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Baba's orphanage is built
The orphanage was another win for Baba, who had "...drawn the blueprints himself despite the fact he'd no architectural experience at all"(Hosseini 13). Baba was a stubborn man, but he had the talent to learn new things and prove people wrong. The orphanage was something he clearly spent a great deal of time, effort, and money in and was something he cared for deeply. -
Hassan receives surgery for his Harelip
After the surgery Hassan's lip was "A grotesque mesh of swollen raw tissue. I expected Hassan to cry with horror when the nurse handed him the mirror. . . . The swelling subsided, and the wound healed with time. Soon, it was just a pink jagged line running up from his lip" (Hosseini 46, 47). Hassan sees this yet smiles, he sees past the 'grotesque flesh' and what it would be given time to heal. Even in this state of deformation Hassan is true to his nature and grateful for the surgery. -
Hassan becomes Amir's sacrificial lamb.
Amir leaves Hassan to get raped as his desperation for Baba's love grows. To him "...Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba" (Hosseini 77). He's so close now, he can't lose it after everything he's done. All that's left to do is take the kite and and give it to his father, give pride to his father and collect his love. How can he ruin that now? -
Amir and Hassan win the Kite Flying competition
Amir doesn't know if he can win, but knows he can't lose this "...one chance to become someone who was looked at, not seen, listened to, not heard. . . .I'd endured too much, come too far. And just like that hope became knowledge. I was going to win" (Hosseini 65). Amir was so close to Baba's love that it would be impossibly painful for him to lose the chance he'd come so close to. He'd probably spend the rest of his years lamenting and regretting that one moment. -
Amir Receives A Blood-Money Birthday Party
Baba throughs Amir a party but he "didn't want any of it - it was all blood money; Baba would have never thrown me a party like that if I hadn't won the tournament" (Hosseini 101). Amir is receiving Baba's pride and love, but Baba is celebrating a lie of a son he always wanted instead of what he got. Amir hates this, because he knows he only gets Baba's love out of his fathers fantasies and a raped and betrayed friend. -
Taraki is Murdered
Taraki was known for "His dictatorial style and his decision to turn Afghanistan into a one-party state that alienated many people in the heavily Moslem country."
“Afghan president is overthrown and murdered.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2009, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/afghan-president-is-overthrown-and-murdered. -
Afghan 'president' Taraki murdered
Taraki was known for "His dictatorial style and his decision to turn Afghanistan into a one-party state alienated many people in the heavily Moslem country." “Afghan president is overthrown and murdered.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2009, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/afghan-president-is-overthrown-and-murdered. -
Russian Tanks bring reality of war to Amir
Though the official end was a year before with the coup, the real end for Amir was "...when Russian tanks would roll into the very same streets where Hassan and I played, bringing the death of the Afghanistan I knew" (Hosseini 36). Amir is in a wealthy area, and before this war and poverty may not of felt very real to him. He describes the end for him as that breaking of childhood innocence. -
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Soviet Union Invades Pakistan
The Soviet Union sends in troops to support a leader that killed the previous communist leader, "In an attempt to stabilize the turbulent political situation in Afghanistan, the Soviet Union sends 75,000 troops to enforce the installation of Babrak Karmal as the new leader of the nation." Very few anti-government rebels were suppressed. “Soviets take over in Afghanistan.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2009, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviets-take-over-in-afghanistan. -
Amir and Baba leave Kabal
When they left Hassan"...thought of the way we'd left the house where I'd lived my entire life, as if we were going out for a bite" (Hosseini 112). -
Amir Chooses and English Major
When Amir finishes high school he tells Baba "'I think I'll major in English,' I said. I winced inside, waiting for his reply. . . . But I would stand my ground, I decided. I didn't want to sacrifice for Baba anymore. The last time I had done that, I had damned myself"(Hosseini 134, 135). This is the beginning of Amir turning his life around and fighting his urge to please Baba. He is in America now, the old him in Kabal spooked by Hare-lipped ghosts. -
Amir Earns Baba's pride
After choosing to major in English Baba is upset, but now Baba thinks "'Amir is going to be a great writer,' Baba said. I did a double take at this. "He has finished his first year of college and earned all A's in all of his courses" (Hosseini 139). Although this may seem like insignificant conversation we see Baba bragging about who Amir really is. Baba is respecting Amirs wishes and starts to take pride in his son. -
Baba refuses treatment for his cancer
After Baba has a seizure the doctor says "'As you can see the cancer's meta-sized,' he said. 'He'll have to take steroids to reduce the swelling in his brain and anti-seizure medications. And i'd recommend palliative radiation"(Hosseini 159). Baba refuses any 'palliative' treatment, as he strongly believes it does not matter if it can not cure it. He does take the medicines to ease his symptoms, but refuses the treatment. -
Baba asks the General for Soraya's hand in marriage for Amir.
Amir recounts "In the rearview mirror, Baba was hobbling up the Taheris' driveway for one last fatherly duty" (Hosseini 163). Baba is dying, but his pride is not. Amir asks for what he wants and makes Baba proud, except this time Baba is proud of his real son and not some fantasy of an Athletic traditional proud son. -
U.S. Backs foreign group
In response to the Soviet threat the "US begins supplying mujahideen with Stinger missiles, enabling them to shoot down Soviet helicopter gunships. Babrak Karmal replaced by Najibullah as head of Soviet-backed regime." “Afghanistan profile - Timeline.” BBC News, BBC, 30 Oct. 2017, www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253. -
1988 Peace Accords signed
Seeing no benefit in costly wars, "Afghanistan, USSR, the US and Pakistan sign peace accords and Soviet Union begins pulling out troops." “Afghanistan profile - Timeline.” BBC News, BBC, 30 Oct. 2017, www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253. -
Soraya is tells her family she is infertile
After Soraya told her parents about her infertility Amir noticed "She was tired, I knew, tired of it all. 'The doctor said we could adopt,' she murmured" (Hosseini 186). Soraya later said she didn't want to adopt as she would like her children to be of her blood. She may think that this is her punishment for having her previous scandalous affair, and Amir might also see that she is not that different from him. -
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Taliban Reign
The start was "..just 50 students supporting his campaign, Mullah Omar founded the group that would later become known as the Taliban. Within months, the Taliban grew to 15,000 as students from madrassas in Pakistan joined the movement. Along with these new recruits came financial and military support from Pakistan." Cassman, Daniel. “The Taliban.” The Taliban | Mapping Militant Organizations, 2016, web.stanford.edu/group/mappingmilitants/cgi-bin/groups/view/367. -
Taliban Officially Recognized as 'Leaders'
A year after forming the "Taliban is recognised as legitimate rulers by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. They now control about two-thirds of country." “Afghanistan profile - Timeline.” BBC News, BBC, 30 Oct. 2017, www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253. -
U.S. Missiles strike suspected bases
In retaliation to Osama bin Laden's acts of terrorism the "US launches missile strikes at suspected bases of militant Osama bin Laden, accused of bombing US embassies in Africa." “Afghanistan profile - Timeline.” BBC News, BBC, 30 Oct. 2017, www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253. -
Amir goes Back to Afghanistan for Sohrab.
Amir fights Assef to get Sohrab back. On his account he remembers his "body was broken, just how badly I wouldn't find out till later - but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed" (Hosseini 289). Amir is finally free from his past guilt, finally free. He saved a lamb from sacrifice and did what Baba never could. Amir is now a free man. -
Sohrab returns with Amir to America
Amir asks Sohrab if he wants to go back with him to America but "In the end Sohrab never accepted my offer. Nor did he decline it. But he knew that when the bandages were removed and the hospital gown returned he was just another homeless Hazara orphan" (Hosseini 356). Amir brings this ghost of a boy back with him to America. He brings this piece of his past back with him in the hope that maybe he could be the father he always wanted and the brother he wasn't. -
Nine-Eleven
Terrorists hijacked four planes, one hit the pentagon, two hit the world trade centers and one was crashed as passengers overpowered the terrorists. A passenger on that fourth plane called their partner and said, “I know we’re all going to die. There’s three of us who are going to do something about it. I love you, honey.” He proceeded to aid in the crashing of the plane in a rural field.
History.com Staff. “Flight 93.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2010, www.history.com/topics/flight-93 -
Britain and America begin a bombing campaign
In response to 9-11 Britain and America decide to employ "These carefully targeted actions that are designed to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a terrorist base of operations and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime."
News, ABC. “U.S., Britain Attack Strike Targets in Afghanistan.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 7 Oct. 2001, abcnews.go.com/International/us-britain-attack-strike-targets-afghanistan/story?id=80493. -
Amir sees hope of Sohrab coming back.
Amir cuts a kite with Sohrab and notices something. "I looked down at Sohrab. One corner of his mouth had curled up just so. A smile. Lopsided. Hardly there. But there" (Hosseini 370, 371). A half smile, from someone still inside this shell of a boy. A flicker of hope. A flicker of the past from this half smile, one side still grim as if paralyzed, but a smile nonetheless. -
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Obama's War
Ironically the president of the U.S.A., "Mr. Obama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 and spent his years in the White House trying to fulfill the promises he made as an antiwar candidate, would have a longer tour of duty as a wartime president"
Landler, Mark. “For Obama, an Unexpected Legacy of Two Full Terms at War.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 14 May 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/05/15/us/politics/obama-as-wartime-president-has-wrestled-with-protecting-nation-and-troops.html
