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Amir is born
Amir is born to Sofia and Baba. (Can't really make an analysis on this) -
Hassan is born
Hassan is born to Sanaubar and Baba but raised by Ali (Cannot make an analysis on this) -
King Zahir Shah is overthrown
King Mohammad Zahir Shah is overthrown while vacationing in Italy by his own cousin, ending his "fourty -year reign with a bloodless coup." (36) While away in Italy Zahir Shah's cousin, Daoud Kahn took over his spot as king and had turned Afghanistan's government into a republic and establishes himself as president. This was the beginning of change in Afghanistan because the Russians began their invasion. -
Amir and Hassan win kite flying contest
"Remember, Amir Agha, there's no monster, just a beautiful day." How could I be such an open book to him when, half the time, I had no idea what was milling around in his head? I was the one who went to school... Hassan couldn't read a first grade textbook but he read [Amir] plenty." (61) Amir is concerned about how Hassan can read his emotions so well, because he is the "smart" one of the two. Although Amir is literate, Hassan is smarter with people. (not enough space to well blend) -
Amir's life changed forever
"[Amir] became what [he is] today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975". (1) Though it is not said directly, Amir's life changed forever after he saw Hassan get raped by Assef. Amir didn't want to do anything about it because he was more concerned for his own safety, which was the selfish thing to do. -
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Soviet Conflict with Afghanistan
The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan which drove them into corruption -
Soviet Troops arrive in Kabul
The first Soviet Union troops parachuted into Kabul, Afghanistan's capital -
Amir graduates high school
"It was an old model ford, long and wide, a dark color I couldn't discern in the moonlight.. I took the keys, stunned. I looked from him to the car.. I took his hand in mine. Squeezed it. My eyes were tearing over and I was glad for the shadows hiding our faces." (133) As a graduation present, Baba had bought Amir a Ford and Amir was overwhelmed that his father had cared that much about his new success. He didn't want Baba to see him cry because he knew that Baba believed men didn't cry.nospace -
Amir and Soraya get married
"[Amir] suspected there were many ways in which Soraya Taheri was a better person than [himself]. Courage was just one of them."(165) Amir explains that he thinks that Soraya is a better person than him because he had done some bad things in the past and he doesn't believe he is a very good person anymore. Because of his betrayal to Hassan, Ali, and his own father, Amir believes that it is impossible to redeem himself. -
Baba dies
While putting Baba to sleep, Soraya says "I'll come back with your morphine and a glass of water, Kaka jan," and Baba responds "Not tonight, there will be no pain tonight." (173) Baba understood that he was going to die that night and he didn't want to get in the way of nature. Baba did not want to go through chemotherapy because he had already done what he wanted to do in the world and going through chemo would just delay the inevitable. -
Amir completed his first novel
"A month later, Martin called and informed [Amir] [that he] was going to be a published novelist. When I told Soraya, she screamed." (183) -
Soviets leave Afghanistan
Soviet troops back out of Afghanistan after peace talks with the United Nations -
Amir and Soraya are unable to have children
As Dr. Rosen was speaking to Amir and Soraya after many unsuccessful treatments, "[he] used the word 'adoption' for the first time." During the car ride back, Soraya cried. (186) This sort of expresses Afghan culture and how if parents are unable to create a child then they will never have a child. Most likely, they believe it to be awkward for kids and adults alike when trying to explain how they aren't the child's real parents. -
Power was divided
Power was anarchically divided between warlords and individual fiefdoms. -
Mullah Omar had achieved 12,000 followers
Mullah Omar, a Taliban member, had gained a following of around 12 thousand and was killing warlords in the north and east -
Taliban seized control over Afghanistan
The Taliban seized control over Afghanistan with the help of the Pakistani. -
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Taliban Takeover
The Taliban grew out of a student movement with the goal to purify the country -
Hassan and Farzana are killed
After Rahim Kahn explained how Hassan and Farzana were killed, Amir was in complete shock and "all [he] could manage was to whisper "No. No. No." over and over again." (219) Even though Amir was never able to forgive himself for what he did to Hassan, he still loved him deeply and was in deep sorrow when he was killed. Amir's connection to Hassan never broke on Amir's side, he was just worried that it broke from Hassan's side and he would never forgive him. -
Hamid Karzai was named chairman of the government
Hamid Karzai, relative of Mohammad Zahir Shah, the exiled former king of Afghanistan, was named chairman of the replacement government of the Taliban -
Taliban continue to wage guerilla war
The Taliban continue to wage a guerilla war from the mountainous and lawless tribal area on the Pakistani-Afghanistan border -
Amir gets a call from Rahim Kahn
"I have to go to Pakistan... Rahim Kahn is very sick." A fist clenched inside me with those words." (191) Amir cares so much for Rahim Kahn that he will leave the safety of America to go visit him before his death. Amir has been close with Rahim for his entire life and he wants to go visit him before he dies to see what he has to say/give to Amir. -
Amir gains Sohrab's trust, then breaks his promise
As Sohrab blinked, Amir claimed that "[Sohrab] was looking at me, really looking at me, for the very first time." (322) After Amir informs Sohrab that Hassan was his half brother, Sohrab is astonished and begins to see Amir differently. Now, instead of seeing Amir as his fathers old childhood friend, he see's him as a real member of his family who will take care of him no matter the cost. -
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Post 9/11 Invasion
The events which occurred after the bombing of the World Trade Center on 9/11 -
World Trade Center destroyed
The Al Qaeda flew two planes into the newly constructed world trade center -
George W. Bush gave the Taliban an ultimatum
After the attack on the World Trade Center, US President George W. Bush told the Taliban to hand over bin Laden, but they refused -
Sohrab smiles for the first time
"I looked down at Sohrab. One corner of his mouth had curled up just so. A smile... I blinked and the smile was gone. But it had been there. I had seen it." (371) This quotation expresses how messed up Sohrabs life has been, so much so that he never smiled. (Just like Hassan after winter of 1975.) He had seen Amir get pulverized, his father killed, he'd been raped, and nailed the rapist in the eye with a brass ball. Pretty messed up. -
Amir runs a kite for Sohrab
After Sohrab nodded when Amir asked to run the kite for him, Amir replied with "for you a thousand times over." (371) Amir wants to atone for what he did to Ali and Hassan back in his childhood by taking care of his son; treating Sohrab as his own. This may be how Amir can fully atone himself, but earlier actions should have been taken. -
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Obama's War
Obama's plan to widen the United States involvement in Afghanistan -
Obama removed General McChrystal
President Obama removed General McChrystal because of contemptuous quotes from him and his staff about the senior administration officials