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Fall of the Monarchy
After hearing gunfire, Afghanistan woke one morning to learn that the monarchy was no more because "Daoud Khan had ended the king's forty year reign with a bloodless coup" (Hosseini 36). -
Hassan and Amir are Bullied by Assef
Hassan uses his slingshot to stop Assef from beating Amir up with his infamous stainless-steel brass knuckles, and, in response, Assef claimed that "this doesn't end today" (Hosseini 42). Hassan felt such a strong sense of loyalty towards Amir that he would be willing to give up his safety for him. This led to the main plot of the novel, and what happened next would plague Amir's mind forever, causing him to revel in his guilt. -
Ali, Hassan, and Amir Hear Gunfire
In the late evening one day, Hassan and Amir run to find Ali when they hear "gunfire and [see] the sky lighting up silver" (Hosseini 365). Because this scarring noise is the beginning of an era that is bigger than them, clearly Amir and Hassan are frightened. They have no clue what it might mean for them, yet their largest problems can be worth more than this, such as jealousy of a relationship. -
Assef Rapes Hassan
After being humiliated by Hassan, Assef corners him and an alley and asks him to give him the final kite that Amir cut in the competition, as a price for humiliating him. However, when he refuses, Assef "let [him] keep it so it w[ould] always remind [him] of what [he was] about to do" (Hosseini 73). Clearly, Hassan's sense of loyalty to Amir is so strong that he would be willing to sacrifice anything. However, Amir did not stop Assef from raping him even though he had the opportunity. -
Ali and Hassan Leave
Hassan tells Ali about what happened the previous winter, and decides to leave because he claimed that "life [was] impossible for [them] now" (Hosseini 106). However, despite the fact that Amir had betrayed Hassan, he still asked Ali to keep Amir's guilt a secret. Because of his actions, however, Ali knew that Hassan could never feel safe in Kabul again. -
The Soviet Invasion Begins
The Soviet Union "engineered [a] coup as a pretext to replace Hafizullah Amin, the Afghan leader, who had lost their trust" (NYT). -
Baba and Amir Flee Afghanistan
In the middle of the night, Baba and Amir were driven "out of the Shorawi-occupied Kabul to the relative safety of Pakistan" (Hosseini 111). They did so without telling even their servants and left most of the items in their house. In Afghanistan at the time, brothers would give away their location if bribed or faced with violence, and this provides insight as to how much of a problem this could have been. -
Soraya and Amir are Married
According to tradition, "Baba spent $35,000, nearly the balance of his life savings, on the awroussi, the wedding ceremony" (Hosseini 169). It was a last gift to his son in his old age, and Amir would forever be grateful to him. Clearly, tradition is very important to him, due to the fact that he sacrificed so much for Amir and Soraya. -
Baba Dies
Due to a terminal cancer called Oat Cell Carcinoma, and his refusal to be treated via chemotherapy, one morning, "Baba never woke up" (Hosseini 173). He had had a long and fulfilling filled with many struggles like the bear he had wrestled in his youth, and had finally found one he could not beat. However, this was extremely important because, although he had been bested, Baba died on his own terms. -
Soviet Air Force Struggles
Due to advanced technologies that the United States supplied to the rebels, "the Soviet Air Force was also rendered largely useless" (NYT). -
Soviet Troops Leave Afghanistan
After peace talks moderated by the United Nations, the last Soviet troops "left ... a country that was not only devastated by war but that had become a beacon to Islamic extremists" (NYT). -
Sanaubar Returns
Although "none of [them] had seen Sanaubar since she had eloped with a band of singers and dancers in 1964" (Hosseini 210), eventually, Hassan readily welcomed her back into their home, and she formed a strong connection with his son, Sohrab. The fact that he could forgive her abandonment of him provides much insight towards Hassan's nature. Clearly, Hassan is a gentle soul who has a caring heart. -
Afghanistan was Divided
Throughout Afghanistan, "power was anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms" (NYT). -
Mullah Omar Receives Aid
Starting in 1994, Pakistani intelligence officers "began funneling arms, money and supplies to Mullah Omar's men, as well as military advisers to help guide them in battle" (NYT). -
Taliban Enforced Laws
Due to the help from Pakistan, the Taliban "impos[ed] strict enforcement of fundaentalist Islamic law, banning movies and music and forcing women out of schools and into all-enveloping burqa clothing" (NYT). -
Hassan is Executed
After Rahim Khan left on a trip, the Taliban came to investigate a tip that there was a Hazara family living in a big house in Kabul. After Hassan protested when they said they would occupy the house until Rahim Khan returned, they "shot him in the back of the head" (Hosseini 219). Obviously, opposition was a huge threat to the Taliban. Despite the fact that Hassan was trying to do something good, someone in the neighborhood had something to gain by them leaving, which shows cruel human nature. -
Attack on the World Trade Center (9/11)
The World Trade Center and the Twin Towers were both attacked "by [the terrorist group] Al Qaeda" (NYT). -
President Bush's Ultimatum
After the infamous 9/11 attacks by the Taliban, "President George W. Bush gave [them] an ultimatum to hand over Osama Bin Laden" (NYT), who had taken refuge under their wing. -
Assef and Amir Meet Again
While searching for Sohrab, Amir finds a Talib who asks him, "whatever happened to old Babalu, anyways?" (Hosseini 281). By hearing him say this, Amir realizes that the Talib is, in fact, Assef, who was at the root of his grief because he had been the one to rape Hassan many years earlier. This shows how sociopaths like himself sometimes continue on the path of wrong-doings, despite the amount of protest that might arise due to their actions. -
Sohrab Comes to America
After Sohrab was released from the hospital, Amir and he "arrived home" (Hosseini 357). However, Sohrab would not say a word, to either Soraya or Amir. This clearly shows the effect it had on him when Amir broke the promise that he would not have to return to the orphanage. -
Sohrab Attempts Suicide
Late one evening, Amir finds the seemingly lifeless body of Sohrab, and a "blood soaked razor sitting on the toilet tank" (Hosseini 347). Clearly because he had been told hours before that he would have to live in an orphanage again, which was his biggest fear, Sohrab had felt that there was no way to escape to a better life. Therefore, he had attempted to commit suicide and Amir found him when he was about to tell him that he would not have to go back to the orphanage after all. -
Rahim Khan Invites Amir to Pakistan
Over the phone, Rahim Khan, who is very sick, asks Amir to come to Pakistan to meet him, promising that "there is a way to be good again" (Hosseini 192). Clearly, by saying this, Rahim Khan knows what had happened in Kabul many years ago. This causes Amir to become very curious and is tempted to leave to rid himself of the constant guilt he feels for his actions. -
Rahim Khan Tells Amir
Once Amir finds Rahim Khan in Pakistan, he told
Amir that "Ali was sterile" (Hosseini 222). However, since Amir had believed that Hassan was Ali's son, it came as a shock to him. However, he was furious when he realized that neither he nor Hassan had been told that they were half-brothers, and Hassan had died before he found out. This fact would eventually lead him to agree to bringing Sohrab back to Pakistan. -
Sohrab Flies His First Kite with Amir
Amir decided to show Sohrab how to fly a kite, and looked down at him to see that "one corner of his mouth had curled up just so" (Hosseini 370). This is significant because Sohrab had been suffering from depression and has not said a word in seven months. This signifies the beginning of the end of this period and shows that Sohrab will be happy once more despite the horrors he has been through. -
Obama Introduces his Plan
In a speech, President "Obama announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops ... [and] vowed to start bringing American forces home from Afghanistan in the middle of 2011" (NYT).