Hope, and Lots of It

In the past few books I've read such as the Life of Pi by Yann Martel, hope has become a reoccurring theme. For Pi, the main character in the book, hope came in the form of a Bengal Tiger, a whistle and a buoy. However, for Amir in The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini hope comes in a very different form.

Throughout the book Amir and his best friend Hassan are subjected to violence. For example, Hassan must endure through the slurs about his mother from soldiers scattered throughout Afghanistan. Amir is also occasionally neglected by his ignorant father, who repeatedly says behind Amir's back, "Why can't he be more like me?" The two boys constantly face many hardships yet they succeed in maintaining a spiritual mind and never lose hope. With hope, they gain courage and optimism that there will be a "brighter day" than before. But how is it that they keep hope with so much despair and difficulty in their lives? What benefits does anyone receive from hope? Is it purely what keeps people going; an idea that the next day will be better than the previous? As I continue to read, I look forward to revealing the true meaning of hope. In the mean time, what are your opinions and thoughts on it?

The Kite Runner and What Makes a Book, Good

For most readers, a good piece of literature is one you can connect to. Whether it's the character or setting, most most people a book is much more enjoyable when you can say, "This I can connect to." However, after beginning to read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, I've began to re-analyze how a book becomes a good one in my opinion.

From what I've read so far, The Kite Runner is about two boys, Amir and Hassan, growing up in the third world country of Afghanistan in 1975. In the war driven country, Amir and Hassan must deal with violence, poverty and sexual abuse. None of which, am I able to connect to. Yet the compelling and gripping book has me turning pages after pages. In no way am I able to make a connection which drives me to read. So, I've reconsidered the etiquette of a good book. For one, description of the characters and settings is always in a well written book. It is the key behind what makes the "movie" in our head, continuous. For example, "The early-afternoon sun sparkled on the water where dozens of miniature boats sailed, propelled by a crisp breeze." Also, the book is extremely informative in all areas so you never get "bored." Although we rely on connections in books in order for it to be readable, there is much more than just this and finding these attributes is all worth wild.

The Color Orange

As Simon Van Booy, a British author once said so precisely, "Coincidences mean you're on the right path." Across the book, "The Life of Pi" by Yann  Martel, Pi comes along many items and, many animals. Afterall, his father is the owner of a zoo. However many of these are the color orange such as a tiger, a whistle and a buoy.  Is it just a coincidence that these things are orange or is it more? Maybe, it's a symbol.

The tiger, whistles and buoys are all orange and all have a potential to save Pi from the shipwreck (which they do because he does survive.) The tiger poses a threat to Pi, weighing several hundred pounds more than Pi, it probobly kill him with one strike. However, not only does the tiger pose a threat but also does the hyena and the orangutan. Potentially, the tiger could decrease the threat by killing the other two animals. Maybe this is how Pi survives. Maybe it is the tiger who helps Pi survive. On the life boat Pi also finds a few orange whistles attached to the many life jackets he finds. Along with the whistles he finds and a couple orange buoys. If a ship managed to come close to the life boat, Pi could signal to a boat. If the sea ever got to rough, maybe Pi used them for stability.

The color orange in the book symbolizes hope as seen by the tiger, whistles and buoys. But it also symbolizes something else. After Pi is rescued, which I don't know how yet, he moves to Canada where he starts a family. He also adopts an orange cat. Maybe the cat symbolizes survival and the hardships Pi had to face.