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Hassan gets plastic surgery
Hassan has a cleft lip that is "just left of midline, where [if there was one] the Chinese doll maker's instruments may of slipped, or perhaps he had simply grown tired and careless" (Hosseini 3). In order to fix his lip, on Hassan's birthday he is given a plastic surgeon. the surgery goes well and in time Hassan appears almost as normal with a slight bit of a scar. -
Amir and Hassan win the kite flying contest
On the day of the kite flying contest Amir made it all the way to the final two and when he saw other kite struggling "the moment finally came . . . I didn't need to hear the crowd's roar to know. I didn't need to see either" (Hosseini 65-66). Amir was a failure in his fathers eyes and in order to make him proud he decided that he needed to win this contest. Due to his victory, it then appeared that Baba finally cared about Amir and for the first time in his life, he felt loved and appreciated -
Hassan is raped
When Hassan refused to give Assef his kite, "Assef knelt behind Hassan, put his hands on Hassan's hips and lifted his bare buttocks [to rape him]" (Hosseini 75). Assef's raping of Hassan represents a pivotal point in this story as it shows the pain that Hassan is willing to take in order to simply please Amir. Not only is this moment important to Hassan but perhaps even more so to Anir who didn't bother to help his friend Hassan and instead cowered away. -
Amir and Hassan are confronted by Assef
When Assef threatens to hurt Amir and Hassan, Hassan saves the day by aiming his slingshot at Assef's eye saying "If you make a move, they'll have have to change your nickname from Assef 'the Ear Eater' to 'One-Eyed Assef'" (Hosseini 42). This event goes to further back the point that Hassan is the man of action and Amir is a coward. Assef's vow of revenge to protect his name and his power over others is one that will cause this particular event to foreseeable rise to fruition later in the novel -
Amir begs for atonement from Hassan
Amir brings Hassan to the pomegranate tree where they used to normally go and talk and begs Hassan to "throw this [pomegranate] at me! do it!" (Hosseini 84). Amir is ashamed for his actions to Hassan and wants most to simply atone for his sins by Hassan hurting him. However, this action can't be done as Amir is not ready for this and unknowingly, Hassan refuses to do this out of loyalty to Amir. -
Period: to
1974-2018
Afghanistan from 1975 to today -
Amir's 13th birthday
For his Amir's becoming of a man at his 13th birthday and Baba's throws Amir a huge party where there were "dozens of tables . . . sizzling kababs . . . [and Amir had] never seen the house so packed" (Hosseini 94). This lavish party wouldn't have been a normal thing for Baba to do for Amir but since he had won the kite contest, Baba was too proud of him to not. Amir was unable to enjoy this event though due to his feelings of sadness and cowardliness after Hassan's rape. -
Afghanistan begins streak of military involvement
"Afghanistan, officially the Islamic republic of Afghanistan, has known little peace since 1979 . . . [when] the first soviet troops parachuted into Kabul on Dec. 27, 1979" -
Baba and Amir are separated from Ali and Hassan
Amir can't take the pressure of being with Hassan anymore and makes Ali and Hassan say that they "are leaving . . . We can't live here anymore" (Hossini 10). This event deeply effects characters on multiple levels, Baba is completely distraught and does something he never does, cry. While on the other hand there's Amir who is the orchestrator of this event and is broken to have to do this but ultimately must in order to relive his pressure for having not atoned. -
Baba and Amir get to San Francisco
after escaping the war torn middle east, Baba and Amir arrived in America where they "walked through Lake Elizabeth Park in Fremont, a few streets down from [their] apartment, and watching boys at batting practice, little girls giggling on the swings in the playground" (Hosseini 125). Baba made it apparent that he liked america but woul never want to live in it. Despite Baba's disliking of living in America, they made it along fine and were, overall, happier to be there than anywhere else. -
Amir graduates highschool
After a long time waiting, Amir "graduated from high school at the age of twenty" (Hosseini 131). Amir was at last able to finish his sub-college schooling, and is now able to peruse his passion in literature in college. His decision to peruse a career Ina language arts is on tat Baba will contest but ultimately Amir chooses to do. -
Amir meets Soraya
When at the flee market with Baba, Amir saw a young woman who was a "slim-hipped beauty with velvety coal black hair . . . [and] thick black eyebrows" (Hosseini 140). Amir is instantly interested in her and keeps a keen eye on here as time persists. Every weekend he has an opportunity to talk with her as he is at the flee market where he questions here on books and other literature. -
Amir and Soraya get married
Closing in on Baba's death, Amir makes one final request for Baba to "ask General Taheri for his daughter's hand" (Hosseini 161). As a last act of kindness for Amir Baba does so, to which he is greeted with a yes from the general. The entire wedding is rushed as they know they there is not much longer for Baba to live. -
Baba dies
The time finally comes where Baba goes to bed and he "never woke up" (Hosseini 172). Baba was ready for his death and new of its coming, it was not coincidental that the night in which he eats dinner with friends, he does not want his morphine because he is at peace and happy. The sadness of the death is overcast by the happiness that Amir and Sorya are currently in what with their recent marriage although, Baba's death is still mourned. -
The Taliban begins and grows in power
"The Taliban grew out of a student movement dedicated to purify the country . . . by the end of 1994 Mullah Omar [the leader of the Taliban] had nearly 12,000 followers and was rolling up the warlords to the north east" -
Taliban take control of Afghanistan
"Buoyed by Pakistani aid, the Taliban by 1996 had taken control of Afghanistan" -
US begins military involvement with Afghanistan
"The US has been militarily involved with Afghanistan since 2001, when it led an invasion after the Sept. 11 attacks by Al Qaeda" -
US gives Taliban forces ultimatum to hand over Mr. bin Laden
"After the attack on the World Trade Center . . . 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 Taliban rule" -
New government to replace defeated Taliban
"Hamid Karzai . . . was named chairman of an interim government that replaces the defeated Taliban, making him the leader of the country" -
Amir receives a call
Amir's is needed in Pakistan as his great friend "Rahim Kahn is very sick" (Hosseini 191). This is Amir's last call to action in this novel and he knows that he leaving America for a greater purpose than to simply see his long time friend. This trip for Amir is representing his atonement that he has been deprived of and is finally ready to achieve. -
Amir finds Sohrab
After a long goose chase Amir finally finds Hassan's son, "a boy dressed in a loose, sapphire blue pira-tumban . . . the resemblance was breathtaking" (Hosseini 271). After a long race to track him down, Amir is now able to take Sohrab and receive his atonement. Before this occurs though, he must surfer in order to feel the pain that Hassan did all those years ago when Assef raped him. -
Amir finally atones
Amir may have found the boy, but first he must feel the pain for his actions by Assef by "'finishing an old bit of business'" (Hosseini 287). Rather than this being a very harsh and painful moment for Amir, this event manifests itself in to a near euphoric state for Amir. This is simply due to the fact that Amir in now able to rest soundly, knowing that he has atoned, and that the conflict between him and Hassan has been resolved. -
9/11 Attack on World Trade Center
The Taliban led "the attack on the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11, 2001" -
The Taliban resurgence
"Despite their defeat in 2001, the Taliban continued to wage guerrilla warfare from a base in the mountainous and largely lawless tribal area on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. As the American military forces was diverted to the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the Taliban regrouped and began to extend influence in the southern part of Afghanistan. Their rise was assisted by a resurgent opium trade, which helped to fill the group's coffers" -
Obama tells of new plan to take course in Afghanistan war
"Mr. Obama's plan to widen United States involvement in Afghanistan [was shown] . . . in a speech delivered Dec. 1, 2009, at West Point, Mr. Obama announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops. He voted to start bringing American forces from Afghanistan in the middle of 2011, saying that the United States could not afford and should not have to shoulder and open-ended commitment" -
Barack Obama takes office
Barack Obama took office on January 20, 2009 following George W. Bush.