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Baba is born
The narrator says,"In 1933, the year Baba was born and the year Zahir Shah began his forty year reign of Afghanistan ... my grandfather adopted him into his own household"(Hosseini 24). This is one of the most important events to take place because without it, the story wouldn't exist. Also, if Amir's grandfather had not gotten that case, or not have chosen to adopt him, Amir would have never had a conflict with Hassan affecting his entire life. -
Amir is born
In the early moments of the book, Amir says, "my mother died giving birth to me ... hemorrhaged to death during childbirth ... mother I never met"(Hosseini 6). Amir's mother died almost immediately after he was born. He will never have a single chance to meet her, but Hassan has a chance. However, Amir definitely leads a much more luxurious lifestyle, with Baba having such a high socioeconomic status. -
Hassan is born
Amir thinks, "It was in that small shack that Hassan's mother, Sanaubar, gave birth to him one cold winter day in 1964 ... She ran off with a clan of traveling singers and dancers"(Hosseini 6). The reason Sanaubar ran away is because she probably didn't like his looks. He was born with a cleft lip, which in her society wasn't thought highly of. Also, Hassan was born in a very poor environment, a small shack, and this just made the situation Sanaubar was in worse. -
1973 Afghan Coup D'Ètat
While Zahir Shah and his family were on a stopover in Italy, "then-army commander Lieutenant General Mohammad Daoud Khan seized control in Kabul. Daoud Khan declared Afghanistan a republic, calling the coup a "national and progressive revolution," and then declared himself president"(RFERL)RFERL -
Hassan gets his cleft lip fixed in surgery
When Hassan's cleft lip surgery is finished, Amir narrates,"the surgery went well. We were all a little shocked when they first removed the bandages ... upper lip was a grotesque mesh of swollen, raw tissue"(Hosseini 46). This is a small event, but it has a big event not only on the story but on Hassan's quality of life. He will still have to deal with some bullying from others because he is a Hazara, but now that his lip is fixed he can't be insulted due to his looks. -
Period: to
Timespan of Afghanistan
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Amir wins kite competition
During the last moments of the kite competition, Amir "fed the string, pulled up ... almost there ... loosened [his] grip on the string ... [heard] the crowd's roar ... ". Amir was able to win the competition with the help of Hassan, but he doesn't even think about him and focuses more on Baba. This is the way Amir plans to connect with Baba through the kite competition, as it is something they both enjoy, and now Baba is proud of him. -
Hassan is Raped by Assef
When Amir is hiding behind the wall while witnessing Hassan's rape, he describes,"pinned to the ground ... undid his own belt buckle ... Hassan didn't struggle. Didn't even whimper"(Hosseini 75). By standing behind the wall and not even trying to save Hassan, Amir shows the clear inequality here because he doesn't consider Hassan highly enough to save him. Also, Hassan doesn't object to it, showing the great lengths that Hassan was wiling to go to to get something for Amir. -
Hassan and Ali leave Baba and Amir
After Ali and Hassan tell Baba and Amir of their decision to leave, Baba pleads,"Why [are you] doing this ... the brother I never had ... I forbid you to do this ... Please"(Hosseini 106-107). After the rape, Hassan and Ali were unsure whether to stay or go. However, Amir deciding to plant the watch and money went too far. By causing one of Baba's main relationships to be lost, his suffered too. -
Daud Khan is killed in a pro-Soviet coup
During a very rowdy Pro-Soviet coup, "General Daud is overthrown and killed ... The People's Democratic Party comes to power but is paralysed by violent infighting and faces opposition by US-backed mujahideen groups"(BBC). BBC -
Soviet Union Invasion on Afghanistan
The Soviets invaded Afghanistan by "[parachuting] into Kabul on Dec. 27 1979, to assist Babrak Kamal, who had become president in a coup within the Afghan Communist leadership"(New York Times). -
Amir and Baba move to the United States
When Baba and Amir finally arrive in America, Amir describes, "Bay Area's smog stung his eyes, the traffic noise gave him headaches, and the pollen made him cough. The fruit was never sweet enough, the water never clean enough"(Hosseini 126). Once Baba and Amir move to America, Baba is quick to find problems. The noisiness of an industrial area is a complete contrast from the simple streets of Kabul, and he is unhappy with the food and water in America, showing how much he misses Kabul. -
Ali is killed by a Land Mine
During the conversation between Rahim Khan and Hassan, Hassan tells Rahim,"Ali and his cousin-who has owned the house-had been killed by a land mine two years before, just outside of Bamiyan"(Hosseini 206). Hassan was probably very deeply saddened by this, as he thought of Ali as very close, even family. This is mainly because he didn't know the secret Baba had been hiding all those years, but Ali cared a lot for Hassan, and Hassan grieved. -
Amir and Soraya get married
During the reflection by Amir on his wedding, he remembers,"We were seated around a table, Soraya and I dressed in green ... said our oaths. Signed the certificates ... read a lengthy poem dedicated to Soraya"(Hosseini 170). Amir's wedding was very fast paced, as Baba was unstable and all the normal ceremonies were not possible. However, the fact that he wasn't able to remember way too much shows he was distracted by the same thing he has his entire life - Hassan and his rape. -
Baba Dies
After having dinner with many relatives, and is being put to sleep, Baba says,"Not tonight ... There is no pain tonight", and the next morning "Baba never woke up"(Hosseini 173). Baba could sense that this was his last day, as he said there was no pain. Amir and Soraya knew that every time they put him to sleep, there was a very good chance he would never wake up, and when it finally happened, they were prepared. -
Last Soviet Troops leave Afghanistan
The Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan "after peace talks moderated by the United Nations, the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989 ... They left behind a country that was not only devastated by the war"(New York Times). -
Amir's book becomes published
Once his book becomes published, Amir says,"The novel was released in the summer of that following year, 1989, and the publisher sent me on a five-city book tour. I became a minor celebrity in the Afghan community"(Hosseini 183). This is a big deal for Amir and those in his life, and this is a dream of his. Also, Baba thought Amir would never make it big in the writing industry, which probably drove him to make the novel as good as he can to prove Baba wrong and make him proud. -
Sanaubar returns to Hassan
When Rahim Khan is talking to Amir about Hassan, he describes,"It was that same year, in the middle of the summer, that a woman covered in a sky blue burqa knocked on the front gates ... swaying on her feet ... collapsed right there"(Hosseini 209). Sanaubar had left immediately, not even caring for Hassan. This just shows how selfish and egotistical she was, especially since she was young. Now that she had returned it is like a nightmare had come back to haunt Hassan. -
Mohammed 'Mullah' Omar begins Taliban group
The Taliban, a group working to purify the country, were created when "Mullah Omar, a Pashtun who had lost an eye fighting the Soviets, gathered a small band of men and attacked a group of warlords who had raped a girl and shaved her head(New York Times). -
Taliban Seize Control over Kabul
When the Taliban captured Kabul in 1996, they enforced a "severe interpretation of Islamic law that, for example, forbade female education and prescribed the severing of hands, or even execution, as punishment for petty crimes"(Britannica)Britannica -
Mullah Omar orders destruction of Buddha Statues at Bamiyan
The Taliban "provided a haven for Mr bin Laden, who arrived by chartered jet at Jalalabad Airport ... Al Qaeda helped persuade Mullah Omar to order the destruction of the 800-year-old Buddah statues at Bamiyan"(New York Times) -
Sohrab Attempts Suicide
When Amir is in the hospital after Sohrab attempts suicide, he recalls,"the bloody bathwater; the left arm dangling over the side of the tub, the blood soaked razor sitting on the toilet tank"(Hosseini 348). Amir had a great relationship with Sohrab before he revealed that he had to send him to an orphanage. However, Sohrab didn't want this, and realized the only life he wanted was the old life, with Hassan, Rahim Khan, and Sasa. He attempted suicide, and the relationship was damaged forever. -
George Bush delivers ultimatum to capture Osama Bin Laden to Taliban
President George W. Bush "gave the Taliban an ultimatum to hand over Mr. bin Laden. When it refused, the United States joined forces with rebel groups... "(New York Times) -
Taliban Loses Control over Afghanistan
The writer describes, "Taliban fighters abandon their final stronghold in Kandahar as the militia group’s hold on Afghanistan continues to disintegrate. Two days later, Taliban leaders surrender the group’s final Afghan territory, the province of Zabul. The move leads the Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press to declare “the rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan has totally ended."(PBS)PBS. -
Sohrab finally smiles after his suicide attempt
Sohrab and Amir are kitefighting at an Afghan festival, and Amir thinks,"just like that the green kite was spinning and wheeling out of control ... looked down at Sohrab. One corner of his mouth had curled up just so"(Hosseini 370). Here, Sohrab didn't have a full smile, but it was a step towards being the person he used to be and being like his dad. Sohrab is shown in the text to enjoy kitefighting, and Amir realizes that he can "learn to be good again" by supporting Sohrab. -
30,000 additional troops deployed in Afghanistan
When he was at West Point "Mr. Obama announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops. He vowed to start bringing American forces home"(New York Times).
