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1 CE
foreshadowing
The event of Winter of 1975 has a lot of suspense built up around it in the text, as it "defined who Amir was as a person." At this point in the book (First couple chapters),we are unsure what the event is and how it is important. -
Amire is born, killing his mother
Amire is born in 1963. On page 6, the text states "1964, just one year before giving birth to Amir", killing his mother during birth. he feels as though it is his fault that he killed his own mother, as Baba indirectly makes him feel guilty for it throughout the first couple chapters -
Hassan is born
Hassan is "born in the winter of 1964"(6). Hassan is a little, "Chinese doll", looking Hazara who is supposedly the son of Ali and Baba and Amirs slave. In the beginning of the book, Amir believes that Hassan is Ali's son, however he is Baba's. Hassan is very loyal to Amir as he has to be, considering his racial background, a Hazara. For example, in the book, Amir frames Hassan and claims that Hassan stole his money. Amir tells Baba and Hassan confesses to a crime he did not commit. -
Winter of 1975
An event that would define Amir forever took place in the Winter of 1975. The event is the kite running competition of 1975. Amir is the winner of this competition, earning his fathers respect. However, this is also when Hassans rape occurred, the event that would force Amir to seek atonement for the rest of his life as he feels so bad. -
Hassan is raped
After running Amirs kite, he is caught in an alley by Assef and his friends. Assef asks for Amir's kite, and Hassan declines. After a while, Assef claims, "there’s nothing sinful about teaching a lesson to a disrespectful donkey”(40). He then proceeds to rape Hassan. Hassan did not try to fight back nor did he give up the kite, showing his loyalty toward Amir -
Hassan and Ali leave
After Amir framed Hassan, Hassan and Ali announced that they were leaving. Amir then looks at Baba and thinks "Then I saw Baba do something I've never seen him do before, he cried"(107.) This quote shows us that Baba really does have feelings for Ali and Hassan. So strong that a strong, well-respected man cried over them leaving. Baba and Amir wish them goodbye and they do not hear from them for a while. -
coup de état (Communist Invasion)
Amir thinks to himself, "the official end would come first in April 1978 with the communist coup d'etat"(36). This is when the communists began invading Afghanistan in fear of losing Communism in Afghanistan. -
Amir and Baba Escape Afghanistan
Amir had become very sick on the ride there, Amir's "innards had been rolling around ever since we left Kabul at two in the morning"(110). Amir was going through some confusing emotions considering that his homeland was being destroyed by the Russians, but he was also happy he could start a new life in America. -
Baba is diagnosed with cancer
Amir explains that after Baba found out he had cancer, "Baba chainsmoked the rest of that day in front of the TV"(157). This tells us about Baba's purity. As soon as he found out that he was going to die, he lived his life without a care in the world. Before he found out about his untimely death, he would live with strong morals, but now that he has cancer he lives life more freely and has dropped his morals down quite a bit, -
Amir Meets Soraya in the Flea Market
Amir says his, "heart stuttered at the thought of her. Sorayah Taheri. My Swap Meet Princess"(60). Soraya is a respectable, smart woman with a complicated past. After about a year of crushing on Soraya, Amir eventually ends up talking to her regularly. -
Amir and Soraya get married
Amir and Soraya have a very special marriage ceremony. Before they step up for their official marriage, they have a moment. "Looking at Soraya’s smiling face in that mirror, in the momentary privacy of the veil, I whispered to her for the first time that I loved her"(131). This quote shows their affection for one another and how important their marriage is. -
Baba dies
On the night of Baba's death, Baba says "there will be no pain tonight"(94). Shortly after, "Baba never woke up"(94). These quotes show how Baba died content with his life and was not sad over his death. He went peacefully and respectfully. -
Last Communist Soldiers Leave Afghan
"the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in Feburary 1989, in what was in effect a unilateral withdrawl"(NYT). -
Soraya cannot have kids
"When the tests were over, he explained that he couldn’t explain why we couldn’t have kids. And, apparently, that wasn’t so unusual. It was called “Unexplained Infertility"(108). Soraya is unable to have kids. -
Sohrab, Hassans child is born
When Sohrab was born,"he became the center of her (Sofia's) existence. She'd sew clothes for him, built toys for him from scraps of wood, rags, and dried grass. When he caught a fever, she stayed up all night, and fasted for 3 days"(221). This quote shows how much Hassan and his wife cared for their baby. -
Taliban Takeover
A movement started by a Pashtun, who lost his eye in a fight, that was made to purify Afghanistan and reimplement the centrality of Islam to daily life. The Taliban were an extreme Islamic group. This lasted until 2001, overthrowing warlords with a following of 12,000 -
US Missile Strike
"US launches missile strikes at suspected bases of militant Osama bin Laden, accused of bombing US embassies in Africa" (BBC News). -
Amir finds out Hassan is dead
Rahim Khan is telling Amir about how Hassan was "shot in the back of his head"(219) for not giving up his property. However, this was done for Baba's sake. This also shows how Hassan still remained loyal to Amir even after he had separated from him. Hassan did anything he could for Amir, making Amir more guilty for never atoning to his sins. -
Assef gets in a fight with Amir
Assef and Amir eventually see each other again, Amir recognizing him by "that look on his face." Assef is immediately aggressive toward Amir, resulting in a fight -
Taliban's are removed from power
September 11, 2001, better known as 9/11 in the USA, successfully kicked the Taliban out of power. -
The Twin Towers are Bombed
the twin towers are bombed by radicalism group Al Qaeda. -
Sohrab attempts suicide
Amir walks into the bathroom ,"Screaming with my clenched teeth. Screaming until I thought my throat would rip and my chest explode"(343). There was blood all over the bathtub as Sohrab was crying. At this moment, a mix of self disappointment and frustration hit Amir. -
Osama Bin Laden, leader of the Taliban, is wanted by the US
After 9/11, George W Bush asks the Taliban to turn him in. They refuse, and Osama goes into hiding for a while until his untimely death in 2011. -
Amir runs Sohrabs kite
At a festival for the Afghanistan New Year, Amir buys a kite for Sohrab, who "turned and ran"(371) with the kite. Amir running the kite for Hassan's son symbolizes that Amir feels as though he has atoned for his sins that occurred in the Winter of 1975, switching roles and showing loyalty to Hassan