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BOOK: Hassan is raped by Assef
While running to retrieve the blue kite after the competition, Hassan is cornered by Assef, Kamal, and Wali. Before long, they start violating him in all of the absolute worst ways. After first kicking Hassan to the ground and holding him down "Assef knelt behind Hassan, put his hands on Hassan's hips and lifted his bare buttocks" (Hosseini 75) and then continued to rape him. This displayed Amir's cowardice and fear of bullies from witnessing everything but saying nothing. -
BOOK: Ali and Hassan leave
Following Hassan's rape, Amir felt extremely guilty all the time so he made a decision. Either him or Hassan would have to go, and he wasn't sure it would be himself. So after his birthday party, Amir planted some of his presents underneath Hassan's mattress to frame him and anger Baba. Even though Baba forgave Hassan, Ali said that "'[l]ife here is impossible for us now, Agha sahib. We're leaving'" (Hosseini 106). This shows how aware Ali was of everything going on between Hassan and Amir. -
First Soviet troops land in Afghanistan
A long war took place between the Soviet Union and Afghanistan and its allies. It was started when "[t]he first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul on Dec. 27, 1979..." (NYT 2). -
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Invasion by Soviet Union
Afghanistan used to be a fairly peaceful country. The long history of extremisim in Afghanistan "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" (NYT 2). -
BOOK: En route to Jalalabad, Baba stops soldiers from taking advantage of woman
Baba and Amir were smuggled across the Afghanistan-Pakistan border by Russian soldiers. While en route, one of the soldiers wanted a night with a young women in the truck as extra payment. However Baba was extremely quick to stand up and "'[t]ell him [he'd] take a thousand bullets before [he would] let this indeceny take place'" (Hosseini 116). This shows how brave and courageous he is, and how he will do anything to make sure that nobody receives any more or less respect than they deserve. -
BOOK: Amir graduates high school
Shortly after moving to America, Baba got a job and Amir went back to school. It took him a while but he finally "graduated from high school at the age of twenty" (Hosseini 131). This displays value he sees in education, especially as an immigrant because it means a chance for a better life, for him, Baba and his future wife and family. -
BOOK: Amir met Soraya Taheri
Every weekend Baba and Amir made the habit of going to flea market to buy trinkets and sell them for a higher cost. One day, they met General Taheri and his daughter Soraya. Immediately, Amir fell in love with her. With every thought of her, his "heart stuttered" (Hosseini 142). This was a very important moment for Amir because it was the first day of the rest of his life. -
BOOK: Baba is diagnosed with cancer
Following the summer of 1984, Baba caught a cold. At least, that is what it appeared to be at first. When it would not let up, Amir took him to the doctor and discovered Baba had cancer. And apparently "like Satan, cancer had many names. Baba's was called 'Oat Cell Cacinoma'" (Hosseini 155/156). This was the day that Baba finally let Amir take charge of their family of two. -
BOOK: Baba's death
Shortly after Amir and Soraya's wedding, Baba falls more ill than he had ever before. They both did as much possible to alleviate the work Baba did so that he would have enough energy to fight the disease. However despite all of their efforts, Baba could not survive. One day Soraya put him to bed and "Baba [simply] never woke up" (Hosseini 173). This shows that no matter how hard one may try, some things just are meant to come to a certain, unchangable fate. -
Last Soviet troops leave Afghanistan
After more than nine years of war, the world knew something had to change. The United Nations began to moderate peace talks and "the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989..." (NYT 2). -
Pakistani officers offer support to growing Taliban group
Mullah Omar helped avenge a young girl that was raped and had her head shaved, and this was one of the Taliban's first acts. In 1994, "Pakistani intelligence officers began funneling arms, money and supplies to Mullah Omar's arms..." (NYT 3). -
Taliban have control of Afghanistan
The terrorist group called the Taliban had become a very powerful group in Afghanistan. Because of aid from the Pakistani, "the Taliban by 1996 had take control" (NYT 3). -
Osama Bin Ladan and Al Qaeda enter Afghanistan
The Taliban welcomed a safe haven "for Mr. Bin Laden, who arrived by charter jet at Jalalabad Airport in may 1996, and for Al Qaeda" (3). -
BOOK: Talibans massacre Hazaras in Mazara-i-Sharif
Once Amir returned to Pakistan to visit Rahim Kahn, they discussed Hassan and how his life progressed after he and Ali left Baba's house. Around 1996 the Taliban came in and ended the daily fights in the streets and brought peace, but they were only in the eye of the storm. Soon after the Taliban started placing rules and restrictions on the citizens and "two years later, in 1998, they massacred the Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif" (Hosseini 213). This displays how suddenly the Taliban's power grew. -
BOOK: Hassan and Farzana are killed by Taliban soldiers
Whilst with Rahim Kahn, Amir is told stories of Hassan's life ever since he last saw him. However he also hears the story of the end of Hassan's life. According to Rahim Kahn "'they took him to the street... and order him to kneel... and shot him in the back of the head" (Hosseini 219). It was at this moment that Amir knew he could never truly redeem himself for the mistakes he made as a child. -
BOOK: Amir returns to Pakistan to visit Rahim Kahn
After Baba's death, Amir receives a phone call from Rahim Kahn to come and visit and that he too is very sick. Amir took that as a chance to make up for some of his "past of unatoned sins" (Hosseini 1). This emphasizes how Amir's personality has grown with his age and he is taking the opportunity given to him. -
BOOK: Amir discovers he and Hassan were brothers
When catching up with Rahim Kahn about the times of their lives they weren't together for, Amir discovers a shocking secret that alters his life. The person that was his best friend for the first years of Amir's life was really his brother. He takes this news very roughly by yelling at Ali, "'you bunch of lying goddamn bastards!" (Hosseini 222). This shows that even while Baba may have thought stealing was the worst sin, he stole the truth from his own son all his life. -
BOOK: Amir confronts Assef to get ahold of Sohrab
When Amir is on the hunt for Sohrab, he finds him in the hands of one of his greated enemies ever: Assef. Still being the bully he is, Assef challenges Amir and says the winner gets to claim Sohrab. However once the battle ended all Amir remembered was "[h]is brass knuckles flashing in the afternoon light" (Hosseini 288). This emphasizes how Assef is still the dirty, cheating jerk he was twenty five years prior. -
BOOK: Sohrab attempts suicide
While Amir is trying to figure out how to get Sohrab into the US, it becomes clear it may take a long time. So, he suggests to Sohrab that he may have to go back to an orphanage until they have it sorted out. Later that night Sohrab was taking his nightly bath and Amir stepped in to tell him he may not have to after all and "[s]uddenly [he] was on [his] knees, screaming" (Hosseini 343). This shows how deeply scared Sohrab was about his uncertain future and how much Amir cared for the child. -
BOOK: Amir and Sohrab arrive in America
After weeks of hardship and struggles, Amir is finally able to bring Sohrab to his wife and home to give him a better life. As happy as Amir was when they "arrived home" (Hosseini 357), Sohrab was still recovering from his traumatic experience. This shows that as amazing as something may turn out for anyone, the journey may lessen the worth of the destination. -
9/11 Attack from Al Qaeda
One of the largest terrorist attacks on the United States was the "attack on the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11, 2001..." (NYT 3). -
BOOK: Sohrab smiles at Amir
After years of struggling to try and make Sohrab feel more comfortable with his new life in America, an amazing thing happens one day. Whilst flying kites with Amir, Sohrab was finally experiences one of his father's favorite pastimes as a child. And knowing that "[o]ne corner of his mouth had curled up just so" (Hosseini 370). This shows how the simplest of things can connect a person to their family, no matter how long it has been. -
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Hamid Karzai is president of Afghanistan
"Mr. Karzai was elected to a five-year term as president in 2004) (NYT 3). -
Obama announced plan for troops in Afghanistan
The United States offered to help defend the Afghans in their warr against the Taliban. Obama said in a speech at West Point that he planned "to deploy 30,000 additional troops... [and] start bringing [them] home from Afghanistan in the middle of 2011" (NYT 4). -
US invasion to weaken terrorist groups
Our troops launched an "invasion [that] succeeded in dislodging Al Qaeda and removing the Taliban from power..." (NYT 1).