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Amir is born and looses his mother during childbirth
Amir was born but then his mother "hemorrhaged to death during childbirth" (Hosseini 6). Throughout the book, Amir always dreams about what his mother was like, her characteristics, and her way of living. -
Hassan is born and his mother runs away soon after
Soon after Hassan is born, his mother, Sanaubar "ran off with a clan of traveling singers and dancers" (Hosseini 6). The book states that this was something most Afghans considered far worse than death.We see her appear again later in the story. -
Hassan is gifted a surgery to fix his "harelip" for his birthday
For Hassan's birthday, Baba gifts Hassan an "unusual present" and says that it's probably "not what [he] had in mind but [that] this present will last [him] forever" (Hosseini 46). Not only is Hassan's harelip foreshadowing for an event that comes later in the book, but it also is significant because it is a feature of Hassan's that he is known for, almost like he is a part of him, and now for his birthday he gets to fix it and have a normal lip. -
Amir and Hassan win the Kite Flying competition
Baba goes out with Amir and Hassan to buy a nice kite, for this event is very significant and important to the three of them. Amir says "And then . . . I didn't need to hear the crowd's roar to know. I didn't need to see it either. Hassan was screaming and his arm was wrapped around my neck. 'Bravo! Bravo, Amir Agha!" (Hosseini 66). It is a big accomplishment for them to win the kite competition. Both Hassan and Amir, as well as Baba and Ali feel very proud of this accomplishment. -
Hassan gets raped
Hassan and Amir come into contact with Assef and his friends. He asks for the kite but they refuse to give it over. After this, we see that "Assef knelt behind Hassan . . . and lifted his bare buttocks. . . He unzipped his jeans. Dropped is underwear. He positioned himself behind Hassan...It was a look that I had never seen before, It was the look of a lamb" (Hosseini 77). But after this, Amir didn't do anything... He just stood there, which is why this event is so significant. -
Period: to
Kite Runner and the History of Afghanistan
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Hassan and Ali leave shortly after Amir's 13th birthday
Soon after Amir's 13th birthday, Amir hides a watch and some money under Hassan's mattress, because he can't stand the fact of knowing he had just watched Hassan get raped, and he wanted to escape this by making them leave. Baba confronts Hassan, and to Amir's surprise, Hassan says yes "delivered in a thin, raspy, voice" (Hosseini 105). Baba doesn't want to leave, and even offers forgiveness, but Ali says "We are leaving, Agha sahib" (Hosseini 106). Hassan says he never lies, but he does here. -
Invasion by the Soviet Union
In 1979-1996, the Soviet Union invades. This represents the "[t]urmoil and extremism that have dominated its history since then can be traced. . ."(New York Times 1). -
Soviet Troops Parachute into Kabul
To help Babrak Karmal, "The first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul"(New York Times 1). They invaded Kabul at this time. -
Baba and Amir arrive in Fremont after the Russians invade Afghanistan
After the Russians invade Afghanistan, Amir and Baba escape and go to California, where it is a lot safer. After arriving in California, Amir says that "Baba loved the idea of America" (Hosseini 125). America is safer than Afghanistan, and in a way, this is another way for Amir to forget about what happened in the past. -
Amir graduates high school
After moving to California, Amir attends high school. He then graduates "at the age of twenty" (Hosseini 131). He then receives something from Baba which makes him very happy. Baba says "I am moftakhir, Amir . . . proud" (Hosseini 131). This is something that Amir has been longing for for a long time, and now Baba finally offers it to Amir, as almost a sense of closure in their relationship. -
Amir meets Soraya at the farmer's market
While Amir and Baba are at the farmer's market, a man that Baba is talking to introduces Amir to his daughter, Soraya who "had thick black eyebrows that touched in the middle like a flying bird . . . a graceful hooked nose of a princess . . . Her eyes, walnut brown and shaded by fanned lashes, met mine. Held for a moment. Flew away" (Hosseini 140). It was at this moment where Soraya and Amir had their first interaction, and you could tell that they had a connection.Amir later asks Baba about her -
Many flee from Afghanistan, and in Pakistan Mujahideen become allies.
Becuase of the war, many families, children, women, and men are displaced and are now "with many fleeing to neighboring Iran or Pakistan"(BBC News). -
Amir and Soraya get married
After Amir's interaction with Soraya, he can't stop thinking out her. He and Baba ask her father for her hand in marriage. The wedding was planned very fast due to Baba's sickness. It was at this time when Amir "whispered to her for the first time that [he] loved her. A blush, red like henna, bloomed on her face" (Hosseini 171). Becuase the wedding was planned so quickly, Amir was only able to learn about her family after the wedding. -
Baba dies
Soon after Amir and Soraya get married, Baba tells Soraya that "'[t]here is no pain tonight' . . . Baba never woke up" (Hosseini 173). Baba refused to take his medicine, and on that night he died. This was devastating for both Soraya and Amir. -
Signing Troops
The Soviet Union begins signing troops to fight in the war. The US along with "Afghanistan, USSR, and Pakistan sign peace accords"(BBC News). -
Red Army Quits
Taliban gains power over Kabul and makes new rules such as "banning women from work and introducing Islamic punishments, which include stoning to death and amputations"(BBC News). -
US Launches Missiles
The US launches Missles into "suspected bases of militant Osama bin Laden, accused of bombing US embassies in Africa"(BBC News). -
Amir learns that Hassan and his wife were killed by the Taliban
While Amir is with Rahim Khan, he tells him that Hassan and his wife were killed by the Taliban, and their son Sohrab is by himself. He reminds Amir that "'There is a way to be good again'" (Hosseini 2) and that phrase is also seen later on in the book, which encourages Amir to go to Pakistan to look for Sohrab. -
Sohrab tries to end his own life
While Amir is trying to figure out how to get Sohrab to America to live with him and his wife, he finds Sohrab in the bathtub with water stained red. He fell to his knees, "screaming until [he] thought [his] throat would rip and [his] chest would explode" (Hosseini 343). This happened right after Amir mentioned that one way he could go to America is if he stayed in an Orphanage for just a little longer, but Amir had promised that he wouldn't ever go back to an Orphanage again. -
US Leads Invasion
After the 9/11 attacks on The US, "US-led bombing of Afghanistan begins following the September 11 attacks on the United States"(BBC News). -
Amir learns that Hassan has a child named Sohrab.
Rahim Khan delivers a message to Amir that Hassan has a child named Sohrab. Sohrab was born in 1990 and tells Soraya "'I have to go to Pakistan" (Hosseini 191). He tells Soraya this after he gets off the phone with Rahim Kahn, who is very sick. -
Amir is finally able to bring Sohrab home and they fly a kite together on New Years
Sohrab, Amir, and Amir's wife are at an Afghani gathering, and there is a man selling kites. He buys one and offers it to Sohrab, saying "'Do you want to try?' . . . when I held the string out for him, his hand lifted from his pocket. Hesitated, he took the string" (Hosseini 368-369). This reminds me and all readers of when Hassan and Amir ran kites when they were little boys, and now Amir is showing Hassan's son how to run one too. This event helps the story to come full circle. -
US Led Invasion
Outside Europe, "Nato takes control of security in Kabul, its first-ever operational commitment"(BBC News). -
Obama's War
General Petraeus had "taken charge of the United States Central Command"(New York Times 1). General Petraeus is the Iraq commander and was successful with the surge there. -
Obama's War and Success
The US was successful in "fighting the Taliban that significant withdrawals would underway by then"(New York Times 1).