I finished The Kite Runner today. It was a great book; written really well, but it made me sick. I hate books that show the real evil in people. The biggest styling portion I picked up was that at the end of each chapter he would give a foreshadow. Like "...that would be the last time I would see him smile...", or "...he wouldn't talk for a full year..." That was his biggest styling thing. The biggest symbol in the book was the Kite. It showed how Hassan was really loyal and loved Amir. When the last kite fell so did their relationship. Then in the end of the book with the flying of the last kite, it shows the rekindling of a new kinship between Amir and his nephew. Little symbols I picked up were like his car when he was a teen was his get away, and the ocean was like a new beginning that he couldn't reach. For this book I did the "establish territory" annotation device. I put faces in the things I liked and didn't like. I made comments of what I would have said if I were in that situation. I would comment on every foreshadowing example he used and I would make a prediction. I would relate some of the things in the book to my life, like how Rahim was a better dad than Baba was, but then how Baba grew and was a better father throughout their lives in America. I made note of all the major plot turns and shocking outcomes made comments on those, and any changes I would see in the characters. Like I already mentioned Baba changed, Amir significantly changed, and Hassan changed, even Rahim changed. Amir changed multiple times in the book the first was with what happened to Hassan. He turned dark and mean and didn't like himself or anybody around him. Then when he moves and met his wife he made a big turn for the better. He was in love and sweet and even opened up. Then, he went back to Afghanistan to get his nephew and he changed again he became brave even humble towards God. Hassan's change was pretty obvious he changed after what happened to him and was no longer a happy child. I found out he changed when he met his wife and had kids and moved back to his home. Rahim changed from the sweet father figure he was in Amir's childhood to a man who knew what happened and wanted Amir to take responsibility. He changed into a stern man. The book had a lot going on and it was very clever and good, but I didn't just love it.