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Amir and Hassan win the Kite Runner contest
After Amir cuts the last kite's string in the kite runner constest, Hassan shouts, " You won, Amir agha! You won!" ( pg 66). Even though Hassan does as much work as Amir, he gives Amir all the credit and makes Amir feel proud of himself. This shows how giving and loyal Hassan is to Amir and enlightens Hassans admirable characteristics. -
Amir watches and does nothing as Hassan gets violated
Amir arrives just before Hassan gets violated and watches as Assef and his clan "...close in on the boy [he'd] grown up with, the boy whose harelipped face had been [his] first memory" and does nothing to stop the violation. This event is probably the most important event of the book because it influences many of Amir's actions throughout the rest of the book. This event also affects Amir and Hassan's relationship immediatley after Hassan is released and leads to Hassan and Ali moving away. -
When Ali and Hassan decide to move away
When Ali tells Baba that he and Hassan are leaving and Baba gets very upset, Amir sees Ali grimace. That is when Amir "understood the depth of the pain [he] had caused, the blackness of grief [he] had brought onto everyone, that not even Ali's paralyzed face could mask his sorrow"(pg 107). This is an important event in this story becuase right then, Amir could have could have stopped Hassan and Ali from leaving by teling the truth.However he didnt, and his decision affects the outcome of events. -
Soviet Union invades Afghanistan
Afghanistan was a relitavely stable and peaceful countriy until the "Invasion by the Soviet Union and the reaction both by Afghans and by their allies..." (NYT Pg. 2). -
Soviet Union Troops first Attack
On December 27th, 1979 "the first soviet triios parachuted into Kabul" the country's capitail and attacked. -
Baba and Amir try to escpae Kabul
As Amir and Baba are escaing Kabul which has been taken over by the Soviet Union,he descirbes what was going on as he and Baba were in the car: "[the driver] was taking us to Jalalabad...where his brother,who had a bigger truck...was waiting to drive us across the Khyber Pass and into Peshwar" (pg 111). Baba and Amir are able to escape because they are in the upper class and therefore have the priveledges and money to pay for the escape. However, all of the lower class and Hazara's have to stay. -
Amir and Baba start a life in America
Before Amir and Baba arrive in America, Amir said that "Baba loved the idea of America" however when they arrived, Baba's opinion changed drastically. Life was very hard for Baba and Amir and because they were used to living in the upper class and had suffered a enourmous class drop, it was even harder. Baba working long hours at the gas station barley got them by and they struggled with embracing the American culture. -
Baba and Amir start going to flea markets
Baba and Amir discoverd a good way to make some money on the weekeneds. Soon, the had a whole routine planned out: "On Saturday [they] stopped at garage sales and bough knickknacks that people no longer wanted...then early Sunday morning, [they drove] to the San Jose Flea Market...and sold the junk for a small profit" (pg 137). Baba and Amir soon became a good team and worked together to make money for themselves. This was a big difference from Kabul becuase now both of them worked to provide. -
It is revealed that Baba has cancer
Amir describes the signs leading up to the discovery of Baba's cancer, he said that "It started with a hacking cough and the sniffles" then moved on to him coughing up blood (pg 153). Amir forced Baba to go to the doctor however baba refused treatment as a way to further push American culture out of his life. Baba continued to work at the gas station, howeever with each day he became weaker and weaker. :( -
Amir graduates from high school
In the summer of 1983 "[Amir] graduated form high school at the age of twenty" (pg 131). Even though Amir was by far the oldest senior at the school, he still followed through with school and graduating ended up being a great acomplishment that truly heled him later on in life. Amir not only graduated from high school, but by doing so he was embracing the American culture. However Baba did not even attempt to embrace the culture, and therefore Baba struggled more in America. -
Amir and Soraya get married
After the general gave Amir his acceptance for Amir to marry Soraya, Amir and Soraya got married almost immediatley beacues "Baba didnt have months to live" and this was a very important event. (pg 169). The fact that Soraya was happy to marry Amir is amazing because usually the father decides who the daughter marrys even if she does not want to. Soraya was very lucky that she got to marry Amir, a very kind soul and clearly expressed that to Amir. -
Baba dies
Soraya "dedicated herself to taking care of [Baba]" but despite her efforts to keep him alive onger, he died a month after the wedding (pg 173). This was a very hard time in Amir's life, for he had lost his rock, the only person he could rely on and look up to and it was devestating for him. At the funeral though, Amir had a bit of closure for the experience he had with Baba and learned about all the people Baba influenced and how great of a man he truly was. -
Soviet Troops leave Afghanistan
In Feburary, 1989, "the last soviet tropps left" leaving Afghanistan in terrible conditions ad unable to fight islamic extremists like Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda. -
Taliban takes over
After gaining 12,000 followers by the end of 1994, the Taliban, "with promise of restoring the centrality of Islam to daily life" gainded control of Afghanistan in 1996 (NYT pg 2). -
Taliban becomes in control
The taliban which is an "extremist group"gained control in 1996 (NYT pg 1). -
Amir Arrives in Kaul
When Amir arrives in his hometown, he is terribley surprised by the way it has changed and yet his memories come flowing back and he is left with a feeling of happiness. However this feeling vanishes when he see how the Taliban have devestated the city and describes them as "A handful of sternfaced men [who sit] on their haunches in the cab, Kalashnikovs slung on their shoulders" (pg 247). The taliban have come in and destroyed the city Amir once loved. Now he is left with only memories. -
Amir goes to Pakistan
When Amir tells Soraya that "[he] has to go to Pakistan" she becomes very worried because of the economical issues they are having (pg 191). Soraya doesnt want Amir to go, but she realizes that it is very important that Amir goes on this trip. Amir is also very weary that this might be a way to have closure and come to peace with the terrible mistakes he made in his past. -
Rahim Khan tells Amir about Hassan
Amir listens to Rahim as he "Rested his hear against the wall and spoke" (pg 202). Rahim tells Amir everything. He reveals many secrets about all the people Amir loved and trusted. These secrets and the stories Rahim told forever changed Amir's life and led him to make the decisions to go search for Hassan's son Sorah in Afghanistan. -
Amir rescues Sohrab and gets the punishment he deserved
Amirs "...memory of the fight with Assef is amazingly vivid in stretches" and Amir gets the punishment he wanted and felt he deserved for what he had not done for Hassan. Even though Amir was the one taking the hits form Assef and fighting back the best he could, it was Sohrab who saved his life. Hassan's legacy had lived on and again it was a Hassan that saved Amir's life. Amir attempted to save Sohrab's, but Sohrab saved his aswell as Amir's. -
Amir takes Sohrab home to America
After Sohrab tried to kill himself, Amir took it into his hands to get Sohrab out of Afghanistan and to safety, America. However, after they arrive, Sohrab never talked. Amir describes Sohrabs silence as "...the silence of one who has taken cover in a dark place, curled up all edges and tucked them under" (361). Sohrab surrended to the world for he did not want to live a life of sorow and live in the pain of the past. However Amir never gave up trying to cheer Sohrab up and gave him a good life. -
The US becomes involved in Afghanistan
After the 9/11 tourist attack, "The united states became militarily involved in Afghanistan" (New York Times pg 1) -
Hamid Karzai becomes chairman of intermin government
After defeating the Taliban, Humid Karzai "was named chairman of an intermin government that replaced the defeated Taliban" (NYT Pg. 2). -
Gerneral Petraeus takes charge of US central command
After successfully completelint the missionsin Irag, General Oetraeus took "charge of United States Central command" (NYT pg 3). -
President Obama announces he is bringing troops home from Afghanistan
President Obama madkes a speach announcing "his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops" and bring them home to the US (NYTpg 3). -
Obama states troops will remain in Afghanistan until end of 2014
The Obama administrsation finally decided that "the United states will have forces in the country until at least the end of 2104" and will continue to be agressive while in the country.