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Amir and Hassan are born
Amir and Hassan were born 1 month apart in 1964, Amir said "Hassan and I fed from the same breasts. We took our first steps on the same lawn in the same yard...under the same roof, we spoke our first words. Mine was Baba. His was Amir. My name" (Hosseini 11). This shows how Amir and Hassan were raised like brothers but the superiority and power that Amir had over Hassan existed from day one. The author foreshadowed how this power dynamic in the relationship would be significant in the future. -
Baba builds an orphanage
One of Baba's heroic actions was building an orphanage, Amir says "Baba decided to build an orphanage...He told me Baba had drawn the blueprints himself despite the fact that he’d had no architectural experience at all...everyone shook their heads in dismay at his obstinate ways. Then Baba succeeded and everyone shook their heads in awe at his triumphant ways" (Hosseini 13). Baba has a strong personality and takes pride in his strength. Baba has always defied odds to gain people's respect. -
Assef torments Amir and Hassan
Assef was harassing the boys and appeared very intimidating. Amir says "Towering over us all, Assef crossed his thick arms on his chest, a savage sort of grin on his lips. Not for the first time, it occurred to me that Assef might not be entirely sane" (Hosseini 39). Both boys are afraid of Hassan and he is seen as evil and aggressive. Once again, the author foreshadows how this antagonist will come back in the story as insane as before when Amir mentions that he has questioned Assef's sanity. -
Baba gets Hassan's cleft lip removed
Baba gifts Hassan with his harelip removal and Amir reveals his jealousy when he says "I wished I too had some kind of scar that would beget Baba's sympathy. It wasn't fair. Hassan hadn't done anything to earn Baba's affections; he'd just been born with that stupid harelip" (Hosseini 46). Amir's words show how jealous he is during this time because Baba is so interested in helping Hassan. This is the attention from Baba that Amir longs for, he would sacrifice anything to get it. -
Hassan and Ali leave Kabul
Amir talks about how it never rains in the summer and says “But it rained the afternoon Baba took Ali and Hassan to the bus station" (Hosseini 108). Rain symbolizes a dark and upsetting time which is happening during Hassan and Ali's departure but after it rains, things are usually fresh and new. This could show how Hassan leaving is a turning point in the novel, Amir experiences many realizations about himself and struggles with guilt and regret which can be seen as the aftermath of the storm. -
Amir wins the kite fighting tournament
Amir's desire to win was fueled by his want for Baba to treat him like a son he was proud of, he says "Then I saw Baba on our roof. He was standing on the edge, pumping both of his fists... And that right there was the single greatest moment of my twelve years of life, seeing Baba on that roof, proud of me at last" (Hosseini 66). Amir had finally achieved Baba's respect and attention. In this moment, Amir felt completely content with life which shows just how much he valued and respected Baba. -
Hassan is raped by Assef
Hassan was raped by Assef, Amir said "I was weeping. From just around the corner, I could hear Assef's quick, rhythmic grunts. I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan...Or I could run. In the end, I ran" (Hosseini 77). Instantly, Amir knew he made the wrong choice and felt immense guilt. This moment defined the rest of Amir's life, he was forever affected by the guilt his decision carried. -
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Soviet Invasion
The USSR invaded Afghanistan and, "stayed in the country for more than nine years, fighting a conflict that cost them roughly 15,000 lives and undisclosed billions of rubles, while undermining the cherished image of an invincible Soviet Army. The Kabul Government...was unable to rout the rebels in the countryside, where the conservative populace was antagonized at the outset by changes in social and land policies that offended Muslim tradition"(New York Times). -
Baba and Amir move to America
Baba loved the thought of the US but Amir says "the Bay Area's smog stung his eyes, the traffic noise gave him headaches, and the pollen made him cough. The fruit was never sweet enough, the water never clean enough, and where were all the trees and open fields?" (Hosseini 133). Although Baba loved the idea of America, it was very different from Kabul, he could not easily adjust to the new lifestyle he now had. America was a whole new world for both Baba and Amir which they knew nothing about. -
Baba dies
Amir is mournung Baba when he says “ I realized how much of who I was, what I was, had been defined by Baba and the marks he had left on people’s lives. My whole life, I had been ‘Baba’s son.’….Baba couldn’t show me the way anymore. I’d have to find it on my own" (Hosseini 174). Amir finally sees how much of an impact Baba has made on his life choices. He realizes that he would not be who he is today without Baba. Amir is now scared that he will not know what to do without Baba's guidance. -
Amir marries Soraya
Amir felt an unknown happiness at his wedding when he says "Looking at Soraya’s smiling face in that mirror...I whispered to her for the first time that I loved her. A blush...bloomed on her cheeks" (Hosseini 171). In his culture, women and men are separated for much of their lives until they marry so Amir had never experienced anything like his relationship with Soraya. He felt true happiness in marrying Soraya and making her happy which shows how mature he is at this point in the novel. -
Amir falls in love with Soraya
Amir met Soraya at the flea market and felt love at first sight, he says "Lying awake in bed that night, I thought of Soraya Taheri's sickle-shaped birthmark, her gently hooked nose, and the way her luminous eyes had fleetingly held mine. My heart stuttered at the thought of her" (Hosseini 142). Amir could not stop thinking about Soraya and knew that he wanted to marry her. He thinks about every little feature and detail she has, this shows that he is in love. -
Soviet Union left Afghanistan
In 1989, the Russia left Afghanistan after, "The U.S., Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Soviet Union sign peace accords in Geneva guaranteeing Afghan independence and the withdrawal of 100,000 Soviet troops"(News Desk) -
Taliban controls
In 1995, after hardships amongst the people have been battled, "the Taliban, rises to power on promises of peace. Most Afghans, exhausted by years of drought, famine, and war, approve of the Taliban for upholding traditional Islamic values. The Taliban outlaw cultivation of poppies for the opium trade, crack down on crime, and curtail the education and employment of women"(News Deck). -
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The Taliban Takeover
The Taliban takeover in 1996 originated from, "a student movement dedicated to purifying the country, based in the southeast, the home of the dominant ethnic group, the Pashtun... With his [Mullah Omar] promise of restoring the centrality of Islam to daily life, he created a genuinely popular movement in a country weary of corruption and brutality"(New York Times). -
Amir visits Rahim Kahn and learns the truth
Amir finds out Hassan was his half-brother and yells "'How could you hide this from me? From him?' I bellowed" (Hosseini 223). Amir found out that Rahim and Baba had kept so much from him and feels like his life is a lie. He could not handle the fact that Hassan was also Baba's son and that he had harmed his own brother so many years ago. This shows how Amir tried to move on from his past but had really been oblivious to the cold truth that was hidden for many years. -
Amir re-encounters Assef
Amir is being beaten up by Assef and says "It hurt to laugh, hurt my jaws, my ribs, my throat. But I was laughing and laughing. And the harder I laughed, the harder he kicked me, punched me, scratched me" (Hosseini 289). Amir is laughing much like Assef when he made his "realization" about God. This shows how Amir feels like he is finally being atoned and getting what he deserved and was greatly relieved. His burden from so many years ago had finally been lifted. -
Amir adopts Sohrab and goes back to America
Sorahb smiles at the park and Amir says "It was only a smile, nothing more...It didn't make ANYTHING all right. Only a smile...But I'll take it. With open arms. Because when spring comes, it melts the snow one flake at a time, maybe I just witnessed the first flake melting" (Hosseini 371). This is a new beginning for Sohrab and Amir, the author uses the transition into spring as a metaphor for the bad past transitioning into a bright future. Amir is free because he has finally atoned his sins. -
Sohrab tries to commit suicide
Sohrab was in the hospital and the doctor said "The boy had cut himself deeply and has lost a great deal of blood and my mouth begins to mutter that prayer again" (Hosseini 348). Sohrab had been terrified at the thought of going back to the orphanage, the place that had scarred him for life, that he felt suicide was the only option. Amir is horrified and rushes Sohrab to the hospital. He begins to pray for the first time in years in desperate hope, this shows just how much Sohrab means to him. -
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Post 9/11 invasion
After the 9/11terrorist attack, "on the World Trade Center in New York...President George W. Bush gave the Taliban an ultimatum to hand over Mr. bin Laden. When it refused, the United States joined forces with rebel groups that had never accepted Taliban rule, notably the Northern Alliance, which represented minority tribes. An air and ground campaign began that drove the Taliban out of the major Afghan cities by the end of the year"(New York Times) -
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Karzai government
From 2001-2004, the government was controlled by Karzai, "In December 2001, Hamid Karzai...was named chairman of an interim government that replaced the defeated Taliban, making him the leader of the country. He took office as interim president in June 2002, saying he hoped to secure peace for Afghanistan and win the country much-needed international aid. Mr. Karzai was elected to a five-year term as president in 2004"(New York Times). -
9/11 tragedy
On September 11, a terrorist attack was launched of the US where, "Hijackers commandeer four commercial airplanes and crash them into the World Trade Center Towers in New York, the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C., and a Pennsylvania field, killing thousands. Days later, U.S. officials say bin Laden, the Saudi exile believed to be hiding in Afghanistan, is the prime suspect in the attack"(News Deck). -
The Taliban Resurgence
The Taliban resurgence began in 2002 after, "their defeat in 2001, the Taliban continued to wage a guerrilla warfare from a base in the mountainous and largely lawless tribal area on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. As the American military focus was diverted to the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the Taliban regrouped and began to extend its influence in the southern part of Afghanistan"(New York Times). -
Karzai election
In 2004, Karzai was elected as president for a five year term, "more than 10.5 million Afghans register to vote and choose among 18 presidential candidates, including interim leader Karzai. Karzai is elected with 55 percent of the vote"(News Deck). -
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Obamas war
President Obama pushed the US into Afghanistan's conflicts, his "plan to widen United States involvement in Afghanistan was shaped by a debate in which Vice President Biden warned against getting into a political and military quagmire, while military advisers argued that the Afghanistan war effort could be imperiled without even more troops"(New York Times).