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Kite Runner & the History of Afghanistan
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Hassan is Raped
In chapter seven of "The Kite Runner", after winning the kite battle, Hassan ventures out to find Amir's winning kite, the one that had won him the tournament. When Hassan finds the kite, Assef intervenes and tells Hassan that his "'father won't find out,' Assef said. 'And there's nothing sinful about teaching a lesson to a disrespectful donkey'" (Hosseini 75). Amir finds Hassan being raped by Assef and doesn't do anything about it. This becomes a key event or quite possibly a turning point. -
Hassan and Ali leave Baba and Amir
Amir's thirteenth birthday, Hassan and Ali resign from their job at Baba's house, "'I forbid you to do this!' Baba bellowed. 'Do you hear me? I forbid you!' 'Respectfully, you can't forbid me anything, Agha sahib,' Ali said. 'We don't work for you anymore'" (Hosseini 107). I chose this quote because it really seems to affect Amir later in the story. Later in the story, he talks about how much he misses Hassan and how much he wants to see him. -
Pro-Soviet coup kills General Daud
After Mohammed Daud resigned as prime minister and later seizes power once again in 1973, "General Daud is overthrown and killed in a pro-Soviet coup. The People's Democratic Party comes to power but is paralysed by violent infighting and faces opposition by US-backed mujahideen groups" (BBC News). -
Soviets come to Afghanistan
In 1979, the Soviets intervenes in Afghanistan and, "props up communist government" (BBC News). -
Baba and Amir live in the United States of America
Refugees from Afghanistan move to California for safety, "Baba loved the idea of America" -
Babrak Kamal New Leader of Afghanistan
In 1980 Afghanistan, Babrak Kamal becomes ruler and is "backed by Soviet troops" (BBC news). -
Baba and Amir leave Kabul, Afghanistan
In the tenth chapter, Amir talks about the car that takes him out of Kabul and into Pakistan, "Karim was a people smuggler- it was a pretty lucrative business then, driving people out of Shorawi-occupied Kabul to the relative safety of Pakistan" (Hosseini 111). I chose this quote because it leads to Amir and Baba having to leave Afghanistan for safety and eventually going to San Francisco where he meets a girl and continues his life there, without Hassan. -
The Soviet Union pulls out troops in Afghanistan
In 1988, after the fighting between Afghanistan and the Soviet Union, "Afghanistan, USSR, the US and Pakistan sign peace accords and Soviet Union begins pulling out troops" (BBC News) -
Death and Amputation increase due to Taliban control in Afghanistan
In 1996, the Taliban's forces increase and take control of Kabul, changing it into the "hard-line version of Islam, banning women from work, and introducing Islamic punishments, which include stoning to death and amputations" (BBC News). -
Taliban considered legitimate rulers
A year after the Taliban seizes control in Kabul, they are "recognised as legitimate rulers by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. They now control about two-thirds of country" (BBC News). -
Hazara Massacred in Mazar-i-sharif
According to Rahim Kahn, the Taliban had "massacred the Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif" (Hosseini 213). This event is significant because it shows the power the Taliban had over the public and almost foreshadowing Hassan and his wife's fate. This probably took a tole on Amir because of the fact that his half-brother was a Hazara. Unknowing of Hassan's fate at first, he was probably scared of what could happen to Hassan because of the Taliban. -
US targeted bases are hit
In 1998, the "US launches missile strikes at suspected bases of militant Osama bin Laden, accused of bombing US embassies in Africa" (BBC News). -
Hassan & Wife murdered
In January 2001, Hassan accused of trespassing in Amir and Baba's house. When Hassan protested saying that he hadn't, "'they took him to the street...and order him to kneel...and shot him in the back of the head...Farzana came screaming and attacked them...shot her too. Self-defense, they claimed later"' (Hosseini 219). This event was significant in Amir's life because Amir had felt guilty about the winter of 1975 and felt he needed to redeem himself. He felt he had to get Hassan's son. -
Amir faces his past
Amir is faced with the challenge of returning to his home in Kabul to get his nephew Sohrab, only to have to encounter the bully from his past, Assef. Assef orders Amir to fight against him in order to get Sohrab, and later remarks, "I don't know at what point I started laughing, but I did... I laughed because I saw that, in some hidden nook in a corner of my mind, I'd even been looking forward to this" (Hosseini 289). This changed Amir because he rid himself of his guilt. -
Amir finds out that Hassan was his brother
Amir finds out by Rahim Kahn that Hassan was actually his half-brother and never knowing this, Amir questions Baba, "How could he have lied to me all those years? To Hassan? He had sat me on his lap when I was little, looked me straight in the eyes" (Hosseini 225). This epiphany seemed important in Amir's life because it seriously affected how Amir now thinks of Baba and changes how he thinks of Hassan. He now feels that there's a debt that must be paid, and goes to Kabul to get Hassan's son. -
Sohrab Stands up to Assef
After Amir faces Assef, Sohrab stands up to Assef telling him to stop huring Amir. He uses his slingshot like Hassan had done when he was younger, "'Stop...Don't hurt him anymore"' (Hosseini 290). I chose this because it shows how much Sohrab is like Hassan, and is foreshadowing Amir's relationship with Sohrab. -
Amir might give up
In Pakistan, Amir goes to a lawyer asking to adopt Sohrab, only to find out that he cannot because of the conditions in Afghanistan, '"What are you saying, that I shoud throw him back on the streets?' I said."' Due to the fact that the Taliban mainly controls Afghanistan, it is hard to adopt Sohrab. This dramatically affects Sohrab and Amir forcing Sohrab to attempt sucide. These events push Amir to feel guilty of his sins and missed time with Hassan. -
Amir and Sohrab arrive in America
On August 2001, you see Amir and Sohrab arrive in America. This is after Sohrab attempts to kill himself. During this time, Sohrab is silent, rarely speaks or eats. He starts to neglect more people, including Soraya, "she knelt to eye level with Sohrab. She took his hand and smiled at him. 'Salaam, Sohrab jan, I'm your Khala Soraya, We've all been waiting for you'...Sohrab shifted on his feet and looked away" (Hosseini 358). -
Amir reads Rahim Khan's letter
After Amir reaches Sohrab, he's given a letter that drastically changes his point of view on Baba. Rahim Kahn attempts to clarify and redeem Amir's approval of Baba, "And this is what I want you to understand, that good, real good, was born out of your father's remorse. Sometimes, I think that everything he did...was al his way of redeeming himself" (Hosseini 302). This changes Amir's view on Baba, thinking that he saw a little bit of Hassan in himself. -
Sohrab attempts suicide
When Sohrab finds out that Amir can't take him to America and must place him in an orphanage once again, something Amir promised he wouldn't do, this pushes Sohrab to attempt suicide, "I wondered what his last thought had been as he had raised the blade and brought it down" (Hosseini 351). This dramatically affects Amir and directly affects his relationship with Sohrab and General Taheri. I chose this because towards the end of the story, Sohrab stops talking and he feels it's his fault. -
Amir stands up to General Taheri
Once Amir and Sohrab return to America, the tensions between General Taheri and Amir begin to rise because of the recent adoption of Sohrab, a Hazara. General Taheri at dinner makes a comment about Sohrab that infuriates Amir and pushes him to stand up to General Taheri, "'And one more thing, General Sahib,' I said. 'You will never again refer to him as 'Hazara boy' in my presence. He has a name and it's Sohrab"' (Hosseini 361). It really shows how Amir will protect Sohrab no matter what. -
First Contingent of Foreign Peacekeepers
Due to the growing concerns of Obsama Bin Laden's actions, the US deploys it's "first contingent of foreign peacekeepers - the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) - marking the start of a protracted fight against the Taliban" (BBC News). -
Sohrab and Amir, The Kite Runners
In the end, the author depicts the scene of Sohrab and Amir flying a kite. It's somewhat symbolic for the story because in the beginning, "I looked down at Sohrab. ONe corner of his mouth had urled up just so. A smile. Lopsided. Hardly there. But there" (Hosseini 371). It's starts off with kites and ends with them flying kites, and it's a major bonding moment for Amir and Sohrab that positively affects Amir's life. It somewhat gives him hope. -
58 People Killed at Shia shrine
In the December of 2011, "At least 58 people are killed in twin attacks at a Shia shrine in Kabul and a Shia mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif" (BBC News). -
US helps out Mujahideen
In 1986, after the anti-soviets group, mujahideen forms, "US begins supplying mujahideen with Stinger missiles, enabling them to shoot down Soviet helicopter gunships" (BBC News).