Kite Runner & the History of Afghanistan

By iudicellok

  • Hassan's Cleft Lip Is Removed

    In 1974, on Hassan's birthday, Baba's gift for Hassan is hiring a plastic surgeon to remove his cleft lip. Amir reacts jealously, wishing he "too had some kind of scare that would beget Baba's sympathy. It wasn't fair" (Hosseini 46). This shows the relationship between Amir and Baba, in which Amir cannot impress Baba so he wishes he could gain Baba's affection by having some health scare. This also demonstrates that jealousy can drive people to do things they normally would not.

  • The Kite Contest

    During most winters, "districts in Kabul [hold] a kite-fighting tournament" (Hosseini, 49), but in 1975, Amir's district hosts the contest for many other districts, making the event even more exciting for boys in Kabul, including Amir and Hassan.

  • Assef Rapes Hassan

    Assef and his two friends catch Hassan with the kite that got second place in the contest while Amir watches. Instead of stealing the kite as Assef previously planned, Assef lets Hassan keep it, so "it will always remind [him] of what [Assef was] about to do to [him]" (Hosseini, 73). Amir then flees as Assef rapes Hassan. This event demonstrates Amir's fear of harm coming to himself. It also shows how Hassan's and Amir's different classes affect their relationship and interactions negatively.

  • The U.S. Ceases Assisting Afghanistan

    In 1979, the "United States [cut] off assistance to Afghanistan" (PBS 1).

  • The Soviet Union Invades Afghanistan

    In December of 1979, the Soviet Union "sent thousands of troops into Afghanistan and immediately assumed complete military and political control of Kabul and large portions of the country" (Office of the Historian 1).

  • Baba and Amir Leave Afghanistan

    In March of 1981, Amir and Baba "left Kabul just after two in the morning" (Hosseini, 110).

  • Baba's Liquor Store Incident

    In 1983, two store owners known by Baba and Amir ask for Baba's ID to use a check to purchase oranges, and Baba reacts by shouting that "[almost] two years we've bought his damn fruits and put money in his pocket and the son of a dog wants to see my license!" (Hosseini 127). This event is part of the beginning of Baba's dependency on Amir and Amir's independence. This quote also demonstrates how different people's reactions can be, for example, Amir would react calmly in this situation.

  • Amir Graduates High School

    In the summer of 1983, Amir "graduated high school at the age of twenty", and he was "by far the oldest senior... that day" (Hosseini, 131)

  • Baba Sells His Buick

    In the summer of 1984, "Baba sold his Buick and bought a dilapidated '71 Volkswagen bus for $550 from an old Afghan acquaintance" (Hosseini 137). When Baba sells his Buick, it symbolizes the significant change in lifestyle from when Baba and Amir lived in Kabul to when they moved to San Francisco. This event also reveals the sacrifices that people will make, such as a serious change in lifestyle, when moving to America to achieve the American Dream.

  • The U.N. Investigates Violations

    In 1984, the "United Nations [investigated] reported human rights violations in Afghanistan" (PBS 1).

  • Baba Dies

    One month after Amir and Soraya's wedding, Baba passes away. While listening to other people discuss Baba's good deeds at Baba's funeral, Amir realizes "how much of who [he] was, what [he] was, had been defined by Baba and the marks he had left on other people's lives" (Hosseini 174). Amir's thoughts after the funeral reveal how much he depended on Baba even though Amir did not know it. The funeral also demonstrates the connections and marks left on dozens of others' lives by one person.

  • Soraya and Amir Get Married

    In 1985, Amir and Soraya finally marry. During their wedding, or nika, Amir and Soraya and their families "were all seated around a table, Soraya and [Amir] dressed in green - the color of Islam, but also the color of spring and new beginnings" (Hosseini 170). The marriage of Soraya and Amir represents the end of Amir's reliance on Baba, since he now can rely on Soraya, but also must let her rely on him. This event also demonstrates how one relationship can affect dozens of other relationships.

  • Soraya Reveals Her Secret

    Soraya reveals her secret and is surprised when Amir does not react angrily. Amir then thinks later that "a big part of the reason [he] didn't care about Soraya's past was that [he] had one of his own" (Hosseini 180). Amir's reaction to Soraya's past demonstrates the aftermath of his own mistake and his regrets even years after the rape of Hassan. Some actions will permanently affect victims, and worse events will even permanently affect people who are not victims, such as Amir.

  • The Soviet Airforce Is Attacked by America

    In 1986, "the Soviet Airforce was also rendered largely useless by advanced Stinger antiaircraft missiles supplied by the U.S. to the rebels" (NYT 2).

  • Peace Accords for Afghan Independence

    In Geneva in 1988, "representatives of the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan signed three bilateral agreements intended to end the war in Afghanistan" (Klass 1)

  • Last Soviet Troops Leave Afghanistan

    On February 15, 1989, the last of the Soviet troops in Afghanistan left, "ending the USSR’s nine-year occupation of the country" (1, findingDulcinea staff).

  • The Taliban Takes over Afghanistan

    In 1996, the Taliban took control of Kabul, Afghanistan, "from President Burhanuddin Rabbani, an ethnic Tajik whom they viewed as anti-Pashtun and corrupt" (2 Laub)

  • Execution of Najibullah

    In 1997, Taliban "militia took over the capital, Kabul... [and] they summarily executed Najibullah" (Britannica 2)

  • Amir Reunites with Assef

    On Amir's journey to rescue Sohrab, he encounters Assef, who has been keeping Sohrab captive. Upon seeing Amir again, Assef begins battering Amir, and Amir feels that "for the first time since the winter of 1975, [he] felt at peace" (Hosseini 288) with himself. After living for years in regret, since Assef inflicts so much pain on him, Amir finally feels as if he has atoned for his mistake in the past. This shows how critical mistakes such as Amir's can require years until atoned.

  • Amir Tells Soraya His Secret

    While in Afghanistan with Sohrab, Amir decides to confess his secret to Soraya, and "as [he] spoke, [he] felt something lifting off [his] chest" (Hosseini 325). This reveals that once Amir finally confesses his secret, although having felt to have atoned for it, still lets him feel free because he has hidden it for so long. Once people tell the truth, although the truth can be awful, such as Amir's truth, they feel relief, almost, but not quite, as if they were atoning for it.

  • Amir Returns to Afghanistan

    In June of 2001, Amir returns to Afghanistan to visit Rahim Kahn. There, he hopes to redeem himself, as Rahim Kahn told him that "there [was] a way to be good again" (Hosseini 192) to convince Amir to come. Amir's visit to Afghanistan illustrates the permanent regrets of his mistake many years ago. It also shows that a person's past mistake can impact them forever, and sometimes the idea of atoning for their mistake can drive them to do risky things.

  • Sohrab Attempts Suicide

    After Amir rescues him, Sohrab attempts suicide. While waiting in the hospital to see Sohrab, Amir "[prays] that [his] sins have not caught up with [him] the way [he'd] always feared they would" (Hosseini 346). Although Amir felt as if he atoned for his mistake when Assef attacked him, since Sohrab attempted suicide, he feels as if he has not fully atoned for his past, showing the true volume of his mistake. This reveals how certain events can bring back unattended mistakes.

  • Amir Takes Sohrab to America

    In August of 2001, Amir takes "Hassan's son from Afghanistan to America, lifting him from the certainty of turmoil and dropping him in a turmoil of uncertainty" (Hosseini 356). Although Sohrab has many scars left from Afghanistan, moving to America and starting anew does not heal them altogether. This reveals the permanence of some actions in one place that can follow a person even if they start over in another place.

  • The US Becomes Militarily Involved in Afghanistan

    The US "has been militarily involved in Afghanistan" (1 NYT) since 2001, after the September 11 attacks.

  • First Parliamentary Elections in over 30 Years

    In 2005, Afghanistan "[held] its first parliamentary elections in more than 30 years. The peaceful vote [lead' to the parliament’s first meeting in December" (P.B.S. 3)