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Hassan is Raped by Assef
Assef raped Hassan because he was protecting the kite for Amir and, "in the end, [Amir] ran. [Amir] ran because [he] was a coward... afraid of Assef... afraid of getting hurt. That's what [he] told [himself] as [he] turned [his] back to the alley, to Hassan" (Hosseini 77). Despite the fact that Hassan is getting raped for trying to protect Amir's kite, Amir did not try to protect his friend because that meant putting himself in possible harm's way. This shows how selfish and arrogant Amir is. -
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Afghanistan's history's and the plot of "The Kite Runner"
Events that took place in Afghanistan and their influence or connection to the plot of "The Kite Runner". -
Ali and Hassan Leave After Hassan Takes the Blame
When Baba, Ali, Amir, and Hassan try to resolve the issue of the gifts found under Hassan's mattress, Hassan takes the blame. Amir wants to confess, but then he admits to himself, "I would have told, except that a part of me was glad" (Hosseini 105). Here, Hassan shows he is selfless, loving, and understanding, while Amir shows how he is selfish, cowardly, and vain. Furthermore, demonstrating the difference in character between the two, and showing what true friends versus fake friends are. -
Amir's 13th Birthday Party
When Amir gets presents from all the guests at his birthday, he tosses them all into a pile in the corner of his room, all except for "Rahim Khan's leather-bound notebook. That was the only one that didn't feel like blood money" (Hosseini 102). Amir felt that all the presents where only a result of him letting Hassan get raped. Furthermore, he only kept Rahim's gift because they always had a strong bond and it did not feel like a gift he earned wrongfully. It felt like it was always coming. -
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Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
After Karmal became president, the Soviet's invaded Afghanistan in an attempt to aid the communist government of Afghanistan in its battle against anticommunist Muslim guerillas. This war is known as the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. -
Soviet Troops Enter Kabul
After Hafizullah Amin was overthrown in a coup led by the Afghan Communist leadership which brought Babrak Karmal into power, "the first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul on Dec. 27, 1979, to assist Babrak Karmal... Moscow insisted that the troops came in response to a plea for help from a legitimately constituted Karmal Government" (The New York Times). -
Baba and Amir leave for America
Now that Kabul has been invaded by the Soviet troops, it is no longer safe so, Baba and Amir flee for America, but shortly after leaving, Amir feels car sick. When the driver stopped for Amir to get fresh air, "Baba was apologizing to the other passengers. As if car sickness was a crime" (Hosseini 111). Amir can not control his body and Baba makes him feel even worse because he is embarrassed by him. Here, in the way Amir speaks, you can see he feels annoyed with Baba's constant belittling. -
Amir Graduates from High School
Just after his graduation ended, Baba "walked to [Amir], curled his arm around [Amir's] neck, and gave [his] brow a single kiss. 'I am [proud], Amir,' he said (Hosseini 131). Here, Amir describes how his relationship with Baba is finally being restored because once again Baba feels proud to be Amir's father. This shows how America changed both of them for the better, giving Amir a chance to blossom before he gets old and prove himself to Baba. Both are finally happy with each other. -
Amir and Soraya Meet for the First Time
Shortly after Amir met Soraya, he thought of "the way her luminous eyes had fleetingly held [his. His] heart stuttered at the thought of her. Soraya Taheri. [His] Swap Meet Princess" (Hosseini 142). Here is the first time Amir meets Soraya, and before even speaking to her, he has already developed feelings for her to the point where she is his princess and he does not even know her. This foreshadows how powerful the relationship will be between Amir and Soraya from the first to the last day. -
Baba is Diagnosed with Lung Cancer
Baba is dying of cancer. When Amir sees him smoking, he goes, "'What about me, Baba? What am I supposed to do?' [he] said, [his] eyes welling up. A look of disgust swept across his rain-soaked face [Baba]" (Hosseini 156). Baba is neglecting the truth to try and make himself feel better, but Amir lacks the strength the ignore such a powerful truth. This shows how Amir is truly heart-broken and despite everything Baba still can not bare to let any sadness show because it is a sign of weakness. -
Baba Passes Away
At Baba's funeral, while people give Amir their condolences, he thinks to himself, "My whole life, I had been 'Baba's son.' Now he was gone. Baba couldn't show me the way anymore; I'd have to find it on my own. The thought of it terrified me" (Hosseini 174). Amir is filled with grief from losing his dad. Despite the unstable relationship the two had, Amir truly loved Baba and because of that he is extremely frightened by the thought of having to go on his own without Baba's backup. -
Soviet's Leave Afghanistan
After the United States and United Nations interfered in attempts to end the dangerous war in Afghanistan, an agreement was finally reached and "the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989, in what was in effect a unilateral withdrawal. They left behind a country that was not only devastated by the war but that had become a beacon to Islamic extremists from across the globe who had come to assist in the fighting, including Osama bin Laden" (The New York Times). -
Soraya and Amir Learn They Can Not Get Pregnant
One day, after Soraya and Amir learn they can not get pregnant, Soraya tells Amir, "'I know it's silly and maybe vain'... 'but I can't help it. I've always dreamed that I'd hold it in my arms and know my blood had fed it for nine months... Without that... Is that wrong?'" (Hosseini 187). Soraya always dreamed of raising her own blood. Now, though she feels selfish because she thinks it is wrong for her to want to raise a child she birthed and instead of grief, she is overcome by guilt and shame. -
Pakistan Aids Mullah Omar
Pakistan, Afghanistan's east-side neighbor hears about the rebellion to take over that the Taliban are leading and they decide to help out, By, "994, 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 York Times). -
The Taliban Take in Al Qaeda
When Osama bin Laden, founder of the Islamic extremists group, Al Qaeda, and Al Qaeda, as well, arrive at the Jalalabad Airport in May of 1996, the Taliban decided to provide "a haven for Mr. bin Laden, ... and for Al Qaeda. Western diplomats say Al Qaeda helped persuade Mullah Omar to order the destruction of the 800-year-old Buddha statues at Bamiyan, an act condemned around the world" (The New York Times). -
Taliban Take Over Afghanistan
Mullah Omar had finally gained the support of most of Afghanistan, and "buoyed by Pakistani aid, the Taliban by 1996 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 York Times). -
Hassan and Farzana Killed my Taliban
When Hassan and his family were living in Baba's old home alone, the Taliban came and "they told Hassan they would be moving... Hassan protested again. So they took him to the street... shot him in the back of the head... Farzana came screaming... shot her too" (Hosseini 219). A Hazara was not allowed to own their own property because they were claimed to not worthy of it. Furthermore, this shows the power Taliban have in Afghanistan to do or kill as the please and not when they really need. -
Assef Retruns as the Taliban Leader Who Took Sohrab
When Amir is having the meeting with the Taliban leader who took Sohrab, the man goes "'Whatever happened to the old Babalu, anyway?' The question hit me [Amir] like a hammer between the eyes. I felt the color drain from my face. My legs went cold. Numb" (Hosseini 281). Amir never thought he would run into his childhood bully again, but when Assef uses the term "Babalu" everything came flooding back. This leaves Amir in shock and fear because he is not so sure that he can rescue Sohrab anymore. -
Rahim Khan Calls Amir Back to Pakistan
Amir was on a call with Rahim Khan. After he hangs up, Amir thinks to himself, "Come. There is a way to be good again, Rahim Khan has said on the phone just before hanging up. Said it in passing" (Hosseini 192). After many years Rahim calls Amir because he wants him to stop running from his past and finally atone. Furthermore, for Rahim to want Amir to atone, as Amir had said earlier, he knew of everything that happened that winter. This shows how loving Rahim is towards Amir, like a father. -
Sohrab Attempts Suicide
When Amir stepped into the bathroom and saw Sohrab almost dead, he was suddenly "on [his] knees, screaming... Screaming until [he] thought [his] throat would rip and [his] chest explode" (Hosseini 343). Amir reacted with such misery and fear when he discovered he might lose his nefew to suicide. This shows how much love and affection Amir had toward Sohrab, not only because Sohrab was his nefew, but also, because Sohrab was his way of atoning and he loved him, like he wanted to love Hassan. -
Amir Returns to America with Sohrab
When Amir and Sohrab get to America, Amir says to himself how he brought Sohrab "from Afghanistan to America, lifting him from the certainty of turmoil and dropping him in a turmoil of uncertainty" (Hosseini 356). Here Amir makes a interesting, but true remark where he says he pulled Sohrab out of danger and placed him into the danger of unpredictability. This is important because while Amir rid him of some problems, he brought him to a whole new world accompanied by many new problems. -
Amir Runs Down a Kite for Sohrab
Amir and Sohrab cut down a kite while flying kites in the park, and Sohrab asks Amir to run it down for him, so, "[he] ran. A grown man running with a swarm of screaming children. But [he] didn't care. [He] ran with the wind blowing in his face, and a smile as wide as the Valley of Panjsher on [his] lips" (Hosseini 371). Amir finally feels completely clear of his past. He ran with joy from the fact that he no longer felt guilty because he had atoned, thus showing to power of freedom and pride. -
9/11 Attack on The Twin Towers
Al Qaeda, led by bin Laden, hijacked four planes total, two of which were flown directly into the twin towers of "the World Trade Center in New York on Sept 11, 2001" (The New York Times). -
President George W. Bush reacts to the 9/11 Attacks
The 9/11 attacks by Al Qaeda on the United States, cost thousands of lives, therefore shortly after the attacks, President Bush "gave the Taliban an ultimatum to hand over Mr. bin Laden. When it refused, the United States joined forces with rebel groups that had never accepted Taliban rule, notably the Northern Alliance, which represented minority tribes. An air and ground campaign began that drove the Taliban out of the major Afghan cities by the end of the year" (The New York Times). -
Hamid Karzai Becomes President of Afghanistan
After the Taliban was defeated, in December 2001, Hamid Karzai, a relative of the former exiled president of Afghanistan, Mohammad Zahir Shaha "was named chairman of an interim government that replaced the defeated Taliban, making him the leader of the country. He 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 York Times). -
President Obama Announces Plan to Deploy Additional Troops
After President Barack Obama put General Petraeus in charge of the war effort in Afghanistan, "in a speech delivered Dec. 1, 2009, at West Point, Mr. Obama announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops. He vowed to start bringing American forces home from Afghanistan in the middle of 2011, saying the United States could not afford and should not have to shoulder an open-ended commitment" (The New York Times). -
Obama Pushes the Deadline Back
As the July 2011 deadline that the United States would leave Afghanistan, "the Obama administration changed its tone to increasingly emphasize the idea that the United States will have forces in the country until at least the end of 2014. Administration officials are trying to convince Afghans that the United States is not walking away and to warn the Taliban that aggressive operations against them would continue" (The New York Times).