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Sanaubar leaves Ali and Hassan
A week after Hassan was born, his mother Sanaubar left the family and "ran off with a clan of traveling singers and dancers" (Hosseini, 6). Although we latter find out that Baba had gone behind Ali's back to have an afair with his wife, Sanaubar leaves her husband and her week old child. This illistrates the poor relationship between Sanubar, Baba and Ali -
Hassans Birth
Hassan was born to his mother Sanaubar "in that little shack, that [he] was born in the winter of 1964" (Hosseini, 6). This signifies the birth of one of the main characters who must suffer many trageties. Even though he probably has the best morals ethics and values of all the characters. -
Afghanistan Changes forever
When Amir and Hassan witness their first shooting, Afghanistan changed forever, for their "monarchy was a thing of the past" (Hosseini, 36). Afganistans many changes make Hassan's and Amir's life tumble into a world of turmoil. This also creates a bad enviorment for the two of them and will effect how they live their lives. -
Hassan's violation
Amir had the decision to stand up for Hassan or run. He said, "In the end, I ran. I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me. I was afraid of getting hurt" (Hosseini, 76). This sort of cowerdice theme runs throughtout the rest of the book, as amir continues to run away from his problems. Instead of helping Hassan in his moment of need, he just runs away and acts like it never happened. -
Amir witnesses Hassan and Ali leave
When Hassan and Ali decide they must leave Amir and Baba's home, Ali tells Baba, "Life is impossible for us now, Agha Sahib. We're leaving" (Hosseini, 106). This relives Amir of the guilt he carries for a short amount of time. But later this ends up to be the last time Amir will see either of them, and he controlled that outcome. -
soviet troops parachute in Kabul
We see the decline of afghanistans prosperity when, "Soviet troops parachuted into kabul on Dec. 27th 1979, to assist babrak karmal." -
Baba and Amir make it to America
Amir tells us that "Baba loved the idea of America" (Hosseini, 125). Even though Baba found it difficulte in the way that not everyone spoke the same language and most people didn't respect his culture and the fact that he lost much of his socioeconomic status. Amir on the other hand is quite succsessful in America as he gets to almost get a restart. -
Amir's highschool graduation
After Amir's high school graduation ceremony, Baba said, "'I am moftakhir, Amir,'... Proud. His eye gleamed when he said that and I liked being on the recieving end of that look" (Hosseini, 131). This shows how America has brought Amir and Baba closer together. Also Amir had the chance to make Baba proud, which he never really had in Afghanistan because he was always competing with Hassan for Baba's love and respect. -
Soviet airforce rendered usless due to land to air missles
We see Afghanistan start to gain its freedom, "After 1986, the soivet air force was also rendered largly useless by advanced Stinger antiaircraft missles supplied by the United States to the rebels." -
Baba get lung cancer
Due to his smoking Baba is diagnosed with lung cancer. Amir said "like Satan, cancer had many names" (Hosseini, 155). This is a major turning point in the novel because we know that the Baba won't be alive much longer and Amir will have to make it on his own. This really affects Amir because he has no idea what he will do without his father. -
Amir's Marriage
At Amir's and Soraya's marrige, Amir, "whispered for the first time that [he] loved her" (Hosseini, 171). During this moment Amir found his first positive, loving relationship. He finally had the chance to really love someone and care for them. -
Baba's Passing
After Baba's passing. Many of Baba's friend come to visit him and Amir realized that "how much of who [he] was, what [he] was, had been defined by Baba and the marks he had left on poeple's lives" (Hosseini, 174). This shows that Baba was a very influential person and had many friends even if he went against his own rules. Also this is the point is when Amir must become completly independant and can no longer rely on Baba for support. -
Afghanistan devasted after the war with the Soiviet Union brought many Islamics includeding Al Qaeda
The NYT writer says, "They [the soviet union] left behind a country that was not only devesated by the war but that had become a beacon to Islamic extremists from across the globe who had come to assist in the fighting, including Osama bin laden and the group he helped found, Al Qaeda" -
Amir buys his own house
A few months after Amir and Soraya find out that they are sterile, "use[s] the advance for [Amir's] second novel and placed a down payment on a pretty, two-bedroom Victorian house in San Francisco's Bernal Heights" (Hosseini, 188). This depicts how amir will live a very successful life in America and will never have to deal with the Afghani hardships. The reason this is so important is that its Amirs first time buying anything with his own money. -
The Taliban take control of Afghanistan
We see they take over when the Taliban start to take over, "imposing strict enforcement of fundamentalist Islamic law, banning movies and music and forcing women out of schools and into all-envelopking burqa clothing" -
Osama Bin Laden arrival in Afghanistan
The Taliban later go against the United states by "provided a haven for mr. bun laden, who arrived by chartered jet at Jalalabad Airport in May 1996" -
World Trade Centers attacked by plane
We see the U.S. seeking revenge for the crisis when "After the attack on the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11 2001 President George W. Bysh gave the taliban an ultimatum to hand over Mr. bin Laden. WHen it refused the United States joined forces with rebel groups that never accepted Taliban rule." -
Al Qaeda and taliban removed from power in 2001
We see the success of the U.S. when a NYT reporter discribes "The 2001 invasion succeded in dislodging Al Qaeda and the taliban from power." -
Amir vists Rahim
When Amir finally get to see Rahim he sees, "a thing made of sick and bones pretending to be Rahim Khan opened the door" (Hosseini, 197). This quote shows the change in Rahim Khan since Baba and Amir left afghanistan. Since the taliban take over there weren't many people left to take care of the elderly. -
Amir recieves call from Rahim
"Rahim Khan is very sick." (191) Amir tells Soraya. But the real reason Amir is going back to Afghanistan is not to see Rahim but more to atone for his sins. Execpt this time its not atoning for Hassan its for his son Sohrab. -
Amir rescues Sohrab from Assef
As Amir tries to understand what had just happened between him and Assef, Sohrab yells to him, "Let's go!" (Hosseini, 291). They then escpae out of the house, but Amir is badly injured. Amir has begun to atone for his sins by rescuing the boy and letting Assef beat him up for what he did to Hassan -
Amir learns of Hassan's death
While visiting Rahim Khan, Amir learns that because Hassan and his family weren't going to abandon Baba's house, a Taliban man "took him to the street...and order him to kneel...and shot him in the back of the head" (Hosseini, 219). Amir learns here that everyone he's really known and loved in his childhood life in now dead or dying. Now Amir will never get the chance to apologize for what he did to Hassan. -
Obama decision to put General david H. Petaeus in Iraq
we see Obama's deci8sion when, "He put gen. david H. Petraaeus, the architect of the 2007 'surge' in Iraq, in command of American forces in Afganistan,' -
Obamas Speecg at West Point
Obama announced his plans to "deploy 30,000 additional troops. He vowed to start bringing American forces home from Afghanistan in the middle of 2011." -
Obama says the U.S will have troops in afganistan till 2014 instead of 2011
We see a change of plans when the nyt reporter says 'though initial plans called for American combat forces to beging withdrawing from Afghanistan in the summer of 2011, the obama administration strongly emphisizes the idea that the United states will have forces in the country untill at least the end of 2014."