Kite Runner & the History of Afghanistan

By stephalu04

  • Amir watched Hassan get raped

    While Hassan is being raped, Amir watches quietly as "He moved his head slightly and I caught a glimpse of his face. Saw the resignation in it. It was a look I had seen before. It was the look of the lamb" (Hosseini 75-76). This event will be remembered by Amir. Amir constantly feels guilty about not doing anything to stop Assef.

  • Hassan and Amir win kite fight

    Eager for Baba's approval, Amir and Hassan enter a kite fighting tournament. When they win, "I saw Baba on our roof. He was standing on the edge pumping both of his fists" (Hosseini 66). After wanting Baba's affection, Amir finally gets it. This shows how much Amir really wants his love.

  • Hassan and Ali leave

    After Amir's birthday, Hassan and Ali decide to leave for Hazarajat. They no longer feel safe, and Ali knows what Amir did. He says, "'Life here is impossible for us now, Agha sahib. We're leaving.' Ali drew Hassan to him...I knew whom Ali was protecting him from" (Hosseini 106). Hassan and Ali, who have been with Baba for a long time, decide to leave. What Amir did costed them their safety and their jobs.

  • Soviet Union invades Afghanistan

    Soviet Union invades Afghanistan, who is allied with the United States and Pakistan.

  • Soviet troops assist Babrak Kamal

    Soviet troops are parachuted to Kabul, helping Babrak Kamal. He became president in a coup in the Afghan Communist leadership/ The troops came "in response to a plea for help from a legitimately constituted Karmal Government" (New York Times ).

  • Soviet troops parachute into Kabul

    Soviet troops parachute into Kabul to help Babrak Karmal. Moscow had insisted the "troops came in response to a plea for help from a legitimately constituted Karmal Government" (New York Times).

  • Kamal and his father die

    After Kamal dies from the fumes in the fuel truck, his father is desperate. He is sad that his son died, so he "shoved the barrel into his own mouth. I will never forget the echo of that blast. Or the flash of light and the spray of red" (Hosseini 124). This shows how closer Kamal and his father were. He feels he cannot go on without his son so he kills himself.

  • Amir and Baba move to Jalalabad, Pakistan

    Being in Kabul is no longer safe, so Amir and Baba move to Jalalabad in a truck. They are on the truck of Karim, "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). Amir and Baba move from their wealthy house in Kabul. They give up their rich past for safety.

  • Amir graduates from high school

    After moving to Fremont, California, Amir graduates at the age of 20. At the graduation, Baba "motioned for me to wear my mortarboard, and took a picture of me with the school's clock tower in the background" (Hosseini 131). Moving to California strengthens Amir's relationship with Baba, not to mention allowing him to graduate from school. They enjoy time together afterwards.

  • Amir meets Soraya

    On a trip to the Afghan flea market, Amir is introduced to Soraya, who "had thick black eyebrows that touched in the middle like the arched wings of a flying bird, and the gracefully hooked nose of a princess from old Persia" (Hosseini 140). Amir starts to fall in love with Soraya. Marriage is considered a big deal, so this event is important

  • Baba passes away

    Baba has cancer and passes away. Amir is sad because "now he was gone. Baba couldn't show me the way anymore; I'd have to find it on my own. The thought of it terrified me" (Hosseini 174). Amir is heartbroken and scared after Baba's death because he knows his father is no longer there to help him. This shows how much their relationship has grown.

  • Rahim Khan finds Hassan

    Rahim Khan goes to Hazarajat to find Hassan, although the main reason "was that I was lonely" (Hosseini 203). Rahim Khan finds Hassan because many of his friends and family left. He talks to him and they catch up with what has happened.

  • Amir finishes his first novel

    Amir writes his first novel, and sends it to a New York agency. Amir says, "A month later, Martin called and informed me I was going to be a published novelist." (Hosseini 183). Amir has always written stories, so his first novel is a huge milestone. He recalls everything Hassan and Rahim Khan told him about his writing.

  • Soviet troops leave Afghanistan

    The last of the Soviet troops leave Afghnistan. It was "in effect, a unilateral withdrawal" (New York Times). They left the country vulnerable to Islamic extremists, such as Osama bin Ladin and his group, Al Quada.

  • Saunauber visits Hassan

    Hassan finds a woman wearing a blue burqa outside the front gates. She said, "You smiled coming out of me, did anyone ever tell you? And I wouldn't even hold you. Allah forgive me, I wouldn't even hold you" (Hosseini 210). The woman reveals that she is Sanauber, Hassan's mother. She regrets ignoring him.

  • Osama bin Laden arrives in Jalalabad

    Osama bin Laden arrives on a chartered jet in Jalalabad Airport. He is responsible for convincing Mullah Omar to destroy the Buddha statues.

  • Taliban take over Afghanistan

    With help from Pakistan, the Taliban took over Afghanistan. They placed strict laws, "banning movies and music and forcing women out of schools and into an all-enveloping burqa clothing" (New York Times).

  • Post 9/11 invasion

    After the 9/11 terrorist attack, the Taliban were asked to "hand over Mr. bin Laden. When refused, the United States joined forces with rebel groups that had never accepted Taliban rule" (New York Times).

  • Rahim Khan calls Amir to Pakistan

    Rahim Khan calls Amir, telling him that he is sick. He tells him to come to Pakistan. Amir says, "'We used to be close...When I was a kid, he was the first grown-up I ever thought of as a friend'" (Hosseini 191). Rahim Khan was Amir's closest friend. He feels sad knowing that he is sick.

  • Amir travels to Pakistan and meets Rahim Khan

    Amir takes a plane to Pakistan and meets Rahim Khan. He went to the door, knocked, "Then, a thing made of skin and bones pretending to be Rahim Khan opened the door" (Hosseini 197). Amir finally gets to see Rahim Khan after not being able to in years. Rahim was his first adult friend so it means a lot.

  • Sohrab attempts suicide

    Sohrab feels upset that he cannot be adopted and feels like his life was better before Amir came. While being rushed to the hospital, Amir says "and I remember the last time I felt this way, riding with Baba in the tank of the fuel truck buried in the dark with the other refugees" (Hosseini 345). Amir is panicking when Sohrab is rushed away. He feels trapped because he thinks it is his fault

  • Amir takes Sohrab back to California

    After Sohrab heals and accepts Amir's offer, Amir brings him home. When Soraya meets them, she says, "Salaam, Sohrab Jan. I am your Khala Soraya. We've all been waiting for you" (Hosseini 358). This shows how much Soraya and Amir want Sohrab to feel welcome. They want to take care of Hassan's son and also want to feel like he is their own child.

  • Hamid Karzai becomes Interim President

    Hamid Karzai takes office as the interim president of a government replacing the Taliban. He says he hopes "to secure peace for Afghanistan and win the country much-needed international aid" (New York Times).

  • Obama delivers speech addressing the situation.

    Obama announced he was going to deploy 30,000. He promised to bring back the Americans that were in Afghanistan. He said that the "United States could not afford and should not have to shoulder an open-ended commitment" (New York Times).

  • Gen. McChrystal is removed

    President Obama removes Gen. McChrystal due to "contemptuous quotes from the general and his staff about senior administration officials appeared in an article in Rolling Stone magazine" (New York Times). He was replaced by Gen.P Pletraeus.