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Hassan's Surgery
For Hassan's birthday, Baba he got Hassan "'an unusual present, I know,' Baba said. 'And probably not what you had in mind, but this present will last you forever'" (Hosseini 46). The effort Baba put into helping Hassan fix his lip and live a better life highlight Baba's generosity and the fact that he cares for Hassan as a son. -
Mohammed Daoud Kahn
Mohammed Daoud Kahn "grants women rights and works to modernize the largely communist state."
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Amir Abandons Hassan
While Hassan is being raped, Amir makes no effort to help him, and in the end he "ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of getting hurt. That;s what I told myself as I turned my back to the alley, to Hassan" (Hosseini 77). After abandoning Hassan in the alley instead of helping him, Amir feels guilty for most of his life, and many of his actions throughout the book are to atone for his actions. -
Hassan and Ali Leave
Unable to face Hassan after abandoning him in the alley, Amir lied to Baba about Hassan stealing to get him to leave the house. After Hassan admits to stealing, Amir's "heart sank and I almost blurted out the truth. jThen I understood: This was Hassan's final sacrifice for me" (Hosseini 105). Hassan's sacrifice for Amir demonstrates his loyalty and how he was raised with to sacrifice himself to benefit Amir and Baba. -
Nur Mohammed Taraki
Kahn is eventually killed and "Nur Mohammed Taraki, one of the founding members of the Afghan communist party, takes control of the country as president."
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/ -
American Ambassador Killed
Tensions between America and Afghanistan rise as "American Ambassador Adolph Dubs is killed. The United States cuts off assistance to Afghanistan."
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Russia invades Afghanistan
As Britain feared, "in the anarchy of late 1979, Moscow decides to take a more active role. In December Soviet troops move into Kabul."
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Hafizullah Amin Dies
The prime minister of Afghanistan "is either shot or commits suicide within a day of the Soviet invasion."
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Amir and Baba Move to Peshawar
As a result of the war in Afghanistan, Baba and Amir join Karim and go "to Jalalabad, about 170 kilometers southeast of Kabul, where his brother, Toor, who had a bigger truck with a second convoy of refugees, was waiting to drive us across the Khyber Pass and into Peshawar" (Hosseini 111). The fact that Baba and Amir were willing to leave everything behind in Afghanistan highlight how dangerous and deadly the war was. -
Baba's Cancer
After living in America for a few months, Amir forces Baba to go to the doctor, where "It turned out that, like Satan, cancer had many names. Baba's was called 'Oat Cell Carcinoma'" (Hosseini 156). Despite suffering from cancer, Baba's pride gets the best of him as he refuses to admit to anyone that he is sick. -
Amir Gets Married
Because Baba does not have long to live, he spends "nearly the balance of his life savings, on the awroussi, the wedding ceremony" (Hosseini 169). Baba's understanding that he will not live for very much longer leads him to trying to prepare Amir for his death and spending most of his life savings on a lavish wedding. -
Baba's Death
As Soraya offers to get Baba his medicine, Baba declines, and "she pulled up his blanket. We closed the door. Baba never woke up" (Hosseini 173). Because Amir is a successful writer and married into a respectable family, Baba feels at peace with dying and accepts it. -
Fighting Soviet Troops
To fight the soviet troops, "seven Afghan guerrilla groups to come together in a common cause" and force the troops out of Afghanistan.
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Rahim Kahn Finds Hassan
Because of Rahim Kahn's loneliness and isolation, he "went to Hazarajat to find Hassan in 1986" (Hosseini 203). This ultimately results in Hassan, his mother, his wife, and Rahim Kahn living together and helping one another until Hassan and his wife are killed by the Taliban. -
Soviet Withdraws Troops
After failing to invade Afghanistan, "Gorbachev decides to cut his losses. He announces that Soviet troops will begin a phased withdrawal."
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The Taliban are Formed
Mohammad Omar Akhund "forms a group which he calls Taliban, meaning 'students' - in this case Sunni students of the Qur'an."
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Amir Goes to Pakistan
After hearing of Rahim Kahn's illness, Amir decided to get "on a window seat aboard a Pakistani International Airlines flight, watching a pair of uniformed airline workers remove the wheel chocks" (Hosseini 194). In a way, Amir sees going back to visit Rahim Kahn as an opportunity to visit old friends and atone for some of his actions. -
Amir Discovers Hassan is His Brother
During his meeting with Rahim Kahnn, Amir discovered that Hassan was his half brother, and "felt like a man sliding down a steep cliff, clutching at shrubs and tangles of brambles and coming up empty-handed" (Hosseini 222). the fact that Hassan and Amir are related further motivates Amir to find Hassan's son and help him get a better life. -
Amir Searches For Sohrab
Despite being angry at Rahim Kahn for hiding the fact that Hassan was his brother, Amir thought about atonement and "A way to end the cycle. With a little boy. An orphan. Hassan's son. Somewhere in Kabul" (Hosseini 227). Throughout the book and especially in Afghanistan, Amir's best actions are a direct result of him trying to make up for his actions so many years ago. -
Hassan and Assef meet
Determined to get Sohrab to safety, Amir is willing to fight Assef for Hassan's child, as "Assef put down his prayer beads. Reached in the breast pocket of his black vest. What he fished out of that pocket didn't surprise me one bit: stainless-steel brass knuckles" (Hosseini 287). Amir's willingness to fight Assef comes from his determination to get Sohrab to safety and the thought of finally getting punished for abandoning Hassan years ago. -
Sohrab Tries to Commit Suicide
After Amir tells Sohrab he may have to put him back in an orphanage, Sohrab attempts suicide, and Amir reacts by "Screaming until I thought my throat would rip and my chest explode" (Hosseini 343). Because Amir betrayed Sohrab's trust and suggested Sohrab be put back in an orphanage, short turns to suicide, leading to Amir feeling more guilt and shame. -
Amir and Sohrab Arrive Back in the U.S.
After months in Afghanistan, Amir and Sohrab "arrived home about seven months ago, on a warm day in August 2001" (Hosseini 357). Even after returning to the U.S. to give short a better life, Sohrab still remains fearful of Amir and his family, and refuses to speak to anyone. -
U.S. Bombs Afghanistan
Fears of terrorist groups in Afghanistan lead to "missile attacks are launched against Taliban and al-Qaeda targets in Afghanistan (in an operation code-named Enduring Freedom)."
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Sohrab Smiles
Finally after months of living with Amir and Soraya, Sohrab shows signs of becoming more trustworthy as Amir "looked down at Sohrab. One corner of his mouth had curled up just so. A smile. Lopsided" (Hosseini 370). Although the smile does not change everything between Amir and Sohrab, it is potential of what their relationship could be in the future -
Aftermath of 9/11
After hijacked planes crash into the world trade center, "U.S. officials say bin Laden, the Saudi exile believed to be hiding in Afghanistan, is the prime suspect in the attack."
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/