-
Hassan is raped
Shortly after Amir wins the tournament, Hassan is raped by Assef when Assef " Unzipped his jeans ... [and] positioned himself behind Hassan"(Hosseini 75). This is a major turning point in the book because it ruins Amir's relationship with Hassan but also ruins Baba's relationship with Ali. Amir had the chance to help Hassan. We get to see a new part of Amir and revels his true character and how he betrayed his best friend. -
Period: to
Time span
-
Amir's birthday/ Ali and Hassan leave
After Amir's birthday, Ali and Hassan decide to leave when Ali says, "We are leaving ... we can't live here anymore ... life here is impossible for us now" (Hosseini 106). Ali says they can not live there anymore because the tension between Amir and Hassan is inceasing. This was very hard on Baba but is also hard on Amir emotionally because he no longer has a way to make up for what he did. -
Soviets invade Afghanistan
Afghanistan has had a rough time considering "the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, has known little peace since 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded"(NYT). -
Baba and Amir leave Kabul and go to Pakistan
On the ride to Pakistan, a woman is about to be raped by someone with a gun and when Baba stands up for her Amir tries to stop him but Baba says, "Haven't I taught you anything?"(Hosseini 116). Baba slapping Amir's hand away really affects Amir because he wants to be able to stand up and do the things his father does but he is too scared. This is a big moment that could frustrate Amir because he's too scared to be able to do something like that but at the same time it could eventually help him. -
Amir and Baba in SF
During the 1980s, Amir and his dad moved to America to live there. They both really liked America and Amir even says, "Baba loved the idea of America" (Hosseini 125). There were probably a lot of people moving to America at this time because the American Dream was still a new idea. In this part of the story Baba seems a little more friendly and involved with Amir. -
Amir graduated high school
Amir graduated in the summer of 1983 and at his graduation he talks about his dad and says, "Then he saw me and waved. Smiled. He motioned for me to wear my mortarboard, and took a picture of me with the school's clock tower in the background"(Hosseini 131). Baba is proud of Amir in this moment and it is a very nice moment for the both of them. Baba usually is not too happy with Amir but this quote shows a genuine moment he had with his dad. -
Flea marketing/Amir meets Soraya
Amir had just recently met a girl named Soraya and does not known much about her, yet that night he thinks to himself," my heart stuttered at the thought of her. Soraya Taheri. My Swap Meet Princess"(Hosseini 142). This is foreshadowing because Amir is thinking a lot about her. It is also a big moment for Amir and his dad because he asks him a big favor of finding out more about her even though Baba does not like gossip. -
Amir gets married
Amir and Soraya want to get married and it is a big moment in Amir's life. After Soraya tells Amir that her "father said yes"(Hosseini 164) Amir gets really excited. He is finally growing out of his dad and in a way growing up. He has never lived alone and has been pretty depended of his dad. This is a big chance for him to prove himself for his dad even more. -
Baba dies
After going to the doctor Baba finds out he has cancer. The doctor offers chemo medication for him but he says, " no chemo medication for me... I've made my decision"(Hosseini 156). Amir really wants Baba to go through chemotherapy but Baba does not want to. I do not understand why he would not do it. I think it is because he does not want people to see him slowly die and get weaker and weaker, he would rather just accept it. -
Amir gets his first book published
Amir has enjoyed stories since he was a little kid. He finally gets his book published when he says, "Martin called and informed me I was going to be a published novelist. When I told Soraya, she screamed. We had a celebration dinner with Soraya's parents that night(Hosseini 183). This is a big moment for Amir that might have helped him reflect back on his childhood. When he was little, he used to read books with Hassan. Books are a big part of his life and this is a great moment for him. -
The Soviets leave Afghanistan
After leaving Afghanistan, the Soviets "left behind a country that was not only devastated by the war but that had become a beacon to Islamic extremists"(NYT). -
The Taliban starts growing
After Mullah Omar started his group, he started to expand and "by the end of 1994 Mullah Omar had nearly 12,000 followers"(NYT). -
The Taliban take over
After Pakistan had helped The Taliban a lot, "the Taliban ... had taken control of Afghanistan"(NYT). -
Hassan died
Hassan was taking care of Baba's house but the taliban thought he was lying. When he refused to leave " they took him to the street ... and shot him in the back of the head"(Hosseini 219). This is another part that shows that the Taliban are very violent. It also is a big moment that might have stuck Amir very hard and was a big reason he went to save Sorhab. -
Amir standing up for Sorhab and atoneing
After taking a beating from Assef to save Sorhab, Amir says, "My body was broken-just how badly I wouldn't find out until later-but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed"(Hosseini 289). This is a major moment for Amir because he finally fixed his mistake and even though he was broken, he said he was healed because he fixed his problem. It took Amir a while to fix what he did, but he did do it. -
Amir prays for the first time after Sorhab almost kills himsled
After Sorhab almost kills himself, Amir starts to pray for the first time after many years. He says, "I pray God doesn't let them get stained with the blood of his boy too"(Hosseini 346). This really shows how much Amir starts liking Sorhab because he has not had a good enough reason to pray in many years but this causes him to. This also makes Amir want to take care of Sorhab even more which means it most likely will. -
Taliban is removed from power
After September 11 attack on America, the military "succeeded in dislodging Al Qaeda and removing the Taliban from power"(NYT). -
The Taliban continues to grow and expand
The Taliban were defeated in 2001 but still "countinued to wage a gorilla warfare from a base"(NYT). -
Amir finds out Hassan is his half brother
After Amir finds out Hassan is his brother he says, "Hassan had loved me once, loved me in a way that no one ever had or ever would again. He was gone now, but a little part of him lived one it was in Kabul. Waiting"(Hosseini 227). Amir did not just want to get Hassan to atone for what he did. He did it because he missed Hassan and wanted to get a part of him in a way. What exactly did he mean by a little part of him? -
Amir stood up for Sorhab when he is called a Hazara
When general Sahib asks why there is a boy in his living room Amir tells him why then says, "You will never again refer to him as 'Hazara boy' in my presence. He has a name and it's Sohrab"(Hosseini 361). Not only has Amir really grown up and learns to talk to people without being scared, he also stands up for Sorhab just like how Hassan would stand up for him. So it shows that in a way, Amir is still atoning for Hassan when he does this. -
September 11th attack
On this day, there was an "attack on the World Trade Center in New York City"(NYT). -
Flying a kite
Sorhab has never smiled in the novel and for the first one "One corner of his mouth had curled up just so. A smile. Lopsided"(Hosseini 370). Sorhab has never really had a good life so he has never smiled. This moment shows a happy ending because it displays the idea that in the future, things are to get better. -
The Karzai Government
Although "Hamid Karzai ... took office as interim president ... saying he hoped to secure peace in Afghanistan"(NYT), he was blamed by the population for bad economic progress. -
Obama deploys troupes in Afghanistan
Obama was giving a speech when he "announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops He vowed to start bringing American forces home from Afganistan in the middle of 2011"(NYT). -
Obama changes his deadline
When people started to wonder if they were going to bring back the troupes, "Obama administration changed its tone to increasingly emphasize the idea that the United States will have forces in the country until at least the end of 2014"(NYT).