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Hassan's Birth
Hassan was born with two parents; Ali and Sanaubar "in that little shack, that Hassan was born int the winter of 1964" (Hosseini 6).
Sanaubar, Hassan's mother, soon leaves Ali and Hassan. Ali takes care and soon becomes an example of a good fatherly figure in this novel. Hassan is born into a lower class Hazara family and is a servant to Baba and Amir and become close friends with Amir. -
War in Afghanistan Starts
The start of the war had shocked many people in Kabul as "the shootings and explosions had lasted less than an hour... none of us had ever heard gunshots in the streets" (Hosseini 36). This war has a very important part later in the novel. The effects of this war causes Amir and Baba to flee Afghanistan and live in America. -
Hassan's Surgery
For Hassan's birthday, Baba had gotten Hassan a surgeon to fix Hassan's harelip and "soon it was just a pink jagged line running from his lip." This gift from Baba is very important because it shows how Baba cares for Hassan as well because Hassan is Baba's son. The surgery is also right before the rape and does not smile anymore -
Hassan Gets Raped
After the Amir had won the kite tournament, Hassan had ran for the last cut kite. Hassan was then cornered in an alley by Assef and his friends and Hassan was raped by Assef. During all of this Amir had been watching and "[he] stopped watching, turned away from the alley... in the end, I ran"(Hosseini 77). This part of the book is crucial and is extremely important for the plot and moral of the book as mostly all of the novel's conflicts start from here. Their friendship soon declines from here. -
Period: to
History of Afghanistan
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Hassan and Ali Leave Kabul
After the rape, Amir and Hassan barely talked much and had told Baba that they were leaving and that "'[they] can't live here anymore'" (Hosseini 106). This is caused by Ali finding out about how Amir had watched Hassan get raped and did nothing about it. Baba and Amir never see Hassan and Ali after this as Baba was devastated by the fact that he would never see his own son ever again. -
Amir Hits Hassan with Pomegranates
Amir barely talks to Hassan and stars questioning their friendship. They walk up to pomegranate tree and Amir starts throwing pomegranates at Hassan commanding him to "'get up! Hit [Amir],'" (Hosseini 92). Hassan then hits him back but is not the type of response Amir was hoping for and worsens the situation. This shows the loyalty and maturity in Hassan and also reveals the selfishness and immaturity in Amir. -
Soviet Union Invasion
In 1979 "turmoil and extremism... traced... by the invasion by the Soviet Union and the reaction both by Afghans and by theirallies in the United States and Pakistan." https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-D5CY0peWsSTHdSaHF4dmhHR19yYnMwR0xucmMwd0tGU1A0/view -
Amir and Baba Escape Kabul
Kabul had become dangerous now as Baba and Amir had to escape in fuel tank. They have made it to Jalalabad and that a "bus [would] take [Amir and Baba] to Peshawar" (Hosseini 123). This shows the dangers of living in this setting and this type of situation. This part of the book is important as it leads to Amir and Baba to move to Califonia. -
Amir and Baba Move to America
Baba and Amir move to California soon after they had escaped Kabul. He had to adjust a lot to America as he went from a very wealthy man to working "six days a week, Baba pulled twelve-hour shifts pumpong gas, running the register, changing oil, and washing windshields" (Hosseini 130). This shows how dangerous Afghanistan had been and how desperate people are to want to live in America working harder than they ever had. Baba is willing to work extreme hours for the happiness and freedom of Amir. -
Amir's Marriage
Soon after Baba was diagnosed with cancer, Amir marries Soraya and "'[General Taheri and his wife] welcome [Amir] to [their] their home as a son, as the husband of [his] daughter who is the noor of [his] eye'" (Hosseini 168) This shows a change in the novel where it brings some happiness and is an important part in every character's life. Amir and Soraya soon lead a happy and normal life in California. -
Baba's Death
Baba died in his sleep one month after the wedding. During his funeral, Amir was "listening to [mourners, Amir] realized how much who [he] was, had been defined by Baba" (Hosseini 174). Bab's death made Amir realize how much Baba meant to people and what he has done. He had made an impact on everyone especially Amir and would realize later how much he had become more of Baba. -
Soviet Union Leave
After 10 years of Soviet Union taking over Afghanistan, the last Soviet troops left." https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-D5CY0peWsSTHdSaHF4dmhHR19yYnMwR0xucmMwd0tGU1A0/view -
After Soviet Leave
By 1994, "Afghanistan descended into vicious internecine strife... power was anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms." https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-D5CY0peWsSTHdSaHF4dmhHR19yYnMwR0xucmMwd0tGU1A0/view -
Mullah Omar
Mullah Omar got some men and attacked bad warlords and "by the end of 1994, Mullah Omar had nearly 12,000 followers." https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-D5CY0peWsSTHdSaHF4dmhHR19yYnMwR0xucmMwd0tGU1A0/view -
Taliban Seize Control
The Taliban are an "extremist Islamic group that had seized control in 1996 after years of civil war." https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-D5CY0peWsSTHdSaHF4dmhHR19yYnMwR0xucmMwd0tGU1A0/view -
Osama Bin Laden
The Taliban, after gaining control, "provided a haven for Mr. bin Laden." https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-D5CY0peWsSTHdSaHF4dmhHR19yYnMwR0xucmMwd0tGU1A0/view -
Rahim Kahn's Phone call
Amir receives a phone call from Rahim Kahn and is asked to come back to Afghanistan. He first is unwilling to go but Rahim Kahn saaid that "there is a way to be good again" (Hosseini 192). This has in important part to the resolution of the plot. Rahim Kahn ends up convincing Amir and goes back to Afghanistan. -
Hassan and Farzana's Death
Amir finds out what Hassan had been doing since they have last seen each other. Hassan had come back to Baba's house and was living in it until Talibans came "'and shot him in the back of the head'" (Hosseini 219). His wife had been shot as well and shocked Amir as his childhood best friend was no longer alive. This death makes Amir more confident later in the book to adopt Hassan and Farzana's orphaned child, Sorhab. -
Assef Return and Meeting Sorhab
He had a meeting with the Taliban to try to get Sorhab back from them. He finally saw Sorhab who looked exactly like Hassan. With Sorhab were Talibs and one of them were "sitting less than ten feet from me... 'Assef'" (Hosseini 281). This brings another conflict in the book but is the beginning of the resolution as Assef fights Amir and injures every part of him but accepts it as a way to atone for what he did in the alley. Sorhab then shoots Assef in the eye with a slingshot and they escape. -
Sorhab's Suicide Attempt
Sorhab is asked to go back to America with Amir and adopt him but he had to go through a lot to adopt him and told him that if he would to go to America, he would have to go back to an orphanage. When Amir found out a different easier way, he found Sorhab in the "bloody bathwater; the left arm dangling over the side of the tub" (Hosseini 348). Sorhab ends up surviving and Amir is grateful as that was the only part of Hassan he had left. Amir saving Sorhab is almost as if he were to save Hassan. -
After 9/11
After 9/11, President Bush "gave the Taliban an ultimatum to hand over Mr. bin Laden." https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-D5CY0peWsSTHdSaHF4dmhHR19yYnMwR0xucmMwd0tGU1A0/view -
9/11
On 9/11/01, "19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States." http://www.history.com/topics/9-11-attacks -
Amir Brings Sorhab to America
After bringing Sorhab to america, he was introduced to people and were going out to fly kites. He was a quiet boy but when Amir and Sorhab were flying kites, "one corner of his mouth had curled up just so. A smile" (Hosseini 370). This ending brings the readers a bitter-sweet ending as although making Sorhab smile was a start to Amir and Sorhab's relationship, they had been through a lot of struggles. Sorhab has to adjust to America just like Baba has and is starting to enjoy America. -
Taliban After Defeat
After the Taliban hadlost in 2001, "the Taliban continued to wage a guerrilla warfare from a base." https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-D5CY0peWsSTHdSaHF4dmhHR19yYnMwR0xucmMwd0tGU1A0/view -
Death of Osama
Obama had sent troops to Afghanistan to kill Osama and a troop described the killing as '"[he] aimed above the woman’s right shoulder and pulled the trigger twice. Bin Laden’s head split open and he dropped. [He] put another bullet in his head. Insurance.” http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/robert-oneill-shot-dead-osama-bin-laden-abbottabad-pakistan-raid-2011-the-operator-book-a7710101.html
