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Hassan is born and Sanaubar runs away
Hassan was born "in that small shack...one winter day in 1964. ...Hassan lost his [mother] less than a week after he was born, ...she ran off with a clan of traveling singers and dancers," (6). Being born in a small shack shows his lack of status in society because he was a Hazara. Also, Sanubar running away shows that she must have had something to run from, foreshadowing the reveal of the fact that Hassan and Amir are brothers. -
Assef Bullies the Boys
Being the bully that he his Assef "tipped his chin to Hassan. 'Hey, Flat-Nose,' he said. 'How is Babalu?'"(39). Because Hassan is a Hazara, Assef makes fun of him and how he looks. Assef was a bully ever since he was young, showing the connection to him being in the Taliban later in the book. -
Shooting
On a normal day, all of a sudden "the earth shook a little and we heard the rat-a-tat-tat of gunfire," (35). Even in the very beginnging of the book, there was violence. Although not as severe, this shooting was forshadowing that Kabul was a violent town to live in. -
Last Kite Run
Foreshadowing events to come, "in the winter of 1975, [Amir] saw Hassan run a kite for the last time" (55). Because Amir saw Hassan smile for the last time, it is evident that a tragic event is yet to come. This foreshadows Hassan's rape and the effect that it had on him. -
Amir and Hassan win the Kite Tournament
Celebrating their win of the kite tournament, Amir "was throwing [his] free arm around Hassan and [they] were hopping up and down," (66). -
Hassan is Raped
The bully, Assef, wanted the kite that Hassan had. But, being the loyal friend Hassan is, he did not give it to him. Assef wanted to punish him in the most traumatizing way possible, so he "knelt behind Hassan, put his hands on Hassan's hips and lifted his bare buttox" (75), he raped Hassan. This event revealed Assef's true ugly side and it also showed that Amir only thought of Hassan as a servant, not a friend, as he sat and watched. After this event, it is evident that life won't be the same. -
Amir throwing pomegranates
Drowning in guilt from being the bystander of Hassan's rape, Amir tries to get the punishment he deserves by "[hurling] the pomegranate at [Hassan]," (92). Feeling guilty that he was the bystander of Hassan's rape, Amir wants Hassan to punish him because he thinks that will atone his actions. Being a young child in this awful situation has Amir thinking that him being punished will atone his actions. -
Rahim Khan's Gift
Celebrating Amir's 13th birthday, Rahim "handed [Amir] something. 'I almost forgot. Happy birthday.' It was a brown leather-bound notebook," (99). Rahim Khan was the first person that believed in Amir which kickstarted his writing career. The notebook being a significant part of the novel foreshadows his writing career. -
Ali and Hassan Leave
Knowing that Hassan and Ali can live a better life, Ali says, "We are leaving Agha sahib," (106). Ali and Hassan leave, hoping for a better life somewhere else where Hassan didn't get raped. Them leaving shows change and bad news to come. -
Soviet Union Invasion
Afghanistan, the Republic, "has known little peace since 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded" (NYT, 1). -
Baba and Amir leave Kabul
With the war starting, Baba and Amir knew they had to leave so they "left Kabul just after two in the morning," (110). This event is a tremendous setting change. Going from their hometown to different parts of Afghanistan, and then eventually America, shows the amount of setting change in the book resulting in relationship changes. -
Amir Graduates
On his studious side, Amir "graduated from high school" (131). This not only proves that Amir followed through with his studies and ended up graduating, but it also boosts his socioeconomic status. It gives him an education, therefore boosting his socioeconomic status. -
Soviet Troops Left
With the help of the US, "the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989" (NYT, 2). -
Punishing Warlords
Mullah Omar "gathered a small band of men and attacked a group of warlords who had raped a girl and shaved her head" (NYT, 2). -
Divided Power
After the Soviet forces left the Republic, the "power was anarchically divided among competing," (NYT, 2). -
New Movement
After that, "by the end of 1994 Mullah Omar had nearly 12,000 followers [for a]... genuinely popular movement in a country weary of corruption and brutality" (NYT, 2). -
Taliban Gained Full Control of Afghanistan
After all the help from Pakistan, "the Taliban by 1996 had taken control of Afghanistan, imposing strict enforcement of fundamentalist Islamic law, banning movies and music and forcing women out of schools and into all-enveloping burqa clothing" (NYT, 3). -
Amir goes to Pakistan
Wanting to atone for his actions, Amir tells Soraya, "I have to go to Pakistan" (191). Amir feels guilty for what he did to Hassan so he wants to atone for his past actions. He feels the best way to atone his actions is to go back, which is what ends up driving him to go back to Pakistan. -
Amir finds out about his brother being Hassan
When Amir found out that Hassan was his brother, he thought "How could I have been so blind?" (224). Amir realized that all of the signs had been there that Hassan was Baba's son. It explained why he never forgot Hassan's birthday, and Baba treating him as more than a servant. -
Sohrab moves to America/Amir goes back home to America
Because Sohrab was being adopted into Amir's family in America, they "arrived home...on a warm day in August 2001" (357). By adopting Sohrab, Amir was working his way towards the atonement of his previous actions. Moving back to America with Sohrab proves that he was dedicated to atoning for his actions. -
Ultimatum for Taliban
Right after the 9/11 attacks, "President George W. Bush gave the Taliban an ultimatum to hand over Mr. bin Laden. When it refused, the United States joined forces with rebel groups that had never accepted the Taliban rule," (NYT, 3). -
Sohrab Smiles
When Amir and Sohrab were flying kites together, Amir saw Sohrab give "a smile" (370). Sohrab was finally feeling comfortable being with Amir in America and for that split second, everything seemed that it was going to be okay for Amir. This is the final sign in the novel that Amir was working towards the atonement of his actions and he was taking care of Sohrab as a father would. -
New Leader
Mohammad Zahir Shah said, "he hoped to secure peace for Afghanistan and win the country much-needed international aid," (NYT, 3). -
Talaban Resurgence
Even though they were defeated before, "the Taliban regrouped and began to extend its influence in the southern part of Afghanistan" (NYT, 3). -
Obama's Plan
Obama had "his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops" (NYT, 4).