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Baba is Born
1933 was, "the year Baba was born"(24). This was the start of the chain of characters and Baba was born which started the family. Also, Baba was born during WWII which put him in a depressing time when he was born. This probably gave him the mindset that everything you want must be worked for. -
Amir's first story
Amir had made up a story and told it to Hassan to, "that same night, 'I wrote my first short story'" (30). This was crucial because it was the time that Amir saw his dream to be a writer and he wanted to follow it. Also, he was complemented on his writing and found a tallent that Baba would be impressed with if he created a career with it. -
Afghanistan is a Republic
After a late night shooting in Kabul, the whole city was in fear as it, "awoke the next morning to find that the monarchy was a thing of the past"(36). -
The Kite Competiton
Amir and Hassan claimed victory; They had done it as, "Hassan was screaming and his arm was wrapped around my neck"(66). This was a critical moment for the relationship of Baba and Amir as Baba was finally proud of Amir and Amir felt the support of Baba. This event also caused tension between Hassan and Amir which lead to a split in their friendship. -
Hassan and Ali are gone
Amir tries to bannish Hassan by "lifting Hassan's mattress and [putting his] new watch and a handful af Afgnai bills under it"(104). This was an important event becuase Hassan and Ali had been with Baba for a very long time and were very close like family. It was the last time that Amir would see Hassan and Ali since they moved to America. -
The Soviet Union Invasion Began
Prior to 1979, Afghanistan was a stable country until, "the 1979 invasion by the Soviet Union." (2). -
On the way to Jalalabad
In 1981, Amir and Baba were on their way to Pakistan. After an already long trip the refugees were told, "There would be no truck" (120). Since their truck wasnt working, everyone was forced to bond and get along. Amir realized the hardships that people go through in their everyday life and how fortunate he is. -
Amir Graduates High School
At the age of 20, "[Amir] graduated high school,"(131). This was an important event in the book because Amir felt that Baba was actually proud of him and it encouraged him to follow his dream of being a writer. He continued to go to college and to pursue his career dream and married Soraya. -
The Soviet Airforce Becomes Useless
The United States were a helping cause in the uselessness of the Soviet Airforce as they supplied, "advanced Stinger antiaircraft missiles" (2). -
Amir gets married
Amir realizes that Baba was getting weaker so he decides to marry Soraya before Baba passes away. Baba was very proud and said, "this is the happiest day of my life"(163). After they get married, it seems that everything was going well and it was important because as Amir's last piece of family died, he wouldn't have made it without someone to support him such as Soraya. -
Baba Dies
After being diagnosed with cancer, one night, "Baba never woke up"(174). This moment was crucial in the book because for Amir, Baba had been his role model and the person that made him go further. Without him, Amir was depressed and had no parents left which could impact the way that he carries out daily tasks. -
Amir Finishes his First Novel
After Amir, "finished [his] first novel," he started his writing career to support himself and Soraya and do what he always wanted to do(182). Amir had finally started his career and he wanted Baba to see how he had made it and finally have Baba proud of him. -
The Result of the Soviet Union Invasion
The Soviet Union troops finally left after they fought in, "a conflict that cost them roughly 15,000 lives." (2) -
How the Taliban Gained Power
The Taliban by this time had gained a popularity that lead the Pakistani officers to, "funnel arms, money, and supplies to Mullah Omar's men" (3). -
Taliban Takeover Begins
After the formation of the Taliban group caused by Mullah Omar, an Afghan who suffered from the prior invasion, he had, "nearly 12,000 followers and was rolling up the warlords" (2). -
Power to the Taliban
The aid of Pakistan helped the Taliban, "take control of Afghanistan" as they imposed strict Islamic laws creating an unstable, unhappy nation(3). -
How Al Qaeda got involved
The Taliban allowed bin Laden to stay in the protection as the Taliban, "provided a haven for Mr. bin Laden" (3). -
Taliban Ban Kite running in Afghanistan
The fighting and constant war had finally decreased, but the Taliban had enforced many new rules and taken over the struggling country. The people grew to dislike the Taliban for their brutality and new laws such as when, "they banned kite fighting"(213). This was significant because Hassan and Amir had done that every winter and it was like a religious tradition to the Afghans and it had been stripped away by the Taliban. -
Hassan Dies
After Rahim Khan leaves Afghanistan, the Taliban found Hassan in Baba's house, take him into the street and, "shot him in the back of the neck"(219). This displayed that after Amir's childhood tension with Hassan, Amir still thought of Hassan as family and cared about him dearly. Also, Hassan's death was a reason that Amir wanted to look for Sohrab in Kabul. -
Amir Returns to Afghanistan
Amir gets a call from Rahim Khan in which he is told, "there is a way to be good again"(192). After reflecting on what Rahim sent him, Amir sees this as a way to redeem himself from his childhood mistakes. Also, he wants to reconnect with Rahim and revive his relationship with him. -
9/11 World Trade Center Bombing
As Americans outraged at this horrifying attack, President George Bush, "gave the Taliban an ultimatum to hand over Mr. bin Laden" (3). -
Result of 9/11 bombing
The United States was in an anger and depression as the bombing killed many lives and the U.S., "joined forces with rebel groups that had never accepted Taliban rule" (3). -
Assef Returns
In order to finally reach his mission to get Sorhab, he surprisingly finds that Assef is highly ranked in the Taliban when he says to Assef, "what are you doing here?"(281). This was critical because receiving Sorhab would mean fighting Assef for him which was something he had cowarded from his entire life. Amir had to face his fears in order to reach his goal. -
Taliban rule Over Forever?
At the end of the year, the combined anti-Taliban forces, "drove the Taliban out of major Afghan cities" (3). -
Sohrab Goes to America With Amir
After Amir asked Sohrab to come to America with him, "he nodded"(324). This was a sign that Sohrab trusted Amir and he wanted to be with Amir despite the fact that he had recently met him and did not know much about America. Also, the last place that Sohrab wanted to go was an orphanage, so he would do anything to avoid it. -
The Taliban Return
After the United States thought the Taliban were through, the fewer troops in Afghanistan lacked the ability to stop the, "insurgency that grew larger, better coordinated, and more deadly each year" (4).