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Mohammed Daud Forced to Resign
In 1963, "Mohammed Daud forced to resign as prime minister" ("Afghanistan Profile-Timeline"). -
Hassan's Day of Birth
It was in a little shack, "Hassan was born in the winter of 1964, just one year after my mother died giving birth to me" (Hosseini 6). At this moment, it is explaining the date of birth of Hassan. This shows the beginning of the questionable friendship between Amir and Hassan. -
Year of Succession for Baba
When Amir was five or six "[i]n the late 1960s... Baba decided to build an orphanage... [E]veryone shook their heads in dismay at his obstinate ways. Then Baba succeeded and everyone shook their heads in awe" (Hosseini 13). At this moment, Baba had proven to everyone that anything he put his mind to, it became possible. This is when Baba developed respect and authority from other people. -
Kite Running
Winter was Amir's favorite time of the year "[a]nd the reason for that was kites. Baba and [him] lived in the same house, but in different spheres of existence. Kites were the one paper-thin slice of intersection between those spheres (Hosseini 49). At this moment, Amit is explaining why he loves winter. Kites were the only thing that could possibly bond Baba and Amir together so it is very important to Amir. -
Hassan's Birthday Present from Baba
On the "[e]arly winter of 1974, Hassan and [Amir] were playing in the yard one day...when Ali called him in... It was Hassan's birthday... Baba never missed Hassan's birthday" (Hosseini 44). At this moment, Amir and Hassan are full of excitement to see what Baba got for Hassan this year. Here, it is showing the beginning of Amir's hatred for Hassan because he felt as if "Hassan hadn't done anything to earn Baba's affections (Hosseini 46) and all Amir got was disappointment from Baba. -
Winning the Kite Fighting
As Amir and Hassan celebrate their win, Amir "saw Baba on [the] roof. He was standing on the edge, pumping both of his fists. Hollering and clapping. And that right there was the single greatest moment of [Amir's] twelve years of life... proud of [him] at last (Hosseini 66). At this moment, Amir had just won the kite competition and sees that Baba is actually proud of him. Because Amir thinks that Baba looks down on him, Amir feels that this win made up for the many disappointments. -
Hassan Getting Raped
Unable to watch anymore, Amir "had one last chance to make a decision... [i]n the end, [he] ran" (Hosseini 77). At this moment, Amir had just witnessed Hassan being raped by Assef. He chose to run and because of this decision, it caused him to live with guilt and regret throughout his life. -
In Baba's Arms
Coming home from the alley, Amir ran into Baba's loving arms and "buried [his] face in the warmth of [Baba's] chest and wept... [i]n his arms, [Amir] forgot what [he had] done. And that was good" (Hosseini 79). Here, Amir and Hassan had just returned from the incident. Instead of handling the current situation, all he wants to do is to forget what he has done by crying in Baba's arms. -
Amir Throwing Up
After throwing up, all Amir could think about was "Hassan's brown corduroy pants discarded on a pile of old bricks in the alley" (Hosseini 84). At this moment, Amir is being reminded of what happened the day before. He is still haunted by the action he made and is reminded of it wherever he goes. -
Amir's Thoughts During Vacation
Amir wanted to have a connection with Baba and "[he] finally had what [he] wanted... [e]xcept now that [he] had it, [Amir] felt as empty as [the] unkempt pool [he] was dangling [his] legs into" (Hosseini 84). At this moment, Amir is thinking about how he is still unhappy even though he made the connection with Baba. The incident is causing him to feel empty, but full of guilt. -
Amir's Confession
Waking up in the middle of the night, Amir states, "'I watched Hassan get raped'" (Hosseini 86). He wanted someone to be awake and to have heard him "so [he] wouldn't have to live with this lie anymore" (Hosseini 86). Here, Amir is confessing what has been holding back. He admits that he wants help and that he wishes that it would all go away, but later accepts the fact that he has to face this. -
Amir's Question to Baba
When spending some time with Baba, Amir asks,"'Baba, have you ever thought about getting new servants?" (Hosseini 89). Here, Amir is curious and decides to ask Baba about getting new servants. Amir was wanting to get rid of Hassan o he does not have to face this guilt anymore. -
Amir and Hassan at the Pomegranate Tree
Yelling at Hassan, Amir wishes that Hassan would "give [him] the punishment [Amir] craved, so maybe [he'd] finally sleep at night" (Hosseini 92). Here, Amir is taking his anger out on Hassan by throwing pomegranates at him. He is wanting Hassan to hit him back so he would't have to have so much shame and guilt. -
Birthday Presents Under the Mattress
Choosing the person who has to go, Amir went to Hassan's house and "lifted Hassan's mattress and planted [his] new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under it" (Hosseini 104). At this moment, Amir is deciding to frame Hassan so that he has to leave. Amir is hoping that once Hassan leaves, the regret and guilt will go along with him. -
Ali and Hassan Leaving
As Ali and Hassan tell Baba that they are leaving, Baba "cried. It scared [Amir] a little, seeing a grown man sob" (Hosseini 107). At this moment, Hassan and Ali are leaving Baba and Amir. For Ali to be leaving like that, it represents Baba and Ali's friendship ending. -
Little Peace in Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, it is known to have "little peace since 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded" (The New York Times). -
Parachuting into Kabul
On December 27, 1979, "[t]he first Societ troops parachuted into Kabul... to assist Babrak Karmal, who has become president in a coup within the Afghan Communist leadership" (The New York Times). -
Leaving Home
As Baba stands up to the soldier with the gun, he says,"'Tell him I'll take a thousand of his bullets before I let this indecency take place" (Hosseini 116). Amir then thinks of "that winter day six years ago. [Him], peering around the corner in the alley" (Hosseini 116). At this moment, Baba and Ali are leaving home to go to the states. Amir is reminded of this guilt he had six years ago. Even though Hassan left, Amir is still facing this regret and pain that he struggles with. -
Soviets Leaving Afghanistan
After having some peace talks, "the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989, in what was in effect a unilateral withdrawal" (The New York Times). -
Moving Up North and East
In 1994, "Mullah Omar had nearly 12,000 followers and was rolling up the warlords to the north and east" (The New York Times). -
Getting Help from Pakistan
In early 1994, "Pakistani intelligence officers began funneling arms, money and supplies to Mullah Omar's men, as well as military advidsors to help guide them in battle" (The New York Times). -
The Taliban Taking Over
Being kept up by Pakistani aid, "the Taliban by 1996 has taken control of Afghanistan, imposing strict enforcemnet of fundamentalist Islamic law, banning movies and music and forcing women out of schools and into all-enveloping burqa clothing" (The New York Times). -
The Karzai Government
During December 2001, "Hamid Karzai... the exiled former king of Afghanistan, was named chairman of an interim government that replaced the defeated Taliban, making him the leader of the country" (The New York Times). -
President George W. Bush Warning the Taliban
After September 11, 2001, the attack of the World Trade Center in New York, "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... [a]n air and ground campaign began that drove the Taliban out of the major Afghan cities by the end of the year" (The New York Times). -
The First Invasion
Afghanistan war began in "2001 that was triggered by the September 11 attacks" (Witte). -
President Obama's Speech
On December 1, 2009, in a speech, "Mr. Obama announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops. He vowed to start bringing American forced home from Afghanista in the midle of 2011, saying the Untied States could not afford and should not have to shoulder an open-ended commitment" (The New York Times).