amir didn’t help him. It was also surprising how much guilt Amir carried afterward. The importance of honor and reputation in the culture felt different to me, especially with how Baba acted. I couldn’t believe how much Afghanistan changed, especially under the Taliban, where people lost many freedoms. Overall, the book made me feel sad but also helped me better understand a different culture and history.
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ReplyDeleteThrough A Long Way Gone, I learned a decent amount about life and culture in Sierra Leone during the period of civil war. Before the war began, Ishmael didn't live too different of a life from us. He had music that he listened to, and friends that he hung out with, It was interesting to hear him discuss how the people there were always impressed by the rap cassettes, as rap was not something they had really been around. During the war, it was interesting to hear about how willing the villages were to turn on each other. Suddenly, they were willing to torture a group of starving kids solely because they thought they might be lying about not rebels. A piece of culture not relating to the war that I found interesting was the name giving ceremony. There is a brief point in the book where Ishmael describes a "name giving ceremony" in which he was very young, and was taken to a priest. The priest read suras from the Quran, prayed and declared that he shall be named Ishmael. I thought that this was a very interesting piece of the culture of Sierra Leone.
ReplyDeletei agree with how much his life went from regular to a third world country so fast
DeleteI read the kite runner and I have learned that the middle eastern culture is very different from the culture I grew up in. What shocked me most is that violence became normalized. By the way it sounds what happened to Hassan both when he was young and an adult, is a normal occurrence which is saddening. Along with that, the scene at halftime for the soccer game was also astonishing in a horrible way. I think it is crazy how everything was just normal to the people who lived there because they knew there was nothing they could do about it. The book also talks a little about arranged marriages and how older men are usually with younger women and how women are just meant to bear children and if they don't have a male then they aren't as worthy. Reading this book was definitely impactful, to find out what actually goes on in Afghanistan definitely helped me gain a better understanding.
ReplyDeleteI learned about Afghan culture, especially how important family, loyalty, and honor are. I was shocked by how much life changed under Taliban rule, with strict laws, fear, and violence controlling people’s daily lives. It was hard to believe things like kite flying and music being banned. I also noticed how Kabul went from a happy place in Amir’s childhood to a dangerous and broken city. The treatment of children like Sohrab was especially sad. Overall, the story made me feel sad and gave me a better understanding of Afghanistan’s history and culture.
ReplyDeleteAfter completing my book, one thing I learned after reading Night, is that Jewish people are proud of their heritage and their religion. Most did not know what would happen once they got on the train to go to their camp but they stood strong and really were proud to be Jewish. One thing that shocked me was that i'm sure some Jews knew what was ahead of them and they would not be going to a better place as the guards made it seem but they chose to stay Jewish and be proud of it no matter the outcome. One thing that seemed strange to me in this book was how they made all the prisoners stand in deep mud to ensure their nice shoes would be ruined. That was weird to me because it is just shoes and should not be that big of a deal. I was also shocked when the poor little boy was hung in front of everyone. That is just unacceptable and terrible. For any kid but a little child that cant control anything is just terrible.
ReplyDeletei agree i thought it was weird making them stand in mud just to ruin their shoes.
DeleteAfter reading "Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini, my thoughts after completing the book is that it is both a descriptive and engaging read. The important events brought up throughout the book were extremely graphic and did a great job at providing a description so that you could properly visualize what you are reading. I already brought many examples of this in Blog #7, though I can easily think of more. The big aspect of the book that is descriptive though is in both the important scenes in the book and where those important scenes take place. For example, when it comes to the description of different characters in the book, Khaled Hosseini does a great job at providing specific details of how different characters look in the story. One example I think of is the description of how Assef looks in the story. He is a scary figure who is extremely intimidating time and time again in the book, and not only plays a major role early on in the story, but also shows up as a member of the Taliban later on in the story. He generally has been the instigator of many different graphic and violent events throughout the book, and could possibly even be considered the main villain of the story. Moving back to my overall thoughts on the book, I honestly think that it is a great book full of both suspense and life lessons that the narrator, Amir, learns as his life progresses. The "Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini is a great book in which I am happy I read it, and it is suspense, action, and violence.
ReplyDeletein the book night, it really interested me how faithful everyone still was to there god, they all prayed and still wished for the strength and hope they would live to tell the tale nothing was very strange and it surprised me how elie in the book was having doubts and was starting to lose hope and wonder why god would let them go through this torment, but god cant give people what they want, only the strength to get through it.
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ReplyDeleteIn the book Night, I learned more about Jewish culture and how strictly they adhere to their religion. It was crazy to see how, even with how much they value their religion, in the book, it becomes every man for himself for a lot of the Jewish people in order to survive because of how bad the conditions are. Nonetheless, there are still group prayers, and Elle goes, but he doesn't participate because he resents god for what is going on. It's interesting to see the huge group prayer, even though they are in a concentration camp; they still come together and pray. It was also interesting how an older Elle, who was reflecting at the end of the book, has now resumed his religous beliefs. This shows how strong their culture is because he was able to forgive God after everything that happened
ReplyDeleteYour point about faith in Night is really true. It’s powerful to see how the Jewish prisoners still came together to pray, even in a place meant to break them. At the same time, Elie’s loss of faith makes sense because of everything he witnessed, like the deaths, the cruelty, and feeling abandoned by God. The Rosh Hashanah scene shows this clearly—he stands there but refuses to join the prayer. And like you said, the older Elie looking back and reconnecting with his beliefs shows how strong his culture is, because even after everything, he eventually finds his way back to his faith.
DeleteReading Night by Elie Wiesel taught me how important faith and community were in Jewish culture, and how the Holocaust slowly destroyed both. I was shocked by the cruelty in the camps, especially the killings and death marches, and it was hard to believe people could be treated that way. What seemed strangest was how prisoners sometimes turned on each other just to survive. The book made me feel sad and angry, and it showed how dangerous hatred and silence can be.
ReplyDeleteafter reading a long way gone it taught me alot about what its like to have a civil war in your country and the confusion about what side of the war your on
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ReplyDeleteI agree with your points about how hard life was for women like Laila under the Taliban and how Rasheed showed that control and abuse. The bus escape scene you mentioned was a strong example of how even trying to leave led to punishment. I also thought learning about the war and history made the story feel more real and sad.
DeleteAfter reading A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, I came to understand how hard it was to live during that time. Women were treated so poorly, which they shouldn't have been. I also learned about Afghan culture and history, especially how war and political change affected people every day. Women were expected to obey men, stay home, and follow strict social rules. The book also taught me how difficult life became under the Taliban, where women were not allowed to work, go to school, or even leave the house alone. What shocked me most was how Rasheed treated Mariam and Laila. His controlling behavior and harsh treatment of women showed how powerless they could feel. An example of this is when Mariam, Aziza, and Laila try to escape on a bus and, when caught, are returned to Rasheed. Rasheed is furious that they tried to leave him. He punishes both women harshly for attempting to escape. Mariam is blamed for helping plan the escape and is treated with anger and cruelty. I feel some cultural traditions seemed strange to me, especially arranged marriages and the expectation that women stay silent and accept hardship. Overall, I learned about the Soviet invasion, civil war, Taliban rule, and the rebuilding of Afghanistan, as well as how men treated women at that time. I think that this book was good, around pages 200 to 415, the first part I feel was more about background information. This book made me sad at some instances, but it was an amazing read, and the author used his words very well and made me engaged in the story more.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Night, I learned a lot about Jewish culture and how quickly their lives were destroyed during the Holocaust. What shocked me most was how fast families lost their rights and were forced into ghettos and then camps. One example I couldn’t believe was when Elie saw babies being thrown into the flames—it didn’t even feel real. I also learned how important family and faith were, shown through how hard Elie fought to stay with his father. Some of the cruelty seemed impossible to understand, like the beatings, starvation, and the way prisoners were treated like objects. Overall, the book made me feel sad, angry, and shocked, but it also helped me understand this history on a deeper level.
Deletein my book night it was hard to survuve and everyone was pushed to their limits and on the brink of death. they also were killing all women.
DeleteI agree with Carsten because it really did show how women retreated so poorly back then, and indifferent places in the world how women are treated and have so many boundaries
DeleteAfter reading Night, I learned a lot about Jewish culture and how quickly their entire world was destroyed during the Holocaust. What shocked me most was how fast normal life disappeared—one day Elie’s family was living peacefully, and the next they were forced into ghettos and then packed into cattle cars like animals. The cruelty in the camps felt unbelievable, especially when Elie saw babies being thrown into the fire or when prisoners were beaten for no reason. I also learned how important family and faith were, and how the camps tried to break both. Elie’s relationship with his father showed this, because even when everything else was taken from him, he kept fighting to protect him. Reading this made me feel angry, sad, and honestly stunned that people lived through something so horrific. It taught me how important it is to remember this history so it never happens again.
ReplyDeletein the book night i learned a lot about the Jewish history and i was a little shocked at what i heard. i always heard the holocaust was terrible but to hear it from a prisoners perspective was wild and to hear what they had to go through was terrible. what seemed strange was how the prisoners weren't eager to help each other and would get selfish but i can understand that they were doing anything just to survive. i couldn't believe how they were burning children and that's the first thing Elie and the people on his train saw.
ReplyDeletesome of the things in this book shocked me, like how they were bruning people, and treating them unhuman like
DeleteI already knew a bit about middle eastern culture and the Muslim religion, but it never really occurred to me just how common the act of marrying someone off when they've barely started puberty is, and how that fuels misogyny in a society and fuels the hatred of people like Rasheed. Afghan culture is still extremely deep, and id like to believe that it wasnt built on the superiority of men, and even if it was, i hope that the culture continues to expand with the rights of women in mind
ReplyDeleteI learned in completing my book A thousand splendid suns that the cultural differences from here in America are vastly different. These women in this book had little to no rights without there being a man present, I cannot imagine going somewhere with someone every time I need something. Sometimes its easier getting things yourself but if i needed a man to go with me every time i wanted to get something i would go crazy. Being independent i would not want to be like a woman from this country in the book.
ReplyDeleteIn Night, I've learned that on Roshhashanna you're supposed to fast and it shocked me that some still did even though they were already getting starved in the camps. I've learned that they take that very seriously even in a life and death situation while being dehumanized.
ReplyDeleteI read the book 1000s London Sons and one thing I learned about their culture back then is it was normal to have more than one wife and that people don’t know a lot about mental health and going through a lot of struggle problems, especially with all the abuse that Mariam and Laila went through
ReplyDeletein the book Night he talks a lot about the jewish culture. things that suprised me about their culture was how faithful they were in the darkest time. threw all the death and hardships they still hoped and prayed that thing would get better. and when they prayed they belived things would get better.
ReplyDeletei agree, this also surprised me. i was glad that they werent always thinking of the bad going on.
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ReplyDeletein Night by elie wiesel, I learned a lot about Jewish culture and how their lives were completely destroyed during the Holocaust. What shocked me most was how people were treated like they weren’t even human, especially when families were separated right away. It felt strange and hard to believe that this actually happened in real life, like the cruelty in the camps and how normal people could ignore it. Reading it made me feel sad and kind of angry, because no one deserves to go through something like that.
ReplyDeleteAfter finishing A Thousand Splendid Suns I learned a lot about Afghan culture and historyI learned that life for women like Laila was very strict under the Taliban they had little freedom and could not even travel aloneI was shocked by how normal war and violence became like seeing Kabul destroyed and families losing everythingIt also felt strange how Mariam had no choice in her marriage and futureOverall the book made me realize how different and hard life can be in that culture during war
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