Kite Runner & the History of Afghanistan

By tobiasmatthews

  • Amir's mother dies giving birth to him

    Before the Kite tournament he believes that this is his opportunity to redeem himself for killing his mother, thinking, "And maybe, just maybe, I would finally be pardoned for killing my mother" (Hosseini 56) Baba's love of his life died giving birth to his son, so he believes that Amir must somehow redeem himself and show Baba his mother's death was not in vain. This fuels the main conflict in the early story due to Amir not being everything his father dreamed he would be.

  • Hassan is born

    As Amir reflects upon his early relationship with Hassan, he thinks"Under the same roof, we spoke our first words. Mine was Baba. His was Amir. My name." (Hosseini 11). From an early age, their SES is well defined by the power structure between Hassan and Amir. As a Hazara, Hassan is born into a life of labor and servitude. As a wealthy noble, Hassan is poised to be wealthy nad successful. This drives a hole between them aggrivated by Assef

  • Hassan's cleft lip is repaired

    When Hassan turns 10, Baba, Hassan's illegitimate father, hires a doctor to repair Hassan's cleft lip. when looking back on this event, Amir states, "It wasn't fair. Hassan hadn't done anything to earn Baba's affections" (Hosseini 27) This quote exemplifies Amir's resentment toward his father. Amir resents Baba due to his feelings that Baba loves Hassan more than him. He feels this way due to Hassan being braver than him and being more like his father than he is.

  • Amir looks forward to kite tournament

    In the town of Kabul, the kite running tournament is a very large, winning the tournament is a very honorable and desirable by both the kids and the parents, the day before the tournament baba says to amir, "Maybe this year I think that you will win the tournament this year" (Hosseini 44) When baba says this he sparks the idea in amir's mind that is he was to win this tournament he would redeem and earn his father's love and respect.

  • Hassan is raped by Assef

    "I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be... In the end, I ran." (Hosseini 77)
    Amir decides not to help Hassan due to selfishness and a want to be appreciated by his father. Hassan is able to hold on to the kite he caught for Amir, but their relationship is forever broken due to the traumatic events.

  • Amir frames Hassan

    "I lifted Hassan's mattress and planted my new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under it." (Hosseini 104)
    Due to the guilt that Amir feels for not helping Hassan, he decides to frame him in an attempt to make him move. When Baba asks Hassan if he stole the money, Hassan says yes. Despite that Baba insists on forgiving him, but Ali decides they must move.

  • First soviet invasion of Kabul

    First soviet invasion of Kabul
    The Soviets were present for a long time in Afghanistan but reached their peak of presence when they invaded Kabul, the new york times article says "The first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul on Dec. 27, 1979," (New York Times 2)

  • Baba is diagnosed with cancer

    After being diagnosed with cancer, Baba lashes out against Amir, he says, "'No one finds out about this, you hear me? No one. I don't want anybody's sympathy.'" (Hosseini 157) Baba contains his inner feelings and doesn't want to admit he is dying to himself. He says he doesn't want people to know because he knows they will not ignore reality. Baba ignores his cancer the same way he discourages Amir's talents, by ignoring reality and keeping his feelings to himself.

  • Amir gets married

    For Amir's wedding, Baba spends an incredible amount of money, one of the ways he repays Amir, "Baba spent $35,000, nearly the balance of his life savings, on the awroussi, the wedding ceremony." (Hosseini 169). As he is dying, Baba does a series of actions to better relations with his son. These include bragging about Amir's writing, respecting him as an adult, and paying lots of money for his wedding. In the end, Amir and Baba's dysfunctional relationship is finally restored.

  • American efforts to support the rebels prove successful

    American efforts to support the rebels prove successful
    1. American aid to Afghan rebels shows to be effective against the Soviet forces, a New York Times article on Afghanistan claims, "After 1986, the Soviet Air Force was also rendered largely useless by advanced Stinger anti-aircraft missiles supplied by the United States to the rebels" (New York Times 2).

  • End of Soviet occupation of Afghanistan

    End of Soviet occupation of Afghanistan
    The war between the Afghani people and the Soviets lasted more than nine years, this cost the Soviets lots of money and many lives. A New York Times article discussing Afghanistan states, "Soviet troops stayed in the country for more than nine years, fighting a conflict that cost them roughly 15,000 lives and undisclosed billions of rubles," (New York Times 2).

  • Soviets leave Afghanistan as a, devastated, terrorist breeding ground

    As a result, Afghanistan is in ruin and with a large number of Islamic extremists, the New York Times article states that "The last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989 . . . They left behind a country that was not only devastated by the war but that had become a beacon to Islamic extremists from across the globe " (New York Times 2).

  • Pakistan Aid the Taliban

    Pakistan Aid the Taliban
    By 1994 Pakistan was helping the Taliban by giving them weapons military advice, an article by The New York Times states, "As early as 1994, Pakistani intelligence officers began funneling arms, money and supplies to Mullah Omar's men[Taliban], as well as military advisers to help guide them in battle" (New York Times 3)

  • Mullah Omar [Taliban] gains support and popularity

    Mullah Omar [Taliban] gains support and popularity
    With the ideas to bring back Afghanistan as a country centralized Islamic state, an article from The New York Times claims, "By the end of 1994 Mullah Omar had nearly 12,000 followers and was rolling up the warlords to the north and east. With his promise of restoring the centrality of Islam to daily life, he created a genuinely popular movement in a country weary of corruption and brutality" (The New York Times 3)

  • Taliban take control of Afghanistan

    Taliban take control of Afghanistan
    With the aid of Pakistan, the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in 1996, The New York Times post says; "Buoyed by Pakistani aid, the Taliban by 1996 had taken control of Afghanistan," (New York Times 3)

  • Hassan is killed

    Rahim Khan tells Amir about the death of Hassan, He tells him, "'Hassan protested again. So they took him into the street-' 'No' I breathed. '-and ordered him to kneel-' 'No. God, no.' 'and shot him in the back the head'" (Hosseini 219)
    The death of Hassan leaves Sohrab an orphan and sets up the redemption of Hassan. Unfortunately. Sorhab is extremely traumatized by this event, and the loss of his parents will eventually lead to a suicide attempt.

  • Amir finds Afghanistan in ruin

    As Amir drives through Kabul, he is disgusted by the atrocities he sees, as shown when he says, '"I saw a dead body near the restaurant. There had been a hanging. A young man dangled from the end of a rope tied to a beam, his face puffy and blue...Hardly anyone seemed to notice him"' (Hosseini 259).
    The Taliban has brought unimaginable suffering to Amir's homeland, and Amir is affected personally. Sorhab is abused by the Taliban, and his parents were both killed by them.

  • Sorhab is raped by Assef

    Sohrab tells Amir, "Because – " he [Sohrab] said, gasping and hitching between sobs, "because I don't want them to see me...I'm so dirty." He sucked in his breath and let it out in a long, wheezy cry. "I'm so dirty and full of sin." (Hosseini 345)
    Assef raped Sorhab just as he raped Hassan, one of many parallels between the two characters. Amir goes to Afghanistan to atone for his sins,ansd he atones by taking care of Hassan's son and being the father he needs.

  • Rahim Khan convinces Amir to come back to Afghanistan

    After their phone call, Amir contemplates what Rahim Khan says, "Come. There is a way to be good again" (Hosseini 192). Amir realizes that Hassan told Rahim Khan about the events that transpired between them and that he has mistakes that he needs to atone for from his past. This marks a major turning point in the story, a point where Hassan stops living as a coward and begins redeeming himself.

  • Assef beats Amir with brass knuckles

    Moments before beating Amir with his brass knuckles, Assef tells his bodyguards "When It's all done, only one of us will walk out of this room alive,' Assef said. 'If it's him, then he's earned his freedom and you let him pass" (Hosseini 287).
    Assef, an uncontrollable sociopath, wants to fight Amir because he befriended a Hazara when he was younger and is now attempting to retrieve his son. This is how Amir believes he will atone for his sins against Hassan and begin his path of redemption.

  • Amir learns Hassan is his half brother

    In Rahim Khan's conversation with Amir, he reveals to Amir that he has a brother in Hassan, "I had a brother, from Hassan his identity, and from Ali his honor. His nang. His namoos." (Hosseini 225)
    This completely changes Amir's perception of his father, a man he thought lawful and loyal. This also provides motivation for Amir to rescue his nephew Sohrab.

  • Sorhab attempts suicide

    Over Sohrab's hospital bed, Amir thinks, "I pictured him lowering himself into the water, lying there for a while, his eyes closed. I wondered what his last thought had been as he had raised the blade and brought it down." (Hosseini 350). Despite Amir's attempts to bridge the gap between them, Sohrab still understandably doesn't want to move on from his old life and country. Unfortunately, he decides to take his own life to escape from his problems, deeply hurting Amir.

  • Successful US invasion of Afghanistan

    Successful US invasion of Afghanistan
    The US had very little involvement in Afghanistan until 2001 terrorist attacks, whereas a response, the US conducted a successful invasion, The NewYork Times article says, "The 2001 invasion succeeded in dislodging Al Qaeda and removing the Taliban from power," (NewYork Times 1).

  • Resurgence of Taliban

    After being defeated, the Taliban retreated to the mountains and then regained Afghanistan while the US was distracted, An article from the NewYork Times says, "Despite their defeat in 2001, the Taliban continued to wage a guerrilla warfare from a base in the mountainous . . . As the American military focus was diverted to the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the Taliban regrouped and began to extend its influence" (NewYork Times 3)

  • United States plans to keep troops in Afghanistan until 2014

    United States plans to keep troops in Afghanistan until 2014
    1. The US planned to withdraw troops in 2011, but upon arrival they realized that they where not ready, an article from The NewYork Times states, "the Obama administration increasingly emphasizes the idea that the United States will have forces in the country until at least the end of 2014, when it intends to pass responsibility for security to the Afghan government" (NewYork Times 1).