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Hassan gets his hairlip fixed
In early 1974 Baba decides that its time to get Hassans hairlip fixed to a point where "[I]t was only a faint scar" (47). This act o kindness shows Babas weak spot for Hassan. A fore shadow to what is to come and a constant conflict that makes Amir jealous of the affection Baba gices Hassan. -
Hassan gets raped by Assef
In the winter of 1975 after the kite tournament Hassan runs the last kite that Amir cut. When he recovers the kite Assef tries to steal it, but when Hassan refuses to give it to him Assef rapes him. Int his Amir is faced with the choice to stand up for Hassan or be a coward but "In the end, [he] ran" (77). Amirs action shows a battle that he will have his whole life of standing up for people and doing the thing that he has been told is right or choosing self-preservation and being a coward. -
Amir throws pomegranates at Hassan
Towards the spring of 1976 Amir feels so guilty that he takes Hassan to their special hill and "hurled the pomegranate at hime"(92). And then yelled "'hit me back!'"(92). Amirs wanting for Hassan to take out his anger on him shows his wanting to atone for letting Hassa get raped. He feels that if Hassan were to take his anger out on him he could feel better and Hassan would forgive him witout any more efforts to atone. -
Amir slips Hassan money and a watch to frame him
In the late Summer of 1976, after Amir's birthday, Amir slips his new watch and some money to Hassan to make Baba question, "Did you steal that money? Did you steal that watch, Hassan?"(105). Amirs guilt had gotten so big over the fact that he let hassan get raped that he had to get rid of him to never think of his guilt ever again. The only way he could think of getting rid of Baba's servants was having Hassan seem that he commited the greatest crime in Baba's eyes: theft. -
Soviet union invades
They invade to orchistrate a coup to replace the previous leader because of his lack of trust in them. (NYT) -
Baba and Amir flee from Afghanistan
in March 1981 Baba and Amir flee from afghanistan because of the war the Russians were fighting where there werr "tanks rolling up and down the streets of my city, their turrets swiveling like accusing fingers"(113). Now, Baba and Amir must flee into an uncertain future to escape the old Kabul. They can no longer trust anyone there and must leave for fear of being thrown into jail for plotting against the Russians. -
Baba and Amir move to America
Baba and Amir decide to move to America to escape the Russians in Afghanistan. Even though they seem to settle right in, Baba's power shift makes it so "A year and a half since [they'd] stepped off the Boeing from Peshwar, and Baba was still adjusting"(129). This huge power change throws Baba off balance and he is simply unable to cope with the fact that he is not regarded the same as he was in Afghanistan because he doesn't have the same amount of money and respect. -
Amir graduates from highschool
Amir graduating from highschool is a monumentous occasion for Baba and as a present he gets him an "old model Ford, Long and wide, a dark color I couldn't discern in the moonlight" (133). Baba's reason for being happy enough to spend so much money on a car is probably because he didn't get that good of an education himself, making him proud that Amir got to finish highschool. Also this demontsrates that the relationship between Baba an Amir has shifted for the better. -
Rahim Khan invites Hassan to come live with him in Baba's house
Rahin Khan searches for Hassan and finally finds him and when he offers to Have Hassan move in Hassan says "We don't have much to drop, Rahim Khan... We'll go with you. We'll help you take care of the house.'" (207). This shows Hasans unwavering loyalty that he has to Baba and Amir. Hassan has completely built up a life where he lived and he is willing to tear it all down for the offer to go back to living in Babas house. -
The Soviets decline in power in afganistan
The Soviet union declines in power in Afganistan because of the "advanced Stinger aircraft missles supplied by the United States to the rebels." (NYC) -
Amir finishes his frst novel
After quite of bit of time being an unsuccesful writer Amir finally makes a published nover about a "Father-son story set in Kabul"(183). Even though Amir was doubted from an early age by Baba about a writing career Amir has finally made it in what he wanted to do. This is a big succes and shows he is finally setting into the style of adulthood. -
Afganistan is left to the warlords
The soviets leave Afganistan after losing complete power Leaving Afganistan "devided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms." (NYC) -
Mullah Omar comes into power, forming the Taliban
Mullah Omar gets support from the Pakistani's to kill off all the other warlords and restore the values of islam in Afganistan. Pakistan officials begin giving "arms, money and supplies to Mullah Omars men"(NYC) -
Taliban takes cotrol of Afganistan
after many years of unrest and civil war the taliban takes control over afganistan. -
Taliban takes control of Afganistan
The Taliban Takes over Afganistan in result of the Soviets leaving and imposes "Strict enforcement of fundemetalist Islamic laws"(NYC) that forces people to either join or die. -
Hassan is murdered by the Taliban.
(Date is estimated) Hassan is killed by the Taliban when Rahim Khan leaves or Peshwar because "'[The Taliban] accused hime of lying when Hassan told them he was living with [Rahim Khan]...'"(218). This showcases the fact that the Taliban is able to do whatever they want because no one is there to stop them so they can make false accusation that no one can speak out against. This also shows teh severe racism that the Taliban posess to Murder people simply for being Hazzara. -
Sohrab is taken from the orphanage by Assef
(date is etimated) Sohrab is taken away from the orphanage by Assef because as the director eplains, "I'f I deny [Assef] one child, he takes ten'"(257). Zaman, the director, is absolutely powerless to stop Assef, escpecially when he brings money that the orphanage desperately needs and the Taliban cannot be stoped in what ever they do. So Assef takes Sohrab who, undoubtedly he saw Hassan through and gained further power from degrading Sohrab. -
Amir goes back to Pakistan
Amir finally finds a way that he might be able to atone for letting Hassan get raped which is going to go find him. Rahim furthers that idea by saying,"There is a way to be good again"(192). This shows that there is still hope yet for Amir to get rid of his guilt and maybe atone for the horrible things he did as a child. He also must do this because Rahim Khan knows what happened as well so he must prove to him the he is a good person. -
Sohrabs suicide attempt
(date is a rough estimation) Sohrab, after hearing he may have to go back to an orphanage, decides that its better to end his life; so he cuts his wrist with a razor and Amir finds him with his "left arm dangling over the side of the tub, the blood-soaked razor sittingon the toilet tank"(348). This is the ultimate way Amir has his quest for atonement thwarted. He is about to make everything right by having Hassans son live with him and Soraya but at the end he cuases Sohrab to comit suicide. -
Amir brings sohrab home to fremont
In August of 2001 Amir finally brings home Sohrab to Soraya and finds that her dreams for Sohrab are not complete and "she'd walk past Sohrab's room and catch glimpses of books sitting unopened in the wicker basket, the jigsaw unassembled, each a reminder of a life the could have been." Now it becomes clear to Amir and Soraya that Sohrab is to broken from the time that Assef had abducted him and it unlikley that he will ever recover. This is devestating for Soraya who couldn't have a child. -
Two airplanes crash into twin towers
The Al Queda attacks the USA by crashing twoairplanes into both of the twin towers. (NYT) -
The push back against te Taliban
George W Bush decides to begin a compaign aginst the Taliban thta "Drove the Taliban out of the major Afgan cities by the end of the year"(NYC) The Taliban then escapes into Pakistan. -
Hamid Karazai is elected
Hamid Karazai is elected to be chairman of Afganistan to take over after the Taliban is defeated after being exiled by the Soviets. He is later elected to be president in June 2002. -
Sohrab gives Amir hope with a small smile.
In March 2002 Amir finally gets a little hope for a better future for sohrab when, after winning a kite competition,"One corner of his muoth had curled up just so." Sohrabs smile offers multiple things to Amir. It shows that Sohrab may recover from what he had expierienced from Assef and that he may even begin to start trust Amir again after he broke his promise about not going back to the orphanage. -
Obama leads troop to Afganistan
Obama decides to deploy many more troops in Afganistan to combat the reoccuring problem of the Taliban rising back up. Obama siad that he would start "Bringing American forces home from Afganistan in the middle of 2011, saying the United States could not afford and should not have to shoulder an open-ended commintment."