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Ali and Hassan leave
After Hassan tries to frame Hassan of thievery and baba forgives him Ali makes a decision which startles both Amir and Baba, he decides to leave, "'We [Ali and Hassan] are leaving, Agha sahib,' Ali said ... 'Life here is impossible for us now, Agha sahib. We're leaving'" (Hosseini 106) This is very important because this shows how far amirs silence and cowardness is costing his entire family (including Ali and Hassan) and how it's tearing everyone apart. -
The Kite Tournament
"In the winter of 1975, I saw Hassan run a kite for the last time... The next time I saw him smile unabashedly like that was twenty years six years later, in a fade Polaroid photograph"(Hosseini 55-67) this is a major point in the book because what happened on that day stayed with Amir for the rest of his life. NOt only that but his lack of actions on that day drives his actions throughout the book. -
Russians invade
"The first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul on Dec. 27, 1979, to assist Babrak Karmal, who had become president in a coup within the Afghan Communist leadership" (New York Times 2) This is an important date because it begins the almost decade long war in the county and strained the minds and sanity of many people which lead people to resort to groups like the Taliban. -
Amir and Baba have to flea Afghanistan
Amir and Baba decide to try and escape Afghanistan because it has completely changed during the Soviet invasion, "You couldn't trust anyone in Kabul anymore- for a fee or under threat, people told on each other" (Hosseini 112). This is important because its a driving conflict that forces them to move. -
Kamil and his dad die
When baba and amir are escaping from Afghanistan they meet with Kamil and his dad and find out that he was rapped. However, once they make it they realize that the already severely ill Kamil had died because of the fumes in the oil truck they drove in and his father does not react very well, "My boy! He won't breathe! Allah help him breathe! ... Kamal's father shoved the barrel in his own mouth" (Hosseini 124) This shows how intense and desperate the situation in Afghanistan has become. -
Graduation
Amir graduated from high school when he was 20 and his dad showed up "'I am moftakhir, Amir' he said. Proud. His eyes gleamed when he said that" (Hosseini 131) this is a very important day for amir, not only does he graduate high school but its also one of the first days where his dad actually shows how proud he is. -
Amirs first crush
Amir and his dad start to make a tradition of going to this flea market where they would reconvene with a bunch of other afghans. It was here where Amir meets his crush "Soraya Taheri. My [Amir] Swap Meet Princess" (Hosseini 142) this pretty clearly illustrates how badly amir likes her and how important she will be. -
Amir "proposes" to Soraya
Amir falls in love with Soraya almost as soon as they meet however he never really has the courage to make a move. Eventually, they become friends and after a while, he musters up the courage and asks his dad for her hand in marriage "I want you to go khastegari. I want you to ask general Taheri for his daughter's hand" (Hosseini 161). This is an important date because this is pretty much amir proposing to Soraya in their customs and also because she says yes. -
Soraya and Amir get Married.
Amir and Soraya have to rush through most of the costume wedding traditions because of babas time limit however they do have a proper wedding with a bunch of people and has one of Amirs most cherished memories. "I remember sitting on the sofa, set on the stage like a throne, Soraya's hand in mine ... looking at Soraya's smiling face in that mirror ... I whispered to her for the first time that I loved her" (171) THis is pretty clearly an important date because THis is the day amir gets married. -
Baba Dies
Baba had been battling cancer for some time however it had gotten especially bad once Amir got married. However, about a month after they get married he seems to have an epiphany and just gives up "'I'll come back with your morphine and a glass of water, Kaka Jan,' Soraya said. 'Not tonight,' he said "there is no pain tonight' ... Baba never woke up"(Hosseini 173) This is demonstrates that baba thought he had completed his task of teaching AMir and turning him into a man like he always wanted to -
Amir's book gets published
AMir has always had a talent for writing and finally sends his book out to get published he gets a response, "A month later Martin called and informed me I was going to be a published novelist." (Hosseini 183) This is a very important day for Amir because this is how he knows his life long goal has been accomplished. Ever since he was a kid he had a talent and even though his dad didn't always approved he still persevered and made it to publishing a book. -
The Russians leave
"Eventually, after peace talks moderated by the United Nations, the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989, in what was in effect a unilateral withdrawal" (New York Times 2) This is important because this marks an important date for people of Afganistan, as they thought they'd finally be free of their tyrannical oppressors. -
Soraya and Amir try to have kids
After months of trying to have children and hundreds of test they finally get the message they were dreading, "He sat across from us and tapped the desk with his fingers, and sed the word 'adoption' for the first time" (Hosseini 186) Amir believes that he is responsible for their inability to have children is his punishment for everything that he's done/ not done and that this how he has to make up for it furthermore proving that atonement is the main idea in this book. -
The Beginning of the Taliban
"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 2) This shows that the Taliban actually started as a good idea with a benevolent goal of uniting the government and putting an end to the problems in the country. -
Hassan Dies
After the Taliban wins the war they start to impose a strict police state where the Taliban can do whatever they want. and one day some Taliban come to the house where Hassan is staying and decide to evicted him and when he refused they killed his and his wife, "'and shot him in the back of the head.' ... '-shot her too. Self-defense, they claimed later-'" (Hosseini 218) THis is very clearly important because he was an important character and Hassan's best friend. -
The War is not doing too good
Because of the Wiki-leaks release of six years worth of documents and a diary of a soldier people realized how bleak and desperite the soldiers were, "They amounted to a daily diary of an American-led force often starved for resources and attention as it struggled against an insurgency that grew larger, better coordinated and more deadly each year, " -
Amir reunites with Rahim Khan
Amir gets invited by Rahim Khan and goes to Pakistan and meets the terminally ill Rahim Khan. Rahim decides to reveal everything that's happened since Amir left and the truth behind Amir's whole family."I just found out my whole life is one big fucking lie!" (Hosseini 223) This is a very important chapter and week because ever since Amir moved to America he tried to hide and force his past life away. However, He is suddenly forced back into it all and finally is told the truth about everything. -
Amir Vs Assef Round 2
When Amir is searching for Sohrab he finds out that Assef has pretty much turned him into a slave however if they fought and Amir won Amir and Sohrab could both leave. So they fought but got intervened by Sohrab "Sohrab had the slingshot pointed to Assef's face ... He put his hand where his left eye had been just a moment ago. Blood oozed between his fingers" (Hosseini 290-291) this is almost like the other part of foreshadowing because this is what Hassan threatened to do so long many years ago -
Period: to
The Government After the Taliban
"In December 2001, Hamid Karzai... was named chairman of an interim government that replaced the defeated Taliban, making him the leader of the country. He took office as interim president in June 2002, saying he hoped to secure peace for Afghanistan and win the country much-needed international aid. Mr. Karzai was elected to a five-year term as president in 2004" (The New York Times 3) -
Period: to
Down But Not Out
"Despite their defeat in 2001, the Taliban continued to wage a guerrilla warfare ... in the mountainous and largely lawless tribal area on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. As the American military focus was diverted to the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the Taliban regrouped and began to extend its influence in the southern part of Afghanistan. Their rise was assisted by a resurgent opium trade" (New York Times), This shows that despite being defeated the Taliban is still a problem -
9/11
"After the attack on the World Trade Center in New York on Sept 11, 2001, President George W. Bush gave the Taliban an ultimatum to hand over Mr. bin Laden"(New York Times 3) This is a major event because 9/11 caused the USA to interfere and take over Afganistan. -
Sohrab Smiles
After attempting to commit suicide Sohrab he completely stops talking. Until more than a year after when Amir and his family are at an Afghan new Year festival and there is a mini kite tournament "I looked down at Sohrab. One corner of his mouth had curled up just so. A smile. Lopsided" (Hosseini 370). -
General Stanley A. McChystal
There was a general that was considered an expert on counterinsurgency warfare brought on to help the obama administration, "Mr. Gates later brought in General Stanley A. McChystal ... In June June 2010, President Obama removed Gen. McChrystal after contemptuous quotes from the general and his staff about senior administration officials" (New York Times 4) -
the Afghan Government/ Military/ Police
One big reason the Taliban and Al Queda is still around today despite being the root for so many problems in Afghanistan and the rest of the world is because, "the Afghan military and police remain lackluster and given to widespread drug use; the country's borders remain porous; Kabul Bank, which processes government salaries, is wormy with fraud, and Mr. Karzai's government, by almost all accounts, remains weak, corrupt and erratically led" (New York Times 1) -
US sends in troops
The US makes the decision to send troops into Afghanistan and to have them stay there for 2 years, "Yet in a move away from that July 2011 deadline, the Obama administration changed its tone to increasingly emphasize the idea that the United States will have forces in the country until at least the end of 2014." They are trying to show to the Taliban that they still have control and power.