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TKR: Amir Discovers His Writing Talent
Throughout Amir's life, he plays tricks Hassan that are meaningless until he makes up a story by himself. Though the trick is meant to play around, Hassan is delighted and declares that "that was the best story you've read me in a long time" (Hosseini 30). Even though the discovery was not intentional, it sparked the intrest and practice of writing short stories. -
TKR: Rahim Khan Teaches Baba a Valuable Lesson.
After a Buzkashi match where a young man was crushed by the stampede of horses, Amir began crying in shock which disappointed Baba. Rahim Khan explains to Baba that "children aren't coloring books" and you cannot fill them with all your likes or opinions (Hosseini 21). Despite Baba's frustrations, Rahim Khan defends Amir in the context that Amir is going to have different a personality and values than someone else. -
TKR: Assef Rapes Hassan
After the kite runner competition, Assef finds Hassan and gives him the choice to either receive punishment or give him Amir's flag to Assef. Unfortunately, loyalty overcomes Hassan and he gets raped by Assef. Despite his friend getting raped, Amir doesn't stand up for Hassan and describes his look as "a look of the lamb" (Hosseini 76). Hassan has an era of innocents that haunts Amir and forms the constant guilt that displays their relationship for the next few chapters. -
TKR: Amir Wins Kite Running Competition
In an effort to win the acceptance from his father, Amir is determined to win the annual kite running championship. With the help of Hassan's eerie ability, Amir describes the win as a beautiful dream" (Hosseini 66). The win puts Amir into the public spotlight as a champion, just as Baba desired. This transforms Baba's relationship with Amir into the connection Amir wanted. -
TKR: Ali and Hassan leave Baba and Amir.
After chapter 7, Amir and Hassan's connection changes dramatically to a silent and separated relationship, and from friends, they become a servant and a master. Notwithstanding Baba's confusion and anger, Ali proclaims that life is "impossible for [him and Hassan] now" (Hosseini 106). Most probably, the space created between Hassan and Amir generated Hassan to stop eating and sleeping. These events brought Ali to leave their responibilties in order to lead a better life. -
Soviet Union Takes Over
Afghanistan was once secluded and peaceful, but as soon as the Soviets arrived, the country was ruined by the turmoil of war. The constant fighting cost "roughly 15,000 lives and undisclosed billions of rubles" (New York Times). -
TKR: Amir Graduates From High School
Despite being an older student, Amir graduates high school successfully. At the end of the ceremony, Baba approaches Amir stating that "[he] is moftakhir" (Hosseini 131), or proud. The accomplishment is more significant because this means winning the academic respect from Baba, a father with very high expectations. -
TKR: Amir and Baba Begin Their Flea Market Business
Similar to many of the Afghanistan's, Amir and Baba survive on garage sales to keep their only profit from dropping. Every morning filling the "VW bus with used goods" in order to survive among the rest of the community (Hosseini 137). The importance of the flea market rests with so much more than a bunch of run down shops, it provides with the community and the future of Baba's life and on top of that Amir's future wife. -
TKR: Soraya Tells Amir Her Greatest Secret
Throughout the book, the effect of secrets are greatly illustrated. Towards the beginning of their marriage, Soraya confesses to "[running] away with an Afghan man" at eighteen (Hosseini 164), despite her father's wishes. Admitting a secret that didn't matter to Amir was still a difficult task for Soraya. This action puts further pressure and shame onto Amir, which creates a barriar of courage in the relationship. -
Stinger Aircraft Missiles Effect on Soviets
When America began fighting for Afghanistan, they began with missiles that made the Soveit Air Force "largely useless" with the advanced missiles. -
TKR: Rahim Khan Finds Hassan
After many changes to his lifestyle, Rahim Khan began searching for Hassan who had moved in with his cousin about a month following getting raped. Despite the many years in between Amir leaving for the USA and their childhood, Hassan still refused to live in Baba's house due to the "matter of ihtiram, [the] matter of respect" (Hosseini 208). Even after Hassan understands Amir and Baba would not be returning to Afghanistan, there is a constant loyalty that stands for his friends. -
Soviet Union Leaves
After "peace talks" presented by the United Nations, the last of troops had left (New York Times). Though the war had ended, the chaos did not; unfortunately, there was no established government to keep extremist groups from taking control. -
Taliban Grows
The group Taliban was created by students "dedicated to purifying the country" who's first action was to attack a group that raped and woman and shaved her head (New York Times). Unfortunately, the first reputation created leading up to 12,000 followers by 1994. Currently, the well-known act are the attacks of 9/11. -
No Power in Afghanistan
After the Soviet Union had departed there was no source of government to keep the county organized. The power was "anarchically divided" among many extremist groups and warlords. -
Taliban Take Over
After years of civil war, the extremist Islam group "[seizes] control" of Afghanistan, turning the environment into more turmoil (New York Times). -
TKR: Hassan Dies
During the shift of narration, Amir is told the news of Hassan's death and is unable to comprehend the information. All Amir could "manage was to whisper 'No No. No'" (Hosseini 219). Throughout the book, the relationship between Hassan and Amir is clearly identified as good friends until Hassan is raped by Assef. The sorrow Amir feels is not just the loss of a brother but also lies in the guilt Amir held with him. Despite wanting to atone to Hassan, Hassan will never know the pain Amir was in. -
Attack on Al Qaeda
Though Taliban and Al Qaeda were removed from power in Afghanistan, the American military began to focus on Iraq. Without the control in Afghanistan, the Taliban made a comeback "fueled by profits from the opium trade" overall creatign yet another unafe enviroment (New York Times). -
TKR: Amir Visits Rahim Khan
Throughout Amir's childhood, Rahim Khan acted more of a father then Baba did; as soon as Amir discovered Rahim Khan was dying, there was an immediate urgency to see him. Their connection is beyond a relationship, but an "unspoken secret" lies in their knowledge (Hosseini 192). The book displays Amir's betrayal, and yet only three know of it. When one holds a certain link of secrecy, there is a further seriousness in a life. -
TKR: Assef Attacks Amir
It is identified that Assef generally a crazed person; he rapes children, kills innocent people, and shames woman all at the same time, but his hatred to Amir is most displayed in chapter 22. As Assef is beating up Amir, Amir feels that the shame had gone and he had "healed at last" (Hosseini 289). Despite having many broken bones, Amir was laughing that finally, he was clear. In a way, Assef had inflicted the same pain he had brought Hassan to Amir, Amir had finally atoned. -
TKR: Sohrab Attempts Suicide
When discovering he may go back to an orphanage, in which he spent many days getting raped and forced to do other things, Sohrab attempts suicide and Amir finds him with "the left arm dangling over the side of the tub, the blood-soaked razor sitting on the toilet tank" (Hosseini 348) To let go of the memories living in Kabul, Sohrab cuts himself. While Amir still has the hope to go on, Sohrab no longer has the ability to believe people and hope for the best due to the experiences in his life. -
TKR: Amir Learns Hassan is His Half-Brother
During Baba's live, it is identified that Amir is constantly fighting for the pride from his father; however, Hassan obtains it effortlessly. Once discovering the truth behind the love for Hassan, Amir describes feeling like a "man sliding down a steep cliff" (Hosseini 222). The truth angers Amir due to Hassan not knowing their true connection. It also adds further guilt with the knowledge that he betrayed not only his close friend but his step-brother. -
9/11
The well-known attacks of 9/11 rocked America across the country. Altogether, the event took "2,996" lives from the plane passengers, the hijackers, and the collapsing buildings (Wikipedia). -
TKR: Sohrab Goes Kite Running
In his time in America, it is noted that Sohrab doesn't talk or show signs of emotion. However, when Amir goes kite running with Sohrab, Sohrab "mouth [curles] up just so. A smile" (Hosseini 370). In bringing back memories of Hassan, Sohrab finds joy in the recollection. Despite the forced behaviors of Soraya and Amir, Sohrab shows signs comfort with his new family in an activity entirely natural and real. -
Taliban Grows Popularity
The Taliban was created from a "student movement dedicated to purifying the country" (New York Times), but although sounding peaceful at first, the world knows them as the people who directed planes into the Twin Towers in New York. By the end of 1994, Taliban had more than 12,000 followers. -
Obama Promises to Bring Change to Afghanistan
Once 9/11 rocked America, Obama vowed to change the enviroment and saftey of Afghanistan by deploying 300,000 troops. Though other leaders suggested againts getting amidst the turmoil, Obama knew there had to be change or else Afghanistan could remain in a ruined state for a much longer time.
