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Amir Writes His First Story
On this date, Amir discovered that he "held all the keys" to words that "were [like] secret doorways", and found a talent that would later become his career (30). The first story he writes is about a man who found a chalice and noticed that if he shed tears into it, "his tears turned into pearls", and he eventually kills his wife as his greed for tears and pearls overwhelms him; Hassan asks why the man didn't just cut an onion. -
King's Cousin Overthrows Him From the Throne
This night was the first time Amir and Hasan witnessed violence in their homeland, and Amir "would never forget the day" (286), partly because the next day Assef told Hassan that "this doesn't end today" (42) and developed the long standing grudge that he held against Hassan and his family. -
Hassan is Raped by Assef
Hassan's rape impacted his life forever, but it even more so impacted Amir's life. Amir could have stood up for Hassan, but ultimitely, he says, "I was a coward", and he left Hassan so he could win his father's respect and love (77). -
Amir's Thirteenth Birthday
Amir's thirteenth birthday occurs during "Afghanistan's next to last summer of peace and anonymity" (93). Assef and his parents show up at the huge birthday party Baba throws for his son, and the control Assef has over his parents and the people he wants to like him is demonstrated in what he says to Baba and Amir. As well, Rahim Khan reveals that he had a wife and even a child. -
Hassan and Ali Leave Baba and Amir
Ali and Hassan leave their former friends and employer after Amir frames Hassan for stealing money and a new watch. Amir is sad but releived, while Baba is horrified, "a sheen a grief across his face" (106). This is the last time Amir and Baba saw Ali and Hassan. -
Soviet Troops Invade Afghanistan
"Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul" (NYT); it was later discovered that they invaded "to replace Hafizullah Amin, the Afghan leader, who had lost their trust". -
Amir and Baba Begin Their Journey to Pakistan
Amir and Baba's journey to Pakistan and then America is long and difficult. On the way, Amir, who is now eighteen, has a panic attack, Baba stands up for a kind woman who a "grinning Russian" (114) soldier wants to rape, and Kamal and his father both die. -
Amir and Baba Make a Home in Fremont, California
While Amir views America as a place in which he can "let my [his] sins drown to the bottom" (136) of its metaphorical river and obtain a fresh start, Baba experiences a loss in socioeconomic status and a decline in his health, including "an ulcer" (125). -
Amir Graduates from High School in the U.S.
Amir graduates from high school "at the age of twenty, by far the oldest senior tossing his mortarboard on the football field that day" (131). This event is significant because it signifies how Amir has integrated into the United States' culture and society. It also shows how far he has come and how much he has grown since the time when he was a guilty, cowardly child who was constantly looking for Baba's approval. -
Amir Meets Soraya Taheri
"One early Sunday morning in July 1984", Amir meets General Taheri and Soraya Taheri, who is his daughter (138). Amir becomes infatuated with Soraya, whom he thinks is very beautiful. She is, assumedly, his first love interest, and it takes him a long time to summon up the courage to talk to her. -
Baba is Diagnosed With Cancer
Baba is diagnosed with a cancer "called 'Oat Cell Carcinoma'" (156). However, Baba proudly but stubbornly refuses to receive chemotherapy, and "for a while, even cancer couldn't keep Baba from the flea market" (157). The fact that Baba is in control of his life up until his last moments is a testament to the respect he has for himself and the pride and honor, or "nang and namoos" (145), that he expects from others. -
Soraya and Amir Get Married
Soraya and Amir's marriage is, of course, a significant event in both of their lives. They both love eachother and look forward to their life as a married couple. Even as they are celebrating that night, Amir thinks back to his life in Afghanistan. He recalls "wishing Rahim Khan were there...and...wondering if Hassan too had married" (171). A month after the wedding, Baba dies, but Amir has Soraya and her parents to look after him; he is no longer dependent on Baba. -
Soviet Troops Leave Afghanistan
"In February 1989, ... the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan" and "left behind a country that was...devastated from the war" (NYT). -
Power Divided
In Afghanistan, "by 1994, power was anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms" (NYT). -
Taliban Take Control of Afghanistan
With help from Pakistan, "the Taliban by 1996 had taken control of Afghanistan" (NYT). -
Amir Visits Rahim Khan in Peshawar
After Rahim Khan calls Amir and tells him that "there is a way to be good again", Amir travels back to Peshawar to hear what his old friend and father-figure, now dying, has to say to him (2). This event is important because it is the first time Amir has gone back to the Middle East after moving to America. It is the beginning of his emotionally grueling search for Sohrab. -
Amir Travels to Kabul to Find Sohrab
Having made the brave decision to help Hassan's son, Sohrab, Amir is driven by a man named Farid to Kabul, where he "feel[s] like a tourist in...[his] own country" (231). Farid is hostile towards Amir until he realizes Amir's good intentions for going to Kabul. -
Amir Meets Sohrab and Sees Assef
This a very important event in The Kite Runner. When Assef meets Amir and beats him up, Amir comes full circle with the guilt he felt for watching Assef rape Hassan; he feels "healed at last" (289). Ultimately, Sohrab saves Amir's life by slingshotting a little brass ball into his eye. The symbolism is very strong at this moment, because earlier in the book, Hassan actually threatens to slingshot a rock into Assef's "left eye" so he'll have to be called "One-Eyed Assef" (42). -
September 11th Attacks
After the 2001 terrorist attacks, "George W. Bush gave the Taliban an ultimatum to hand over Mr. Bin Laden" (NYT), whom they had provided a safe haven for. -
Taliban's Retaliation
Despite having been defeated in their Sept. 11 attacks, the Taliban "continued to wage a guerilla warfare from a base in the...lawless tribal area on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border" (NYT). -
Sohrab Smiles
Sohrab had a very difficult childhood, and after he attempted to commit suicide, he din't communicate with Soraya or Amir. However, Sohrab smiles after flying a kite with Amir one day, and Amir thinks of that smile as "a small, wondrous thing" (363); he takes the smile as "the first flake [of snow in winter] melting" (371). I also think this symbolizes the beginning of Sohrab's healing and that he will grow, with time, to love Amir and Soraya and will happily talk to them and other people. -
Hamid Karzai Elected as President
"Mr. [Hamid] Karzai was elected to a five-year term as president in 2004" (NYT), though his popularity eventually plunged. -
Taliban Spills into Pakistan
Between the Sept. 11 attacks and the beginning of Obama's War, the Taliban "spilled over into Pakistan, raising concerns about its stability"; this also made Afghanistan "a top foreign policy priority for the Western Allies" (NYT). -
General Petraeus Takes Charge of US Central Command
General Patraeus, who is "the Iraq commander who received much of the credit for the success of the surge there", took charge of the United States Central Command and was responsible "for military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and across the region" (NYT). -
Obama Announces War Plan
On this date, "Mr. Obama announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops" to Afghanistan and surrounding areas (NYT).