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Amir Is Born - Summer of 1963
In the summer of 1963, Amir is born to his father Baba, and his mother, Sofia Akrami. Unfortunately, Sofia dies during childbirth. When Amir is older, he admits to thinking that because he killed Baba's beloved wife, "Baba hated [him] a little bit” (Hosseini 19). This causes Amir to feel guilty and responsible for an act that was ultimately out of his control. Throughout the novel, Amir tries to reconcile with Baba by making him proud and succeeding in areas that interest him. -
Hassan is Raped - Winter 1975
Amir states, “Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba” (Hosseini 76). When Amir wins the kite tournament, he becomes determined to present the losing kite to his father because it directly symbolizes his great victory. Amir leaves Hassan to be attacked by Assef because he believes that earning his father's love is more important than his loyalty to Hassan, which becomes a decision that haunts him throughout the rest of the novel. -
Ali and Hassan Leave Kabul - Summer 1976
By the summer of 1976, Amir believes that “this much had become clear: One of us had to go” (Hosseini 102). Hassan is a constant reminder of Amir’s disloyalty and cowardice. The amount of guilt that Amir experiences grows to be too much for him to handle, so he decides that if Hassan left, it would benefit both of them. Even after Hassan leaves Kabul, Amir is still reminded of his dreadful mistake because his guilt does not solely exist through the presence of Hassan. -
Afghan Communist Party Takes Over
Nur Mohammad Taraki, a founding member of the Afghan Communist Party, takes over the Afghan government and becomes president. As soon as he comes into office, he and his deputy prime minister “proclaim independence from Soviet influence, and declare their policies to be based on Islamic principles, Afghan nationalism and socioeconomic justice” ("A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan"). -
Soviet Takeover
The Soviet Union first enters Afghanistan by sending “thousands of troops and immediately [assumes] complete military and political control of Kabul and large portions of the country” ("The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and the U.S. Response, 1978–1980"). -
Baba and Amir Escape Kabul - March 1981
After the Soviets take over Afghanistan, Baba and Amir escape Kabul because their city was no longer safe. To Amir, Baba's life can be summed up as “one disappointing son and two suitcases” (Hosseini 124). Leaving Kabul is difficult for Baba because it is where his accomplishments and memories were created. However, Baba sacrifices everything he has to secure a better life and future for his son, proving that he deeply cares for Amir even if he does not openly express his feelings. -
Baba and Amir Immigrate to the US - September 1981
For Amir, “America was a place to bury [his] memories. For Baba, a place to mourn his” (Hosseini 129). Amir looks forward to moving to the United States because it is an opportunity to run away from his past and forget about his guilt. On the other hand, Baba is leaving his beloved home which contains his successes and friends. Both Amir and Baba must completely rebuild their lives when they move to the US, but the two have opposite feelings towards starting this new life. -
Baba Dies from Cancer A Month After the Wedding
Amir says that “my whole life I had been ‘Baba’s son.’ Now he was gone” (Hosseini 174). Since he was born, Amir has only been seen as the child of a legacy and always followed his father’s example. Now that Baba has passed away, Amir has to make a name for himself without relying on his father’s ego and wisdom. Amir is terrified of going on with life without Baba by his side because he can no longer compare his decisions to his father's, meaning that he has to be brave and make his own choices. -
Amir and Soraya Are Married
During his wedding ceremony, Amir “[remembers] wondering if Hassan too had been married” (Hosseini 171). Marrying Soraya is an important event in Amir’s life since he moved to America, but he still cannot let go of his past from Afghanistan and move on. Furthermore, he is unable to focus on his future and leave behind the people of his past, which was a clear intention he had when he first moved to the United States. -
Soviets Leave Afghanistan
After the Soviet Union has occupied Afghanistan for a decade, “the U.S., Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Soviet Union sign peace accords in Geneva guaranteeing Afghan independence and the withdrawal of 100,000 Soviet troops” ("A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan"). -
Start of Civil War
Soon after the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Afghan “government toppled, but a devastating civil war follows” ("Afghanistan profile - Timeline"). -
Taliban Takeover
After years of civil war, the Taliban, a political group in Afghanistan primarily made of Pashtuns, "[seizes] control of Kabul and [introduces a] hard-line version of Islam” ("Afghanistan profile - Timeline"). -
US Bombs Training Camps
The Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda founded by Osama bin Laden bombs two American embassies in Africa. In response, “President Clinton orders cruise missile attacks against bin Laden’s training camps in Afghanistan” ("A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan"). -
Resolution 1267 Against Al-Qaeda and Taliban
The United Nations Security Council unanimously “adopts Resolution 1267, creating the so-called al-Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee, which links the two groups as terrorist entities and imposes sanctions on their funding, travel, and arms shipments” ("The U.S. War in Afghanistan"). -
Rahim Khan Calls Amir - June 2001
Rahim Khan calls Amir asking him to travel to Pakistan to see him because he is very sick. At the end of the phone call, Rahim Khan says "come. There is a way to be good again ..." (Hosseini 192). This small comment by Rahim Khan confirms Amir's suspicions that Rahim Khan has known about Hassan's rape all these years. Amir eventually decides to go to Pakistan because he assumes Rahim Khan knows of a way to make amends for his mistakes with Hassan. -
Amir Finds Out that Hassan is Baba's Son
Amir learns from Rahim Khan that Hassan is not Ali's son, but Baba's. Amir states that Baba had stolen “from me the right to know I had a brother, from Hassan his identity, and from Ali his honor” (Hosseini 225). Baba’s dishonesty changes Amir’s whole perspective of him. Amir once thought that Baba was a perfect man that always followed his morals, but now he is not so sure. After discovering this new information, Amir decides he is obligated to find Hassan’s now orphaned son Sohrab in Kabul. -
Amir Rescues Sohrab
When Amir is being beaten up by Assef, he laughs because "in some hidden nook in a corner of [his] mind, [he'd] even been looking forward to this" (Hosseini 289). If Amir had stepped in and defended Hassan against Assef decades earlier, Amir would have received a beating similar to the one he is receiving now. But at this moment, Amir feels that he is enduring the punishment he deserves for his disloyalty, and moreover, he feels relieved. -
Amir is Taken to a Hospital
Farid takes Amir to a hospital after he is badly injured by Assef. The doctor tells Amir that “the impact had cut your upper lip in two ... clean down the middle … like a harelip” (Hosseini 297). Assef gives Amir an injury similar to the cleft lip that Hassan had as a child. This injury symbolizes the resemblance between Hassan and Amir because Amir stood up for Sohrab like Hassan always did for him when they were kids. -
Amir Offers to Adopt Sohrab
Amir finds out that there is no home for Sohrab in Pakistan, so he asks Sohrab is he would like to move with him to America. Amir states, "I won't ever get tired of you... You're my nephew remember?" (Hosseini 324). By this time, Amir has fully accepted that Hassan is his half-brother and now feels a responsibility to take care of Sohrab. By adopting Sohrab, Amir is giving him a new life and is also atoning for his past mistakes with Hassan. -
Sohrab Tries to Commit Suicide
When Amir is praying in the waiting room of the hospital, he thinks “my hands are stained with Hassan’s blood; I pray God doesn’t let them get stained with the blood of his boy too” (Hosseini 346). Amir feels a resurgence of guilt because he is the cause of Sohrab's attempted suicide. Even though Amir has matured through his many experiences, we can see that aspects his character have stayed the same because he betrays Sohrab in a similar way to how he abandoned Hassan. -
Sohrab and Amir Arrive in America
When Sohrab arrives in America, he is completely silent. Sohrab’s silence was “the silence of one who has taken cover in a dark place, curled up all the edges and tucked them under” (Hosseini 361). Sohrab no longer trusts anybody since he has been left behind and betrayed by so many people in his life. Sohrab's silence after his attempted suicide and Hassan's silence after his rape are extremely similar, showing another parallel between their struggles. -
Terrorists Attacks the United States
Members of al-Qaeda strike the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, DC, so “President George W. Bush vows to ‘win the war against terrorism'” ("The U.S. War in Afghanistan"). -
Operation "Enduring Freedom"
In response to the 9/11 attacks, "US President George W Bush launches operation 'Enduring Freedom' in Afghanistan, after the Taliban refuses to hand over al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden" ("Timeline: US intervention in Afghanistan 2001 to 2017"). -
Sohrab and Amir Fly A Kite Together - March 2002
Amir says to Sohrab, "'for you, a thousand times over'" (Hosseini 371). After breaking his promise in Pakistan, Amir is able to reconnect with Sohrab using the sport of kite flying, which is the same link that allowed Amir to grow closer to Baba when he was a child. In addition, Amir uses the same phrase that Hassan spoke once during their childhood. By saying these exact words, Amir proves that he is now loyal to Sohrab like Hassan was to him. -
Osama bin Laden Killed
Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is killed, who is claimed to be responsible for the 9/11 attacks. As a result, "the death of America's primary target for a war that started ten years ago fuels the long-simmering debate about continuing the Afghanistan war" ("The U.S. War in Afghanistan").
