-
Amir Foreshadows the Future
After telling Hassan about his book, he compliments Amir and questions him which foreshadows the future. Amir questions the socioeconomic status of Hassan, "What does he know, that illiterate Hazara? He'll never be anything but a cook. How dare he criticize you?" (34). Even from a young age, Amir is told by society Hazaras are lesser than people of Pashtuns. This shows in the future as he justifies his actions of watching Hassan's rape as him not actually being his real friend, just his servant. -
Amir is Jealous Over Hassan
While gunfire is going off Ali protects Hassan, "Hassan was crying. Ali pulled him close, clutched him with tenderness," (35). Although Hassan is significantly lower class than Amir, he still feels as though Hassan has power over him by having a fatherly love that he lacks. He is jealous that he has someone that supports him and acknowledges him unlike Baba -
Assef Foreshadows the Future
From page 41, "'Afghanistan is the land of Pashtuns. It always has been, always will be. We are the true Afghans, the pure Afghans, not this Flat-Nose right here. His people pollute our homeland, our watan. They dirty our blood." Assef here shows his views and beliefs as in the future when he eventually becomes an important figure in Afghan government and stones people to death. Assef genuinely believes himself as pure and Hazara as dirty which he acts upon in the future. -
Hassan Gets a Lip Surgery
Baba gets a plastic surgeon for Hassan's cleft lip, "I wish I too had some kind of scar that would beget Baba's sympathy. It wasn't fair . Hassan hadn't done anything to earn Baba's affections; he'd just been born with that stupid harelip," (46). Baba somehow finds ways to appreciate Hassan as his second and illegitimate son. Amir has no idea and is jealous of Hassan as always. -
Hassan was Raped
In winter of 1975, Amir saw Hassan run a kite for the last time as soon after while Hassan was looking for the blue kite they'd won, "Assef knelt behind Hassan, put his hands on Hassan's hips and lifted his bare buttocks ... Hassan dragged a sleeve across his sleeve, wiped snot and tears" (78). This is a turning point in the book as where the relationships Amir is comfortable with are lost due to his actions. He loses Ali and Rahim Khan's trust by being a bystander. -
Period: to
Timeline of Afghanistan with The Kite Runner
-
Amir and Baba's Relationship Fades
After Amir asks about moving Hassan and Ali out, Amir and Baba's relationship start to fade, even though it would have eventually die down. On page 93 it says, "Things between Baba and me were already cooling off again ... I regretted saying it, I really did, but I think even if I hadn't, our happy little interlude would have come to an end." Baba has always put a very high expectations on Amir as athletic and not following gender stereotypes. He is pressed that Amir isn't like him at all. -
Hassan and Ali Leave Baba and Amir
Following Hassan's rape and the planting of the watch and money under his mattress by Amir, Ali decides that, "'We are leaving, Agha sahib' ... 'What?' Baba said, color draining from his face. 'We can't live here anymore,'" (106). This event causes a big shift in Amir and Baba's relationship as they no longer have something that both of them share something in common. Baba questions inside his head that Amir is the reason for the leaving of his life long friend, Ali, and his second son, Hassan. -
The Soviet Union Invades Afghanistan
To stop the loss of their communist proxy in "Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Soviet Union invades the country on 1979 ... 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." (The New York Times 2011) -
Babrak Karmal installed as ruler
From BBC's Afghanistan profile, Babrak Karmal [was] installed as ruler, backed by Soviet troops. But opposition intensifies with various mujahideen (guerilla fighters in Islamic countries) groups fighting Soviet forces. US, Pakistan, China, Iran and Saudi Arabia supply money and arms to the mujahideen. -
Amir and Baba Leave Afghanistan
Amir and Baba leave as Soviet Union has take over Kabul and everything they once knew would be gone. Standing before his house he thinks," of the way we'd left the house where I'd live my entire life, as if we were going out for a bite..." The affect of the war has Amir and Baba leaving a place of comfort that they'd known their entire life. Baba leaves behind his legacy as a wealthy influential man and goes to America where his relationship with Amir begins to grow unlike it has been in Kabul. -
Amir Comes Across Kamal
Kamal, one of Assef's friends who assisted him in raping Hassan, recieves the payback he deserves. On page 120, Amir sees Kamal and his father in the basement and is shocked, "when I saw Kamal's face, really saw it ... He had withered, there was simply no other word or it. His eyes gave me a hollow look ... His shoulders hunched and his cheeks sagged ..." Kamal has come full circle to his past actions. Kamal feels almost remorse for his actions and now has a haunting past. -
Baba Gives Amir One Last Gift
After spending his whole life pleasing Baba, he is finally proud of Amir and gives him a Ford. Amir thinks how he," wanted to say more, tell him how touched I was by his act of kindness, how much I appreciated all that he had done for me, all that he was doing," (133). Amir is finally pleased with his relationship with Baba as he has his full attention. Baba is finally proud of Amir as his son when he has made something of himself and doesn't have to rely on him anymore. -
Mujahideen Collaborations
The guerilla fighters in Islamic countries, or the mujahideen, come together "in Pakistan to form alliance against Soviet forces. Half of Afghan population now estimated to be displaced by war, with many fleeing to neighbouring Iran or Pakistan." -
US Supplies the Mujahideen with Weapons
According to BBC's article on Afghanistan, the "US [begins] supplying mujahideen with Stinger missiles, enabling them to shoot down Soviet helicopter gunships. Babrak Karmal [is] replaced by Najibullah as head of Soviet-backed regime." -
Infidelity Plagues Amir and Soraya
From page 188, "perhaps something, someone, somewhere, had decided to deny me fatherhood for the things I had done. Maybe this was my punishment ... It wasn't meant to be, Khala Jamila had said. Or, maybe, it was meant not to be." Amir feels his past actions caused him to have unexplained infertility. This is another full circle moment as back to twenty years ago when he watched while Hassan was raped and not stepping as Hassan would have done for him. -
The Last Soviet Troops Leave
After peace talks moderated by the United States, "the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989, in what was in effect a unilateral withdraw. They left behind a country that was not only devastated by the war but that had become a beacon to Islamic extremists from across the globe who had come to assist in the fighting, including Osama bin Laden and the group he helped found, Al Qaeda." (The New York Times 2011) -
The Taliban Takes Control
With the help of Pakistan forces, "the Taliban by 1996 had taken control of Afghanistan, imposing strict enforcement of fundamentalist Islamic law, banning movies and music and forcing women out of schools and into all-enveloping burqa clothing." (The New York Times 2011) -
US Launches Missile Strikes
At suspected bases of militant Osama bin Laden, the US launches missile strikes who was accused of bombing US embassies in Africa. (BBC) -
Karzai as President
From the New York Times it states, "In December 2001, Hamid Karzai was named chairman of an interim government that replaced the defeated Taliban ... He took office ... saying he hoped to secure peace for Afghanistan ... His popularity, though, steadily plunged, at home as well as abroad, as Mr. Karzai faced an Afghan population that blame him for the manifest lack of economic progress and the corrupt officials who seem to stand at every doorway of his government." -
The United States Invades Afghanistan
From The New York Times it states, "The United States has been militarily involved in Afghanistan since 2001, when it led an invasion after the Sept. 11 attacks by Al Qaeda. The group had been given safe haven in the country by the Taliban, the extremist Islamic group that had seized control in 1996 after years of civil war." -
Amir Atones
On page 289, "for the first time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace ... My body was broken ... but I felt healed. Healed at last." Amir feels that he finally atoned for his actions when he didn't stand up for Hassan. His physical pain and his adopting Sohrab, Hassan's son, is finally enough for him as compensation. -
Amir Visits Rahim Khan in Afghanistan
Rahim Khan tells Amir about his life in Afghanistan since he's left, "'They don't let you be human.' He pointed to a scar ... 'Kabul scored a goal and the man next to me cheered loudly. Suddenly this young, eighteen year old at most, struck me on the forehead with the butt of his Kalashnikov'" (199). Afghanistan is no longer what Amir imagines in his childhood. It is now war torn country that is controlled by ruthless leaders who don't want to benefit the country and its people. -
Sohrab Starts to Trust Amir
After supposedly adopting Sohrab, he has been on ice with Amir since the rescue from Assef. From page 324, "His tears were soaking the pillow. He didn't say anything for a long time. THen his hand squeezed mine back. And he nodded. He nodded." Such a small think such as a nod and a hand squeeze symbolize a beginning of a relationship between the two. Sohrab and Amir a few years ago needed a fresh start in America and they will grow together. -
Amir Stands Up for Sohrab
The general starts conversation about keeping the blood clear in his family and he insults Sohrab by calling him a Hazara boy. Amir defends him, "'And one more thing General Sahib,' I said. 'You will never again refer to him as 'Hazara boy' in my presence. He has a name and it's Sohrab," (361). Amir finally has stood his ground and is no longer relying on someone to stand up for him. He is fighting his own battles and supports Sohrab as well. -
Obama's Speech
On December 1st, 2009 President Obama announces his plan to send an additional 30,000 soldiers to Afghanistan. He promises to begin bringing American troops from Afghanistan in the middle of 2011, saying the United States can not lose anymore lives to an open-ended commitment. (The New York Times)