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The long journey through the Khyber Pass
On Amir and Baba's long trip to Pakistan, their truck incounters an Afghan soldier whom asks for one of the women on the truck. Baba immdiately intereferes and defends on the woman's behalf. He stands up and exclaims, "Tell him I'll take a thousand of his bullets before I let this indecency take place(Hosseini, 116)" Baba is not threatened by the soldiers power and stand instantly stands up for the woman because it is what is right in his morals. -
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Hassan is Raped
Amir watches Hassan beneath Assef, "He moved his head slightly and I caught a glimpse of his facce. Saw the resignition in it. It was a look I had seen before. It was the look of the lamb.(Hosseini, 76)" During the kite flying tournament, Hassan runs into an alleyway and is cornered by Assef and two other boys. The boys don't let him escape and watch as Assef begins to rape Hassan. Amir sees this take place but does nothing. -
Soviet Troops INvade Kabul
Soviet troops helped Babrak Karmal, "The Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul on Dec. 27, 1979, to assist Babrak Karmal...(Afghanistan - An Overview." (n.d.): n. pag. Print.)" -
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Fremont California Flashback
On Baba and Amir's journey through Pakistan, Amir thought to himself of his and Baba's time spent in California, "I remember the two of us walking through Lake Elizabeth Park in Fremont, a few streets down from our apartment, and watching boys at batting practice, little girls giggling on the swings in the playground (Hosseini, 125)." Baba adored the thought of America and had very fond memories of it. He and Amir had always hoped to move to America; their memories made it ever more persuading. -
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Yelda (Not sure exact month)
Amir contemplated his and Hassan tradition for Yelda to himself thinking, "...yelda is the first night of the month of Jadi, the first night of winter, and the longest night of the year. As was the tradition, Hassan and I used to stay up late...while Ali tossed apple skin into the stove and told us ancient tales ...(Hosseini, 143)" Yelda was the beginning of winter menaing-close to the annual kite flying tournament. This time was special for them because they bonded over the kite tournament. -
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Baba Is asked for his license/ID
Baba lashes out as he is asked for his ID card when purchasing fruit, "On the floor: oranges, an over-turned magazine rack, a broken jar of beef jerk, and shards of glass at Baba's feet...He'd written Mr. Nguyen a check and Mr. Nguyen had asked for an ID. 'He wants to see my license,'(Hosseini, 127)" Baba is now becoming paranoid because he believes that people are trying to get him out of America. Mr. Nguyen must ask for an ID, as protocall for everyone that writes a check. -
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Amir Graduates High School
As Amir graduates, Baba says, "'I am moftakhir Amir,' he said. Proud. His eyes gleamed when he said that and I liked being on the receiving end of that look. (Hosseini, 131)" Baba is very proud of Amir for graduating high school which helps Amir to finally understand how it feels to be make his father proud. In America, Amir had no one else to compete with when trying to make his father proud so he decided to make the right decisions and be a high achiever. -
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Baba Asks the General's approval for Soraya's hand in marriage
Amir sent Baba off to the Taheri's house to ask for their blessing, but stayed at home, "I paced the living room of our appartment waiting for Baba's call...The phone rang just before noon. It was Baba..'The general accpeted.'(Hosseini, 163)" With Soraya's father's blessing, Amir could now propose to Soraya with her family's approval. This was the last duty Amir asked of his father before his passing. -
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Rahim Khan goes to look for Hassan
As the chapter is switched to Rahim Khan's perspective before he becomes very ill. He thinks to himself, "There were a lot of reasons why I went to Hazarajat to find Hassan in 1986. The biggest one, Allah forgive me, was that I had been lonely. (Hosseini, 203)" This was one of his last major, trips. Rahim Khan was one of the only people, besides Baba, who had known that his father was Ali. He felt obligated to go and check in on Hassan and his life because Baba couldn't. -
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Amir finishes his first novel
"In the summer of 1988, about six months before the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan, I finished my first novel, a father-son story set in Kabul, written mostly with the typewriter the general had given me. (Hosseini, 182)" Amir finishing his first novel is the beginnning of his career as a writer. This was the launch of his new beginnnings with writting and he accomplished it after marrying Soraya. -
Soviets Left Afghanistan
The Soviet troops left, "after peace talks moderated by the United Nations, the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989...(Afghanistan - An Overview." (n.d.): n. pag. Print.)" -
Soviet Airforce became useless
Post 1989, the Soviet airforce became known as useless because of, "advancing Stinger antiaircraft missiles supplied by the United States to the rebels.(Afghanistan - An Overview." (n.d.): n. pag. Print.)" -
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Sanaubar finds Hassan adn Farzana becomes pregnant again
Sanaubar arrives in Hazarajat at Hassan's house and tells him, "'You smiled coming out of me, did anyone ever tell you? And I wouldn't even hold you. Allah forgive me, I wouldn't even hold you.'(Hosseini, 210)" When Sanaubar appears at Hassan's door step, he didn't recognize her at first but, honoring his generous values, he takes her in and nurses her back to health. Sanaubar showing up at his house is a sign of atonement because she begs for forgiveness for her sins. -
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Kabul is bombed
As Amir drives by Kabul, he thinks about the damage, "...the Bala Hissar Fort-the ancient citadel that the warlord Dostum had occupied in 1992-on the Shirdarwaza mountain range, the same mountains from which the Mujahedin forces had showered Kabul with rockets between 1992 and 1996, inflicting much of the damage I was witnessing now.(Hosseini, 245)" Amir is reminded of how much he missed while away in America. When fleeing to America, Amir left behind an entire life, and started a new one. -
The Start of the Afghan Anarchy
Once the Soviet forces left, "power was anarchially divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms.(Afghanistan - An Overview." (n.d.): n. pag. Print.)" -
Mr. Bin Ladden landed in Afghanistan
Taliban offered a hidding place for Osama Bin Ladden, "arrived by charter jet at Jalalabad Airport in May 1996...(Afghanistan - An Overview." (n.d.): n. pag. Print.)" -
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Taliban Masacre Hazaras
Hassan listens to the radio as the Taliban ends the daily fighting and says the Rahim Khan, "'God help the Hazaras now, Rahim Khan sahib,' he said... A few weeks later, the Taliban banned kite flghting. And two year later, in 1998, they massacred the Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif. (Hosseini, 213)" After the Taliban interfere with the fighting, the bannish the action. Hassan acknowledges the good deed but isn't fooled when several years later, they killed hundreds of Hazaras in Marzar-i-Sharif(1997). -
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Amir tries to get Sohrab a Visa
After Amir asks about the process of getting Sohrab a visa the embassy businessman says, "Your petition to adopt this young fellow. GIve it up. That's my advice to you.(Hosseini, 330)" Amir wants to bring Sohrab back to America to live with him and his wife, however he must legally adopt him first. The problem is that Sohrab has no birth certificate or records that Amir is his legal uncle. In order to get Sohrab back to America, adopt him, and get him a visa his records are crucial. -
Rahim Khan tells Amir he is sick
After Amir recieves the call from Rahim Khan saying he is sick, he explains to Soraya, "'When I was a kid, he was th efirst grown-up I ever thought of as a friend.'(Hosseini, 191)" The evidence demonstrates how Amir was so lonely, even though he had Hassan, that one of his true friends was his father's business partner. Rahim Khan was took the fatherly position that persuaded Amir to persue his creative writing career. Rahim Khan encouraged and challenged him to do the things he feared. -
Amir and Sohrab arrive in America
As Soraya meets Sorhab, she says, "Salaam, Sorhab jan, I'm your Khala Soraya. We've all been waiting for you. (Hosseini, 358)" Once Soraya meets Sorhab, her inner mother that she had wished to be, noticably surfaces. She instantly decides to take in Sorhab knowing that he could be like the son she never had. -
Al Qaeda Attacks the Twin Towers
After the United States became militarily involved with Afghanistan, since 2001, "...it led an invansion after the Sept. 11 attacks by Al Qaeda.("Afghanistan - An Overview." (n.d.): n. pag. Print.)" -
Former Afghanistan King Regains Their Thrown
By the end of the year, "Hamid Karzai, a supporter and relative of Mohammad Zahir Shah, the exiled former king of Afghanistan, was named chairman of an interim government that replaced the defeated Taliban, making him the leader of the country. (Afghanistan - An Overview." (n.d.): n. pag. Print.)" -
Hamid Karzai becomes a provisional president
Hamid Karzai joind the office in June 2002 caliming, "he hoped to secure peace for Afghanistan and win the country much-needed international aid. Mr. Larzai was elected to a five year term as president in 2004.(Afghanistan - An Overview." (n.d.): n. pag. Print.)" -
General Petraeus allies and leads the US Central Command
The Irainian military took control of the military operations "in October 2008, with responsibility for military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and across the region.(Afghanistan - An Overview." (n.d.): n. pag. Print.)" -
President Obama's Plan
President Obama gives a speech at West Point annoucing, "his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops. (Afghanistan - An Overview." (n.d.): n. pag. Print.)"