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Afghanistan
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Amir is born
Amir was born in 1963. His mother died "a long time ago" (250). She died when she was giving birth to Amir. Amir always wished for information about his mother, Baba never told him anything about Sofia, Amir thinks it is because of "his guilt, of what he had done so soon after she had died" (250). -
Hassan's mother leaves him
Hassan's mother "ran off with a clan of traveling singers and dancers" (6), after his birth. When we first learn about her desertion, we see Sanuabar as cold and selfish, leaving her newborn son and husband because of a whim. However, when we learn about Baba and Sanaubar's relationship, it is understandable why Sanaubar left. It would be traumatic to stay and be reminded of her mistakes, and she might have even done it for Hassan's safety, who knows what Ali would do if he found out? -
Mohammed Daoud Khan Declares Himself President
Afghanistan was a monarchy before, but Mohammed declared himself the president and Afghanistan a republic. -
Hassan gets a surgery to fix his cleft lip
For Hassan's 11th birthday, he receives a special gift. He receives a surgery that fixes his cleft lip. Amir believes that "it wasn't fair, Hassan hadn't done anything to earn Baba's affections" (46). Amir is angry that Baba admires Hassan's athleticism and seems to love Hassan more than him. Later, we see that this is a moment where Baba alludes to Hassan's true origins by treating him like a son. -
Hassan is raped by Assef
After winning the kite flying tournament, Hassan is confronted by Assef and his cronies. Assef rapes Hassan, and Amir thinks of it as a sacrifice, "the price [he] had to pay...to win Baba" (77). Amir values Baba's love more than anything, and he is willing to sacrifice his friend for it. -
Amir frames Hassan to get rid of him
Amir can't handle seeing Hassan anymore, so he frames Hassan for stealing his watch. He "plant[s] [his] new watch and a handful of Afghani bills" (104), in Hassan's mattress. This reveals how much guilt can control us. Amir doesn't think about how the act will just make his guilt worse, all he wants is for Hassan to leave so he can move on. He is haunted by Hassan's face and Baba's love for Hassan. -
Soviet Union Invades Afghanistan
Afghanistan has been in turmoil since "1979, when the Soviet Union invaded" (NYT). They took power in a coup, overthrowing Hafizullah Amin, the former president, and propping up Babrak Karmal. They sent 30,000 troops to support. -
Amir and Baba escape soviet invaded Afghanistan and move to California
Amir and Baba escape from Afghanistan and "[live] in America" (125). Amir and Baba get a fresh start in America, Baba begins to respect Amir and is very proud when Amir graduates high school. They become close, and Baba finally accepts Amir for who he is, by giving him permission to become a writer. -
Amir meets Soraya
Amir meets Soraya, his future wife, and his "[his] heart stuttered" (142), he falls deeply in love. Soraya is an inspiration to Amir, in her ability to atone and be honest about her mistakes. Amir wishes that he could be as honest as Soraya. -
Baba Dies
Shortly after Soraya and Amir's wedding, "Baba d[ies]" (173). Amir is distressed because Baba has guided him his entire life insofar. Most of the important things that shaped Amir's character were motivated by Baba, such as Hassan's rape and Amir's lack of action. -
Amir marries Soraya
Before Baba dies, Soraya and Amir get married. During the wedding, Amir thinks of Hassan. He wonders "if Hassan too had married" (171). This illustrates how intertwined their lives are, and how Amir carries his guilt with him. -
Amir and Soraya cannot have kids
After trying to have children for more than a year, a doctor concludes that Soraya is infertile. Amir thinks that it is "[his] punishment, and perhaps justly so" (188), for what happened in the winter of 1975. It is poetic then, that once Amir atones, he has a son in the form of Sohrab. -
Afghanistan is Freed From Soviet Union
Soviet troops left "in February 1989" (NYT). Afghanistan is now unstable and power was divided by "warlords and individual fiefdoms" (NYT). -
Taliban is Founded
The Taliban "grew out of a student movement dedicated to purify the country" (NYT). They promised to restore Islam as the center of life. -
Pakistan Funds Taliban
Taliban may have withered if it weren't for the funneling of "arms, money and supplies" by Pakistani officers (NYT). This gave the Taliban the help they needed to take over Afghanistan. -
Taliban Takeover
in 1996, with support from Pakistan, the Taliban "[took] control of Afghanistan" (NYT). They imposed strict, traditional, rules, such as banning women's education, making them wear burqas, and banning music and movies. They also provided safety for Bin Laden, who arrived in Afghanistan in 1979, and for his terror group, Al Qaeda. -
Taliban Resurgence
Even after their defeat, the Taliban "continued to wage a guerrilla warfare from a base in the mountainous...area on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border" (NYT). While America was focused on Iraq, the Taliban regrouped and conquered some rural areas. The opium trade helped the Taliban make more money. -
Amir finds out that Hassan is his half brother
When Amir goes to Pakistan to meet Rahim Khan, he tells him some news, "[he] had a brother" (225), Hassan. This is a monumental moment, because it is when Amir gets the oppurtunity to atone. Blood is very important, and this realization pushes Amir over the edge to save Sohrab. -
Amir finds Sohrab
Amir goes to the house of a local Taliban official, who turns out to be Assef. Amir "fight[s] [with] Assef" (288). This fight is integral for Amir's atonement, because it mirrors the winter of 1975, yet this time Amir steps in. Amir almost dies, but thanks to Sohrab, they escape with their lives. -
Operation Enduring Freedom
In 2001, after the terror attacks of 9/11 by Al Qaeda, President George Bush announced 'operation enduring freedom', an initative aimed at "[driving] the Taliban our of the major Afghan cities" (NYT). The USA asked the Taliban to "hand over Mr. bin Laden" (NYT). When they did not, we and the UK began aerial attacks. -
Sohrab Attempts Suicide
After Amir tells Sohrab that he may have to go to an orphanage, Sohrab tries to commit suicide. He tells Amir "I want my old life back" (354). Sohrab has a lot of trauma, and after this he doesn't talk for a year. He doesn't talk because he doesn't want to open himself up again and trust Amir and his ptsd. -
Sohrab Comes to America
Amir brings Sohrab "from Afghanistan to America" (356). In America, Sohrab does not speak. Soraya and Amir are very sad because of this, but cannot fathom how much Sohrab went through. -
Sohrab Smiles at Amir
At the end of the book, Sohrab and Amir are at an Afghan party and they are flying kites. Amir and Sohrab fly a kite together, and Sohrab even smiles at him. Before running of to get a kite, Amir says the line that Hassan said all those years ago, "For you, a thousand times over" (371). This shows how much Amir has developed throughout the novel and how much his approach to loyalty and power has changed. -
Karzai Government is Established
Hamid Karzai was "elected to a five-year term as president in 2004" (NYT). He was originally very popular with the people but his popularity plunged due to lack of economic progress and the corrupt government. -
President Obama Sends Additional 30,000 Soldiers
Obama announces a plan to send "30,000 additional troops" (NYT). He had an aggressive stance with Afghanistan. These troops added to the 150,000 foreign troops already in Afghanistan.
