-
Hassan was born "just one year after [Amir's] motherdied giving birth to [him]" (6). These two boys were destined to be great friends from the begining. They were born one year apart in the same house. They were given a soulmate and protector from a young age.
-
When Hassan was born, his mother's first words to his father were, "Now you have your own idiot child to do all your smilign for you!" (10). From birth, Hassan's mother never loved him. This would've been hard for him not knowing why his mother left him 5 days after he was born.
-
After the grand opening of Baba's orphanage people came by and "tousled [Amir's] hair and shook [Amir's] hand too. [He] was so proud of Baba, of [them]" (15). Amir loved that people recognized him as Baba's son. He knew Baba was a important figure and had high socieoeconomic status. Amir was very proud of his father for the honorable contribution ot the community and that he was recognized as the son of an important man.
-
Amir wanted to win the kite contest for many reasons. One of them being that he wanted to be "looked at, not seen, listened to, not heard" (64) by Baba and others. Amir belived that this would win him Baba's affection and praise. Being viewed as good at something was also imporant to Amir.
-
After Amir won the kite contest, Hassan went to run the kite for him. When Assef cornered Hassan and asked for the kite Hassan responded, "Amir agha won the tournament and I ran this kite for him. I ran it fairly. This is his kite" (72). Assef would do almost anything to get what he wanted. Hassan wanted to give the kite to Amir, not to Assef. Assef did not like this, so he decided to rape Hassan.
-
When Hassan told Baba that he did infact steal Amir's money and watch Amir felt "like [he]'d been slapped. [His] heart sank and [he] almost blurted out the truth" (105). Amir set Hassan up so that him and Ali would have to leave because he was mad with how much stttention Hassan was recieving. Amir almost felt enough guilt to admit, but he did not have a strong enough character yet.
-
Before people talked about Afghanistan, it used to be "stable, relatively prosperous and [a] relatively secular country" (2)
-
Afghanistan was invaded for the first time when "the first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul.." (2).
-
Amir always thought Baba was dissapointed him him. When they were in the truck going to Pakistan, Amir started to get car sick. He thought Baba saw it as "yet another of [his] array of weaknesses" (110). He has very low self esteem and thinks that everybody is always dissapointed with him. This is a problem because he will suffer with this his whole life.
-
As if Baba and Amir were not different enough in America, 'Baba was the lone republican in [their] building" (129). Just because they were in a different country, Baba and Amir stayed strong minded and upheld the same beliefs. This shows that even if they were hated upon, Baba and Amir would stand tall and keep their beliefs.
-
When Amir graduated from high school Baba was "moftakhir...Proud. is eyes gleaned when they said that and I liked being on the recieving end of that look" (131). The transition from Afghanistan was hard on Baba and Amir. However, they were both determined to pick up their life where they left off. It was hard at times, but Amir sucessfuly finished high school. It is hard to be an immigrant in an American high school, but Amir suceeded. Baba was very proud of him which was all Amir wanted.
-
At their wedding ceremony Amir and Soraya were placed under a veil with a mirror. Soraya was smiling in the mirror and "in the momentary privacy of the veil, [Amir] whispered to her for the first time that [he] loved her. A blush, red like henna, bloomed on her cheeks" (171). Amir was so happy he had found his true love. It can be very exciting for two people when they finally meet the one. It was also very special for Amir becuase eventhough his father was sick, he was still there.
-
Soon after Amir got married, Baba died in his sleep. That night he decided that there was "no pain [that night]...Baba never woke up"(173). Baba lived a full life. He had a large impact on the community in Kabul with his orphanage. When Amir and Baba were in America they always lived with integrity and werwe good members of the community. Baba was also able to witness his firstborn son get married right before he died.
-
After 10 years of troops invading the Afghan's homes "the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989" (2).
-
Once Amir finds out his book is going to be published he he starts "thinking of Baba whishing he could have seen [Amir]" (183). Amir alwa\ys wanted to impress Baba and make him proud. Amir was sad because he knew that this would make Baba proud. Amir and Baba still had a close relationship despite the harships they went through together.
-
The Taliban began recieving "arms, money, and supplies..." (3) from the Pakistani intelligence officers.
-
The Afghan's didn't know what to do because "the power was anarchially divided among competing warlords" (2).
-
Once the Taliban have control, they begin to "impos[e] strict enforcements of fundamentalistic Islamic law, ban movies and music and forc[e] women out of schools and into all-enveloping burqua clothing" (3).
-
After Amir talked to Rahim Khan and found out that he was sick "a fist clenched inside [him]" (191). Rahim Khan and Amir had not talked to each other for over 10 years. However, as soon as Amir heard that he was sick he knew he had to go to Pakistan. Sometimes special relationships with people will never go away. Once the relationship is established it is almost impossible to get rid of. This is what happened to Amir, he couldn't just stand by as Rahim Khan.
-
When Amir found out about Sohrab all he could think about was his "brother's face. Hassan had loved [Amir] once, loved [him] in a way that no one ever had or ever would again. He was gone now, but a little part of him lived on. It was in Kabul" (227). Amir did not want to go get Sohrab because it was so dangerous. However, he knew that Sohrab was his nephew and needed help. Amir sucessfully atoned to Hassan for the first time with this action.
-
Amir was very uncertian about bringing Sohrab back as they go home he thought that he was "lifting [Sohrab from the certainty of turmoil and dropping him in a turmoil of uncertanty" (356). It was hard for Amir because he knew that it would be hard for Sohrab no matter what. However, maybe the turmoil of uncertanty in the end was better. Sohrab needed to get away Afghanistan because it reminded him to much of his parents, so Amir did the right thing.
-
After the 9/11 attack took place, "Bush gave the Talibam an ultimatum to hand over Mr. bin Laden" (3) because he was a threat to the US and other countries.
-
The NYT article stated that, "The United States has been militairly involved in Afghanistan since 2001..." (1)
-
The new president, Mr. Karzai, was "a supporter and relative of Mohammed Zahir Shah, the exiled former king of Arghanistan" (3).
-
Petraeus was in charge of "military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and across the region" (4).