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Hassan's Surgery
For Hassan's birthday, Baba "summoned Dr. Kumar from New Delhi, [who] is a plastic surgeon" (45). The doctor was there to fix Hassan's lip, but Amir got jealous because he felt that Hassan got more of Baba's affections. Although the surgery was successful and Hassan's lip was fixed, Amir remembers that that winter, Hassan stopped smiling. -
Amir Wins the Kite Contest and Hassan is " "
After Amir wins the kite contest, Hassan goes to run the losing kite, but gets cornered by Assef, who says that he needs to "[teach]] a lesson to a disrespectful donkey" (75). Although Amir saw everything that happened, all he did was run away because he was afraid of Assef. When Hassan was finally let go, Amir pretended he didn't see anything, but it ends up haunting him for the rest of his life. -
Amir's Birthday Party
For Amir's 13th birthday, Baba decided to throw a giant party for him, but when Amir scanned the invitation list, he did not [recognize] at least three-quarters of the four hundred" guests coming (94). Also on the invitation list was Assef and his family, who pretends to be polite and kind in front of Baba. With no one to talk with during his own birthday party, Amir hides, and sees Assef beating up Hassan. -
Ali and Hassan Leave
Ali tells Baba, "Life here is impossible for us now, Agha sahib. We're leaving" (106). Amir realizes that Hassan told Ali what happened in the alley that day, and that is the reason why they have to leave. Baba is the only one who did not know what happened, and although he is confused and sad that Ali and Hassan have to leave, he lets them go with a heavy heart. -
Soviet Invasion
"The first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul" and ended up "stay[ing] in the country for more than nine years" ( New York Times 2). -
Baba and Amir leave Afghanistan
After the Russians invade, Amir finds himself "cramped with [some] strangers in the tarpaulin-covered cab of an old Russian truck" leaving Afghanistan (110). To escape, they had to leave during the middle of the night, and leave all their belonings and friends behind. Although the way out is hard, especially for Amir, they end up escaping Afghanistan and go off in search for a new life. -
Amir Graduates from High School
After Amir and Baba moved to San Francisco, Amir "graduated from high school at the age of twenty, by far the oldest senior tossing his mortarboard on the football field that day" (131). That day, Amir was especially proud, because all of Baba's attention was focused on him. After the ceremony, Baba brought Amir to a resturant and then a bar, and presented Amir with a new car, -
Baba Gets Sick and is Diagnosed
After Amir finds Baba coughing up blood, he brings him to the doctor, who diagnoses him with lung cancer, but Baba says "...no chemo medication medication for me" (157). Amir tries to talk Baba into getting chemo, but Baba only yells at Amir for not being a man. Baba did not want anyone to know about his cancer, but eventually, people at the marker started noticing his dramatic weight loss. -
Amir and Soraya Marry
On the day of the wedding, Amir asks Baba, "Are you all right? Do you feel up to this?", and Baba replies, "Up to this? It's the happiest day of my life" (166). Amir feels like he has earned Baba's affections, and his also very happy himself. The wedding is Afghan-styled, with all the traditions. -
Baba Dies
One night, there was a mini-party at Amir's apartment, and when Soraya put Baba to bed any said she will get his morphine, Baba declined and said "There is no pain tonight", but then he "never woke up" (173), At the funeral, Amir realizes how many lives have been touched by Baba and felt very proud. Although Amir was deeply saddened, the tears would not come until Soraya pulled him close to her and he realized that he will have to learn to live without Baba. -
Amir Finishes His First Novel
Amir finished his first novel, about "a father-son story set in Kabul, written mostly with the typewriter the general had given [him]" (182). Amir thought about how proud Baba would have been, since he had finally reached his goal. Also, it pleased the general, because Amir used his gift to reach his goal. -
Soviet Troops Leave Afghanistan
The Soveit troops left behind "a country that was not only devastated by the wat but that had become a beacon to Islamic extremists" (New York Times 2). -
Sanabaur Returns
Sanaubar returns to Baba's old house in search of Hassan, and he forgave her and said that "she was home now...home with her family" (210). This shows how forgiving Hassan is, because she left him right after he was born, but he immedietly accepted her back. Sanaubar becomes very close with Hassan's son, hoping to give him a better childhood than Hassan. -
Sohrab is Born
Sanaubar became a major part of Hassan's life, and "it was Sanaubar who delivered Hassan's son that winter of 1990...and he became he center of her existence" (211). Both Sanaubar and Sohrab made each other very happy, and became very close. This let Sohrab have a complete family during his early childhood, but would leave him unprepared for the drastic change. -
Power Divided in Afghanistan
After the Soviet troops departed, "power was anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms" in Afghanistan by 1994 (New York Times 2). -
Pakistani Officers Help Mullah Omar
"Pakistani intelligence officers began funneling arms, money and supplies to Mulah Omar's" 12,000 men, which helped the Taliban take control of Afghanistan (New York Times 2). -
Taliban Seize Control
"Taliban, the extremist Islamic group", seized control in Afghanistan "after years of civil war" (New York Times 1). -
bin Laden Arrives in Afghanistan
The Taliban "provided a haven for Mr. bin Laden", who arrived on a private jet at Jalalabad Airport (New York Times 3). -
Amir gets Phone Call from Rahim Khan
After Amir gets the phone call, he tells Soraya, "I have to go to Pakistan...Rahim Khan is very sick...He wants to see me" (191). The call shows how much Amir still cares about Rahim Khan and how he still thinks of him as father-figure. This was also Rahim Khan's way of getting him to come to Pakistan so he can tell him about what happened to Hassan. -
Amir Returns Home with Sohrab
When Soraya picked Amir and Sohrab up at the airport, she "smile[d] at Sohrab, her eyes tearing over a little", but "Sohrab shifted on his feet and looked away" (358). Soraya tried everything possible to make Sohrab feel at home, but he remained distant. This broke Soraya's heart, because she this would be her only chance to feel like a mother. -
911 Attack
The United States has been involved in Afghanistan since the "attack on the World Trade Center in New York", which "succeeded in dislodging Al Qaeda and removing the Taliban from power" (New York Times 1, 3). -
Amir and Sohrab Fly a KIte Together
While celebrating Afghan New Year's Day, Amir and Sohrab flew a kite together, and after they cut down a kite, Amir asked Sohrab, "Do you w ant me to run that kite for you?...For you, a thousand times over" (371). What Amir said was the same as what Hassan had said to him the day of the kite contest. For this, Amir got a smile from Sohrab, and Amir felt like the guilt had all been lifted away. -
Hamid Karzai Elected as President
Karzai "was elected to a firve-year term as president in 2004" after "[taking] office as interim president in June 2002" (New York Times 3). -
Obama's Speech
In President Obama's speech that was delivered at West Point, "[h]e vowed to start bringing American forces home from Afghanistan in the middle of 2011" (New York Times 4). -
Troops Deployed from Afghanistan
The deployment date is "based on the presumption that the American military would be successful enough in fighting the Taliban that significant withdrawals would be under way by then" (New York Times 4).