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Baba Is Born, and Zahir Shah Rules
"1933, the year Baba was born and the year Zahir Shah began his forty-year reign of Afghanistan" (Hosseini 24), is representative of power. Baba is immensely powerful because of his wealth and status, but he is also powerful in that he influences Amir. Baba's actions are the foundation of our story, and his character is integral to the plot. In addition, Zahir Shah's rule is a shift in power, and the fact that his reign is long shows how great his power is. -
Hassan Is Born
"Hassan was born in the winter of 1964" (Hosseini 6), marking the beginning of his short life. He is born into the lower class, and acts as a servant to Amir. Hassan is integral to the story because he represents low socioeconomic status, and gives the reader a window into the life of someone with little money, as compared to Baba and Amir's affluence. -
Amir Reads Hassan His Story
"[I]n July 1973 ... [Amir] was reading to [Hassan], and suddenly [he] strayed from the written story" (Hosseini 30). Amir begins to read to Hassan the story that he has written, thinking he is playing a trick. Amir takes advantage of Hassan's illiteracy, one of the many contributing factors to the power dynamic between the two boys. Amir is shocked when Hassan reacts by applauding, and is validated in his aspiration to become a writer. -
Amir and Hassan Live in a Republic Now
On July 17, 1973, Afghanistan's monarchy is overthrown, "Kabul [awakes] the next morning to find that the monarchy is a thing of the past" (Hosseini 36). This date marks a drastic change in the boys' lives, and the beginning of all the misfortune that will befall both the country of Afghanistan, and Amir and Hassan. A drastic shift in power occurs in the government, foreshadowing future power shifts between the characters. -
Hassan's Lip Gets Fixed
Baba hires a plastic surgeon to fix Hassan's lip as his birthday present in the winter of 1974. Hassan undergoes the surgery, making a speedy recovery, and, "[t]he swelling subsided, and the wound healed with time" (Hosseini 47). Hassan no longer has a cleft lip, so it is clear when he is smiling and when he isn't. This is important because now it is even more shocking when Hassan becomes quiet and secluded as a result of his trauma, much different from his usual, smiling self. -
Assef Rapes Hassan
The winter of 1975 is a turning point in the novel. Assef manages to corner Hassan and rapes him to put him in his place, as he believes Hazaras are lesser beings than Pashtuns. Amir witnesses the entire thing, but doesn't make an effort to stop Assef. He looks at Hassan and the expression on Hassan's face, and he can, "[see] the resignation in it" (Hosseini 76). Amir doesn't do anything not because he is a coward but because he wants Baba's affections. Hassan must be sacrificed for Baba's love. -
Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan in support of the communist government. This is in attempt to quell anti-communist Muslim guerrillas who would overthrow the government. The Soviet Union sends forces to "invade the country on the night of Dec. 24, 1979, sending in some 30,000 troops and toppling the short-lived presidency of People’s leader Hafizullah Amin" (Encyclopedia Britannica). -
Baba and Amir Flee Afghanistan
Due to escalating violence, Baba and Amir leave Afghanistan to seek refuge in the United States. They hitch a ride first on a truck, then on a gasoline transportation vehicle. It is a long journey, "[o]n to freedom. On to safety" (Hosseini 119). The fact that Baba and Amir are willing to endure so much to find sanctuary in the US just shows how dedicated Baba is to making a new, better life for them. Baba wants to make Amir happy, and going to the US is his way of giving Amir his best shot. -
Amir Meets Soraya
In the summer of 1984, after Amir and Baba move to the US, they start frequenting the swap meet, which is dominated by Afghani vendors. It is in this place that Amir first lays his eyes on Soraya, "[t]he morning sun to [his] yelda" (Hosseini 144). Soraya is Amir's first love; he has never felt anything like this before. He is lovesick for her, and uses his yearning as inspiration to come up with this poetic metaphor for their relationship. -
Baba Dies of Cancer
In late 1984, Baba is hospitalized for cancer. His illness is terminal, and any treatment options will only postpone the inevitable. He refuses to be treated, and stays at home instead of in the hospital. Despite his complicated relationship with his father, Amir can't help but admit, "'I'm going to miss him'" (Hosseini 176). Baba has been such a big part of Amir's life, and now that he is gone, Amir has a lot of new responsibility to take on. -
Last Soviet Troops Are Sent Home
The Soviet army suffers great losses as a result of the Afghan War, and leaves Afghanistan devastated and unstable when it is over. The war officially ends in 1989 when the last Soviet troops are withdrawn from Afghanistan. There are heavy losses on both sides, and, "[t]he Soviets suffered some 15,000 dead and many more injured" (Encyclopedia Britannica). -
A Divided Afghanistan and Mullah Omar
At the end of the Afghan War Afghanistan is left divided into small political groups, and no one group has dominance. This all changes with Mullah Omar's sudden rise to popularity in 1994; his following will become what is now known as the Taliban. He gains popularity very quickly, and, "[b]y the end of 1994 Mullah Omar had nearly 12,000 followers and was rolling up the warlords to the north and east" (New York Times). -
Taliban Takeover
By 1996 the Taliban have complete control of Afghanistan, "imposing strict enforcement of fundamentalist Islamic law" by banning movies and music, and forcing women to wear burqa clothing (New York Times). -
Amir Returns to Afghanistan
In 2000, Amir receives a phone call from Rahim Khan, in which the old man informs him that "'there is a way to be good again"' (Hosseini 2). He returns to Afghanistan to find that, "[g]rim reminders of [the war] were strewn along the road: burned carcasses of old Soviet tanks, overturned military trucks gone to rust, a crushed Russian jeep that had plunged over the mountainside" (Hosseini 243). This shows how different Afghanistan is when Amir returns, and how much the war has changed it. -
Amir Witnesses a Public Stoning
In 2000, when Amir returns to Afghanistan to get Sohrab, he goes to a football match to meet the man who took Sohrab from the orphanage. While there, he witnesses the public stoning of two adulterers. The man he has arranged to meet, "[hurls] the stone at the blindfolded man in the hole. It struck the side of his head" (Hosseini 271). This is an example of the strict Islam and Shari'a law that the Taliban enforce, and demonstrates the drastic changes that Afghanistan is experiencing. -
Assef Returns and Fights Amir
Also in 2000 when Amir returns to Kabul, Assef re-enters our story. He bought Sohrab from the orphanage, and when Amir confronts him to try and take custody of the boy, they get into a fight. Assef beats Amir badly, but Amir, "felt at peace" (Hosseini 289). Assef hurts him and punches him and kicks him, but Amir laughs because, in some twisted way, he believes that this is the way he must atone for his actions. Being beaten up somehow relieves the guilt he has been feeling for so many years. -
Bamiyan Buddhas
Mullah Omar (and potentially Al Qaeda) orders the destruction of the 800-year-old Bamiyan Buddhas, an act that horrifies the whole world and sparks a lot of criticism of the Taliban. It gets the world thinking about the issues in Afghanistan. People began to pay attention to, "the destruction of the Buddha statues at Bamiyan, an act condemned around the world" (New York Times). -
Sohrab Attempts Suicide
In 2001, Sohrab attempts suicide when Amir tells him there is a possibility that he may have to return to the orphanage. Sohrab loses hope, and tries to slit his wrists with a razor. The doctor at the hospital says that Sohrab, "cut himself deeply and had lost a great deal of blood" (Hosseini 348). This act of trying to take his own life demonstrates how terrified Sohrab was of being forced to go back to the orphanage. He would rather die than return there. -
Amir and Sohrab Go to America
In August 2001 Amir finally returns home, bringing Sohrab with him. He sees Soraya, and immediately realizes, "how much [he] had missed her" (Hosseini 357). Amir feels relieved because he is home, not in terms of a place, but in terms of a person. Soraya is Amir's home. She truly is the morning sun to his yelda. -
9/11 and the War On Terror
The attack on the twin towers in New York City on September 11th serves as a catalyst for the US administration to buckle down on terrorism. President Bush "[gives] the Taliban an ultimatum to hand over Mr. bin Laden" (New York Times). When they refuse to hand him over the US send troops to push the Taliban out of major cities. This event sees the first US troops in Afghanistan. -
Amir and Sohrab Go to America
In March 2002, Sohrab, Amir, and Soraya attend an Afghani New Year's party. There is a kite competition, and Amir takes this opportunity to bond with Sohrab over kite flying. He cuts a kite using Hassan's old favorite move, and he sees that, "[o]ne corner of [Sohrab's] mouth had curled up just so" (Hosseini 371). This small gesture is all Amir needs to know he is making progress with Sohrab, and to tell him that, someday, everything might be alright again. -
Obama Plans to Send in More Troops
The US loses its foothold in Afghanistan, and the Taliban begin to regroup. President Obama "[announces] his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops" (New York Times). This strategy of sending more American soldiers to Afghanistan is made public during a speech on December 1, 2009. This leads to events which cause American forces to remain in Afghanistan until 2014. -
Wikileaks Releases Classified Afghan War Logs
Wikileaks paints the picture of the Afghan conflict in releasing six years worth of classified events as recorded by US soldiers in Afghanistan. This allows the American public to see the true nature of the conflict, and to realize what is really going on so far away from home. The logs represent "a daily diary of an American-led force often starved for resources and attention" (New York Times), and gave the American people a window into what was really going in Afghanistan. -
Bin Laden Is Killed in Pakistan
US special forces runs an operation to kill Bin Laden in Pakistan, where he is in hiding. They are successful, and the alleged mastermind of the September 11th attacks is "killed by U.S. forces during a raid on his compound hideout in Pakistan" (History.com). His death represents a small victory in the ongoing "War on Terror," and will be used as proof of its success for years to come. -
The US Signs a Security Agreement, Then Drops a Bomb
In 2014 the US and Afghanistan sign a security agreement, stating that a given number of US troops will remain in Afghanistan to combat terrorism and to train Afghan forces. In 2015 the US seems to go back on itself and bombs a Doctors Without Borders clinic in the northern Kunduz province. In addition to this, "[a]t least four medical facilities operated by the humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders have been bombed by the U.S.-backed, Saudi-led coalition in Yemen in the past year" (Salon).