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Hassan was Born
In the mud shack of Baba's estate, Sanaubar gave birth to Hassan, Amir's friend. He was born with a cleft lip, and therefore, "[Sanaubar] had refused to even hold Hassan, and just five days later, she was gone" (Hosseini 10). This quote shows how even when he was born, Hassan had been smiling, and this illustrates his positive attitude towards everything in life. This also foreshadows the pain he will feel later when Amir betrayed and abandoned him at the kite tournament. -
Monarchy Ended in Kabul
In Kabul, "Daoud Khan had ended the king's forty-year reign with a bloodless coup" (Hosseini 36). This quote interprets the switch of power between their past king Zahir Shah and the new leader, Daoud Khan. Plus, this also foreshadows the possibility of war in Afghanistan due to the power switch. -
Amir Wrote His First Short Story
After playing a trick on Hassan, Amir discovered his talent for creating stories, and he "'achieved [irony] in [his] first story'" (Hosseini 33). He then returned home that night and wrote his first short story. He showed it to Baba but Baba is frustrated at how Amir only writes. This quote really shows the beginning of his talent and the gap between Amir and Baba's relationship. -
Genghis Khan granted women rights
In 1975, Afghanistan leader, Genghis Khan "[proposed] a new constitution that grants women rights and works to modernize the largely communist state" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/). -
Hassan Was Raped By Assef
After the kite tournament, and when Hassan was running the blue kite for Amir, he ran into Assef and his friends. Even though Amir was there at the alley where the raping happened, he "ran because [he] was a coward. [He] was afraid of what Assef would do to me" (Hosseini 77). This quote shows Amir's lack of loyalty toward Hassan, and their relationship is only one-sided. And that Hassan is now scarred forever from this incident. -
Hassan and Ali left Amir's Family
After finding out about the rape from Hassan, Ali reported to Baba and he announced that both of them will be leaving Kabul to Hazarajat. Baba "[did] something [Amir] had never seen him do before: He cried" (Hosseini 107). Baba was so attached to Ali and Hassan as not only his servants but his close friends, he had cried for them, begging them to stay. This scene is important because due to the respect Baba earns in his community, he has never cried before. Now, he's showing his weakness. -
Genghis Khan is killed
In 1978, Khan was killed in a military coup. The country is taken over by "Nur Mohammad Taraki, one of the founding members of the Afghan Communist Party ... and [declared] [his] policies to be based on Islamic principles, Afghan nationalism and socioeconomic justice" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/). -
American Ambassador is killed, US Stopped Helping Afghanistan
In 1979, American Ambassador Adolph Dubs was killed, and consequently, "[t]he United States cuts off assistance to Afghanistan" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/). -
Amir and Baba Smuggled To Pakistan
As the war goes on in Kabul, Amir and Baba "[sat] with our suitcases between our legs, cramped with these strangers in the tarpaulin-covered cab of an old Russian truck" (Hosseini 110). In this quote, Baba had planned to smuggle to the safety of Pakistan with Amir. This shows how the comrades, rafiqs, controls and have power over Afghanistan. -
Many Fled to Pakistan
During the war, "2.8 million Afghans have fled ... to Pakistan, and another 1.5 million have fled to Iran" for protection (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/). The Soviet Union Army controlled the urban areas of Afghanistan. -
Amir Meets Soraya at Flea Market
After immigrating to California, Baba and Amir both struggled to adapt to the new environment. Baba decided to sell goods at the local flea market. Amir met General There's daughter, Soraya, and he had to "[fight] the urge to look toward the gray van" where their family set up their concession (Hosseini 141). After meeting Soraya, Amir made several attempts to talk to her and know more about her. Eventually, they became friends. -
Baba was Diagnosed with Cancer
As Baba gets older, he has more issues with his body. And as his cancer gets worse, "a radiation oncologist [tried] to talk Baba into getting radiation treatment. Baba refused" (Hosseini 161). In this quote, Baba is getting weaker and weaker everyday. This scene also foreshadows his death later in the story. -
Amir and Soraya Taheri are Married
After meeting Soraya, Amir fell in love and asked Baba to "'ask General Taheri for his daughter's hand" (Hosseini 161). The Taheris accepted the marriage, and started planning and preparing for the ceremonies. This shows how Baba and Amir's relationship have shifted to a happier state. This ceremony also -
al-Qaida Formed
In September 1988, "Osama bin Laden and 15 other Islamists form the group al-Qaida, or “the base”, to continue their jihad, or holy war, against the Soviets" or anyone else that opposes their goal of a "pure nation governed by Islam" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/). -
Afghanistan Independence
In 1989, "[t]he U.S., Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Soviet Union sign peace accords in Geneva and the withdrawal of 100,000 Soviet troops" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/). -
Sanaubar Returns
In the 1980's, Rahim Khan traveled to Hazarajat to find Hassan. After finding that Hassan has a wife and son already, Rahim Khan invited them to lie in Baba's old mansion in order to take care of the house. One day, "a woman covered in a sky blue burqa knocked on the front gates" (Hosseini 209). Later, it turns out that woman was Sanaubar. She had came back from the circus of dancers and singers, with many scars on her face. Hassan's family spent time together with Sanaubar until she died. -
Unexplained Infertility
When their doctor announced "unexplained infertility" to the couple, Amir and Soraya are left with the option of adoption. However, General Taheri cannot accept the fact that his son has to adopt a child of different bloodline to his family. I see this as a way to punish Amir for abandoning Hassan in the past. -
Taliban was Formed
In 1995, "[n]ewly formed Islamic militia, the Taliban, rises to power on promises of peace" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/). Many Afghans approve of the Taliban because of their action to control crime. -
Rahim Khan Calls Amir to Return to Pakistan
One day, Rahim Khan called Amir in America to visit him because "'[he] is very sick'" (Hosseini 191). Amir decided to visit Rahim Khan in order to atone for what he had done in the past. He left Soraya and their house in California a week later. This shows his longing to remember his past, and to bond with his childhood friend. -
Amir Discovered his Half Brother
After explaining what happened to Hassan, Rahim Khan asked Amir to save Sohrab, Hassan's son in Afghanistan. He also explained that Baba and Sanaubar had Hassan, and Amir "stormed out of the apartment" in frustration (Hosseini 223). This scene reveals irony in this book because when Amir as little, Baba always explained that stealing is the most unforgivable sin, like lying. But here, Amir found out that Baba has been hiding the truth of Hassan's origins the whole time. -
Amir Faces Assef Again
After discovering that the Taliban has taken Sohrab, Amir and Farid traveled to their house to talk. After the Talib "took off his sunglasses ... his name escaped my lips: 'Assef'" (Hosseini 281). After all those years, Assef shows up again in the story, still trying to get revenge on Amir. He has Sohrab in this arms while they talked. And finally, Assef suggested that they should settle this with a fight, in order to get Sohrab back. -
Amir Returned to America
After rescuing Sohrab from Assef, Amir got Sohrab a visa to travel to the United States. When they arrive, "Soraya picked [them] up from the airport" (Hosseini 357). In Afghanistan, Amir had told Soraya completely what happened between him and Hassan. This has relieved his guilt about abandoning Hassan when they were young, and adopting Sohrab has given him a chance of atonement and redemption. -
September 11th, 2001
Four hijackers, who the police suspected are from al-Qaida, "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" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/). This event is later called the 9/11, and there is a monument built for the victims in New York also. -
Elections for a Pashtun
In October 2004, "[p]residential elections are held, [with] [m]ore than 10.5 million Afghans register to vote ... [Hamid] Karzai is elected with 55 percent of the vote" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/). Karzai is a Pashtun, just like Amir in the Kite Runner. -
Aid to Afghanistan
In 2008, due to the Afghanistan War, "[t]he international community pledges more than $15 billion in aid to Afghanistan at a donors’ conference in Paris, while Afghan President Hamid Karzai promises to fight corruption in the government," and improving his country's lifestyle and reputation to the international public.