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Hassan's Rape
When Hassan is running a kite for Amir, he encounters Assef in an alley. Assef traps Hassan and tells him to give up the kite. When Hassan refuses, Assef "[kneels] behind Hassan, [puts] his hands on Hassan's hips and [lifts] his bare buttocks... [Assef unzips] his jeans. [Drops] his underwear. He [positions] himself behind Hassan" (Hosseini 75). Amir has a chance to stop the rape but chose not to help fearing what Assef would do to him. By running away, Amir ends his friendship with Hassan. -
Hassan and Ali Leave Amir and Baba
When Amir tries to rid Hassan from his life, Baba offers the chance for Hassan to stay but Ali says "We are leaving, Agha Sahib... We can't live here anymore" (Hosseini 106). Ali's straightforward request to leave Baba, a man who he had known for all his life, shows that Ali knew about what happened to Hassan and could not bare the pain. Little does Amir know, but he would never see Hassan again after he attempted to frame him. -
Kite Fight
Amir feels that winning kite fight is the only way to receive Baba's affection. When it comes down to the last 2 kites Amir ends up cutting the other down. When he won, "Hassan was screaming and his arm was wrapped around [his] neck... [Baba] was standing on the edge, pumping both of his fists. Hollering and Clapping" (Hosseini 66). Amir succeedes in winning Kite fight and gains recognition from it. He finally receives the affection from his father that he had been longing for the past 12 years. -
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Significant Events
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Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
Soviet troops invade Afghanistan to "assist Babrak Karmal, who had become president in a coup within the Afghan Communist Leadership" (The New York Times 2). 15,000 soviet lives were lost in the invasion. The invasion had a great impact on the events that would come when the invasion ended. -
Amir and Baba Flee Kabul
When the Russian's begin to invade Kabul Baba and Amir have no choice but to leave. Kabul had become a city where "grim-faced Russians [patrolled] the sidewalks, tanks [rolled] up and down the streets of [the] city, their turrets swiveling like accusing fingers" (Hosseini 113). With the Russian corruption, Kabul is no longer a safe place to live. When Amir leaves Kabul, he also leaves behind his old life. -
America
After fleeing from Afghanistan, Amir and Baba move to Fremont, California. Amir states that "America was different. America was a river, roaring along unmindful of the past. I could wade into this river, let my sins drown to the bottom, let the waters carry me someplace far" (Hosseini 136). Amir embraces and enjoys staying in America. He sees the country as a way to put his past behind him, not having to worry about his mistakes that he made in Afghanistan. -
Amir Asks Baba to Help Him Get Soraya's Hand in Marriage
When Baba becomes sick with cancer, Amir realizes that he needs Baba's help. He tells Baba, "I want you to go to khastegari. I want you to ask General Taheri for his daughter's hand" (Hosseini 161). Amir knows that Baba does not have much time left on earth so he jumps on the opportunity to receive help from his father. Baba fulfilling his request acts as his final important act before his death. -
Baba Dies
A month prior to the wedding, Amir and Soraya are helping put Baba to sleep and Baba asks them to "lean in. [He] gave each of us a kiss" (Hosseini 173). Baba asking for a kiss shows that he knows he will die soon. His death shows importance because with his death he is trying to tell Amir that he must grow up and fend for himself. -
Aftermath of the Soviet Invasion
When soviet troops left Afghanistan, "They left behind a country that was not only devastated by the war but had become a beacon to Islamic extremists from across the globe" (The New York Times 2). The Soviets had made the Afghanistan government and power much more violent. When Soviets left, all of the power-hungry tyrants came out from the shadows seeking power in the Afghan government. -
The Taliban Gains Control of Afghanistan
With the help of Mullah Omar and Osama Bin Laden, the Taliban were able to take control of the Afghani government after the soviet invasion. By 1996, the Taliban had taken almost full control over Afghanistan. They "[imposed] strict enforcement of fundamentalist Islamic law, [banned] movies and music and [forced] women out of schools and into all-enveloping burqa clothing" (The New York Times 3). -
United States Invasion of Afghanistan
After 9/11 and the bombing of the twin towers, the United States decides to send troops into Afghanistan with hopes of pushing Al Qaeda out of power. The invasion "succeeded in dislodging Al Qaeda and removing the Taliban from power, but not in eradicating either group" (The New York Times 1). -
George W. Bush's response to 9/11
After the attack on the World Trade Center, President George W. Bush demanded that Osama Bin Laden were to be brought to the U.S. When the Taliban refused Bush's request, the U.S. "joined forces with rebel groups that had never accepted Taliban rule, notably the Northern Alliance, which represented minority tribes" (The New York Times 3). With the new alliances, the U.S. was able to drive the Taliban out of major Afghani cities by the end of the year. -
The Taliban's Retreat
Once the U.S. had taken over the major Afghani cities, Taliban leaders and members of Al Qaeda "retreated to Tora Bora in the mountains along the Pakistan Border and eventually escaped after a battle there, primarily involving Afghan forces allied with the United States" (The New York Times 3). -
Rahim Khan's Phone Call
Years after Soraya and Amir's marriage, Rahim Khan tells Amir that he is very sick and wants him to come to Pakistan. Rahim Khan tells Amir in his call the words "Come. There is a way to be good again" (Hosseini 192). Rahim Khan's words show that he knows about how Amir did nothing about Hassan's Rape. Amir's surprise of hearing those words fuels his drive to go to Pakistan and talk with Rahim Khan. -
Rahim Khan Tells Amir What Happened in Kabul Over the Years
When Amir arrives in Pakistan, Rahim Khan tells him how Hassan had moved into his old house with Rahim Khan, he tells about Hassan's kid, and how Hassan had died. The Taliban had "took [Hassan] to the street... order him to kneel... and shot him in the back of the head" (Hosseini 219). When Amir finds out Hassan is dead, he cannot stop denying that he has left earth. Amir feels empty because he knows he can never try to make up with Hassan and earn his forgiveness. -
Amir and Hassan are Half Brothers
When Amir finds out from Rahim Khan that he and Hassan were half brothers, he becomes overwhelmed with rage stating that his entire family was full of liars. He compares himself to Baba because he and Baba had "both betrayed the people who would have given their lives for [them]" (Hosseini 226). Amir finally realizes that even though he didn't think so, he and his dad have a lot in common. He no longer sees his father as a warm-hearted man but a traitor to him and Hassan. -
Amir Returns to Kabul
When Amir returns to the destroyed city of Kabul, he sees "rubble and beggars. Everywhere [he] looked, that was what [he] saw... they squatted at every street corner, dressed in shredded burlap rags, mud-caked hands held out for a coin" (Hosseini 245). The Kabul that Amir knew had disappeared and become overrun by the Taliban. When Amir sees Kabul, he comes to the realization that times have changed and there is no way to bring back the old Afghanistan that he knew and grew up in. -
Sohrab Saves Amir
Assef pummels Amir to a pulp until Sohrab stands over Assef and tells him to stop holding his slingshot. Sohrab's "hand was cocked above his shoulder, holding the cup of the slingshot at the end of the elastic band... Sohrab had the slingshot pointed at Assef's face" (Hosseini 290). When Sohrab stands up for Amir, it shows that he cares for him. Sohrab knows that Amir is a good person just trying to help him out and knows that he must help Amir. -
Sohrab Attempts Suicide
When Amir tells Sohrab that he has to go back to the Orphanage, Sohrab begins to cry and says "I'm scared of that place. They'll hurt me! I don't want to go," which results in him attempting suicide shortly after (Hosseini 341). Sohrab's actions show that his greatest fear is having to return back to the Orphanage. Assef had traumatized Sohrab which made Sohrab associate the orphanage with sexual and physical abuse. -
Amir and Assef Meet Again
When Amir is making a deal with the Talib about taking Sohrab, the Talib removes his glasses and reveals himself to be Assef. While Amir is in shock, Assef tells Amir that he joined the Taliban because when the Russian soldier was kicking him and his kidney stone passed he "kept laughing and laughing because suddenly [he] knew that had been a message from God: he was on [his] side" (Hosseini 284). Assef joined the Taliban because he thought he was one with God. Assef has not changed since 1975. -
9/11 and the Collapse of the World Trade Centers
9/11 was one of the worst events the U.S. ever experienced. Terrorist group Al Qaeda had planned the attack on the world trade center and the pentagon prior to the major event. Terrorists hijacked planes and rammed them into the world trade centers with the intent of killing as many people as possible. 15 minutes after the planes hit the towers the "south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed in a massive cloud of dust and smoke" (History.com Staff). The North Tower fell shortly after. -
The Taliban's Resurgence
Although they were defeated in 2001, the Taliban regrouped and continued to grow out in the mountains. The Taliban was able to grow so big quickly with money from a "resurgent opium trade, which helped fill the groups coffers" (The New York Times 3). With the U.S. governments attention directed towards Iraq, the Taliban were able to grow and influence the Southern Afghani's about their ways. The Taliban grew larger and deadlier with each year. -
The Half Smile
At the Afghan New Year Party, Amir and Sohrab are together and when Amir cuts down one of the kites, Amir looks down and sees that "one corner of [Sohrab's] mouth had curled up just so. A smile. Lopsided. Hardly there. But there" (Hosseini 371). When Amir cuts the kite, Sohrab finally shows signs of happiness about his new life in America. It may be a small action but the smile had given Amir hope that all would become well and Sohrab would return to his old self. -
Hamid Karzai Becomes President
When the Taliban were driven out of Afghanistan the people needed a new leader. Hamid Karzai, a supporter and relative of the former exiled president of Afghanistan stepped up and became the interim president of the country in 2002. He later became the president of Afghanistan in 2004. The people of Afghanistan respected Karzai however his popularity "steadily plunged... as Mr. Karzai faced an Afghan population that blamed him for the manifest lack of economic progress" (The New York Times 3). -
Obama's Plan
President Obama planned to widen his involvement with Afghanistan. He stated that he would deploy 30,000 extra troops but also try to send the troops in Afghanistan back home by 2011. He then pushed the date back to 2014 because he wanted to show that "the United States is not walking away and to warn the Taliban that aggressive operations against them would continue" (The New York Times 4).