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Baba is born; Baba's father adopts Ali
On the year of 1933 Baba is born and his father adopts Ali, who later becomes his childhood playmates. Though Ali and Baba were good playmates and were there for each other, Baba never "[R]efer Ali as his friend." (25). Ali is however one of Baba's closest friends, and Baba's dad had saved this orphan from going to a orphanage. -
Sofia Akrami and the old man
As Amir walks down streets along the corrupt cty of present day Kabul, he meets a man on the street, telling Amir that he used to work at the local university, which then Amir asks this old man whether he has met Amir's mother. The old man replied, "Yes indeed... I will never forget what she said to me that day," (250). Amir had learned more facts about his mom from this old man than Amir ever did from Baba, showing how people in Afghanistan do not properly recognize women into society. -
The Last Kite Tournament for Hassan
During the winter of 1975 the annual kite tournament is held there, and Amir and Hassan win, but Hassan is quickly kidnapped by the antagonist named Assef, and he rapes Hassan because he is a "Hazara", meaning poor. In fact, it was so strange for a rich person like Amir to find a Hazara that even a local resident questions Amir, "What a boy like you doing here at this time of the day looking for a Hazara? (69). -
Hassan and Ali Leave
In the summer of 1976, Hassan and Ali decide to move out of Baba's house. Hassan is leaving a fellow companion who had always been there for each other for as long as Amir can remember. Although Amir described their leaving to be a "[O]ne of the Hindi movies Hassan and I used to watch, this is the part where I'd run... screaming for it to stop,"(109), it was sadly no Hindi movie. It was reality, and Amir had no regrets. -
The Soviet Invasion
The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan in 1979. -
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The Soviets in Afghanistan
The conflict between the two countries resulting in the lives of nearly 15,000 and billions of rubles. -
Journey to a New World
After the war between Afghanistan and the Soviet Union had become too dangerous, Amir and Baba aboard an oil truck in search of a new life, and went through many painful experiences close to death. Baba was encountered with a russian soldier, who threatened to kill Baba. He insisted that he can take this soldier down, saying, "[H]e'd better kill me good with that first shot... I'm tearing him to pieces." (116). This shows that Baba is really confident in himself. -
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Fremont, California
Amir and Baba make it America safely. But Baba did not get as much respect as he recieved in Kabul. He was intimidated that no one had respect for each other, and he accused the shop owners when Baba explains "[H]e thinks Im a thief?" (128). He starts cursing, and is mad about adjusting to America's society. -
Amir meets the general
Amir and Baba go to the flea market during Sundays very often, but this one was a suprise. Amir and Baba meet a decorated general for Kabul named General Taheri, and has a daughter who Amir will later marry. Amir knew him somewhere else, saying that, "[W]asn't there some story floating around Taheri's daughter," (141), meaning that the general was likely a Pashtun due to his popularity, similar to Baba's. -
Amir and Khanum's Engagement
Shortly after New Year's Day, Baba's health has worsened, but fortunately Amir marries Khanum Taheri, and have a huge engagement party at her house. It may have been a good thing, but only a month later, Baba dies, leaving his ethics and morals to Amir to discover it himself. Amir explains this by saying, "I realized how much of who I was... I had been 'Baba's son'... I'd have to find it on my own," (174), meaning that in Afghan culture recognizes the importance of keeping ones spirit alive. -
Rahim Khan and Hassan in Baba's Home
While Baba and Amir were in America, Hassan and Rahim Khan occupy Baba's home as the war became more devastating to Afghanistan's enviornment. Rahim Khan told Amir that during his time at Baba's house, "[A]li and his cousin-who had owned the house-had been killed by a land mine two years befor[e]," (206), impying that there were landmines outside of their home, showing that Afghanistan was at their climax of the war with the Soviets. -
Soviet Union leaves Afghanistan
After talking to the United Nations about the Soviet Union's plans with the Middle East the Soviet Union left Afghanistan out in the open so major terroists groups such as Al-Qaeda took over the country, as the government's stability was out of hand. -
Mullah Omar
By the end of 1994 Mullah Omar, an extremist who have founded a terroist group of over 12,000 followers, has become part of Afgan Folklore. -
The Invasion of Taliban
Since 1996 Taliban had seized control after years of war within their own country fighting for their rights. -
The Hazara Massacre
During the late 1990's the Hazara's experienced a massacre from the Talibans because of how insignificant Hazara's were to the society, and Assef explained public justice in Kabul meant killing them. Since Assef was really passionite in dictatorship, he stated that, "[Door to door we went, calling for the men and the boys... Shoot them right here in front of their families," (277), showing what the lower class in Afghanistan had to face every day, and showing how easy it was to persuade them. -
Hassan is murdered
Hassan writes a passive letter to Amir in hopes of reaching contact with him shortly before he dies from a gunshot. Rahim Khan tells Amir this, and Amir is in total shock as he finds out. However, when Amir realizes that Hassan was his brother all this time, he starts cursing, yelling, "I'm thirty-eight years old and I've just found out my whole life is one big fucking lie[!]," (223), showing his frustration and anger as Amir loses his trust in Baba's Afghan and anti-muslim morals and beliefs. -
Amir's Unexpected Call
Amir, now a 38 year old in 2001, was living his normal life in California when suddenly he had recieved a call from Baba's old business partner Rahim Khan, who has also become very ill. Amir decides to go to Pakistan for a extended visit, and visits him to see Rahim Khan. Rahim Khan tells Amir that, "The alliance did more damage to Kabul than the shorawi,' (200), meaning that the war had terroized the peace of all Afghani citizens. -
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Amir's visit to the Middle East
During Amir's extended visit to the Middle East, he is being filled by suprises that he had never heard of or seen before, such as the Taliban's destruction of Kabul and Hassan being Amir's brother. All of these plot twists in the story ultimately become a major role and theme in this story, to seek atonement, beacuse Hassan had been dishonored by Amir, and Amir wants to pay his respects back by stating, "There is a way to be good again... with an orphan. Hassan's son," (227), relieving his sins -
Arriving home
After two months after he had left San Fransisco to seek Hassan's son Sohrab, he came beack with him to America. Earlier that month Amir had been in the hospital watching for Sohrab recovery after he attempted to commit suicide. He explains this, saying, "Tired of everything... I want my old life back," (354), showing that Sohrab's true spirit had stayed in Kabul, and did not want all of these privileges. -
September 11th Attacks
An extremist group Al Qaeda took down the World Trade Center and other areas in the U.S. as an act of terroism. The United States has been focused on the Middle East ever since. -
A New Leader
Due to the government's instability in recent years, Hamid Karzai, the former chairman of Afghanistan, became the leader of the country and was elected for a 5-year term as President in 2004. -
Kite by the Park
Amir took Sohrab, Soraya, Khala Jamila to a local park for a kite tournament. and Amir expresses his joy of flying kites to Sohrab, stating, "[Y]our father was the best kite runner in Wazir Akbar Khan... How jealous he made the neighborhood kids," (368). In the denoument, Amir runsa as he gets the kite, smiling while having his deja-vou moment, implying that there is some peace remaining on Earth. -
Obama's Speech
In 2009 Obama delivered a speech that explained that Obama would deploy 30,000 troops. -
Obama's Initial Plans
Obama wanted to withdraw troops from Afghanistan in 2011, and hopefully withdraw all of them by 2014. -
Troops Coming Home
Hopefully by then all the troops in Afghanistan have done their duty well and came home safely.