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Afghanistan Timeline
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Disturbing thoughts-fathers wish for sons to be dead
Becuase of his past experiences, Amir genuinely remarks (to himself), "[don't] all fathers in their secret hearts harbor a desire to kill their sons" (29). These thoughts can be attribuited to the interactions of Amir and his father-always seeming to end with Amir failing his father's expectations. A clash of beliefs as well as personal interests may be the source of this ongoing conflict; howver, the authour hints at something deeper. Something possibly to be revealed later in the story. -
Hassan is violated and abused
Following Hassan's successful effort to retrieve the fallen kite of Amir's final opponent he disappeared. His unexpected vanishing warranted Amir to enquire for Hassan's whereabouts. Not after long, Amir came upon him, "Hassan lay with his chest pinned to the ground. Kamal and Wali each gripped an arm... Assef was standing over them, the heel of his snow boots crushing the back of Hassan's neck" (75). -
Hassan is violated and abused cont.
Amir witnessed this, unnoticed by Assef and his accomplices, the unique situation providing Amir with two options. He chose to flee and abandon his lifelong companion. This decision brought Amir to a realization, thinking to himself, “I actually aspired to cowardice”(77). -
Amir wins the Kite Fighting Tournament cont.
On this momentous occasion, Amir has finally gained his father's respect; however, it could not have been acheived without his most loyal compaion, Hassan, and the sacrifice Hassan needed to make in order for Amir to gain his father's respect and confidence. -
Amir wins the Kite Fighting Tournament
The annual kite fighting tournament in Wazir Akhar is a long anticipated day for many children in Kabul, especially Amir. After staying up all night long and struggling through a day's worth of kite fighting Amir is rewarded when he sees not only "the blue kite spinning widly", but also his father "Baba... pumping both of his fists" (66). Amir never felt as if his father took pride in him as a son, but in this moment Amir is overwhelmed by his father's pride. -
Soviet Troops Touch Down
Originally, Afghanistan was a monarchy ruled by "Hafizullah Amin, the Afghan leader", until "the 1979 invasion by the Soviet Union" (2). The overthrow of the crown began when "The first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul on December 27, 1979, to assist Babrak Karmal, who had become president in a coup within the Afghan Communist leadership" (2). -
Rafiqs infiltrate Afghan society
Life in Kabul, in addition to the rest of Afghanistan, consisted of two groups of people, "those who eavesdropped and those who didn't" (112). This unfortunate corruptness within Afghan society eventually led Amir and Baba to desert their home that they had known for so long. In Kabul, the sense of community had completely diminished, and without the ability to trust one's teacher, one's neighbor, and even one's servant, it was no longer a possibility to live freely and lead a normal life. -
Farwell Farsi, Hello Punjabi Analysis
Not only does this event mark the couple’s arrival in Pakistan, it symbolizes the potential life that the can now be had by Amir, as well as his father, Baba. This event also foreshadows opportunities to be taken in the near future. -
Farwell Farsi, Hello Punjabi
In reposne to their currently unsatisfactory lives, Baba, along with Amir, decides to leave Afghanistan for good. Becuase of the military occupation of Afghanistan, the two needed to be smuggled across the border inside the tank of a fuel truck. Finally having reached their destination, Amir was relieved of "the stench of gasoline, vomit, and shit" of the fuel chamber in additon to his presumptions of reaching Pakistan confirmed by Baba's comforting words, "We're in Pakistan, Amir" (123). -
Amir Gruduates from high school (MIND THE SPACING OF LETTERS)
After moving to America there were many uncertanties in Amir's life; however,the one constant was his education.Despite many setbacks up to this point,Amir"graduated from highschool at the age of twenty,by far the oldest senior tossing his mortarboard on the football field that day"(131).Although he may have been out of place on the momentous occasion,amir's graduation symbolizes his comitement to lifelong learning.Amir is reassured by his father Baba who tells him,"I am moftakhir...Proud"(131). -
Baba is diagnosed with cancer; terminal cancer continued analysis
Through his actions, Baba demonstrates a strong set of morals, as well as the will to stick to them, even regarding matters of life and death. -
Baba is diagnosed with cancer; terminal cancer
In spite of his concerning physical state, Baba is reluctant when Amir takes him to the doctor's office eventually giving in and getting a chest x-ray. Unfortunately, Amir's premonitions are confirmed by the results from the doctor "that cancer had many names" (155) and Baba's took the form of "Oat Cell Carcinoma" (156). This inevitable death sentence can trigger various reactions, Baba's being to accept his fate and stoically refuse treatments that subside the pain of cancer. -
Marriage at last
The momentous occaion has arrived, marriage, Amir "sitting on the sofa... Soraya's hand in [his]... as three hundred or so facees looked on" (171). An exuberant setting is created, and within it are Amir and Soraya, two people whose love for each other is beyond compare. Despite the shortcomings each individual has, the two manage to join together in unison and form the strongest bond.. a love bond. -
Amir becomes a Published Author
Amir's writing ambitions have paid off when he receives a letter from an agent asking to represent him. Amir gladly accepts and shortly thereafter Amir relays some exciting information from his agent to his wife. He tells her, "[Amir's agent]Martin called and informed me I was going to be a published novelist" (183). A momentous occssion for the couple that Soraya was overcome with joy and screamed. Additionally, this moment signifies the beginning of a promising career in writing for Amir. -
Unexplained Infertility cont.
relationship with Amir begins to falter. -
Unexplained Infertility
Despite countless attempts at having a child Amir could not successfully impregnate his wife Soraya. The doctor explains the root of their problem as something that can barely be explained at all, "Unexplained Infertility" (185). With neither one of them at fault, the two companions are only angry at the poignancy of their situation and not themselves. An option is adoption; however, it is something looked down upon in the Afghan culture. Frusturation takes over Soraya's emotions and her -
The war is over; the anarchy begins
After "the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in Feburary 1989", largely thanks to peace talks moderated by the UN, "Afghanistan descended into vicious internecine strife" (2). This chaos and political uncertainty would eventually lead to the rule of the large demographic group from the Afghan southeast, the Pashtun. -
Gaining Momentum
The Pashtun movement, led by Mullah Omar, began to gain momentum with "nearly 12,000 followers" (2), as well as military support from Pakistan. -
Taliban Seizes Control
Following years of turmoil and civil wars, "the Taliban, the extremist Islamic group...had seized control [of Afghanistan] in 1996" (1). -
Taliban welcomes Al Queda
By "emposing strict enforcement of fundamental Islamic law, banning movies and music and forcing women out of schools" Afghan leaders displayed the strength of Al Queda's voice in politics and how it affected the nation. Not only did Al Queda have a say in the Afghan government, their leader, Osama Bin Laden, was "provided a haven...who arrived by chartered jet at Jalalabad Airport in May 1996" (3). -
Rahim Khan calls Amir in America
While walking on Spreckels Lane in San Fransisco, Amir contemplates a phone call that he received from Rahim Khan, his father's business partner and friend from Afghanistan, who "called from Pakistan... I knew it wasn't just Rahim Khan on the line. It was my past of unatoned sins" (1). -
Rahim Khan calls Amir in America cont.
Thus, a moment that is mentioned in the beginning of the story is finally reached halfway through and this provides the reader with a source of satisfaction as well as adding a feeling of importance to all of the events that led up to this point in the story. -
Amir returns to Peshawar
After receiving a rare and troubling phone call from Rahim Khan, Amir decides to return to Pakistan becuase Rahim Khan simply told him that "there is a way to be good again" (192). Delving deeper, this statement means that Rahim Khan knew of Amir's dark past and thus, revealing that knowledge to Amir. However, the choice is left up to Amir and it involves a past of many secrets that he had never confronted. By getting on a plane to Afghanistan Amir decides to finally come to terms with his past. -
Assef is back in the picture
Amir has embarked upon a journey to atone for himself and find Hassan's orphaned son, Sohrab. He discovers that the boy is being kept with a prominent member of the Taliban, "his name rose from the deep... 'Assef'" (281). Assef is re-introduced into the story, as well as into the life of Amir, bringing the plot full-circle. Paradoxically, this brings Amir's greatest fears to life. However, he confronts Assef in order to save Sohrab, and although Amir gets nearly beaten to death, he escapes with Sohrab. -
Rahim Khan's Letter
In a letter to Amir, Rahim Khan states that "true redemption is... when good comes from guilt" (302). The reason for his saying this is because of Rahim Khan's perspective on Baba's life and actions. Rahim Khan believes that all of the good Baba ever did in his life originated from a sole source of guilt deep inside of him. The source of this guilt was Hassan. -
Soraya meets Sohrab
Even though she could not physically give birth to a child, Soraya considers Sohrab as her own son at first glance. Much more than a consolation, Sohrab provides joy for the couple (at first), and even in Soraya's joy, Amir notices "her eyes tearing over a little" (358). This represents a bittersweet moment for the couple because Sohrab is a reminder of the child the two never had. Nonetheless, he is a son, a dearly loved one at the very least. -
The Bush Ultimatum
By sheltering the leader of a large-scale terrorist oragnization, Osama Bin Laden, the Taliban was held accoutnable "after the attack on the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11, 2001" (3), a solemn date in America's history. This attack prompted "President George W. Bush" to give "the Taliban an ultimatum to hand over Mr. Bin Laden" (3). -
Interim President, Karzai, is elected
In a reponse to the Taliban retreat from office, the Afghan government appointed "Hamir Karzai, a supporter and relative of... the fomer king of Afghanistan,... leader of the country" (3). -
The Talban Persists
Even after they retereated from Afghanistan, "the Taliban continued to wage a guerrilla warfare from a base in the... largely lawless tribal area on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border" (3). -
A flutter of hope
Nearing the end of the story, Amir attempts to revive his bond with Sohrab over the art of kite-fighting. After receiving a rarity of a response from Sohrab, Amir offers, "Do you want me to run that kite for you?... For you, a thousand times over" (371). Amir is eager to regain his relationship with Sohrab and in doing so he makes himself susceptible to any response Sohrab chooses throw at him. Amir's open-ended offer is a call for forgiveness from Sohrab, whose smiling symbolizes a readiness to begin that journey. -
Petraeus takes charge
In a startegic military move by the president "General Petraeus, the Iraq commander who received much of the credit for the success of the surge there, had taken charge of the United States Central Command in October, 2008" (4). -
Obama's Promise
Providing America with a source of hope, Barack Obama "vowed to start bringing American forces home from Afghanistan in the middle of 2011" (4). -
Obama reneges
Many politicians make empty promises, this is demonstrated when "in a move away from that July 2011 deadline, the Obama administration" stated that "the United States [would]... have forces in the country until at least the end of 2014" (4).