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Amir is born
When Amir was born, his mother "hemorrhaged to death during childbirth," (6). Amir's mother gave her life in order for Amir to be born. This sacrafice made it possible for Amir to grow up and have the life he did. -
Hassan is Born
When Hassan was born, Sanaubar "hadn't needed much help at all, because, even in birth, Hassan was true to his nature: He was incapable of hurting anyone," (10). Even from birth, Hassan was the nice and harmless person he grew up to be. Hassan was kind and gentle by nature and not nurture. -
Baba works on the construction of an orphanage
When Baba decided to build an orphanage, "Baba had drawn the blueprints himself despite that he'd had no architectural experience at all," (13). Baba succeeded in making the orphanage even though most people thought he wasn't qualified. This shows just how much Baba can be capable of when people don't expect it. -
Hassan gets plastic surgery
When Baba decided to get plastic surgery for Hassan for his birthday, "the surgery went well", (47). Amir remembered Hassan for his harelip, and it had finally been rid of. Amir remembered Hassan's harelip as one of the most signature parts of him, but the harelip wasn't even there anymore. -
Hassan gets raped
Right after Amir won the kite tournament, Hassan got raped by Hassan, and years later Amir thought, "I thought of the life I had lived until the winter of 1975 came along and changed everything. And made me what I am today," (2). Amir witnessed this event take place and was never able to forget it. Amir was left with the guilt of not intervening and that changed the way he thought for the rest of his life. -
Amir wins the Kite Tournament
After Amir won the kite tournament, he thought, "right there was the single greatest moment of my twelve years of life, seeing Baba on that roof, proud of me at last," (66). After Amir wins the kite tournament, he finally wins over Baba's respect, at least for a little while. Amir had been waiting for Baba's pride his whole life, so winning the kite tournament was one of the biggest events in his life. -
Hassan and Ali leave Amir and Baba
The final time Amir saw Hassan, it was "one final blurry glimpse of Hassan slumped in the backseat," (109). Amir and Hassan and grown up with each other for a long time, and their relationship was finally ending. After this, Amir would never be able to properly atone for what he had done because he would never see Hassan again. -
Soviet Union Invasion
Russia invaded Afghanistan in 1979, and "[t]he turmoil and extremism that have dominated its history since then can be traced to the 1979 invasion by the Soviet Union and the reaction both by Afghans and by their allies in the United States and Pakistan," (The New York Times). -
Amir and Baba depart from Kabul
When Amir and Baba left Kabul, Amir's "innards had been rolling since [they]'d left Kabul just after two in the morning," (110). Amir is carsick after being in the car, but this isn't the only thing he is feeling. Amir had just left the home he had lived in his whole life and most of the people he knew there. -
Baba is diagnosed with lung cancer
Baba develops cancer in his lungs, but "for a while, even cancer couldn't keep Baba from the flea market," (157). Baba did not want anyone to know that he had cancer and he wanted to live on normally. Unfortunately, this means that Baba doesn't force himself to get used to the fact that his life will change, in addition to it not being healthy for him to continue on normally. -
Amir and Soraya get married
Baba thought that Amir's wedding was so important that he "spent $35,000, nearly the balance of his life savings, on the awroussi, the wedding ceremony," (169). The wedding was a huge ceremony that a lot was put into to make it spectacular. This spectacular wedding was one of the biggest events in Amir's life. -
Soviet Troops Leave Afghanistan
The Soviet troops left Afghanistan, but the damage they did made Afghanistan "a country that was not only devastated by the war but that had become a beacon to Islamic extremists from across the globe," (The New York Times). -
Mullah Omar's Influence Grows
Mullah Omar had almost 12,000 followers and "[w]ith his promise of restoring the centrality of Islam to daily life, he created a genuinely popular movement in a country weary of corruption and brutality," (The New York Times). -
The Taliban Takes Control of of Afghanistan
By this time, the Taliban had taken control of Afghanistan and "[t]he Taliban also provided a haven for Mr. bin Laden, who arrived by chartered jet at Jalalabad Airport in May 1996, and for Al Qaeda," (The New York Times). -
Sohrab attempts suicide
Shortly after Amir found out that Sohrab wouldn't have to return to the orphanage, Amir "was on [his] knees, screaming through [his] clenched teeth. Screaming until [he] thought [his] throat would rip and [his] chest explode," (343). Sohrab attempted to kill himself for the exact reason that Amir had just found out was no longer true. Sohrab's suicide attempt could have been prevented if the news had been brought to him sooner. -
Assef beats up Amir and Sohrab shoots him in the eye
When Assef starts to beat up Amir, Amir laughs because "[he] saw that, in some hidden nook in a corner of [his] mind, [he]'d even been looking forward to this," (289). After all those years of feeling guilt for not helping Amir, he was finally being punished for it. In this way, Amir finds atonement in being beat up by Assef. -
Rahim Khan calls Amir from Pakistan
When Amir was called by Rahim Khan to go to Pakistan, Soraya kept saying, "You look pale," (191). Rahim Khan's call reminded Amir of his past and implied that he might have to revisit it. Amir's emotions from his earlier life made him go pale. -
Amir arrives back in America with Sohrab
When Amir finally returns home with Sohrab, Soraya "locked her arms around my neck, when [Amir] smelled apples in her hair, [Amir] realized how much [he] had missed her," (357). Amir had been away from Soraya for a long time, and a lot had happened in that period. Amir had been through so much that Soraya could have been driven crazy. -
The 9/11 Attack Occurs and the US is Triggered
Al Qaeda attacks the US in 9/11, and the US "joined forces with rebel groups that had never accepted Taliban rule," (The New York Times). -
Hamid Karzai Becomes Leader of the Country
Hamid Karzai, who is related to the old king of Afghanistan, "was named chairman of an interim government that replaced the defeated Taliban, making him the leader of the country," (The New York Times). -
The Taliban is Driven out of Afghanistan
After the US was provoked, "[a]n air and ground campaign began that drove the Taliban out of the major Afghan cities by the end of the year," (The New York Times). -
Amir sees Sohrab smile
After Amir had won in a kite fighting battle, "one corner of his mouth had curled up just so," (371). Amir saw Sohrab give a slight smile for the first time ever, which gave him hope. Since Sohrab had never even smiled until that point, it shows just how depressed he had been. -
Hamid Karzai Becomes President of Afghanistan
After being elected into a five-year term as president in 2004, "a celebrity in flowing cape and dark gray karakul cap- was also a White House favorite," (The New York Times). -
General Petraeus Becomes US Leader of War in Afghanistan
After he helps the US succeed in Iraq, General Petraeus "had taken charge of United States Central Command in October 2008, with responsibility for military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and across the region," (The New York Times). -
The US Plans to Deploy More Troops in Afghanistan
In a speech President Obama gives, he "announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops," (The New York Times).