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Hassan raped
Hassan is weakened and violated by Assef as he begins "teaching a lesson to a disrespectful donkey" (75) by raping him. This is a major plot point, as it shapes the rest of Amir's life as he witnesses this scene. It also hurts Hassan as well, scarring him with a terrible memory. -
Ali and Hassan's departure
After Amir puts his birthday gifts under Hassan's mattress and it is discovered, Hassan lies that he stole the gifts in order to protect Amir. Ali makes the decision to leave, saying " 'We are laeving, Agha sahib'...'We can't live here anymore' "(106). This is a pivotal event as it separates Hassan and Amir, and greatly changes the story with the main characters leaving. It changes the relationships of the characters. -
Soviet Union Invasion
The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, where "the first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul on Dec. 27, 1979" (1). -
Amir and Baba's departure of Afghanistan
After the Soviet invasion, Amir and Baba leave the country to escape to a country with more safety and freedom. Amir thinks about the situation, saying "we'd left the house where I'd lived my entire life, as if we were going out for a bite" (112). This is a large plot event as they leave their original setting for a new place, and completely changes the plot. It also affects their relationship, as their past status is lost. -
Amir meets Soraya for the first time
During the summer of 1984, Amir meets Soraya for the first time at the flea market. Amir describes her as " a slim-hipped beauty with velvety coal black hair... Her eyes, walnut brown and shaded by faned lashes, met mine. Held for a moment. Flew away" (140). This is a key event, as it introduces a key character. This character will go on to become Amir's wife; their first encounter is very important because of here importance in the story. -
Ali dies
Amir learns about Ali's death in 2001, as Rahim Khan explains the events that unfolded when he went to visit Hassan in 1986. Hassan tells Rahim who tells Amir that "Ali and his cousin-- who had owned the house-- had been killed by a land mine two years before, just outside of Bamiyan" (206). This is important, as Ali was a major character in the novel. This greatly affects Hassan, Rahim Khan, and Amir, knowing their close friend/father is dead. -
Baba discovers he has cancer
Sometime around the summer of 1985, Baba discovers he has cancer, after being sick for a long time. Baba's cancer "was called 'Oat Cell Carnioma.' Advanced. Inoperable" (156). This quotation changes the whole book, as it puts Baba's life on a timer. This takes away a major character from the plot. -
Amir and Soraya get married
A bit after the summer of 1985, Amir and Soraya agree to get married, after General Taheri accepts Baba's offer. In the wedding, "We said our oaths. Signed the certificates" (170). This officially makes Amir and Soraya husband and wife. This is important, as the main character gets married, introducing a new relationship into the plot. -
Baba dies
A month after the wedding, Baba passes away. After Amir and Soraya close the door, "Baba never woke up" (173). This is important because it is the end of a very major character. This event affects the characters emotionally, due to a loss of a close person, and changes the plot. -
Soviet Withdrawal
The end of the fighting with the USSR came when 'the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989" (2). -
Sanaubar visits Hassan
In early 1990, Sanaubar returns to Hassan and his wife Farzana. Rahim Khan says that "None of us had seen Sanaubar since she had eloped with a band of singers and dancers in 1964... And now..." (210). This is important as it again affects the characters, with a long lost character coming back. This gives Hassan closure about his mother. -
Divided Power in Afganistan
With Soviet forces gone, "Afghanistan descended into vicious internecine strife; by the summer of 1994, power was anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms: (2). -
Mullah Omar gains power
By the end of 1994, Mullah Omar, the founder of the taliban, "had nearly 12,000 followers and was rolling up to the warlords to the north and east" (2). -
Pakistani help to the Afghanistan
The Taliban was helped by "Pakistani intelligence officers" who "began funneling arms, money, and supplies to Mullah Omar's men, as well as military advisers to help guide them in battle" (3). -
Osama arrives
Osama Bin Laden was "provided a haven" by the Taliban, and came "in May 1996," (3) along with Al Qaeda. -
Pakistani takeover
The Taliban were very strong by the end of 1996, and had "taken control of Afghanistan, imposing strict enforcement of fundamentalist Islamic law" (3). -
Hassan and Farzana dead
Hassan and Farzana are killed by the Taliban as they " 'shot him n the back of the head, ' " and when Farzana came out, they " 'shot her too' " (219). This is a very important event, as Hassan and her wife, two major characters, are killed off. This clealry affects Amir emotionally afterwards. -
Amir visits Rahim Khan
Amir agrees to meet a dying Rahim Khan, as on the phone he says " 'I have to go to Pakistan... Rahim Khan is very sick ' " (191). This is very important to the plot, because it moves Amir to Pakistan, where he will stay for a while. This initiates many more plot events. -
Amir and Hassan are brothers
During Amir's conversation with Rahim Khan, Amir discovers that he and Hassan were brothers. Amir is upset that he had been stolen "the right to know I had a brother, [stolen] from Hassan his identity, and from Ali his honor" (225). This is a major plot twist, as Amir and Hassan were not aware all along. This changes the relationship between Amir and Hassan greatly. -
Amir goes to Kabul
After Amir's conversation, he agrees to go to Kabul in order to find and retrieve Hassan's child, Sohrab. Amir then "told him I was going to Kabul" (227). This event triggers many more important plot events later. It also ends up introducing new characters to the story. -
Assef and Amir fight
Amir discovers Assef is a leader among the Taliban, and they have a fight to the death. Assef says, "In a moment, I'm going to close the door. Then he and I are going to finish an old bit of business" (287). This is important to the plot, as it introduced a villain in a plot twist, and is a large dangerous fight. This also marks the departure of Amir from Kabul after the fight. -
Sohrab goes to live with Amir
Sohrab goes to live in America with Amir and his wife in this quote: "And so it was that, about a week later, we crossed a strip of warm, black tarmac and I brought Hassan's son from Afghanistan to America..." (356). In this quote, Sohrab finally leaves Afghanistan, introducing a new member to Amir's family. This affects many characters, adding new relationships in to the plot. -
World Trade Center Attack
After the Taliban attack on the World Trade Center, "the United States joined forces with rebel groups that had never accepted Taliban rule" (3) and launched an attack against the Taliban. -
New Afghan Government
After the Taliban were defeated, Hamid Karzai "was named chairman of an interim government... making him the leader of the country" (3). -
Obama's Speech
After years of war, Obama "announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops," (4) marking the start of a new period of war.