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Amir and Hassan are Born
Hassan, a Hazara servant and Amir's ever faithful friend, "was born in the winter of 1964, just one year after [Amir's mother] dies giving birth to [Amir]" (6). Hassan and Amir have known each other since birth. While Hassan is merely a servant, they both grew to have a close relationship with each other. This sets the theme of friendship, and how it can withstand segregation and socioeconomic status. -
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Historical Context to the Kite Runner
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First Encounter with Assef
As they made their way to the pomegranate tree, Amir and Hassan stumble upon Assef and his friends; Hassan stands up to him and says, "if you make a move, they'll have to change your nickname from Assef 'the Ear Eater' to 'One-Eyed Assef'" (42). The reason why Assef seeks to inflict pain on Hazaras and Amir is based solely on this encounter. Assef dislikes people having power over him. He is angry at Hassan and Amir, and his grudge sets the continuing violence in the novel. -
Hassan Stops Smiling
After Amir wins the kite-flying competition, Hassan rushes to get the kite back, but comes across Assef in the process. Assef rapes Hassan, and "Hassan didn't struggle. Didn't even whimper" (75). Because Amir values Baba's affections over his relationship with Hassan, Amir refuses to intervene. After the incident, Amir feels guilty but is too afraid to confront Hassan. Even when he leaves, Hassan continues to plague Amir's mind, with atonement and redemption being the only cure. -
The Pomegranate Tree
Amir pelts Hassan with pomegranates and shouts in anger, "Hit me back, goddamn you!" (92). Guilty from standing aside and watching Hassan sexually assaulted, Amir tries to provoke Hassan into hitting him with pomegranates. Amir believes a physical punishment would help atone for his mistake, but the situation only made the burden heavier. -
Goodbye Hassan
Amir devises a plan to drive Ali and Hassan out of his household; Hassan goes along with it, and "[Amir] understood: This was Hassan's final sacrifice for [Amir]" (105). Amir frames Hassan because he is simply a coward. Every time he sees Hassan, he feels the burden of guilt and shame become heavier. Amir is unwilling to apologize and confront the situation and thus prompts to avoid the situation as a whole. -
The Soviet Union Invasion
The Soviet Union, a socialist entity, invaded the capital of Afghanistan "on Dec. 27, 1979... and stayed in the country for more than nine years" (NYT). -
Meeting Soraya
At the swap meet, Amir meets Soraya, and she leaves a lasting impression on him; Amir constantly thinks of her, "of the way [Soraya's] luminous eyes had fleetingly held [Amir's]. [Amir's] heart stuttered at the thought of her" (142). Amir's main desire throughout the novel has been gaining Baba's affections. However, because he is growing older and becoming less reliant on Baba, Amir's attention shifts to Soraya. -
Wedding Bells
Amir marries Soraya, and describes the wedding as "the moment [he'd] waited for" (168). As a child, Amir solely desired to obtain Baba's affections. Marrying Soraya is a big step in Amir's maturity. The wedding symbolizes Amir's coming of age; Amir begins to learn to be more aware and to take care of others, not just himself. -
Baba Goes to Sleep
Baba continues to weaken but lives to witness Amir and Soraya's wedding. A month after the wedding, "Baba never woke up" (173). Baba has always been the one constant in Amir's life. Amir idolizes Baba and has always wished for his affections. Without his father, Amir learns to become more independent. He is no longer focused on making Baba proud and instead thinks of taking care of both himself and Soraya. -
Baba is Sick
Baba begins to weaken and become ill; he discovers that he has cancer, and says, "No chemo medication for me" (156). Baba is a man of pride and self-respect. He chooses not to accept chemotherapy because he wants to set an example for his son. Baba teaches Amir to be independent and courageous, and believes treatment will display him as weak and fragile. -
The Soviet Union Retreats
In early 1989, the Soviet troops left Afghanistan, "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" (NYT). -
Anarchy in Afghanistan
After the Soviet Union withdrew, Afghanistan went into a state of chaos and turmoil, and "power was anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms" (NYT). -
Taliban Takes Control
By 1996, the Taliban, a movement dedicated to restoring peace and Islam, "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" (NYT). -
Hassan's Death
Rahim Khan tells Amir of Hassan's death, and in his mind, Amir sees "Hassan [slumping] to the asphalt, his life of unrequited loyalty drifting from him like the windblown kites he used to chase" (219). Amir is devastated about Hassan and feels as though he will never be able to redeem himself and atone for his mistakes. The overwhelming guilt compels Amir to do whatever it takes to make amends, even if it means going back to his home country to find Sohrab, Hassan's son. -
Revelation
Rahim Khan reveals Hassan's true parentage, and Amir cries in anger, "All of you, you bunch of lying goddamn bastards!" (222). Amir is furious to find out that Baba is a hypocrite; Baba believes the one true sin is theft but lies to Hassan and Amir in the process. This greatly influences Amir's mind and the plot line of the novel. Amir is more guilty of his mistakes as he finds out that Hassan is his brother, and feels empowered and obligated to find Sohrab, Hassan's son. -
Hamid Karzai as Chairman
Hamid Karzai, a man who hoped to fix the social and economic problems Afghanistan faced, "was named chairman of an interim government that replaced the defeated Taliban, making him the leader of the country" (NYT). -
The Phone Call
Rahim Khan calls Amir and says on the phone, "Come. There is a way to be good again" (192). In the novel, Rahim Khan acts as the voice of peace and reason. Rahim knows of Amir's mistakes and understands the guilt and shame Amir feels, and thus gives him an opportunity to redeem himself. Rahim leads Amir on a path to atonement, not only to benefit Amir but Sohrab, Hassan's son, as well. -
The Fight With Assef
Assef brutally beats Amir; during the fight, Amir "starts laughing. The harder [Amir] laughed, the harder [Assef] kicked [Amir]..." (289). This all comes back to the pomegranate tree. Amir wanted Hassan to hit him to compensate for not intervening in Hassan's rape. Later on, as Assef punches and kicks him, Amir welcomes the beating and begins to laugh because he realizes he deserves it. The beating is a cleansing process, and the huge burden of guilt and shame is lifted from Amir's shoulders. -
Sohrab Runs Away
After arriving in Islamabad, Sohrab runs away to the mosque; Amir finds him and says "You're not dirty, and you're not full of sin" (320). Because of a childhood of physical and sexual abuse, Sohrab believes himself to be dirty and impure. Religion in South Asia is deemed significant, and hearing of his religion's views on sex and violence distresses Sohrab. This, and many other aspects, are the causes of Sohrab's depression and poor mental health. -
Telling Soraya the Truth
Sore from his eventful encounter with Assef and the Taliban, Amir calls Soraya and "did what [he] hadn't done in fifteen years of marriage: [Amir] told [his] wife everything" (325). The characters in the novel, specifically Baba and Amir, believe the only way to atone for one's mistakes is to perform good deeds; however, admitting to one's mistakes is another important step to atonement. Through telling his wife his mistakes, Amir finally begins to make amends and alleviate the guilt he feels. -
Sohrab Attempts Suicide
Amir is elated to discover that Sohrab has been given an opportunity to come to America; however, Amir finds Sohrab bleeding in the bathroom, and "[screams] until [he] thought [his] throat would rip" (343). Burdened by a life of physical and sexual abuse, and terrified of opening his heart up to someone else, Sohrab attempts to commit suicide. Amir feels guilty that he is letting Hassan down once more by not taking care of Sohrab. -
Attack of the World Trade Center in New York
The United States' long and difficult association with Afghanistan began on "2001, when it led an invasion after the Sept 11 attacks by Al Qaeda" (NYT). -
Amir Becomes the Kite Runner
At a gathering, where many kids decide to fly kites, Amir flies a kite with Sohrab, and says to him, "For you, a thousand times over" (371). The novel ends full circle, with Amir becoming the kite runner for Sohrab. This one statement, originally said by Hassan, has plagued Amir's mind for many years. Through rescuing Sohrab from his life of sexual slavery, he is finally able to mend the pain he caused and atone for his mistakes. Amir promises to be loyal to Sohrab, just as Hassan was to him. -
General Petraeus Takes Charge
General Petraeus "had taken charge of United States Central Command in October 2008" and is accountable for the services in Afghanistan and Iraq. -
President Obama's Speech
President Obama planned to "deploy 30,000 additional troops and... vowed to start bringing American forces home from Afghanistan in the middle of 2011" (NYT). -
General McChrystal is Sacked
General McChrystal, an expert in counterinsurgency warfare, is sacked "after contemptuous quotes from the general and his staff about senior administration officials appeared in an article in Rolling Stone magazine" (NYT). -
Change of Plans
Instead of bringing the troops back home in 2011, the Obama administration postponed the deadline to the end of 2014, for "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" (NYT).