Argumentative Essay for DSA Scheme- myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Write about theArgumentative Essay for DSA Scheme. Answer: Gifted students are common in many schools and academic institutions globally. Those with talents and abilities may need programs that offer challenges to push them into their true potentials. Different countries have varied approaches to this issue and take measures that are appropriate to their setting. In Singapore, the Direct School Admission (DSA) plays an important role in identifying and nurturing pupils with special talents and abilities. Its efficacy can be seen in the global education rankings where it is the top performer. The current DSA program should be further revised to be reserved only for non-academic talent in order in order to build the sporting talent and rankings of the country as well as to nurture the national sports industry. Definition of the expanded DSA scheme The expanded DSA scheme states that from 2018, schools are supposed to preserve a certain percentage of allocations for their non-Integrated Program for students with abilities that lie beyond traditional academic exams. This allocation has been set at 20% and is intended to nurture talents in sports and the arts. It also allows students to apply based on academic strengths and talents (Davie 2016). The students who qualify will be able to access schools that will nurture and develop their talents. Students applying for the DSA under these specifications will not be required to sit for the general academic exams, such as the Primary School Leaving Exam (PSLE). The admission caps have been lifted in terms of the different categories such as niche programs, autonomous and independent schools. Issues surrounding the current expanded DSA scheme The educational issues on the expanded DSA is that it may eventually end compromising the quality of the PSLE as more students will focus on preparing for the DSA as a form of parallel alternative (Davies 2016). This has seen the proliferation of courses that are set to prepare the students for the DSA, despite not having natural ability. The economic issue is that it benefits those wealthy in society and disenfranchises the poor. Many of those who applied during the last five years had parents who resided in private housing and this shows the economic disparity (Seow 2016). The social impact of DSA is that it puts excessive stress on children who have to sacrifice their childhood in order to outperform their peers (Seow 2016). This leads to some being affected by mental illness. Arguments against upholding the current DSA scheme The current DSA allows for applications from both academic and non-academic talents and abilities. Going by the global rankings on education, Singapore has been shown to top in Mathematics and Sciences on exams taken for students under 15 years of age (Coughlan 2016). This shows that the traditional and Gifted Education Programs are working and beneficial. Instead of improving on these outcomes, putting emphasis on building the sports and arts considerations should be given more prominence. This requires limiting the DSA to non-academic talent. This would help enrich the schools that have academic programs by nurturing sports and arts within their student populations. The emphasis on non-academic programs will help to nurture talent that will develop talent for the sporting and arts industry. Singapore has hosted a number of high profile sporting events such as the World Rugby Sevens and the Singapore Grand Prix (Loh 2016). The investment in physical infrastructure should be accompanied by the corresponding investment in human capacity. In order to provide talent who can compete at international events and manage such events hosted domestically will require talent development through the schools. The DSA can be used to tap and nurture this talent. Lo (2016) states that this will also spur the development of universities such as the Edinburgh-Nappier University that offer sports degrees as they will have enough students from niche schools. Students with exceptional talents in the arts will contribute to the development of a thriving domestic film, music and performing arts industry in Singapore. The students who pass through niche schools will also ensure the sustainability of arts schools such as SOTA, as they will have a steady supply of students. The development of arts will help to enrich the variety of entertainment that can be offered socially and reduce the dependence on imported forms of entertainment (Akuno, 2017). This will have an overall positive impact on the culture and economy. Locally produced films and music can be exported and this will help expose the culture of Singapore. Thus the expanded DSA should focus more non-academic talent. Arguments for upholding the current DSA. Focusing on non-academic talent will disenfranchise students who may not be generally strong academically, but in specific subjects such as Mathematics. This will stifle their talents and abilities when they are allowed to go through the normal academic testing. The DSA gives students who do not gain admission into the Gifted Education Program (GEP), with less than 1% being admitted (Kiem 2016). Another argument is that there are relatively fewer students with natural talents and abilities in sports and the arts when compared to academic students. Their ability to have positive impact on the economy in the future is therefore limited and negligible. Tan (2016) asserts that this is not natural talent but groomed and artificial talent which will fizzle out. The DSA is a good example of a national program that seeks to nurture natural talents and abilities which are both academic and non-academic. The expanded DSA program allows for both categories of students to apply. The main argument against it is that by allowing for applicants with academic talents, it becomes just another program similar to the GEP. It does not meet its original mandate that sought to nurture non-academic talent. Focusing on non-academic talent will be beneficial in nurturing the local arts and sports industries which economically benefit the nation. This can be countered by stating that its very few students with natural talent who can progress to become professionals: many fizzle out in secondary school. References Akuno, E. A. (2017). Higher education leadership and governance in the development of the creative and cultural industries in Kenya. Dakar: CODESRIA. Coughlan, S. (2016). Pisa tests: Singapore top in global education rankings. BBC. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/education-38212070 Davie, S. (2016). Schools, stop the kiasu practice if suing DSA to chope bright kids. The Straits Times. Kiem, W.T.W. (2016). Dont shut bright kids out of DSA. The Straits Times Online Forum. Loh, M. (2016). Game on: How Singapore can score in global sports events management. Singapore Business Review. Retrieved from https://sbr.com.sg/hr-education/commentary/game-how-singapore-can-score-in-global-sports-events-management Seow, C. (2016).Re-thinking the DSA (Direct School Admission) Scheme. Singapore Motherhood. Retrieved from https://singaporemotherhood.com/articles/2016/06/direct-school-admission-dsa-scheme-school-singapore/ Tan, J. (2016). This P5 students letter sums up everything thats wrong with the DSA system, Mothership. Retrieved from https://mothership.sg/2016/02/this-p5-boys-letter-sums-up-everything-thats-wrong-with-the-dsa-system/ Towse, R. (2013). A textbook of cultural economics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Lighthouse Savudrija , located near Umag , has bee Essays

Lighthouse Savudrija , located near Umag , has been built in 1918. and it is the oldest lighthouse on Adriatic Sea as well as it is a first lighthouse in Europe lighted by gas. Small fishing harbor Mandrac is located in the center of Novigrad and it used to be the center of economy. Today , Mandrac is the most recognizable symbol of Novigrad. Find out everything about Mramornica cave, karsts beauty situated near Brtonigla, which is known as one of the biggest caves in Istria. Belfry in Buje is the second tallest belfry in Istria. As many as four states can be seen from it: Slovenia, Italy, Austria and Croatia. You can find more information on this page. Find information about olive roads in Istria. There is a possibility of touring 73 olive makers and 13 oil makers that offer tasting of high quality homemade oil. Find out why Istria n Teran wine is today considered as one of the highest quality Croatian wines and check who are its most famous manufacturers are in Istria. Find information about the history of truffles, types of Istrian truffles and places for finest truffle meals tasting. Each year Istria Gourmet Festival gathers the finest of what Istria has to offer in the gourmet, wine and olive oil domain. Find out more about the Festival on these pages. Try your luck in some of the elite casinos in the area of the northwest Istria. Find out everything about the history of casino gaming games as well as these days ways of amusement. Enjoy in natural beauties of rural Istria out of which we especially point out Skarline Nature Park. It is situated between Brtonigla and delta of the river Mirna. Campsite Park Umag is one of the most rewarded campsites in Croatia. Find out to which rewards it owes this flattering status. ATP Studena Croatia belongs amongst most attractive world professional male tournaments and it is an excellent ratio of fun during the day, afternoon matches and evening concerts. Bike hotels in Istria are especially equipped for bicyclists stay and offer infrastructure, information and a line of services that suits modern cyclists. Find out more. Bike guide of northwest Istria contains absolute overview of the region's bike routes, list of bike hotels and behavior rules on the road. Mild climate and sports infrastructure are merely few of the trumps of northwest Istria as a great destination for football preparations and football camps organization . Find out more. Golf Club Adriatic will fascinate golfers with a first professional competitive golf course in Istria with 18 holes. Find out which famous world sportsmen tried their strength in this field. Blue Flag is an international ecological program of sea and coastline preservation and is often guest's guideline when choosing where to spend your vacation. Find out which beaches are Blue Flag holders. Wellness center Istrian Relax Village is located in the complex of Sol Umag hotel. It is decorated in the ambience of original Istria architecture and offers exclusive we ll ness and beauty treatments. Gastro guide; Find out the best way to meet gastro offer of Istr i a in limited time. Restaurants and taverns: Damir i Ornela, San Roco, Buscina and Astarea. You can find out more about tennis school for kids in Umag on these pages. Professional coaches, individual ones or group trainings, international attendants

Chaplin Essays - American Comedy Films, Charlie Chaplin, Chaplin

Chaplin Essays - American Comedy Films, Charlie Chaplin, Chaplin Chaplin Charlie Chaplin Charles Spencer Chaplin was born on April 16, 1889 in Walworth, London, and lived a Dickensian childhood, shared with his brother, Sydney, that included extreme poverty, workhouses and seeing his mother's mental decline put her into an institution. Both his parents, though separated when he was very young, were music hall artists, his father quite famously so. But it was his mother Charlie idolized and was inspired by during his visits backstage while she performed, to take up such a career for himself. He achieved his ambition when he joined a dancing troop, the Eight Lancashire Lads, and this eventually led onto parts in Sherlock Holmes and Casey's Court Circus. Sydney, meanwhile, had joined the famous Fred Karno Company and quickly became a leading player and writer therein. He managed to get Charlie involved, and he too became a Karno star. For both boys, Karno was almost a college of comedy for them, and the period had a huge impact on Charlie especially. In 1910 Charlie toured the U.S. with the Karno group and returned for another in 1912. It was on this tour that he was head hunted by Mack Sennett and his Keystone Film Company, and Charlie was thus introduced into the medium of film. His first film, in 1914, was aptly titled Making A Living, and it was directed by Henry Lehrman. He starred in many of his Keystones along side Mabel Normand, who also directed three of his films, but it wasn't until Twenty Minutes of Love that he had a taste of directing himself, and this quickly became the only way he worked. His success was such that he was able to move from one company to another, each time into a better deal. In 1915, after thirty-five films, he moved to Essanay, and it was here he really found his feet, not to mention his longest serving leading lady, Edna Purviance. Notable films during this period include The Champion, The Tramp and The Bank. In 1916 he moved to Lone Star Mutual, with even greater control and financial rewards. Here he made the definitive Chaplin short comedies, The Rink, Easy Street, The Cure and The Immigrant. First National were next, and it was here he constructed his full length masterpiece, The Kid. Shorter comedies of note at this time included Sunnyside and The Idle Class. Along with his great friend, Douglas Fairbanks, as well as Mary Pickford and D.W. Griffith, Chaplin formed United Artists in 1919. He made his first film for them in 1923, the Edna Purviance vehicle, A Woman of Paris, perhaps the least known of his films, but it was followed by the Chaplin classics - The Gold Rush, The Circus, City Lights and Modern Times. It wasn't until 1940 that he made his first talkie, The Great Dictator, to be followed by the more refined Monsieur Verdoux and Limelight, a look back to the music hall world of his youth. Limelight (1952) was the last film he made in America. McCarthyite political maneuverings effectively ejected him from the country and he wasn't to return until 1972, when he received a special Academy Award. In the meantime, though heartily welcomed back to Britain, he moved to Switzerland with his wife, Oona O' Neill, and their children. He made two more films, A King In New York (1957, with Dawn Addams) and A Countess From Hong Kong (1967, with Sophia Loren and Marlon Brando) and spent his final years writing music for his films and enjoying his family life before he died, at 4 A.M. on Christmas Day in 1977. Bibliography Robinson, David. Charlie Chaplin: The Art of Comedy (1995) Mitchell, Glenn. The Chaplin Encyclopedia (1997) Karney, Robyn and Cross, Robin. The Life and Times of Charlie Chaplin (1992) Gifford, Denis. The Comic Art of Charlie Chaplin (1989) McCabe, John. Charlie Chaplin (1978) Payne, Robert. The Great Charlie (1957)

The Lexical Approach in Language Teaching

The Lexical Approach in Language Teaching In language teaching, a set of principles based on the observation that an understanding of words and word combinations (chunks) is the primary method of learning a language. The idea is that, rather than have students memorize lists of vocabulary, they would learn commonly used phrases.   The term lexical approach was introduced in 1993 by Michael Lewis, who observed that language consists of grammaticalized lexis, not lexicalised grammar (The Lexical Approach, 1993). The lexical approach is not a single, clearly defined method of language instruction. Its a commonly used term thats poorly understood by most. Studies of literature on the subject often show that its used in contradictory ways. It is largely based on the assumption that certain words will elicit a response with a specific set of words. Students would be able to learn which words are connected in this way. Students are expected to learn the grammar of languages based on recognizing patterns in words.  Ã‚   Examples and Observations The Lexical Approach implies a decreased role for sentence grammar, at least until post-intermediate levels. In contrast, it involves an increased role for word grammar (collocation and cognates) and text grammar (suprasentential features).(Michael Lewis, The Lexical Approach: The State of ELT and a Way Forward. Language Teaching Publications, 1993) Methodological Implications The methodological implications of [Michael Lewiss]  Lexical Approach (1993, pp. 194-195) are as follows: - Early emphasis on receptive skills, especially listening, is essential.- De-contextualized vocabulary learning is a fully legitimate strategy.- The role of grammar as a receptive skill must be recognized.- The importance of contrast in language awareness must be recognized.- Teachers should employ extensive, comprehensible language for receptive purposes.- Extensive writing should be delayed as long as possible.- Nonlinear recording formats (e.g., mind maps, word trees) are intrinsic to the Lexical Approach.- Reformulation should be the natural response to student error.- Teachers should always react primarily to the content of student language.- Pedagogical chunking should be a frequent classroom activity. (James Coady, L2 Vocabulary Acquisition: A Synthesis of the Research. Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition: A Rationale for Pedagogy, ed. by James Coady and Thomas Huckin. Cambridge University Press, 1997) Limitations While the lexical approach can be a quick way for students to pick up phrases, it doesnt foster much creativity. It can have the negative side effect of limiting peoples responses to safe fixed phrases. Because they dont have to build responses, they dont need to learn the intricacies of language.   Adult language knowledge consists of a continuum of linguistic constructions of different levels of complexity and abstraction. Constructions can comprise concrete and particular items (as in words and idioms), more abstract classes of items (as in word classes and abstract constructions), or complex combinations of concrete and abstract pieces of language (as mixed constructions). Consequently, no rigid separation is postulated to exist between lexis and grammar.(Nick C. Ellis, The Emergence of Language As a Complex Adaptive System. The Routledge Handbook of Applied Linguistics, ed. by James Simpson. Routledge, 2011)

The differences and similarities between the democrat party and the Essay

The differences and similarities between the democrat party and the republican party - Essay Example An ideological debate causes a more emotive response in individuals than does any other. The 9-11 attacks, abortion, the war in Iraq, the loss of civil liberties, global warming, evolution, health care, gay marriage, stem cell research and many other politically motivating subjects ignite emotional ideological battles. The terms conservative and liberal usually are attached to one’s stance on social issues. Liberals historically have proved to be very conservative regarding fiscal, Constitutional and foreign relations matters. Conservatives align themselves with the socially conservative religious faction of society. Of course, both ideologies share much in common, the want for peace and prosperity, the love of country and family for example. However, the differences are sharp, extensive and have existed in this country since the Rebels and Loyalists took separate sides of the political fence. The tenets of Liberalism proclaim a strong conviction in democracy and belief that the constitutional authority of the people will limit a powerful, expansive government. Liberal legislative leadership, partly through necessity, has instigated steady governmental growth well beyond where the architects of the constitution and most citizens would favor. Conservatives are against the government regulating corporations but are very much for legislation that regulates the private conduct of individuals and for advancing their religious agenda regardless of the damage to civil rights and liberties or the scientific or constitutional evidence that is contrary to their opinion. Abortion, stem cells, teaching evolution and gay marriage are preeminent examples of current ideological debates between conservatives and liberals. Those of a conservative ideology are against legalizing abortion. They believe it to be murder and are crusading to save babies’ lives. However, conservatives are also against funding prenatal care

Comparative Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Comparative Religion - Essay Example Three negative aspects and at least one positive aspect of each religion will be named and explained. Secondly, Christianity which seems the closest to the â€Å"truth† for me will be evaluated and five positive aspects and one negative aspect will be stated. In addition, it will be outlined how I am going to deal with the aspect I did not like. Finally, a conclusion will be provided in which I will explain how this class helped me in the search for the â€Å"truth†. Hinduism is the main religion in India and other countries on South Asian Subcontinent, especially India and Nepal. It has no single founder or creator, several holy writings and more than one god. Therefore, many people often refer to Hinduism as a way of life, instead of calling it a religion. Furthermore, Hindus have a common system of values, such as duty, virtue, and morality, known as Dharma. Hinduism is a very old religion and for many people it is the religion closest to the â€Å"truth†. The most appealing aspect for me is that Hinduism is a rather animal friendly religion, for instance, many Hindus are vegetarian. Treating animals well is important to me and therefore, I believe this to be a positive aspect. However, there are three aspects that I do not like. First, Hinduism includes the concept of Varna (class), which divides society into four groups: teachers and priests, warriors and nobles, farmers, merchants, and businessman, and servants and workers. The division of classes served as a model for the social order. I believe it is a negative aspect, because people are born into a certain class and have almost not change of escaping it. It can be argued that Varna was partly responsible for the caste system in India. Secondly, Hindus believe that life is a continuous series of birth, death and rebirth, which is regulated by Karma. Although that might be an attractive aspect for some people, it is not for me, because it sounds restless and wearing. Thirdly, cremati on is obligatory for most Hindus, when they pass away. Although that might be a minor aspect for many, this is a major negative aspect for me, because I would prefer to be buried. When people are buried in a graveyard, it gives friends and family a place to go to and I believe that is important. III. Buddhism Buddhism is a very old religion or way of life, which can also predominantly be found on the Indian subcontinent. It is a very spiritual religion, which focuses on spiritual development and insight into the nature of life. Furthermore, Buddhists do not worship one God or many Gods; instead they follow the teachings of Buddha. Buddhism is a very peaceful religion, since non-violence is the centre of Buddhist thinking and acting. The peaceful character is a major positive characteristic for me. Religion has been misused for many wars and acts of violence, but it is difficult to justify any wars or acts of violence with such a peaceful religion as Buddhism. Nevertheless, Buddhism is not the closest religion to the â€Å"truth† for me, due to these aspects. First, Buddhists do not believe in the existence of a God. Although this might not be a negative aspect for many, it is a difficult aspect for me, because I like to believe in the existence of a higher power, so the absence of such a higher power is a negative aspect for me. Secondly, meditation as a main feature of Buddhism is a further negative aspect for me. A lot of people praise the benefits of meditation, which is perfectly all right; however, meditation is not for me. I tried to meditate on several occasions, but it does not work for me. Thirdly, a negative aspect of Buddhism for me is that life or existence is described as being a tragedy, filled with suffering

Hazara people Essay Example for Free

Hazara people Essay 1. Friendship, guilt, redemption â€Å"He knew about Assef, the kite, the money, the watch with the lightning bolt hands. He had always known. ‘Come. There is a way to be good again,’ Rahim Khan had said on the phone just before hanging up. Said it in passing, almost as an afterthought. † (Chapter 14, pg 202). This quote symbolizes how Amir strived to do everything to forget, all he needed to do was to fly to Pakistan and see what Rahim Khan wanted him to do. So thats exactly what Amir did. Rahim Khan tells Amir that there is a way to be good again. Amir knew straightaway what he was talking about. He realizes, that all of those years, Rahim Khan had known about Assef, the kite, the money, the watch with the lightning bolt hands. He had always known. Rahim Khan had knew about Hassan getting raped. He needs to go to Afghanistan and talk about the ‘unspoken secret’ they both knew about. After the phone conversation, Amir keeps remembering Hassan saying ‘for you, a thousand times over! ’ Thinking of this, he knows he has to go to Afghanistan, see Rahim Khan, uncover the secrets and do whatever he asks to ‘be good again’. By this he means that Amir has the opportunity to make up for his betrayal of Hassan by saving his son, Sohrab. Rahim Khan knows what really happened to Hassan and also knows that this has been bothering Amir for years so he is basically implying that Amir can still redeem himself if he goes back to Afghanistan. When Amir ran, he ran from jealousy and fear; fear of Assef and fear of his own reputation as a Pashtun standing up for a Hazara. The negativity of the social setting influenced Amir’s rash decision on betraying Hassan. The prevailing theme of guilt and redemption is weaved through the journey of Amir’s life, influenced by the society, where Hazaras are betrayed. 2. Parental relationships â€Å"Here is another cliche my creative writing teacher would have scoffed at; like father like son. But, it was true, wasn’t it? As it turned out, Baba and I were more alike than I’d ever known. We had both betrayed the people who would have given their lives for us. And with that came this realization: that Rahim Khan had summoned me there to atone not just for my sins but for Baba’s too. † (Chapter 18, pg 238) I chose this quote because not only is it ironic in and of itself, but it also ironically characterizes all the characters in the novel. Amir felt his â€Å"sin†Ã¢â‚¬â€betraying Hassan—made him so different from his father. He has spent much of his life trying to please Baba and mimic his father’s life. It is ironic that now, all these years later, when he discovers he and had father were so similar, it sickens him rather than bringing him joy. In the novel, he continually states that he would’ve never would have dreamed that Baba’s greatest sin would be theft on so many different levels (stealing wife, purity, truth) and gone against the nang and namoos, he so adamantly preached to his son. Amir and Babas relationship changes throughout the novel. The novel starts out with Amir doing whatever he could to win his fathers attention, which includes betraying his best friend, Hassan. He betrayed Hassan for his fathers full attention. He then earns it when Hassan and Ali move out and Baba and Amir move to America. This quote shows that Amir and Baba are very alike. They both betrayed their best friends. Baba betrayed Ali by sleeping with his wife, and Amir betrayed Hassan by not standing up for him while getting assaulted. Then they both try to redeem themselves with doing other good deeds. Baba, running an orphanage, and Amir going back to Kabul to save Sohrab, Hassans son. 3. Maturing â€Å"Earlier in the morning, when I was certain no one was looking, I did something I had done twenty-six years earlier: I planted a fistful of crumpled money under a mattress† (Chapter 19, pg 254) This quote shows how Amir had changed and grew more mature than before. In Kabul, before he had done the same thing to kick out Ali and Hassan. I lifted Hassans mattress and planted my new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under it. I waited another thirty minutes. Then I knocked on Babas door and told what I hoped would be the last in a long line of shameful lies. † (pg. 110) Before, when he put the money under Hassans mattress, it was a coward move. He did it so Baba would get rid of both Hassan and Ali. Amir kept trying to cover up his past and get rid of it by setting Hassan up. He thought if Hassan left, then everything would go back to normal, but it didnt. Now, Amir had a heart. Rahim Khan told Amir to come back to Afghanistan to rescue Hassans son Sohrab. Amir stayed with Wahids family. They didnt have much at all. They served Amir all their food they had. Amir felt guilty for all the riches he had. Living in America, without war, having sanitary living conditions and enough food for meals three times a day. So, when it was time for Amir to leave, he snuck a fistful of money under the mattress. This time, it wasnt a coward who had done it, it had been a loving, but guilty man. Amir was slowly paying back his dues and hardships he had created in the past. 4. Strength of the human spirit â€Å"Then I told him I was going to Kabul. Told him to call the Caldwells in the morning. ‘I’ll pray for you, Amir jan,’ he said. †(Chapter 18 pg 239) Not only did Amir not stand up for himself, he did not stand up for others either (like Hassan when he got raped). Amir didnt dare to say his opinion, to the public, or to Assef that he and Hassan are friends because Hassan is Hazara and always was going to be. Later that changes. He fights for Sohrab, in fact what he really is doing is fighting back for all the times he didnt fight for Hassan, against Assef. In the fight he gets hare lipped just like Hassan, I think thats a symbol. A symbol that says that he has become as brave as Hassan. Another thing that indicates this change is that in the dreams he used to have where he couldnt part his father from the bear he later dreams of himself as the bear. He always admired his father, and his father was very brave. Bears are significant as brave and fearless. Back in Kabul, it seemed like Amir was finally doing something good in his life. After some misgivings, Amir agrees to rescue Hassans son, Sohrab, from an orphanage in Kabul. Amir even fights against a Taliban official who turns out to be Assef in order to save Sohrab. This reminds Amir and the readers that this time it wasn’t Hassan who was in Assef’s fist, it was his son and Amir had to save Sohrab because he couldn’t save Hassan last time. This is action instead of inaction; bravery instead of cowardice; selflessness instead of self-absorption. Perhaps this streak of good deeds will make up for his betrayal of Hassan. Its almost as if the confident Amir combines with the helpless and coward childhood Amir. While saving Sohrab, Amir makes a huge mistake and goes back on a promise to Sohrab. As a result, Sohrab tries to commit suicide. Were watching Amir repeat mistakes from the past even as he attempts to put the past to rest. This is Amir at his best and worst and perhaps this is the real Amir that really combines all the previous versions of him. Hes weak and blind, but also essentially kind. Hes jealous, but in the end only wants to be loved. Even though sometimes during the book, we would want to scream at Amir, but as we know that hes an utterly human character, and can’t blame him for anything. 5. ‘Discrimination and prejudice â€Å"True, I hadn’t made Ali step on that land mine, and I hadn’t brought the Taliban to the house to shoot Hassan. But I had driven Hassan and Ali out of the house. Was it too far-fetched to think things might have turned out differently if I hadn’t? Maybe Baba would have brought them to America. Maybe Hassan would have a home of his own now, a job, a family, a life in a country where no one cared that he was a Hazara, where most people didn’t even know what a Hazara was. Maybe not. But maybe so. † (Chapter 18, pg 238) The Kite Runner tackles the issue of discrimination in Afghanistan with an example of the relationship between Pashtuns and Hazaras. Babas father sets an example for Amir of being kind to Hazara people, even though they are historically not appreciated and persecuted. Baba could have easily sent Ali to an orphanage after his parents death, but he chose not to and picked the decision of raising him in his household. Baba does the same with Hassan, although this is because of the fact that Hassan is actually his son after all. Even in Babas house, the house of best intentions, the class barrier between the Pashtuns and Hazaras endures. Ali is as dear to Baba as a brother. Baba calls him family. But Ali still lives in a hut and sleeps on a mattress on the floor. He tends the garden, cooks, and cleans up after Baba, and raises Hassan to do the same. So strong is Hassans identity as a servant that even as an adult, when Baba is gone, he has no sense of entitlement. He insists on staying in the hut and doing housework. When Hassan dies defending Babas house, he does so not because he feels it belongs to him, but because he is being loyal to Baba and Amir. Discrimination is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Assef tells Amir, Afghanistan is like a beautiful mansion littered with garbage, and someone has to take out the garbage. Like his idol, Hitler, he feels entitled to killing those he deems unworthy of living in his land. He even relishes the term ethnic cleansing because it goes so well with his garbage metaphor. Like Baba, many people do not mention the Hazaras history of persecution. The author shows that the persecution of the Hazaras is not new, but a greatly intensified outgrowth of long-held discrimination. 6. Man’s inhumanity to man â€Å"How could he have lied to me all those years? To Hassan? He had sat me on his lap when I was little, looked me straight in the eyes, and said, There is only one sin. And that is theft When you tell a lie, you steal someones right to the truth. Hadnt he said those words to me? And now, fifteen years after Id buried him, I was learning that Baba had been a thief. And a thief of the worst kind, because the things hed stolen had been sacred: from me the right to know I had a brother, from Hassan his identity, and from Ali his honor. His nang. His namoos. † (Chapter 18, pg 237) Until Rahim Khan reveals Babas secret, Amir thinks he is the only sinner among his family and friends. The biggest shocker to Amir was that Hassan was really his half brother. After Amirs mother died, Baba had slept with Hassans mother and got her pregnant. All along Baba knew that Hassan was his son and Ali covered as his father and the two of them were servants in Babas house. Amir thought about the reason why Baba was so worked up over Amirs mentioning of getting new servants was because he would be losing his son that way. There were so many signs he realizes like the plastic surgery and always inviting Hassan to events. Amir was filled with anger and he felt betrayed by Rahim and especially Baba. The regret is even greater in his life that he had driven out his own half brother and did not even know it, and now there is no way to make things right because Hassan is dead. Amir is shocked, taken back, and deeply hurt. Even before Amir betrays him, Hassan makes him feel guilty simply by being such a righteous person. Amir is constantly trying to measure up to Baba, because he does not realize that Baba is so hard on him because of his guilt over his own sin. Amir feels as though his entire life has been a cycle of betrayal, even before he betrayed Hassan. But having a taste of betrayal himself does little towards redeeming Amir. In Ghazi Stadium, the Taliban skews the words of Muhammad in order to justify murdering the alleged adulterers. The mullah announces that every person should have a punishment befitting his sin. Although he would not want to compare himself to the Taliban, Amir believes this in regards to his own sin. When he tried to get Hassan to pelt him with pomegranates, he was expressing his feeling that in order to be forgiven for hurting Hassan, Hassan must hurt him. When Assef almost kills Amir, he felt healed, as though now that Assef has hurt him, it is fair. He even tells Farid that in the room with Assef, he got what he deserved. In the end, Amir finds out that punishment is not what will redeem him from his sin. It is not even saving Sohrab. In order to make up for his sin and Babas before him, Amir must erase the lines of discrimination he has lived with all his life by giving Sohrab an equal chance at success and happiness.