History of Afghanistan and The Kite Runner Timeline

By SDommen

  • Hassan Protects Amir From Assef

    Assef, the neighborhood bully, along with two other boys confront Amir and Hassan. Assef is about to start a fight until Hassan voices," 'If you make a move, they'll have to change your nickname from Assef the Ear Eater to One-Eyed Assef (Hosseini 42)" Here, is the first instance where Hassan displays his every dying loyalty to Amir by putting himself in harm's way to protect his friend. This is a defining moment because Hassan's loyalty to Amir is put to the test and prevails.

  • Khan Overthrows King Shah

    Former Prime Minister Mohammed Daoud Khan, overthrows King Mohammed Zahir Shah. "Khan's authrotites, 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. (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/)"

  • Amir Wins the Kite Fighting Competition

    Immediately, after Amir won the kite fighting competition, he notes that it "was the single greatest moment of [his] twelve years of life, seeing Baba on that roof, proud of [him] at last. (Hosseini 66)" Amir strove to please Baba because his talents did not meet Baba's standards of being manly. Amir's sense of acceptance from his father in this moment will wither away because victory does not replace love. Baba should have accepted and Amir regardless if he won the competition or not.

  • Amir Does Not Protect Hassan When He Gets Raped

    When Amir is witnessing Assef raping Hassan, he thinks,"I had one last chance to make a decision... In the end, I ran. (Hosseini 77)" This moment is one of the most significant events in the novel because from here on Amir regrets not standing up for his Hassan since he always was loyal to him. Amir does not want to admit that he cares about Hassan because he is a Hazara, but deep down he loves him, resulting in a that guilt haunts Amir.

  • Amir Ambushes Hassan With Pomegranates

    After the rape, Amir isolates Hassan, and one day Amir takes Hassan to their favorite spot, the pomegranate tree and starts pelting pomegranates at Hassan. He shouts," 'Hit me back!'...I wished he he'd give me the punishment I craved, so.. Maybe things could return to how they used to be. (Hosseini 92)" Amir's guilt over not returning Hassan's loyalty pilled up to the point where Amir couldn't function. He wanted Hassan to hurt him order to relieve his guilt and repair their valued friendship.

  • Amir Frames Hassan

    When Ali and Hassan were at the market, Amir "planted [his] new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under it. (Hosseini 104)" Amir believes that if he can get rid of Hassan by framing him for robbery, his guilt will vanish just because he will not have to see Hassan everyday. What Amir does not realize is that his guilt will keep following him around until he physically talks to Hassan and apologizes to him.

  • Ali and Hassan Leave Baba and Amir

    Ali knew about the rape and that Amir framed his son, therefore, Ali made the decision to leave Baba and go live with his cousin. As Ali and Hassan are leaving, Amir reflects that he "was sorry, but [he] didn't cry, and [he] didn't chase the car. (Hosseini 109)" Throughout the novel, Baba taught Amir emotions should be contained. This explains why Amir did not express his guilt and regret. If he apologized to Hassan in the first place, Ali and Hassan would not had to leave.

  • Khan Is Killed

    Khan is killed in a communist takeover and "Nur Mohammad Taraki, one of the founding members of the Afghan Communist Party, takes control of the country as president... They proclaim independence from Soviet influence...Taraki signs a friendship treaty with the Soviet Union... But a rivalry between Taraki and Hafizullah Amin, another influential communist leader, leads to fighting between the two sides. (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/)"

  • Baba Saves an Innocent Woman From Being Raped

    While Baba and Amir are fleeing the country, a guard takes a woman to rape her. Baba confronts the guard, but Amir begs Baba to give up. Then Baba says," 'Haven't I taught you anything?' (Hosseini 116)" Here, Baba exhibits standing up for what is right, but Amir worries for himself and his father. Baba got angered because Amir actions do not display the values that Baba withholds. This conflicting values system causes the distance and tension in the father-son relationship between Amir and Baba.

  • Baba Denies Welfare

    When Amir and Baba went to collect their food stamps Baba said," 'I work always... I don't like free money.' " Amir noted, "Baba walked out of that welfare office like a man cured of a tumor. (Hosseini 130/131)" Baba possesses much pride and the welfare system is strange and mortifying to him. Baba has much pride over his actions, that he would rather work for money than receive free money. Also, Baba knows that free money is not meaningful and a sign of dishonor, showing true integrity.

  • Afghans Continue to Flee the Nation

    In 1982 many Afghan citizens fled the country at the alarming rates. More specifically, "2.8 million Afghans have fled from the war to Pakistan, and another 1.5 million have fled to Iran." During this time, Afghan rebels, or the Mujahideen "gain control of rural areas, and Soviet troops hold urban areas. (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/)"

  • Baba Makes a Scene

    One day in Fremont when Baba is buying cigarettes, the store owner asks him to show his ID, but Baba suddenly explodes. In the convenience Amir sees, "an overturned magazine rack, a broken jar of beef jerky, and shards of glass at Baba's feet. (Hosseini 127)" Here, Baba got angry because he was disappointed that his honor and integrity did not precede him the way it did in Afghanistan. Baba was trusted by his business partners that he would act with integrity, but in America the trust vanished.

  • Amir Goes Against Baba's Wishes

    Now, in Fremont, California, Amir chooses to go to college for creative writing, even though Baba believes it is not "real work", but Amir decided,"[He] didn't want to sacrifice for Baba anymore. The last time [he]...[did] that, [he] damned [himself]. (Hosseini 135)" Here, Amir still regrets choosing the blue kite to show Baba, over Hassan. On the other hand, Amir now he recognizes that the only way he will be happy if he does what he wants, instead of doing what his father believes is best.

  • Amir Graduates High School

    After graduating high school Baba tells Amir," 'I am moftakhir, Amir,'... Proud. [Baba's] eyes gleamed when he said that and I liked being on the receiving the end of that look. (Hosseini 131)" Although Amir still appreciates his father's pride, he is not as desperate for this pride as he was at the beginning of the book. Also, Baba is more expressive with his pride, therefore contributing to Amir's growth and self affirmation.

  • Amir Gets Married

    Amir gets married to the daughter of an old friend of Baba's, Soraya Taheri. When Amir first saw her, he was instantly in love. During the wedding, Amir looked "at Soraya's smiling face in [the], in the momentary privacy of the veil (Hosseini 171)" Even though there were three hundred people at the wedding ceremony Amir felt that he had privacy with Soraya. This shows that Amir finally found someone who appreciated him because he only was focusing one person, his wife-to-be.

  • Baba Dies Happy

    One night Soraya offered Baba his morphine pills but Baba replied," 'Not tonight,'...'There is no pain tonight.'...Baba never woke up. (Hosseini 173)" Baba was able to leave because he was pleased with where he was in his life, including that fact that he was content with his relationship with Amir. Moving to America allowed Baba and Amir to be closer. Also, after his Baba's death, a part of Amir became calm because he received the affection from Baba he had been worried about since childhood.

  • Peace Is Made

    The United States, the Soviet Union, Pakistan, and Afghanistan "sign peace accords in Geneva guaranteeing Afghan independence and the withdrawal of 100,000 Soviet troops. (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/)"

  • The Beginning of the Taliban

    The Taliban, an Islamic militia, "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. Moreover, the Taliban choses to "enforce [Islamic law] via public executions and amputations. (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/)"

  • The Taliban Brings Violence

    To gain power, the Taliban publicly executes Mohammad Najibullah, President of Afghanistan. On the battlefield, "Ethnic groups in the north... continue to battle the Taliban for control of the country. (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/)"

  • Osama bin Laden Considered a Threat

    Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaida, an Afghan centered terrorist organization who bombed two American embassies, is "considered an international terrorist, [he] 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. (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/)"

  • Amir Agrees to Rescue Sohrab

    Rahim Khan's dying wish is for Amir to rescue Hassan's son Sohrab. Amir is against the Rahim's wish, but then he realizes,"There is a way to be good again...A way to end the cycle. (Hosseini 227)" Here, Amir dismissed his feelings of self protection showing that he isn't going to make the same mistake against Hassan twice. Instead of running away from his fears and being a coward, Amir decided to do the right deed and prove to Hassan and himself that he can indeed be good again.

  • Amir Faces Assef

    While Assef is fighting Amir, Amir thinks,"for the first time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace...My body felt broken...but I felt healed. (Hosseini 289)" In this quotation, Amir feels free of his guilt because he was finally able to prove his loyalty to Hassan and he received the punishment he had been yearning for since 1975. This scene compares to Hassan's rape, but this time Amir set his morals straight and faced his fears and mistakes, allowing Amir to feel free.

  • U.S. Interfere With the Taliban

    Subsequent to the September 11th bombings on the World Trade Centers by the Taliban, the U.S. lead "bombing[s] of Afghanistan. Anti-Taliban Northern Alliance forces enter Kabul shortly afterwards. (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253)"

  • America and Afghanistan Create a Pact

    The current president of Afghanistan, President Karzai earns the support "of tribal elders to negotiate a 10-year military partnership with the U.S...The proposed pact will see US troops remain after 2014, when foreign troops are due to leave the country. (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253)"

  • U.S. Troops Stay In Afghanistan

    American President Barack Obama announces that "8,400 U.S. troops will remain in Afghanistan into 2017 in light of the 'precarious security situation'. (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253)" The civil war against the Taliban continues to this day.