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Hassan is born
Amir is giving a description of the place where Ali and Hassan live and he mentions, "It was in that small shack that Hassan's mother, Sanaubar gave birth to him one cold winter day in 1964." (Hosseini 6). This event is more important later on in the book when Amir finds out that Ali wasn't the father to Hassan, Baba was. When he finds out Hassan is is half-brother that's when he acts on what Rahim Khan asks him to do. -
Hassan threatens Assef
Amir and Hassan run into Assef while they are playing and Assef is going to hurt Amir, so, "Hassan held the slingshot pointed directly at Assef's face." (Hosseini 42). This is another event that directly affects both Hassan and Amir later on in the book. What Hassan does causes many of the horrible things that come to happen to him, because Assef truly hates him now. -
Hassan is raped
Hassan runs into Assef again when running the kite for Amir and Ali says, "...there's nothing sinful about teaching a lesson to a disrespectful donkey." (Hosseini 75), and then he rapes Hassan. Amir watches this happen, and does nothing to stop it, which haunts him for the rest of his life. This event changes the course of the whole plot, because it causes Amir to have this overpowering need for atonement for doing nothing to stop what happened. -
Hassan and Ali leave
Ali breaks the news to Baba saying, 'We are leaving Agha sahib." (Hosseini 106). Hassan and Ali leaving breaks Baba's heart, and we get a glimpse of how much they mean to him. There is a reason why he loves them so much later on in the book. -
Soviets invade Afghanistan
The Soviets invaded the Afghanistan which the leader at the time said was because, "...the troops came in response to a plea for help from a legitimately constituted Karmal Government. But most Western analysts say the Soviets engineered the coup as a pretext to replace Hafizullah Amin, the Afghan leader, who had lost their trust." (New York Times 2) -
Period: to
Kite Runner & the History of Afghanistan
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Baba and Amir go to America
Amir and Baba are fleeing Afghanistan with, "others, in all about a dozen, including Baba and me, sitting with our suitcases between our legs, cramped with these strangers in the tarpaulin-covered cab of an old Russian truck." (Hosseini 110). The Russians are in control of Afghanistan, and Baba wants a better life for him and Hassan, so they are trying to get to America. America is where Amir will build up a lot of the rest of his life. -
Amir marries Soraya
Amir is talking with Soraya and says, "Nothing you said changes anything. I want us to marry." (Hosseini 165). Soraya had just told him something very personal that happened to her, which will compel Amir to tell her about what happened to him. Unfortunatley he doesn't tell her until much later into his marriage. -
Baba dies
Baba had been very sick and one night he chose not to take his medicine and because of that, "Baba never woke up." (Hosseini 173). This hit Amir very hard because all of his life he had looked up to Baba, trying to make him proud. Now Amir will have to live without the only blood family he had left. -
Soviets leave, Groups have been created
Eventually Soviet forces have departed, and by the summer of 1994, "power was anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms." (New York Times 2) -
Taliban is becoming powerful
The Taliban was a group that started to become very powerful and, "by the end of 1994 Mullah Omar had nearly 12,000 followers and was rolling up the warlords to the north and east." (New York Times 2). -
Taliban have control over Afghanistan
The Taliban worked up a bunch of power and support so, "...by 1996 they had taken control of Afghanistan, imposing strict enforcement of fundamentalist Islamic law..." -
Amir and Rahim Khan visit, and have a talk
Since Rahim Khan is very sick, Amir visits him in Pakistan and while Rahim Khan is talking with him he says,"I want you to go to Kabul. I want you to bring Sohrab here." (Hosseini 220). Amir is very heartbroken over Hassan's death, so he is very hesitant to do this. The final push is when Rahim Khan breaks it to him that Hassan is his half-brother, and that's when he decides to find Sohrab. -
Sohrab has no contact with Soraya
Sohrab and Amir arrive at the airport, and when Soraya tries to meet Sohrab he, "...shifted on his feet and looked away." (Hosseini 358). This is heartbreaking for Soraya, since she yearns for a child but cannot bear one. She just wants to have a relationship with Sohrab, but he has gone through so much he shuts her off, like he does with many people. -
United States invades Afghanistan after 9/11
After Al Quaeda attacked the World Trade Center, "...President George W. 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. An air and ground campaign began that drove the Taliban out of the major Afghans cities by the end of the year." (New York Times 3) -
A man is beaten at a soccer game
Amir and Farid go to a soccer game in Afghanistan, and see the Taliban, "...carry out justice." (Hosseini 270). This "justice" is stoning a man who apparently cheated on his wife. This act horrified Amir since he wasnt used to seeing the cruelty of the Taliban. -
Amir and Assef fight for Sohrab
Assef has Sohrab and challenges Amir to fight him saying, "We have some unfinished business, you and I." (Hosseini 286). If Amir makes it out alive he will be able to keep Sohrab. This fight will forsee Sohrab's future, and finish Amir and Assef's relationships from the past. -
Sohrab opens up to Amir
After Sohrab runs away from the hospital and Amir finds him he says, "I miss Father, and Mother too...And I miss Sasa and Rahim Khan sahib. But sometimes I'm glad they're not... they're not here anymore." (Hosseini 319). Sohrab is finally telling Amir how he feels, which is a big step since they hadn't had real conversations before. This conversation will create a bond between Amir and Sohrab. -
Sohrab attempts suicide
Since Sohrab wants to go anywhere but the orphanage Amir, "...pictured Sohrab filling it with warm water. .. Saw him twisting the razor hangle and opening the twin safety latches on the head sliding the blade out, holding it between his thumb and forefinger. I wondered what last thought had been ash be had raised the blade and brought it down." (Hosseini 350). Sohrab lost trust in Amir. This will put a dent in their relationship. -
Amir tells Soraya his secret
Amir talks to Soraya about bringing Sohrab home and then he, "did what I hadn't done in fifteen years of marriage: I told my wife everything. Everything." (Hosseini 325). Finally Amir can tell someone of the guilt he's felt for the past fifteen years. He can finally be free of that secret that prisoned him for so long. -
The Taliban Resurgence
After their defeat the Taliban began to resurge and, "As the American military focus was diverted to the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the Taliban regrouped and began to ectend its influence in the southern part of Afghanistan." (New York 3). -
Amir runs the kite for Sohrab
Sohrab is flying kites with other kids and Amir agrees to run it saying, "For you a thousand times over." (Hossieni 371). These are the words that Hassan once spoke to Amir. This moment brings hope for the relationships between Sohrab and Amir, and everyone else. -
U.S supported president becomes president
Hamid Karzai became president in 2004 with U.S support, however, "...Mr. Karzai faced an Afghan population that blamed him for the manifest lack of economic prgress and the corrupt officials who seem to stand at every doorway of government." (New York Time 3) -
Obama makes speech on his plan
In a speech 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." (New York Times 4). -
General takes charge of war in Afghanistan
After the removal of the previous general in charge of war in Afghanistan, "Mr. Obama tapped Gen. Petraeus to lead the war effort there." (New York Times 4). -
Troops will leave Afghanistan?
The Obama administration could not make that 2011 deadline so they, "changed its tone increasingly emphasize the idea that the United States will have forces in the country until at least the end of 2014." (New York Times 4