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Hassan and Amir Are Born
Although Hassan is the son of Ali, Baba's servent, they are still treated like equals and were raised on the same breastmilk as infants. Baba reminded the two that, "there was a brotherhood between people who had fed from the same breast, a kinship that not even time could break."(11). This relationship is evident through the first few chapters of this book, yet later Hassan respects Amir, yet the feeling is not mutual. -
Hassan Undergoes Surgery to Fix his Cleft Lip
When Hassain was born, he had a cleft lip and for his tenth birthday, Baba gives him the gift of surgery to have it removed. Amir reveals his jealous side by stating, "Hassan hadn't done anything to earn Baba's affections; he'd just been born with that stupid harelip."(46) This quote not only explains how Hassan obtained a cleft lip, but it also displays amir's jealousy. This jealousy represents that Amir struggles to earn Baba's affection. -
Amir and Hassan win the Kite Tournament
In this novel, this event is one of the most influential events of the book. Amir foreshadows the event by stating,"In the winter of 1975, I saw Hassan run a kite for the last time."(55) This quote forshadows the event that is about to occur and how it effects their friendship. After Amir wins the Kite tournament, Hassan runs Amir's kite out of honor and is instead stopped and violated by Assef, creating a huge block between Amir and Hassan's friendship. -
Amir Celebrates His 13th Birthday
As Amir suffers from the events of the previous winter, Baba hosts an elaborate birthday party for Amir. He is surrounded by fireworks, gifts, food, and guests, however the only thing that truly matters to him is a leather-bound notebook given to him by Rahim Khan. Rahim usually served as the caring father figure in Amir's life and "{his] writing mentor, [his] pal."(98).His gift of a leather bound notebook was one of the kindest of all, as it was not elaborate and represented a passion of Amir. -
Amir and Ali leave Baba and Amir's service
When Ali and Hassan decide to leave Baba's household, Baba is forced to beg for them to stay, demonstrating a major power shift. When Ali and Hassan announce their departure, Baba screams, "At least tell me why."(107) As the upperclassman, Baba, begs them to stay and explain what happened, a massive power shift is observed and Amir has forever seperated the families' lives. -
The Invasion of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan
According to the New York Times article, "the Turmoil and extremism that have dominated its history since then can be traced to the 1979 invasion by the Soviet Union"(2) -
The first Soviet Union troops release into Afghanistan
The troops arrival "came in response to a plea for help from a legitimately constituted Kamal Government"(2), This action instead created conflict and confusion. -
Baba and Amir flee Afghanistan
When Amir and Baba flee Afghanistan to America they leave due to political issues. As Amir looks back on his life he hopes that there would be,"no grim-faced Russian soldiers patrolling the sidewalks, no tanks rolling up and down the streets of my city"(113). As explained in this quote, they fled the country and left it in ruins. This change began their whole immigrant life and changed everything about their living status, ethics, and relationship. -
Amir Graduates High School
Through Amir and Baba's adjustment to life in America, the pair becomes educated in English, and Baba must find a job to support amir's education. When Amir graduates high school, they discover what America really meant to both of them. Amir describes America as, "a place to bury [his] memories"(129), yet Baba sses America as "a place to mourn his"(129). The difference in perspective demonstrates a change in characteristic as well as morals to both people. -
Amir and Soraya get married
Amir finally gets fully adjusted to life in America with the union of him and Soraya. Their wedding process must be sped upas Baba only has a few weeks to live before cancer will take him. This ceremony displays Amir's beginning of a completely new life without the help of Baba. Before they say their vows, Amir whipered to her "that [he] loved her"(171) for the first time. In that they hadn't yet exchanged "I love you's" before getting married explained how new and important this union was. -
Baba Dies From Cancer
After months of suffering through lung cancer, Baba eventually passes away leaving Amir with only his new family of in-laws. Thsi event leaves Amir alone to experience the rest of his brand new wedded life in America. At Baba's funeral, many mourners told stories about Baba, and amir realizes, "much of who I was, what I was, had been defined by Baba and the marks he had left on people's lives."(174) This realization supports how Amir must grow by himself to fill in for what Baba had given him. -
Rahim Khan Searches for Hassan
As described later in the book by Rahim Khan, in 1986, Rahim Khan left in search of Hassan. His reasons included being lonely and he was also seeking assistance to tend to Baba's old mansion. Because Rahim had not seen Hassan since he was a child, he was thrilled to see him as an adult. He maintained the same "matter of respect"(208) his entire life, and was still just as helpful as he was his entire life. -
The Last Soviet troops leave Afghanistan
After the last Soviet Union troops left Afganistan, "they left behind a country that was not only devastated by the war, but that had become a beacon to Islamic extremists."(2) -
Hassan's Mother Returns and Sohrab is Born
In Amir's childhood house, where Hassan, Rahim, and Farzana live, Hassan's mother Sanaubar comes back after decades of living in other places and never meeting Hassan except at birth. Shortly after Sanaubar returns, Farzana gives birth to Sohrab and a small family bond is formed. Rahim explains that Sohrab "became the center of [Sanaubar's] existence"(211) There have been so many losses in Hassan's life and these few years were moments of kindness and peace. -
The Taliban take control of Afghanistan
According to the New York Times article, "the Taliban had taken control of Afghanistan inposing strict enforcement"(3). -
Osama Bin Laden's arrival
Shortly after the Taliban had taken control, "Mr. Bin Laden[...]arrived by chartered jet at Jalalabad Airport in May 1996, and for Al Qaeda."(3) -
Defeat of the Taliban
Although the Taliban had been defested, "the Taliban had continued to wage a guerilla warfare"(3). -
Hassan and Farzana are Killed by the Taliban
After the Taliban forces took control of Afghanistan, many citizens were pleased that the constant fighting had ended. However, the brutal force of the Talibs had resulted in even more deaths including Hassan and Farzana's. Hassan simply "protested"(219) against the Talibs taking over his house and in return, they "shot him in the back of the head."(219). When Farzana came out screaming, they shot her as well and did not care about the deaths of two people. -
Rahim Khan Convinces Amir to Travel to Afghanistan
Guilt is one of the strongest human emotions and that has controlled Amir's life since the winter on 1975. Rahim Khan calls Amir and says, "[t]here is a way to be good again."(192) Amir has lived his entire life with hopes of oneday making ammends for his actions towards Hassan in childhood. With hopes of being "good again", Amir flies to Afghanistan to face his old problems head on. -
Amir Brings Sohrab Home to America
After weeks of Amir's visit to Afghanistan, he locates Hassan's son or his nephew, and first must face the ghosts of his past. After a brutal fight with Assef, and the realization that Sohrab has nowhere safe to go in Afghanistan, Amir decides to atone for his past and take Sohrab with him back to America. During a phone call with Soraya, she says,"you have to bring him home"(326), in assumption that he can act as a child of their own. -
9-11 Bombing of the World Trade Center
On September 11th of 2001, several commercial airplanes were sabotaged by the Al Quada and forced an "attack on the World Trade Center" (3). -
Amir Makes Ammends with Sohrab in Running his Kite
After returning to America with Amir, Soraya does not speak a single word, never smiles, and refuses to accept Amir's apologies after breaking his promise. After about a full year of living in America, Sohrab finally allows Amir to connect with him after sharing the experience of kite fighting with him. During the experience of flying Kites, Amir sees "a smile"(370) on Sohrab's face, giving him hope that one day Sohrab will have let him make proper ammends to his family. -
Hamid Karzai was elected as president of Afghanistan
The former king of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai "hoped to secure peace for Afghanistan and win the country much-needed international aid"(3) at the beginning of his 5-year presidency. -
General Petraeus takes control of United States Central Command.
General Petraeus "had taken charge of United States Central Command in October 2008, with responsibility for military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and across the region."(4) -
Obama delivers the news of deploying 30,000 moro troops
Obama announced "his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops"(4) in order to support the war against the uprising Taliban.