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Amir Cries After the Buzkashi Tournament
After Amir cries from seeing the gory tournament, Baba says to Rahim Khan, "I wasn't like that at all, and neither were any of the kids I grew up with" (22). Baba is very disappointed in Amir because Amir is different than Baba in many ways. Rahim Khan later reveals that Baba only used to get angry at Amir to express his own guilt and shame. -
Hassan Stands Up to Assef
When Asssef was about to beat up Amir, Hassan stood up to them and "held the slingshot pointed directly at Assef's face" (42). This act of courage and bravery reveals that Hassan is loyal to Amir. He would do anything to protect Amir from harm. -
Baba's Birthday Present to Hassan
For Hassan's birthday, Baba plans Hassan a surgery or his harelip and says "It's an unusual present, I know, and probably not what you had in mind, but this present will last you forever" (46). Baba loves Hassan like a son and sometimes shows more affection to him than he does to Amir. He cares for Hassan greatly despite him being a Hazara. -
Amir Wins the Kite Tournament
After Amir cut down the last flying kite, "[he] began to pull [his] kite back as people rushed to congradulate [him]" (67). This event leads to a change in Amir's relationships with both Baba and Hassan. Baba and Amir become closer because Baba is finally proud of Amir. On the other hand, Hassan and Amir's friendship weakens. -
Amir's Inactions During Hassan's Violation
While Hassan is being violated by Assef in the alley, Amir decides to "turn [his] back to the alley, to Hassan" (77). Amir's guilt and regret for not saving Hassan scars him for the rest of his life. This event is possibly the most significant event in the whole book because it shapes the rest of the plot. -
Ali and Hassan Leave
When Ali and Hassan are about to move out of Baba's house, Baba says "'Please,' but Ali had already turned to the door, Hassan trailing him" (107). This event shows a power shift between Baba and Ali as Baba begs for Ali to stay. Also, Amir is never able to truly apologize to Hassan, causing Amir to feel even more guilt. -
Soviet Invasion
When Soviet troops invaded Afghan to help President Babrak Karmal, they "stayed in the country for more than nine years, fighting a conflict that cost them roughly 15,000 lives and undisclosed billions of rubles" (The New York Times). -
Baba and Amir Move to America
After Amir and Baba moved to Fremont, California, "Baba found
a job off Washington Boulevard as an assistant at a gas station" (130). Their move to Ameryica causes Baba's socioeconomic status to lower. On the other hand, Amir becomes more successful and wealthy in America as he becomes a published writer. -
Amir Marries Soraya
After Amir realizes that he is in love with Soraya, he asks Baba to "ask General Taheri for his daughter's hand" (161). Amir's marriage to Soraya relieves some of his never-ending guilt and stress. For the first time in a while, he starts to feel true happiness again. -
Baba's Death
After Baba dies from cancer, Amir realizes that "[his] whole life [he] had been 'Baba's son.' Now he was gone" ( 174). Amir realizes that he can no longer be exactly like Baba. He now has to be independent and follow his own path. -
Soviets Leave Afghanistan
When the Soviets left Afghanistan after inflicting war upon it, "power was anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms" (The New York Times). -
Mullah Omar's Movement
After Mullah Omar started a movement against warlords, he "had nearly 12,000 followers and created a genuinely popular movement in a country weary of corruption and brutality" (The New York Times). -
Taliban Takeover
When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, they "imposed strict enforcement of fundamentalist Islamic law, banning movies and music and forcing women out of schools" (The New York Times). They also supported and assisted Osama Bin Laden. -
Amir Visits Rahim Khan
When Amir goes to Afghanistan to visit Rahim Khan, Rahim requests for "[Amir] to go to Kabul [and] bring Sohrab here" (220). Rahim Khan helps Amir atone for his sins. Without Amir's visit to Rahim Khan, he would have never atoned for his sins. -
Amir Finds Out About Baba's Lies
When Amir is reflecting upon Baba’s secret that he kept all this time from everyone, Amir thinks of Baba as a “thief of the worst kind, because the things he’d stolen had been sacred: from [Amir] the right to know [he] had a brother, from Hassan his identity, and from Ali his honor” (225). This reveals that Baba wasn't truly as honorable as everyone thought he was. His morals also prove to be misaligned with his values because once told Amir that theft is the greatest sin. -
Amir Fights Assef
After Assef beats up Amir, Amir's "body was broken-- but [he] felt healed. Healed at last" (289). This event rids Amir of some of his guilt because he finally has suffered physically for what he did to Hassan. He fixed his mistakes by finally standing up to Assef, something he couldn't do before. -
Attack by Al Qaeda
The attack on 9/11 sparked the war between the U.S. and Afghanistan because "the United States has been militarily involved in Afghanistan since 2001, when it led an invasion after the Sept. 11 attacks by Al Qaeda" (The New York Times). -
U.S. War Against Al Qaeda
When the Taliban refused to give up Osama Bin Laden, "the United States joined forces with rebel groups that had never accepted Taliban rule" (The New York Times). The U.S. pushed the Taliban out of major cities. -
Sohrab Attempts Suicide
Amir walks into the bathroom and sees Sohrab all bloody in the bathtub, and suddenly "[he] was on his knees, screaming. Screaming through [his] clenched teeth" (343). This event reveals how much Amir truly cares abut Sohrab. He is heartbroken later in the hospital and worries a great deal about Sohrab. -
Hamid Karzai Leads Government
Harmid Karzai became the leader of the country, and "hoped to secure peace for Afghanistan and win the country much-needed international aid" (The New York Times). -
Taliban Resurgence
Even though the U.S. successfully invaded the Taliban, "their rise was assisted by a resurgent opium trade, which helped to fill the group's coffers" (The New York Times). -
Amir Brings Sohrab to America
Amir offers to bring Sohrab to America when he says, "You have a visa to go to America, to live with me and my wife" (355). Amir atones for his sins by rescuing Sohrab from Assef and moving him to live in a safer place. Since Sohrab is Hassan's son, it counts as atonement for his sins toward Hassan. If Hassan was alive, he would definitely forgive Amir and be grateful toward him for saving his son. -
Amir and Sohrab Fly Kites
When Amir and Sohrab are flying kites, "one corner of [Sohrab's] mouth had curled up just so. A smile" (370). Amir and Sohrab are starting to connect more. Amir is like a father to Sohrab, and Hassan would be very thankful for this. This is what makes Amir's atonement effective. -
General Petraeus Leads U.S. Military
After General Petraeus was put in charge of the U.S. military, "the pace of American operations stepped up enormously, initially in the Taliban's strongholds in the south" (The New York Times). -
Obama's War Plan
As a result of the war in Afghanistan, "Mr. Obama announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops" (The New York Times).