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Kite Runner & the History of Afghanistan
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Hassan Born
Hassan was born "in that small shack...one cold winter day in 1964" (6). Hassan and Amir were born only a couple years apart from eachother, showing that Baba had slept with Sanaubar after Amir was born. Even though it was Baba's son, he was born in his small shack because he was a lower class. -
Daoud Khan gained power through a coup-de-etat
Gunshots were heard throughout Kabul but there was no violence and, "the king, Zahir Shah, was away in Italy. In his absence, his cousin "Daoud Khan had ended the king's forty-year reign with a bloodless coup" (36). -
Amir wins the kite competition
When Amir won the competition and he looked up and saw Baba on the roof, he said, "that right there was the single greatest moment of my twelve years of life, seeing Baba on that roof, proud of me at last" (66). Amir had been seeking his father's acceptance his entire life and in that moment, he finally got what he had been waiting for. He believed that moment would fix the problems between him and his father forever. -
Hassan is raped by Assef
In the winter of 1975, "[Amir] saw Hassan run a kite for the last time" (55). This ominous phrase was used multiple times at the end of many chapters leading up to the event. After Hassan's tragedy occured, life for Amir and Hassan was never the same and they never flew kites again. -
Amir's 13th Birthday
Baba threw a huge birthday party for Amir's 13th birthay, but Amir, "realized they weren't really coming for me. It was my birthday, but I knew who the real star of the show was" (94). Baba always threw huge extravagant parties and he was usually the center of attention. Also, the only reason Baba had this party was because Amir won the kite competition. He would not have done this otherwise. -
Ali and Hassan leave Baba's house
Ali and Hassan quit after Amir plants the money under the mattress and they explain that, "life here is impossible for us now, Agha sahib" (106). After Hassan's tragedy, the relationship between Amir and Hassan was horribly broken. Because they were eachothers' only friend, life became really hard for the both of them. The money under the mattress was merely the tipping point that made them leave. -
Soviet Union invades Afghanistan
The Soviet army first invaded Kabul, "to assist Babrak Karmal, who had become president in a coup within the Afghan Communist leadership" (2). -
Amir and Baba leave Kabul
Amir and Baba left Kabul with "others, in all about a dozen, including Baba and [Amir], sitting with [their] suitcases between [their] legs, cramped with these strangers in the tarpaulin-covered cab of an old Russian truck" (110). Amir and Baba had to flee their home because of the poor state of the country. It was a crazy time in Afghanistan and many others are also escaping. Despite the tough circumstances and risks of the travel, many are doing what they must do to get to a better life. -
Amir and Baba are living in Fremont, California
Amir and Baba have moved to Fremont, CA and Baba now works at a gas station with a, face drawn and pale under the bright fluorescent lights" (130). This man is not the legendary man who wrestled a bear in Kabul, but rather an ordinary hard working immigrant. His life -
Baba buys Amir a car
As a graduation present Baba surprises Amir with a car and Amir is so touched his, eyes were tearing over and [he] was glad for the shadows that hid [their] faces" (133). Baba is showing to be more of a father figure and he is openly showing he is proud of Amir. It must have also been costly to get a car, and Baba is just making ends meet by working at the gas station. However, the fact that Amir was hiding his tears shows that there is still distance between them. -
Amir graduates high school
In the summer of 1983, Amir, "graduated from high school at the age of twenty" (131). Amir was living the American dream and getting an education. This then leads to him going to college and trying to accomplish his dream of becoming a great writer. -
Amir enrolls in junior college
Amir told Baba after graduation that he, "would enroll in junior college classes in the fall", majoring in creative writing (134). Amir wants to major in something he is truly passionate about, even though Baba does not approve. Although he does not want to disappoint his father, he does not want to sacrifice for him because the last time he did that decision impacted his entire life. -
Amir looks at Soraya for the first time
In the summer of 1984 at the San Jose flea market, Soraya's "eyes, walnut brown and shaded by fanned lashes, met [Amir's]" (140). Soraya is the first girl Amir has ever fallen in love with, and he ends up marrying her. She is a huge aspect of Amir's adulthood because when Baba dies, her and her family are the only family he has. -
Amir finishes his first book
Amir finished his first book which was, "a father-son story set in Kabul" (182). Amir gets picked up by a publisher and finally accomplishes his dream of becoming a writer. Although his father never quite fully supported his passion to write, Amir basically bases his stories off of their lives together. -
Soviet troops left Afghanistan
The last Soviet troops left Afghanistan, leaving behind, "a country that was not only devasted by the war ut that had become a beacon to Islamic extremists from across the globe" (2). -
Soraya and Amir cannot have children
After a series of tests, Amir and Soraya learns that they cannot have kids and General Taheri says that, "this adption thing, I'm not so sure it's for us Afghans" (187). Although Soraya and Amir wanted a child really badly, they were not willing to adopt. This hurts Amir and Soraya's relationship because they had been talking about having a child for so long, but now they'll never have one. -
Power was divided among warlords and fiefdoms
After Sovite forces left, power became, "anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms" (2). -
Mullah Omar had gained about 12,000 followers
Originally gathered a small band of men to attack a group of warlords, Mullah Omar created a popular movement and he promised to, "restor[e] the centrality of Islam to daily life" (2). -
The Taliban had taken control of Afghanistan
Helped by Pakistani funneling arms, money, supplies, and military advisers, the Taliban took 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" (3). -
Osama bin Laden arrived at Jalalabad Airport
The Taliban, "provided a haven for Mr. bin Laden, who arrived by chartered jet a Jalalabad Airport in May 1996, and for Al Qaeda" (3). -
Hassan is murdered
When Rahim Khan is explaining to Amir what was happening in Afghanistan, he says that, "The Taliban banned kite fighting. And two years later, in 1998, they massacred the Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif" (213). When Amir finds out that Hassan has died, the Amir's past returns and he begins to experience major guilt. This guilt enforces his decision to save Sohrab. -
Attack on the World Trade Center
After 9/11, "President George W. Bush gave the Taliban an ultimatum to hand over mr. bin Laden". They refused, so the U.S. joined forces with rebel groups, notably the Northern Alliance, which represented minority tribes. -
Hamid Karzai became the leader of Afghanistan
A supporter and relative of Mohammad Zahir Shah, Hamid Karzai "was named chairman of an interim government that replaced the defeated Taliban, making him the leader of the country" (3). -
Sohrab smiles for the first time in a year
Amir is flying a kite with Sohrab and when they cut a kite, Amir, "looked down at Sohrab. One corner of his mouth had curled up just so. A smile. Lopsided" (370). Sohrab had been silent and unresponsive for a year and it finally took flying a kite with him to get him to be somewhat happy. Sohrab's smile brings hope to Amir that eventually, things will turn out okay. -
Hamid Karzai elected to five-year term as president
Mr. Karzai was elected to a five-year term and he, "hoped to secure peace of Afghanistan and wini the country much-needed international aid" (3). -
General Petraeus took charge of US Central Command
General Petraeus was, "the Iraq commander who received much of the credit for the success of the surge there" took control of the United States Central Command. They were responsible for military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and across the region. -
Obama announces plans to deploy 30,000 troops
At West Point, Obama announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan.