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Photo taken of Amir's grandfather and King Nadir Shah
As Amir describes his childhood home, he mentions a photograph of his grandfather and a king "standing over a dead deer, dressed in knee high boots, rifles slung over their shoulders." (Hosseini 5) Amir mentions his grandfather a few times thorough the book, and it is clear that he was an important figure. Not much is said about him, but he is one of the only family members mentioned throughout the book. -
Baba's birth
As Amir describes his father, he reveals that the year that Baba was born, his grandfather took an orphan who "he adopted into his own household" (Hosseini 24) who grew up to be Ali. Ali's parents had been killed in a car crash, leaving him an orphan. Baba's father adopted him, and used him as a servant. -
Hassan's Birth
Amir describes Hassan's living quarters as he introduces their house. He states that "Hasssan was born in the winter of 1964, just one year after my mother died giving birth to me." (Hosseini 6) Baba's choices are deeply effected by the loss of hi wife, and he is challenged to rase Amir alone. -
Amir's Mother's death
Amir talks very little about his mother, as she "hemorrhaged during childbirth." (Hosseini 6) Amir hints that he wishes that he had met her, but he seems to not miss her seeing that she had not been around. Amir is greatly effected by the lack of a mother, but we are unable to see the roles of a mother in the book due to the lack of female characters early on. -
Hassan's birthday present
As a show of affection, Baba gives Hassan a birthday present, a plastic surgery. This event is important for not only Hassan, but Amir who fails to understand why Baba cared about Han, who "hadn't done anything to earn Baba's affections; he'd just been born with that stupid harelip." (Hosseini 46) Amir struggles with a lack of his father's affection, and envy's Hassan's connection to Baba. -
The Pomegranates
Struggling to deal with his own emotions, Amir takes out his pain on Hassan. At a pomegranate tree, Hassan "opened it and crushed it against his own forehead" (Hosseini 93) in an attempt to appease Amir. Amir's pain is brought out and shown as Hassan gives in to the torment. -
Hassan's rape
As the last kite is cut down by Amir, Hassan offers to run it for him so he can edge his achievement to his father. While in an alley retrieving the kite, Hassan is caught by a group of boys and Assef, who Assef convinces to "hold [Hassan] down" (Hosseini 74) as he rapes him. This is the point in the book that changes the pollen, an influences all the main characters directly and indirectly. -
Amir's birthday party
Amir's birthday not only shows how different Assef an Amir are, but shows how Amir struggles to deal with the traumas Assef caused. As Amir interacts with Assef, he notes how his eyes "revealed a glimpse of te madness hiding behind them." (Hosseini 97) Even at a young age, it is clear the difference between the two young boys. -
Amir and Baba leave Kabul
As Baba and Amir leave Kabul, Amir talks only about how he fails his father, not the city that he is leaving. the subtlety of this shows how Amir cares more about his father then anything else. He even states that "I knew he saw my car sickness as yet another array of my weakness- I saw it on his embarrassed face" (Hosseini 110). -
Amir graduates High School
When Amir goes to America, the firth thing that he does is graduate high school so he is able to go to collage. He says that he "was by far the oldest senior tossing his mortarboard on the field that day"(Hosseini 131). This moment is significant because it shows one of the few times that Amir feels like his father is proud of him. -
Soraya and Amir's wedding
The two married quickly after Baba's cancer spread. "It was Soraya who suggested that she move in with Baba and me"(Hosseini 172) after Baba became ill. The couple stayed with Baba and took care of him until he passed. -
Baba's Death
After Soraya moved in with Amir and Baba, she took to caring for him. After him refusing to take medicine one night, "Baba never woke up."(Hosseini 173) -
Taliban takes control
The Taliban took control of Afghanistan after years of civil war, which left the country weak. Because of this, "the Taliban by 1996 had taken control of Afghanistan, imposing strict enforcement of fundamentalist Islamic law...".(NYT) -
Destruction of Buddha Statues
The Taliban left a haven for power hungry leaders, which created an environment that was easily influenced. So much so, that leaders were persuaded to "order the destruction of the 800-year-old Buddha statues at Bamiyan, an act condemned around the world." (NYT) -
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Taliban Rule
After the Taliban took over control from Russia, they were easily able to control the government. "With his promise of restoring the centrality of Islam to daily life, [Omar] created a genuinely popular movement in a country weary of corruption and brutality."(NYT) -
Amir goes to Kabul to Rescue Sohrab
At this point in the book Amir has been convinced to go to Kabul to rescue Sohrab. He believes that he has "found a way to be good again, as Rahim Khan offers him on page 2 in the beginning of the book. -
9/11
The States joined the war "after the Sept. 11 attacks by Al Qaeda." (NYT) The attack changed the US's view on Afghanistan, and shook the country in a way that will haunt it forever. -
Talaban Resurgence
"Despite their defeat in 2001, the Taliban continued to wage a guerrilla warfare..." (NYT) from a base on the Afghanistan border. While the US changed their focus to Iraq, the Taliban regrouped and spread into Afghanistan. -
Rahim Khan calls
As Amir grows older, he receives a call from his old friend, Rahim Khan. Rahim Khan tells him to "Come. There is a way to be good again." (Hosseini 192) Amir is hesitant, but eventually decides to go to Pakistan to visit his dying friend. -
Hamid Karzai becomes Interim President
After the Taliban was chased from Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, "a supporter an relative of Mohammad Zahir Shah, the exiled former king"(NYT) was elected Interim President. He was later elected President to a four year term. -
Sohrab flies the kites
The book closes as Sohrab and Amir mimic the events that sent the novel into its plot. As Sohrab cuts down the final kite, Amir tells him that he'd run kites "For you, a thousand times over." (Hosseini 371) -
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Hamid Karzi's Leadership
After the Taliban was removed from Afghanistan, Karzi took control. He won over the country by saying that "he hoped to secure pace for Afghanistan and win the country much-needed international aid." (NYT) -
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Obama's War
The USA first became involved in Afghanistan after the 2001 attack. Obama Added "an additional 30,000 troops" (NYT) to the war, and widened the involvement in the needing country,. -
Obama announces deployment of 30,000 additional troops
Obama had plans to defeat the Taliban for good "Announc[ing] his plan to deploy an additional 30,000 troops."(NYT) Obama planned to keep troops in Afghanistan until at least 2014. -
Presedent Obama Removes general McChrysal
"After contemptuous quotes from the general and his staff about senior administration officials"(NYT), Obama removed McChrysal from power, despite jis successful war efforts.