Comparing Kundera and Khaled

Comparing and Contrasting Works by Kundera and Khaled Hosseini The unbearable lightness of being was published in Paris in 1984 by Czech author Milan Kundera. The novel is a mix of genre-defying mix of historical fiction, love stories, philosophy, and experimentation with narrative technique. Set mostly in Prague in the late 1960s, the novel focuses on the love lives of four Czech intellectuals as they struggle with relationships, sex, politics, and the military occupation of their country.The narrator frequently interrupts the story to analyze his own characters and discuss the fictional plotline in the context of the novel’s central philosophy: the dichotomy between lightness and weight. On the contrary of The Kite Runner, the book was published in New York in 2003 by Afghanistan author Khaled Hosseini. The novel is a work of post- modern literature telling the story of how the author grew up and the relationship he had with one of his servant boys. However the similarity he re is the Kite Runner is also written about a time of war for its country while telling the story of the two boys.The author Kundera is unique narrative by presenting himself in the third person, suggesting that he is a character in the story. But he soon confesses to be the author, not the spectator of the fictional tales. He actually proceeds to comment on the characters his own fictional creations and analyze his own novel for us. What he trying to do which we cannot do in real life is disrupts the linearity of time by telling a non-chronological narrative. He achieves this by repeating the same scenes a second or third time. The novel explores the human struggle to give our lives weight despite its necessary and unbearable lightness.The novel itself is the narrator’s attempt at doing just that for himself. Contrary to Khaled is writing is Classical and he speaks as the author telling a story. He also allows the character themselves to define who they are. He does not disr upt the time of telling a chronological narrative. He allows the characters to feel the actually weight of their lives like real life. There is a quote in Kundera book â€Å"novelistic† to you, and I am willing to agree, but only on condition that you refrain from reading such notions as â€Å"fictive,† â€Å"fabricated,† and â€Å"untrue to life† into the word â€Å"novelistic. Because human lives are composed in precisely such a fashion. † (Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness Of Being) both authors are similar in that even though Kundera uses fictional characters and Khaled using real characters. Kundera is saying it is his way of using fictional novel and fictional characters to explore real ideas. Just because my characters are fake, he seems to be saying, doesn’t mean that they aren’t a completely accurate reflection of real life. His novel may be intricately structure and full of artistry but so is life. The novels are different w hen it comes to the plot.Khaled, follows a typical plotline. Khaled uses his characters to serves as the climax as a whole in the story. The events are placed in chronological order. Kundera, on the other hand no typical plotline, the novel features several different, interwoven, plotlines. If you identify a climactic situation for one character in one plotline, it doesn’t necessarily serve as a climax for the plot as a whole. The reason the same events are narrated more than once from different characters’ points of view. You can’t break this story into purely plot-driven stages.The bowler hat was a motif in the musical composition that was Sabina’s life. It return again and again, each time with a different meaning, and all the meanings flowed through the hat like water. â€Å"You can’t step twice into the same river† (Kundera, Milan) Sabina was touched by the sight of the bowler hat in a Zurich hotel and made love almost in tears was that its black presence was not merely a reminder of their love games but also a memento of Sabina’s father and of her grandfather, who lived in a century without airplanes and cars.The bowler hat carries weight primarily because it has recurred. This is exactly why motifs give meaning to an individual’s life because they recur over and over again. This is how we are able to give our lives meaning despite the fact that our life occurs only once. The kite was a motif in Amir’s life. It returns season after season and each time with different meaning. All the meanings flowed like the quote mention above. Amir’s longed for the kite runner contest because it was a chance for him to bond and make his father proud of him. The kite recurs over and over every year.This kite running gave him the chance to make his father finally proud of him when he won the contest that last year before war and things change between him and Hassan. Many years later the kite comes back to help him to reach his nephew. This like Sabina gave his life meaning despite the fact he lives only once. Both books show betrayal from one character to the other. In the Kite Runner Amir betrays Hassan on more than one occasion we see it when he was raped by Assef and the other boys. We see it when he places the money and some gifts under his pillow and tries to convince his father that he stole the items.Tomas betrays Tereza by making all his sexual life to so many women, he makes he and Tereza’s private life public. He violates her privacy. Tereza reads Tomas’s letters. Sabina betrays Tomas when she takes his sock and hides it so he will go home with one sock short. This made Tomas realize Sabina resents his love for Tereza as much as Tereza resents his lust for Sabina. In the book by Khaled there is a quote â€Å"For you a thousand times over† (Hosseini) Hassan used this quote to show his devotion to Amir and that there was nothing he would not do for hi s friend and master, yet unknowingly to him also his brother.His thousand times over was shown when he went after the kite for Amir and it cost him being raped and shamed. At the end of the story you have Amir using the same quote as he and Hassan’s son Sohrab are flying the kite and he noticed a slight nod and smile come across his face. He knew there was no great big change but like spring when it comes it melts the snow one flake at a time; he thought he might have just witnessed the first flake melting.Just like Hassan Tereza would show Tomas â€Å"For you a thousand times over† (Kundera) her devotion and love for him. Even though he cheated on her many times over she stayed with him. She believed he was her soul mate that was why she went to Prague to offer up her life to Tomas. Tomas himself was faithful to Tereza in that he would not let anyone possess a special area which he might call poetic memory and which records everything that charms or touches us, that m akes our lives beautiful.Since meeting Tereza he did not allow a woman to leave the slightest impression on that part of his brain. Hosseini, Khaled. â€Å"The Kite Runner. † Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Penguin Group, 2003. 371. Novel. Kundera, Milan. â€Å"The Unbearable Lightness Of Being. † Kundera, Milan. The Unbearable Lightness Of Being. New York: harperCollins, 1984. 88. Novel. Kundera, Milan. â€Å"The Unbearable Lightness Of Being. † Kundera, Milan. The Unbearable Lightness Of Being. New York: Harper & Row, 1984. 59. Novel.

Analyzing Sherman Alexie’s “Superman and me” Essay

Can reading save a man’s way of life? Can reading save an entire culture? Sherman Alexie, an Indian creative writer writes an essay of which he acquaints us of his means in learning how to read, that is, through a Superman comic book. The essay was written in an alternating first person and third person style of telling. The first person way of telling was for his reflection. Those sentences that were written in the first person were Alexie’s own sentiments. The third person style was for his people. Probably it was meant as an insult since people who normally speak in a third person style are often deemed unintelligent since they cannot follow the rules of language. As the essays retells the experience of the author of how he learned how to read, there is one topic of which he focused, and that is how reading (and how it is connected to education) made a different impact in his way of life which can be very significant or relevant to the modern world today whose kids are taking education for granted. Reading and education Reading is a cognitive process of connecting meaning to a group of words, sentences, and letters. Not many can take the time to discipline themselves into liking and having reading as a habit but over the years reading has become a standard of calling a person or treating a person literate. It has become a mean to elevate one’s status. However, based on Sherman Alexie’s essay, knowing how to read downgrades the status of an Indian person. Indians are treated as the Native Americans. They weren’t treated kindly as the natives of the new world as history tells. They were often treated as the group of people who struggles with the advancement of life. People who are not social. If Indians were compared to animals, the Indians were the wild animals. And according to Alexie’s essay, the ones who stays wild, are the ones who’s status are high in the Indian world. In the modern world today, education has been treated as one of the major concerns of nations. More and more, the value and the quality of education have gone low and people in advance nations and culture are taking it for granted. On the other hand, Alexie and his dad are examples of people who defy the norms of their own society. People who counteracts their culture thus forming a kind a heroic act or in times a crime for/to their own people. â€Å"I am trying to save our lives. † (Alexie 2). Alexie expressed his sentiment of saving their lives in two styles. One was personal and the other was towards the children he was teaching. While he defied the accustomed treatment of Indians to non-Indian education (i. e. how he had man arguments with his classmates to shut up his mouth towards the questions of the non-Indian teacher), he was hopeful that his people might change their attitude towards education (the reason why he ought to be a teacher among his people). In some ways, education defines how a person hopes for his worth. It is more than the status, it also creating an opportunity for one’s self and knowing how to use education in helping one feel fulfilled.

Analysis of Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analysis of - Article Example People are very familiar with the identification of ordinary things or smells because of their familiarity. They are in constant touch with them, hence able to identify them. The familiarity of common substances also makes it easy for English speaking to identify them without having trouble. However, it becomes difficult when one is presented with unfamiliar content, not common to the culture where one belongs. This is so because our senses are unable to recall since there is less interaction with the objects. The above concept was proved when the research team presented what ought to be familiar to Americans, they gave terrible naming to them, and the majority did not have an idea. Contrarily, there was a positive result in the Jahai, rain forest as the foragers were familiar with scratch-and-sniff cards. They were also as good at smelling as seeing. This proved the central subject that cultures dictate individual’s senses. Therefore, it is clear that culture plays a significant role in determining individual’s sensory awareness. What people keep in touch most of the time sticks in their memory to shape them. Moreover, people are unable to identify smells they are unfamiliar with since they do not associate with their

News of the week Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

News of the week - Essay Example One of the facts in the article is the aspect of the government spending much in printing the typefaces that are standard and the issue of the teen’s idea of a cheaper typeface embrace. The author provides sufficient explanation and factual material that support his idea and propel his thought. He believes that Garamond requires lesser ink as compared to Times News Roman, which is factual. He argues that the government loses hundreds of millions on typefacing using Times News Roman. There is an image of a simple piggy Bank provided in the magazine (Frizel, Para. 2). The 14 year old Mirchandani Suvir thought that changing the government documents standard typeface would save millions in ink posts. The teen advises that using of Times News Roman as a standard font style wastes more ink and suggests that the government resorts to Garamond. The teen got the information from observing other teens switch between font styles with an intention of attaining the required length by the teacher (Frizell, Para. 1). In my opinion, the reportage is true, balanced and unbiased. Times New Roman tends to use more space on a space hence more ink is needed to print it out. However, there are no diversified viewpoints provided in the article. The article is an editorial because it is the author’s original idea and it is convincing because of the fact that if one compares Garamond and Times New Roman, it is evident that the latter requires more ink usage. Lastly, my general opinion about the article is that the teen has an idea that should sell across the world and not only in America. This might save countries millions of

How might a seaside resort in 1870 be expected to differ from the same Essay

How might a seaside resort in 1870 be expected to differ from the same resort in 1930 What accounts for the changes - Essay Example People began to filter into the cities to find work and thus seashore towns were developed. Many of the first settlers along the seashore began to open up boarding houses and hotels. The wealthy stayed in hotels and the less wealthy people used the boarding houses. The first boarding houses rented for a fee of $8 – 12 a week for room and board and often included meals and a wagon ride through the cornfields to the beach. As an example, Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey developed in the 1870s as a destination for visitors through Captain John Arnold. He retired from a sea career and bought land in Point Pleasant Beach. He built a railroad to the ocean, which is now known as Arnold Avenue. As in other seashore towns, the railroad was the most influential factor in development and tourism of seashore towns. The 1870s were an era of major tourism expansion brought on by developers who bought and subdivided old farms for vacation home lots. In 1877 The Point Pleasant Land Company bo ught a 250 acres farm and began selling lots. To attract buyers, a Resort House was built and began a horse-drawn trolley service for tourists. The Resort House was a four-story hotel type structure that housed 200 guests, and was the largest building in town. The resort featured shaded oak and locust trees, a manicured lawn and a clear view of the beachfront dunes. The inside included a ballroom and bowling alley, which was very upscale for that time. Several other hotels and boarding houses were built similar before the turn-of-the-century. Some of the hotels advertised access to New York and Philadelphia trains, trolley lines, water works, electric lights plants and no mosquitoes. Many of these hotels burned to the ground due to being wood structures and others lost business due to changing tastes in lodging. The first beachfront pavilion was constructed in 1880, and ten years later the first boardwalk was built. The first boardwalk was very flimsy and washed away within two year s. During the Victorian period rapid growth in population began in the seaside resorts. The railways made if possible for visitors to travel to the seashore, and it became much more affordable. The seashore had a nostalgic draw to people as a focal vacation point. A seaside holiday was considered very charming at that time. Again, only a few ordinary people owned cars or telephones until the 1950s. Even when televisions became available, they were very expensive for the average family. The working class worked hard all week in factories, offices, shops and mines and very rarely had the opportunity to travel. However, it became popular to set aside a time during the year to take a seaside holiday. This was popular both in England and the Americas. Traveling to the seaside became popular when it was decided that the sea and bathing in the sea was good for your health. Dr. Richard Russell advocated the use of seawater in bathing and in drinking to treat many early illnesses, in the lat e 1700s. So it became fashionable for the rich especially to visit the seashore. For people of England a railway trip to the seaside and a week or two-holiday stay at a resort was the highlight of the year. The popularity of holiday seaside trips grew until it became popular to take trips abroad to experience different lifestyles. This became very popular with the wealthy, as the ordinary person could not afford such luxuries. Just as the industrial revolution helped build the

No chosen yet (sociology) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

No chosen yet (sociology) - Essay Example Oneida community is a religious commune founded in 1848 by John Humphrey Noyes. This organization practices communalism where the members practice communal labor in which men and women have to work together and become an engaging community. Not only labor did members come together but in almost any occasions. Members likewise participate in enjoyment and self improvement thus they are not left in solitude. How the community worked and lived together in a â€Å"Mansion House† painted an unusual picture of a rich and happy community. Complex marriage is also practiced where in men are married to every women and women are married to every men. Other practices of the community include mutual criticism and ascending Fellowship. After many years of existence, the community later transformed into a capitalist enterprise known as the Oneida community, Ltd. (Olin, 1). Today, Oneida’s â€Å"Mansion House† serves as a tourist attraction. The Church of Scientology is another organization founded by Lon Hubbard with the goal to promote scientology. Under the organization are several separate incorporations with their own local boards, executives and directors responsible for the activities of each corporate and ecclesiastical. Members are taught that people are immortal spiritual being who have forgotten their own nature. In addition to this teaching, the organization believes that the experience of man could be extended beyond a single lifetime with unlimited capabilities. Thus they believe that events in the past affect the present limitations. Furthermore, they consider that man is good who seek to survive. However, his survival depends on him, his fellows, and his attainment of brotherhood in the universe. They also practice giving study materials and auditing course but with a corresponding donations. Just like Oneida, the Church of Scientology has its own controversy. Many believed that it operates as a cult and as a commercial enterprise. The Mor mons is founded by Joseph Smith in 1820. The name Mormons refer to the followers and their religion Mormonism. This cultural group is a form of Christian primitivism where other small independent denominations were based. The movement seeks maintain doctrines that supports the practice of polygamy. The members share a common belief with the Latter day Saint movement where they adopt teachings from the Bible especially the old testament, other religious texts, Books of Mormons, doctrines and covenants. The movement also accepts the Pearl of Great Price as part of their canon. Mormons believe in the Living Christ and the importance of eternal marriage. The Jehovah witness is founded by Charles Taze Russell in 1870’s with members that is over 18 millions. Jehovah base their teachings solely from the Bible however they have they own translation that they prefer to use. They believe in the destruction of the earth which they refer to as Armageddon. They claim that the only solutio n to all problems of human kind would be the establishment of the Kingdom of God. Jehovah witnesses are known for several activities. They are the religious group distributing The Watchtower and Awake magazines. They are known for their door to door teaching of their translated Bible, the New World translation of the Holy Scriptures, and are known not to accept military services and blood donation and transfusion. These religious organizations become a sociological interest because some of their practices are considered bizarre by

Economics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics - Research Paper Example In other words, 1% of people in America controls more than 1/5 th of the total income generate in America. This is a striking fact. The author argues that economic inequality is not all about how much you make — it’s about how much you have (Rampell). For example, it is quite possible that an average American makes substantial money from his profession or business. However it is not necessary that the amount he makes may be sufficient enough for his expenditure if he may have more family members. In other words, an American who has only 3 members in his family and another one who have 5 or 6 members in his family cannot be considered equally with respect to economic equality, even if they earn same income. The followi9ng chart illustrates this argument clearer. (Rampell) From the above chart, it is clear that even though the top 1 percent of earners receive about a fifth of all American income; they hold about a third of American wealth. In other words, the income recei ved and the income controlled by the top 1% is unequal. In fact the top 1% controls more wealth than the actual wealth they received or earned. From the above fact, it is clear that the richest people in America are able to save more than what the average Americans save. The recent recession underlined the above fact. Richest people in America succeeded in escaping from the recent recession without causing many damages to their economic interests whereas the average American suffered a lot because of the recession. In other words, the savings of the average Americans were not adequate enough to meet any unexpected economic catastrophes. Highest earning Americans save more whereas the lowest earning Americans save less. In other words, as time passes, more and more wealth will be controlled by the highest earning people compared to the lowest earning people which is the major reason for economic inequality in America. Along with the increasing economic power, the bargaining power and the influences of the rich people may also increase. In other words, more of the shares of the governmental subsidies, relief packages, rebates etc will come in the hands of the rich people rather than going into the hands of the poor people. For example, President Obama has recently huge stimulus packages to help the people to come out from the economic crisis. However, majority of the shares of these stimulus packages went in the hands of the highest earning people. Wolf (2009) has pointed out that the stimulus plan will strengthen the economy by creating millions of good-paying jobs; deliver tax relief for 95% of workers and invest in America’s future by fixing our communities' roads and bridges, improving our children's education and making America more energy independent (Wolf). However, as per the statistics available, it is quite clear that these stimulus plans failed to generate much impact in the lives of ordinary people. When Obama proposed the 700 billion bailout package to the struggling industries in America, many people have raised their eyebrows. Major share of this huge money was gone into the hands of the private business men. In other words, Obama collected the money from the taxpayer’s pocket and distributed it to the private businessmen. In other words, the rich people became major beneficiaries of these stimulus packages also. Under the above circumstances, Rampell’