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Baba is born
t was Rahim Khan who first referred to him as what eventually became Baba's famous nickname, Toophan agha, or "Mr. Hurricane." It was an apt enough nickname. My father was a force of nature, a towering Pashtun specimen with a thick beard, a wayward crop of curly brown hair as unruly as the man himself, hands that looked capable of uprooting a willow tree, and a black glare that would "drop the devil to his knees begging for mercy," as Rahim Khan used to say. At parties, when all six-foot-five of -
Sofia Akrami dies
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Amir is born
Quote: Everyone in my class wanted me on their team, because by the time I was eleven, I could recite dozens of verses from Khayyám, Hãfez, or Rumi's famous Masnawi. One time, I took on the whole class and won. I told Baba about it later that night, but he just nodded, muttered, "Good."
Analysis:Amir had a very different personality in comparison to his father. He preferred books and literature in comparison to activities such as sports. He also fails to stand up for himself in many situations -
Hassan is born
Quote: Then he [Ali] would remind us that there was a brotherhood between people who had fed from the same breast, a kinship that not even time could break.Hassan and I fed from the same breasts. We took our first steps on the same lawn in the same yard. And, under the same roof, we spoke our first words.Mine was Baba.His was Amir. My name.Analysis: Hassan was Amir’s best friend and half-brother. He was always resilient and loyal to Amir despite his betrayal. -
Hassan's surgery
Quote: "I wished I too had a scar that would beget Baba's sympathy. It wasn't fair."
Analysis: Amir is jealous of Hassan because his lip gets attention from Baba which Amir craves. -
Hassan is assaulted by Assef
Quote: I actually aspired to cowardice, because the alternative, the real reason I was running, was that Assef was right: Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba.
Analysis: Hassan's violation proved to be a turning point in the novel. It made Hassan and his father leave Kabul which made a huge impact on Amir and Baba. Amir felt very guilty after the incident. -
Hassan and Ali leave for Hazarajat
Quote: Please, Baba was saying, but Ali had already turned to the door, Hassan trailing him. I’ll never forget the way Baba said that, the pain in his plea, the fear.
Analysis: Baba had loved Ali like a brother and was very sad when he left. It was at this time that Amir truly realized what he had done. -
Afghanistan is invaded by the Soviet Union
Quote: In December the "first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul" to assist the new president Babrak Karmal who gained power in a coup in Communist leadership.
Analysis:The Russian invasion of Afghanistan meant that Amir and Baba had to leave Kabul. This was a huge transition for them. -
Amir and Baba arrive in Fremont
Evidence: "Baba loved the idea of America. It was living in America that gave him an ulcer" Analysis: While the prospect of America seemed tantalizing to Baba he found it very hard to adjust to a completely different culture. -
Amir marries Soraya
Evidence: "Then I did what I hadn't done in fifteen years of marriage: I told my wife everything. Everything. I had pictured this moment so many time, dreaded it, but, as I spoke, I felt something lifting off my chest. I imagined Soraya had experienced something very similar the night of our khastegari, when she'd told me about her past." Analysis: Amir trusts Soraya so much that he was able to tell her about his dark past. -
Sanaubar returns
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Sanaubar dies
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The Taliban takes control of Afghanistan
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Amir starts his search for Sohrab
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Amir brings Sohrab back to America