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Baba's Birth
One of the most important characters Baba plays an important role throughout the book, "In 1933, the year Baba was born,"(24) Amir, Baba's son, will do anything to impress and get the approval of Baba. Baba's strong moral and sins shaped Amir into the person he was. -
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Kite Runner & the History of Afghanistan
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Amir's Birth
Amir, the main character, said about himself, "...Hassan was born in the winter of 1964, just one year after my mother died giving birth to me."(6) Amir and Hassan's birthdays being so close foreshadows the possibility of them being related. Amir learns lots of life lessons through life-changing experiences with Hassan. -
Hassan's Birth
Hassan was Amir's best friend,brother and servant. Amir describes his birth as, "It was in that small shack that Hassan's mother, Sanaubar, gave birth to him one cold winter day in 1964." Hassan plays a major part in Amir's life, and is the reason he is drawn back to Afghanistan after immigrating to the United States. What Amir had witnessed being done to Hassan was forever life changing, leading to one of the main general themes of atonement. -
Sanaubar Leaves
After giving birth to Hassan, Sanaubar had done the unimaginable, "Sanaubar had taken one glance at the baby in Ali's arms,seen the cleft lip, and barked a bitter laughter...She had refused to even hold Hassan, and just five days later, she was gone."(10) This was the first heart-breaking event that happened to Hassan, and there were more to come. Hassan would be bullied by children, like neighborhood bully Assef, for a while until Baba gave him the gift of a plastic surgeon. -
Hassan's Birthday Gift
Baba for Hassan's tenth birthday had gotten him a surgeon to fix his cleft lip.Amir described after the surgery as,"The swelling subsided, and the wound healed with time.Soon it was just a pink jagged line running from his lip.By the following winter,it was a faint scar.Which was ironic.Because that was the winter Hassan stopped smiling."(47)This foreshadows Hassan's rape and the hardships he will face ahead.Also I believe it foreshadows Amir and Assef's meeting when Amir returns to Afghanistan. -
Amir Wins the Kite Runner Tournament
As the Kite Runner Tournament was coming to a close, a proud moment happened to Amir,"Then I was screaming, and everything was color and sound, everything was alive and good. I was throwing my free arm around Hassan and we were both hopping up and down, both of us laughing both of us weeping.'You won Amir agha! You won!'"(66) Amir was so proub of himself because he could finally receive Baba's approval. This was probably the first time Baba would become prouble of Amir, and not the last. -
Hassan's Rape
As Assef was violating Hassan,Amir thought,"I could step into the alley, stand up for Hassan--they way he's stood up for me all those times in the past--and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end, I ran. I ran becuase I am a coward."(77)This quote really emphasizes Amir's selfishness becuase he would rather run that stick up for someone who always has their back, portraying him as a coward. Amir's selfishness will change his life forver,and be considered his greatest sin. -
Soviet Union Gets Involved
"1979 invasion by the Soviet Union...first troops parachuted into Kabul"(New York Times) -
Baba and Amir Come to Fremont,California
Due to the Russian Invasion, Amir and Baba had decided to move to America. When they arrived Amir said, "Baba loved the idea of America. It was living in America taht gave him an ulcer."(125) This shows the power change in socioeconomic status when he moves to America becuase he went from being a highly-respected man to a gas station worker. I think he loved America because he was able to express his political ideas and beliefs without punishment. -
Amir Meets Soraya
When Amir and Baba came to America, they started participating in the local swap meet along with other Afghans to make some side money and socialize. Amir met a women and was determind to be her suitor, "My heart stuttered at the thought of her. Soraya Taheri. My Swap Meet Princess."(142) Soraya not only is Amir crush, and future wife, but she is the only best friend he has has since Hassan. Soraya mildly impacts Amir's life and she helps him get through tough times. -
Amir and Soraya Get Married
During their wedding ceremony,their first sign of affection was shown,"Loking at Soraya's smiling face in that mirror,in the momentary privacy of the veil,I whispered to her for the first time I loved her."(170)This moment was the start of a major power shift,both Soraya and Amir had equal power towards each other,rather than one over the other.Also the power shift was between Amir and Baba,becuase Amir had become the man of the house. -
Baba Dies from Cancer
Shortly after coming to America, Baba had been diagnosed with Cancer, and he had refused to get help. Months later after a get together, Baba and Soraya had their last converstation,"'I'll come back with your morphine and a glass of water,Kaka jan,' Soraya said. 'Not tonight,'he said.'There is no pain tonight.' She pulled the blanket. We closed the door. Baba never woke up."(173) This shows how much closer Amir and Baba had become once coming to America.This also shows how carring Soraya is too. -
Amir's First Novel is Published
Amir had graduated from San Jose State and had begin to write a book. Once completeing it he had received good news,"Martin called and informed me I was going to be a published novelist. When I told Soraya she screamed."(183) This shows how accomplished Amir is and how pround Baba would have been of him. Also this shows that unlike what most Afghans believe, you do not have to be a lawyer of doctor to be successful. -
Soviets Leave
"Last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989 -
Government Funding
"As early as 1994, Pakistani intelligence officers began funneling arms, money and supplies to Mullah Omar's men, as well as military advisers to help guide them in battle"(The New Yorker) -
Mullah Omar
"Mullah Omar, a Pashtun who had lost an eye fighting Soviets, gathered a small band of men and attacked a group of warlords who had raped a girl and shaved her head...by the end of 1994 Mullah Omar had nearly 12,000 followers and was rolling warlords east to west"(The New Yorker) -
Taliban
"Taliban, the extremist group that had seized control in 1996 after years of civil war."(The New Yorker) -
Taliban Takes Control
"The Taliban by 1996 had taken control of had taken control of Afghanistan, imposing strict enforcement of fundamentalist Islamic law, banning movies and music and forcing women out of schools and into all-enveloping burqa clothing."(The New Yorker) -
Amir Encounters Assef
Assef had decided to fight Amir, and Amir agreed to atone for his sins. When Amir didn't fight back and started laughing and Asses asked why he thought,"What was so funny was that for the first time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace. I laughed because I saw that in some hidden nook of my mind, I'd been looking forward to this."(289) Here for the first time, he had begun to atone for his sins, which is why he felt at peace. By him laughing, Assef was more confused and beat him more. -
Sohrab Attempts Suicide
Since Sohrab was mildly abused at the previous orphanage he stayed at, when Amir told him he might have to go to one in Islambad, he freaked out. Sohrab croaked,"'I'm scared of that place. They'll hurt me! I don't want to go." 'No one is going to hurt you. Not ever again.' 'Yes they will! They always say they won't but they lie! Please, God!"(341) Amir is performing the worst sin to Sohrab and telling him he will not go back to an orphanage. This is a major setback from achieving atonement. -
Sohrad Come to American with Amir
After a rough summer, Amir and Sohrab came to America," We arrived home about seven months ago, on a warm day in August 2001"(357) This was a huge leap toward completeing atonement for Amir, though after Sohrab's suicide attempt he had a bit to go before full achievement. The journey also shows the strength they have to survive even the worst situations. -
USA Gets Involved After 9/11
"The Unites States had been militarily involved in Afghanistan since 2001, when it led an invasion after 9/11 attacks by Al Qaeda." (The New Yorker) -
Karzai Government
"Hamid Karzai took office as interim president in June 2002, saying he hoped to secure peace for Afghanistan and win the country much needed international aid"(The New Yorker) -
USA Forces Withdrawl
"American combat forces to begin withdrawing from Afghanistan in the summer of 2011,"(New York Times) -
USA Breaks Promises
"The Obama administration increasingly emphasizes that the United States will have forces in the country until at least the end of 2014,"(The New York Times)