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Hassan Gets Plastc Surgery to Fix His Cleft Lip
Before Hassan's birthday, Baba introduces a plastic surgeon to Hassan and tells Hassan that he is getting his lip fixed. Amir becomes jealous of Hassan, saying, "I wished I too has 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 a harelip"(Hosseini 46) Here, Amir becomes jealous of Hassan for winning Baba's affections, not knowing that this was a way for Baba to atone for himself. -
Amir Runs Away While Hassan is Getting Raped
While Hassan was running Amir's kite, Assef stops him in an alley and demands for the kite. When Hassan Refuses, Assef rapes him. Instead of standing up for Hassan, "I [Amir] ran because I was a coward... Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba" (Hosseini 77). Amir runs away because he is scared and he wants Baba's approval. This is significant because it shows that Amir was a coward and would do anything for Baba's love, even sacrificing Hassan. -
Amir Throws Pomegranates at Hassan to Feel Atonement
After Hassan gets raped, Amir feels guilty for running away, causing Amir to throw Pomegranates at Hassan. "'Hit me back!' I spat. 'Hit me back, goddamn you!' I wish he would. I wished he'd given me the punishment I craved, so maybe I'd finally sleep at night" (Hosseini 92) Amir feels guilty for not defending Hassan when he got raped. This is significant because since Hassan is loyal, he chooses not to hit him back because he is afraid that he would be shamed for hitting a Pashtun. -
Soviet Union Invaded Afghanistan
In 1978, the communist, PDPA launched a coup and launched soviet-style changes in the government. This led to resistance (In Afghanistan, a traditionally conservative country) causing a civil war between the Soviet-style government and the rest of the population "The first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul on December 27th, 1979, to assist Babrak Karmal, who has become president in a coup with the Afghan Communist leadership." (New York Times 2) -
Baba and Amir Move to San Francisco
Baba and Amir leave Kabul for America due to the Soviet Invasion. There Baba didn't adjust well to America, "For me, America was a place to bury my memories. For Baba, a place to mourn his" (Hosseini 129) Here, Amir explains why him and Baba were somewhat miserable in America. Baba missed living in Kabul, but Amir wanted to forget it. -
Amir and Soraya get Married
After General Taheri gave Amir his blessing, they get married. "I remember sitting on the sofa, set on the stage like a throne, Soraya's hand in mine... And I remember wondering if Hassan too had married" (Hosseini 171) Here, even at his wedding, Amir thinks about Hassan and that Amir still cares for him deeply. -
Soviet Air Force Rendered
The Soviet Air Force fell after weapons were supplied from the U.S to the Afghani Rebels, "After 1986, the Soviet Air Force was also rendered largely useless by advanced stinger antiaircraft, supplied by the United States to the Rebels" (New York Times 2) -
Amir Goes to Afghanistan and Meets with Assef
After Rahim Khan tells Amir about Hassan's son, Sohrab. he goes back to Kabul to him. Amir discovers that Assef took Sohrab from the local orphanage. He then schedules to meet with Assef. While there, he thinks to himself, "This isn't you, Amir, part of me said, you're gutless. It's how you were made" (Hosseini 275) Here, Amir tells himself that he is a coward while talking to Assef. This is important because it shows that Amir is willing to do anything for Hassan out of personal atonement. -
Hassan and Farzana Move to Kabul with Rahim Khan
After Rahim Khan visits Hassan and Farzana in Bamiyan, they choose to move back to Kabul with Rahim Khan. While there, Rahim Khan pleaded for him to stay in the house with him, "But he would not. He said it was the matter of ihtiram, respect" (Hosseini 208) Here, Hassan refuses to stay in the house even though Rahim Khan says it's okay. This is significant because it proves that Hassan still honors and respects Amir and Baba, even if he hasn't seen or heard from them in over 20 years. -
Soviet Union Leave Afghanistan
After criticism from outside countries and the United Nations (some calling Afghanistan "Russia's Vietnam), "...the last Soviet troop left Afghanistan in February 1989, in what was in effect a unilateral withdrawal" (New York Times 1). -
Sanaubar Finds Hassan
While Rahim Khan, Hassan, and Farzana are staying at the house, a woman walks up to their driveway and collapses. When they bring her inside, she reveals that she is Hassan's mother. In the beginning, Hassan was very upset and confused. Then, he accepted her, "He took Sanaubar's hand in both of his and told her she could cry if she wanted to but she needn't, she was home now" (Hosseini 210) This is significant because it shows that Hassan would accept people even if they betrayed him. -
Mullah Omar Gains Many Followers and Popularity in South-East Afghanistan
Before the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, it was originally a student movement led by Mullah Omar, a Pashtun whose goal was to purify Afghanistan. "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 Islan to daily life, he created a genuinely popular movement in a country weary of corruption and brutality." (New York Times 2) -
Taliban Takes Control of Afghanistan
With the help of the Pakistani Government providing weapons, tools, and money to the Taliban, "...the Taliban by 1996 has taken control of Afghanistan, imposing enforcement of fundamentalist Islamic Law, banning movies and music and forcing women out of schools and into an all-enveloping burqa clothing." (New York Times 2) -
Hassan and Farzana Die
After Rahim Khan moved out, the Taliban ordered them to move out of the house. When Hassan refused, "So they took him to the street..and ordered him to kneel, and shot him in the back of the head... Farzana came screaming and attacked them... shot her too. Self-defense they claimed later..." (Hosseini 219) Here, Rahim Khan tells Hassan why he died. In Kabul, everyone feared that the Taliban and were scared of them, even if it meant sacrificing people for it. -
Taliban and Al Qaeda Drove Out of Major Afghan Cities
After the September 11th attacks, President Bush gave the Taliban an ultimatum to hand over Osama Bin Laden, when they refused, the U.S and Rebel Forces had "An air and ground campaign began that drove the Taliban out of major cities by the end of the year" (New York Times 3). -
Taliban Continues Guerrilla Warfare in Southern Parts of Afghanistan
After their defeat in late 2001, "... the Taliban continued to wage Guerrilla warfare from a base in the mountainous and largely lawless tribal area on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border" (New York Times 3) -
Assef and Amir Fight over Sohrab
When Assef and Amir are fighting over Sohrab, Amir thinks to himself, "My body was broken- just how badly I wouldn't find out until later- but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed" (Hosseini 289)
Here, Amir feels healed while Assef is assaulting him over Sohrab. This is significant because Amir feels atoned for all of the times Hassan got assaulted or raped for Amir, and he feels atoned for all of the times he didn't stick up for Hassan by sticking up for Sohrab. -
Sohrab and Amir Come Home
After Sohrab's attempted suicide, he surrendered to go with Amir because he didn't have a choice. "And so it was that, about a week later, we crossed a strip of warm, black tarmac and I brought Hassan's son from Afghanistan to America, lifting him from a certainty of turmoil and dropping him into a turmoil of uncertainty" (Hosseini 356) Here, Amir fears that Sohrab will not thrive in America due to his traumatic experiences. -
World Trade Center Attacks
In 2001, a group of Talib soldiers hijacked 4 planes, hitting the North Tower of the World Trade Center, the South Tower, the Pentagon, and a failed attempt at the White House, which landed in a field in Pennsylvania. "After the attack on the World Trade Center in New York in 2001..." (New York Times 4) -
Hamid Karzai Takes Office
After the Taliban was defeated by the U.S and Afghani rebel forces, Hamid Karzai, "...was named chairman of an interim government that replaced the defeated Taliban, making him leader of the country." (New York Times 3) -
Sohrab and Amir Fly a Kite Together
After Sohrab and Amir come home, Sohrab remains quiet and refuses to speak due to the traumatic experiences. But one day, Amir takes Sohrab to a park on a rainy day. There, Sohrab seems to be interested in kites, like Hassan was when he was young. So, Amir buys a kite and teaches him how to fly it. After Amir offers to run the kite Hassan shows a smile. "It was only a smile... But I'll take it. With open arms" (Hosseini 371) This is notable because Sohrab's smile was a beacon of hope for Amir. -
General Petraeus Becomes Command in military forces in Afghanistan
When President Obama made Afghanistan the central military focus of his presidency, he put General Petraeus "... the architect of the 2007 'surge' in Iraq, in command of American forces in the Taliban's strongholds in the south." (New York Times 1)
