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Amir is Born; Hassan is Born one Year Later
Amir describes his and Hassan's bond, noting, "It was there, in that little shack, that Hassan was born in the winter of 1964, just one year after my mother died giving birth to me" (Hosseini 6). The similarities in the two boys' births demonstrates their lifelong connection. They were both fed from the same breast after their mothers died, grew up in the same house, and were born within a year of each other. This bond will be tested throughout the story in many significant events. -
Mohammed Daoud Khan Overthrows King Mohammed Zahir Shah in Coup
PBS states that in this time "Khan overthrows the last king, Mohammed Zahir Shah, in a military coup. Khan’s regime, the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan, comes to power. Khan abolishes the monarchy and names himself president. The Republic of Afghanistan is established with firm ties to the USSR." -
Hassan is Raped by Assef
Amir explains his internal conflict during the moment, recalling, "I could step into that alley, and up for Hassan- the way he'd stood up for me all those times in the past- and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end, I ran" (Hosseini 77). In this moment, Amir demonstrates his selfishness, betraying Hassan and crushing their friendship for his own safety. This shows Amir's unhealthy relationship with Hassan; he wouldn't even stand up for his friend in his lowest point. -
Amir Turns 13; Hassan and Ali Leave
When Ali and Hassan tell Amir and Baba they are leaving, Amir "understood the grief [he] had brought onto everyone, that not even Ali's paralyzed face could mask his sorrow" (Hosseini 107). In this tense moment, Amir regrets his actions and the guilt that they have caused him to feel. He has betrayed Hassan twice; once when Assef raped him, and again when he framed Hassan to force him out. -
President Khan Dies in Communist Coup
PBS records that "Nur Mohammad Taraki, one of the founding members of the Afghan Communist Party, takes control of the country as president, and Babrak Karmal is named deputy prime minister. They proclaim independence from Soviet influence, and declare their policies to be based on Islamic principles, Afghan nationalism and socioeconomic justice." -
Amir and Baba Flee Afghanistan
Amir describes his emotions, noting, "I 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). Here, Amir recognizes a significant power shift in his and Baba's lifestyle, as they are leaving their wealth, friends, and country. This proves that Baba will sacrifice anything for his son's future; he and Amir travel to America with only a fraction of their old lives. -
Millions Have Fled from Afghanistan During Communist Conflict
While rebels and Soviets fight over control, PBS notes the significant amount refugees, writing, "Some 2.8 million Afghans have fled from the war to Pakistan, and another 1.5 million have fled to Iran." -
Amir Graduates High School
Baba gifts Amir a car on this special day, saying, "'There'...'It needs painting, and I'll have one of the guys at the station put in new shocks, but it runs'" (133). Here, Baba displays his love for Amir; he spends his miniscule funds on a present for his son, his very first car. Baba is proud of Amir, and shows that he believes in his son's future with his gift. -
Osama Bin Laden Comes to Afghanistan for the First Time
PBS notes that in 1984, "Saudi Islamist Osama bin Laden makes his first documented trip to Afghanistan to aid anti-Soviet fighters." -
Amir Meets Soraya Taheri
Amir describes Soraya Taheri, "Lying awake in bed that night, I thought of Soraya Taheri's sickle-shaped birthmark, her gently hooked nose, and the way her luminous eyes had fleetingly held mine. My heart stuttered at the thought of her" (Hosseini 142). Here, after Amir has just met Soraya, he knows that she is 'the one' for him. This is significant, as this is the only female that Amir has interacted with so far in the book, meaning this will be an important relationship. -
Amir Marries Soraya
Amir notes that his father funded the wedding, as "Baba spent $35,000, nearly the balance of his life savings, on the awroussi, the wedding ceremony" (Hosseini 169). Again, Baba proves his love and pride for Amir, spending another large amount of money on his son. Though Baba is not wealthy anymore, he gives the wedding his best effort as one last gift to Amir. -
Rahim Khan Sets out to Find Hassan
Rahim Khan tells Amir about Hassan and says, "There were a lot of reasons why I went to Hazarjat to find Hassan in 1986. The biggest one, Allah forgive me, was that I was lonely" (Hosseini 203). In this moment, Rahim Khan reveals much to Amir, including he had found Hassan after all of the years of Amir's guilt. But, he also demonstrates that, even in his guilt, Amir had never sought out to find Hassan, and Rahim Khan did so just to heal his loneliness. This fuels Amir's need for atonement. -
Baba Dies of Lung Cancer
Amir understands the significance of Baba's death when he realizes, "much of who I was, what I was, had been defined by Baba and the marks he had left on people's lives. My whole life, I had been 'Baba's son.' Now he was gone" (Hosseini 174). Instead of living in his father's shadow, Amir's actions, words, and entire life are now his responsibility, for better or worse. This is a significant change for Amir's, as he loses an important mentor but begins a new chapter in his life. -
Al-Qaida is Formed
PBS writes, "In September, Osama bin Laden and 15 other Islamists form the group al-Qaida, or “the base”, to continue their jihad, or holy war, against the Soviets and other who they say oppose their goal of a pure nation governed by Islam." -
Sohrab is Born
Rahim Khan tells Amir about the boy and says "They named him Sohrab, after Hassan's favorite hero from the Shahnamah, as you know, Amir jan. He was a beautiful little boy, sweet as sugar, and had the same temperament as his father" (Hosseini 211). This description of Sohrab shows how similar he is to his father, Hassan, and also shows that there is a way for Amir to atone for his sins. He can help Sohrab in the way that he did not help Hassan in 1975. -
Afghani Rebels Overthrow Communist Leader Najibullah
In this moment of conflict, "The Mujahadeen and other rebel groups, with the aid of turncoat government troops, storm the capital, Kabul, and oust Najibullah from power. Ahmad Shah Masood, legendary guerrilla leader, leads the troops into the capital. The United Nations offers protection to Najibullah" (PBS). -
The Taliban Rises to Power
During this year, the "newly formed Islamic militia, the Taliban, rises to power on promises of peace. Most Afghans, exhausted by years of drought, famine and war, approve of the Taliban for upholding traditional Islamic values" (PBS). -
Communist President Najibullah is Executed by Taliban
PBS describes the political situation during the execution, stating, "The Taliban publicly executes Najibullah. Ethnic groups in the north, under Masood’s Northern Alliance, and the south, aided in part by Hamid Karzai, continue to battle the Taliban for control of the country. -
Al-Qaida Bombs US Embassy; Clinton's Response Fails
PBS describes the significance of the event, writing, "Following al-Qaida’s bombings of two American embassies in Africa, President Clinton orders cruise missile attacks against bin Laden’s training camps in Afghanistan. The attacks miss the Saudi and other leaders of the terrorist group." -
Gaining Power, Bin-Laden Wanted for Trial in US
PBS describes the situation, stating, "By now considered an international terrorist, bin Laden is widely believed to be hiding in Afghanistan, where he is cultivating thousands of followers in terrorist training camps. The United States demands that bin Laden be extradited to stand trial for the embassy bombings. The Taliban decline to extradite him. The United Nations punishes Afghanistan with sanctions restricting trade and economic development." -
Hassan and Farzana are Killed
When Rahim Khan tells Amir that they died, he says, "'Hassan protested again. So they took him to the street. 'No,' I breathed. '-and order him to kneel-' 'No. God no.' '-and shot him in the back of the head.' 'No'" (219). In this moment, all of Amir's dreams of being able to atone are destroyed, as Hassan died just a year too late. But, this death also proposes a new chance for Amir to atone, as he can save the newly-orphaned Sohrab. -
Amir Travels to Pakistan to Meet Rahim Khan
The night before leaving to visit Rahim Khan, Amir falls asleep and "dream[s] of Hassan running in the snow, the hem of his green chapan dragging behind him,... yelling over his shoulder: 'For you, a thousand times over!'" (194). Here, it is clear that Amir's guilt for not saving Hassan is still alive, and always has been. He must find an opportunity to atone for what he did, even if it means risking his own life. -
Amir Faces Assef and is Saved by Sohrab
In this moment, Amir sees Sohrab above him, and "his hand was cocked above his shoulder, holding the cup of the slingshot at the end of the elastic band which was pulled all the way back... Sohrab had the slingshot pointed to Assef's face" (290). Here, the similarities with the encounter between Amir, Hassan, and Assef in 1973 are clear. Hassan is not there to rescue Amir; however, Sohrab is, embodying of his father's key traits of loyalty and courageousness. -
Al-Qaida Crashes 4 Planes into World Trade Center
The PBS article states that "Hijackers commandeer four commercial airplanes and crash them into the World Trade Center Towers in New York, the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C., and a Pennsylvania field, killing thousands. Days later, U.S. officials say bin Laden, the Saudi exile believed to be hiding in Afghanistan, is the prime suspect in the attack." -
Amir and Sohrab fly Their First Kite
After Amir and Sohrab fly the kite, Amir asks, "'Do you want me to run that kite for you?'...I thought I saw him nod. 'For you, a thousand times over,' I heard myself say" (371). Here, after a year of Sohrab's silence, Amir finally finds hope for their relationship as they fly a kite, something he would do with Hassan in his childhood. However, Amir demonstrates that his values have changed, as he quotes his old friend and runs the kite for Sohrab.
