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Zahir Shan (KR)
Every year Amir and Baba had a tradition of celebrating their leader, in 1933, "the year Zahir Shah began his forty-year regin..."(Hosseini 24). Amir's effect of this was that he was raised to believe that this ruler was like a role model, and Baba strongly believed in this too, because he had good morals, Baba also believed in his good morals, and follows it with his action. This was a time in Amir's life every year that he could spend time with Baba. -
Amir is Born (KR)
Amir's birthday was a year before Hassan's birthday, this is shown, "that Hassan was born in the winter of 1964, just one year after my mother died giving birth to me"(Hosseini 6). This quote shows Amir's feeling toward Hassan, as a friend. Amir is in a higher class while Hassan is in a lower class in the Afghani social pyramid, even with these differences Amir makes connections and has context of his birthday with Hassan, treating Hassan the same, as if the social classes didn't matter. -
Hassan's Assault after, Amir and Hassan Wins the Kite Flying Contest (KR)
After Amir and Hassan won the Kite Flying contest, Hassan alone to play with Amir's kite, but then something bad happens, "I heard the voices again, louder this time, coming from one of the alleys. I crept close to the mouth of the alley... Hassan was standing in the blind of the alley in a defiant stance."(Hosseini 71). This was the last time Amir and Hassan saw each other and they both turn into very different people. Also because Amir was a coward and didn't help Hassan when needed. -
The New Constitution
Khan proposes a new constitution in Afghanistan that granted women rights and modernized communist state. "He also cracks down on opponents, forcing many suspected of not supporting Khan out of the government." (BBC News) -
Amir's 13 (KR)
After Amir was 13, previously he had gotten in a fight with Hassan, where Amir threw pomegranates at Hassan, but Hassan did nothing back to Amir, and everything started changeing their relationship and the outside world was changing with them, "I turned thirteen that summer 1976 Afghanistan's next to last summer of peace and anonymity"(Hosseini 93). This is the change of plot in the story, and character interactions also change. The controversy leads up to the last normal summer and with Amir. -
Hassan and Ali Leaves (KR)
Amir's plan was to get rid of Hassan, because of the incident, he felt ashamed for, and so he but his birthday money and watch in Hassan's hut. After many hours, Ali had said, ""We are leaving, Agha sahib...we can't live here anymore...life here is impossible for us now""(Hosseini 106). Amir got what he wanted, to get rid of Hassan, Amir had mixed feelings about this, while Baba was begging for Hassan to stay. When Ali said that life was impossible, Amir knew that Hassan told him about the rape. -
Coup d' etat
Offfical start to the communist Coup d' etat, later in, "December of the next year, as this event continued bringing the death of the Afghanistan and marking the start for an ongoing bloody era." (BBC News) -
Amir graduates High School (KR)
After moving to America and helping Baba find a job, which was at a gas station, helping him out there, and going to garage sales on the weekend, it was finally that time, "That summer of 1983, I graduated from high school at the age of twenty, by far the oldest senior tossing his mortarboard on the football field that day"(Hosseini 131). Amir had finally achieved his goal, he wanted to become a writer, and now he had a chance to since he had graduated. Also a milestone, making Baba proud again. -
Sohrab is born (KR)
Amir had hear news about Hassan from Rahim Khan, also the truth between the relationship of Amir and Hassan, that they were half brothers, Amir's perspective of Hassan changes to better after he hears more new, that "It was Sanuabar who delivered Hassan's son that winter of 1990"(Hosseini 211). This was a big change between the characters, because all these years of how Amir had treated Hassan, badly, now he was seeking for atonement. Also how Baba acted between them made sense now to Amir. -
Warlord dividing
After the soviet army had left, the warlords has the power and they were competing for it, leading to an,"competing warlords and imdividul fiefdoms"(PBS) This leads to Mullah Omar. -
Amir and Baba in America (KR)
When Amir and Baba move to America, they had to start a new life on their own. As they started over in America Amir said," For me, America was a place to bury my memories. For Baba, a place to mourn his"( Hosseini 129) This quote shows how they are starting over, a better life for Amir. It foreshadows the different lives he will have in two different places. -
Mullah Omar in Control
Mullah Omar was very popular, he had group of people that supported and helped him,"12,000 followers and was rolling up to warlords in the North and East"(PBS). -
Taliban's control in Afghanistan
The Taliban formed during the war against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, "had taken control of Afghanistan in 1996"(BBC News), they had ruled based on the Islamic laws. -
Baba has Cancer (KR)
When Baba was at the flee market, all of a sudden he has a seizure on the street. Then Amir tires to help him and says,"Shhh, Baba Jan, I'm here. Your son is right here" (Hosseini 159). This quote shows how worried Amir is and he gets the feeling of loosing Baba, but Baba is later still alive. Amir's care for him is more than ever, and he can't see his future without Baba. But eventually Baba dies. -
Amir's first novel published (KR)
After he got married Amir had,"finished his first novel, a father-son story set in Kabul" (Hosseini 182). Amir's story set isn Kabul brings back memories, and he said that it was a father-son story, so he expressed all his feeling about his relationship and how it changed over time. And I think this book was dedicated to Baba after he died. Also memories of when he started writing, Rahim Kahan encouraged him, and how he got to the place he is now in writing, and publishing a book now. -
Amir's has Soraya's hand (KR)
At the time when Amir had fallen in love with Soraya, Baba had been very sick, and had already been diagnosed with cancer. Before Baba dies, he wants a happy ending, so he says,"I want to ask General Taheri for his daughter's hand"(Hosseini 161). General Taheri accepts Baba's request, as Baba's last request because he's dying. This had been a very special request, because of their different social classes, what other people would think of her, with her previous actions. -
9/11
There was an attack and took down the Wold Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001. This lead to US "air and ground campaign"(PBS). This campaign got rid of the Taliban out of Afghanistan. -
Hamid Zakari In Office
Hamid Kakari was named chairman of "an intern government that replace the defeated Taliban"(New York Times 3). He was also chosen to be in this position because he was a supporter of the regime. -
Amir goes to Pakistan to visit Rahim Khan (KR)
After many year apart, Rahim Khan calls Amir to visit him one last time in Pakistan because he is very sick, and has news about Hassan. When Amir hears abot Hassan he has flashbacks of when they were little. As Rahim Khan convinces Amir to come visit him he says" There is a way to be good again" (Hosseini 192). This quote ties back to Amir's guilt about what had happen to Hassan. Amir is seeking for atonement, and since Baba passed away, Amir's morals are better, so he back to Pakistan. -
General Petreus
General Petreus was an Iraw commander, and was successful with his responsibilities for military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the region. He took care of "United States Central Command"(New York Times 4). -
Sohrab gets to America (KR)
After Sohrab was discharged from the hospital, it was time for Amir and him to go back to America, their home now, as "Soraya's picked up Amie San Sohrab at the airport"(Hosseini 357), he was contempt at first because he missed his father, his old life back in Kabul, but also at the same time still trying to recover from the things that he's been through. So coming to American after so much trauma, was not the right time for Sohrab at the time, but eventually that changes. -
Amir and Sohrab go kite flying (KR)
Finally when Sohrab is in America, Sohrab only opens up when he and Amir fly the kite. Amir had said a repeat of what Hassan said, "For you, a thousand times over"(Hosseini 371). This quote shows the event of flying the kite is a repeat of Amir and Hassan's childhood and now it's going to be Sohrab's, he is experiancing Hassan's life before, in an indirect way, from Amir. Also this made Amir and Sohrab very happy, a moment where Sohrab actually opens up and let's Amir in. -
First Soviet Troops
When the Russian intervention offically began the soviet troops "parachuted into kabul in December 27, 1979"(New York Times 2). -
Last Soviet Troops
What brought to the end of this was negotiation with the Russians that finally lead to the last soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989", leaving Afghanistan destroyed,(New York Times 2). -
Obama's Announcement for Troops in Afghanistan
Obama gave a speech at West Point, he said that he had planned to "deploy 30000 additional troops"(New York Times 4). -
Hassan and Farzana gets killed by the Taliban (KR)
When Amir finds out that Hassan had been around his childhood house, Amir wanted to see him again. But Rahim had told him that "Hassan protested again, so they took him to the street...and ordered him to kneel... and they shot him in the back of the head...Farzarna came screaming and attacked them... shot her too"(Hosseini 219). Amir was devastated, Hassan was gone forever, when he was trying to find atonement in the first place. Even more sad was that Sorhab, Hassan's son was an orphan now.