-
The Birth Of Hassan
Hassan was born in the winter of 1964. In a small shack Hassan's mom "gave birth to him one cold winter day in 1964. While [Amir's] mother hemorrhaged to death in during childbirth, Hassan lost his less than a week after he was born" (6). Right off the bat, we learn why Hassan and Amir are such good friends. They're the same in ways they don't even notice. -
Baba's Kindness
In the late 1960's, "Baba decided to build an Orphanage" (13). We learn a lot from the first chapters, like Hassan's tough life, and now, Baba's kindness. It shows how Baba isn't a greedy rich man. -
A Sleepless Night
One night Hassan and Amir are awaken by the sound of gun fire. They find out the next morning that "the monarchy was a thing of the past" (36). This detail could affect something later in the book. It also highlights Ali's fatherly instincts, as he pulls Amir and Hassan into his arms. -
Assef's Vision
Assef tells Hassan and Amir "Afghanistan for Pashtuns, I say. That's my vision" (40). Assef admires Hitler, which he based his vision on. This discrimination leads him to bully Hassan. -
Period: to
Kite Runner
-
A New Constitution
The new king, Mohammed Daoud Khan "proposes a new constitution that grants women rights and works to modernize the largely communist state. He also cracks down on opponents, forcing many suspected of not supporting Khan out of the government." "A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2016. -
Harelipped Hassan
For his tenth birthday, Baba gets Hassan a surgery to fix his harelip. Although his faced was fixed, that was the winter that Hassan stopped smiling. This shows that something bad is going to happen to Hassan. His loving smile is lost after his face is fixed. -
Kite Running
The winter of 1975 was the first time Amir saw Hassan run a kite. Amir competed in a kite fighting tournament, where he won. After winning, all he could say is, "We won! We won" (66)! Hassan admired Amir for winning, and Amir admired Hassan for teaching him. This is where their friendship is fully expressed. -
Amir's Cowardice
Right after the kite fighting tournament, Hassan grabs the spool and runs the kite away from Amir. Assef takes Hassan into an alley and rapes him, with Amir watching around the corner. Instead of helping him, Amir "ran. [He] ran because [he] was a coward. Amir thought it was okay to run because he's just a Hazara. He doesn't know how it will affect their relationship. -
Baba Opens Up
Winning the kite fighting tournament brought Baba and Amir together. When he was "In his arms, [he] forgot what [he'd] done. And that was good" (79). After living his whole life distant from Baba, he has finally felt the full embrace of his father. He didn't feel bad about Hassan anymore. -
Hassan and Ali Leave
In attempt to soothe his guilt about Hassan, he tries to get him fired. He stashes his new watch and a bunch of Afghan bills under Hassan's mattress and blames him for stealing his new gifts. Baba forgives Hassan, but Ali explains, "Life here is impossible for us now, Agha Sahib. We're leaving" (106). After Hassan's rape, he hasn't been the same. So Ali believes its best to leave. -
New Leaders
In 1987, "Khan is killed in a communist coup. Nur Mohammad Taraki, one of the founding members of the Afghan Communist Party, takes control of the country as president, and Babrak Karmal is named deputy prime minister." "A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2016. -
Soviet-Afghan War
The USSR invades Afghanistan "to bolster the faltering communist regime." This move starts the Soviet-Afghan War "A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2016. -
America
Baba and Amir moved to America in the 1980's. Inestead of being high of social economic status, Baba is"he day manager at the gas station." Life in America is very different, especially for Amir and Baba. Baba and Amir actually have to work hard. -
War Refugees
Many Afghans flee Afghanistan to get away from the war. Around "2.8 million Afghans have fled from the war to Pakistan, and another 1.5 million have fled to Iran." "A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2016. -
Baba's Death
A month after Soraya's and Amir's wedding, they put Baba to bed and "closed the door. Baba never woke up" (173). He past with no pain whatsoever. This is a big turning point in Amir's life. -
Old Friends
When retrieving Sohrab from the Taliban, he was interviewed by the Talib, Assef. Assef asked, "Whatever happened to old Babalu, anyway" (281)? Assef went on to fulfill his vision: rid Afghanistan of all the Hazaras. What it is also ironic is that he raped Sohrab too. -
End of the War
The USA, Soviet Union, Pakistan, and Afghanistan "sign peace accords in Geneva guaranteeing Afghan independence and the withdrawal of 100,000 Soviet troops." This would mark the end of the war." -
The Taliban
The Taliban rises to power in 1995. Many Afghans approve of the Taliban because of their Islamic values. They began to "outlaw cultivation of poppies for the opium trade, crack down on crime, and curtail the education and employment of women." Public executions and amputations also begin with the rise of the Taliban. -
Extreme Acts of the Taliban Pt.1
In 2001, the Taliban pulled many extreme acts. In March, " carry out their threat to destroy Buddhist statues in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, saying they are an affront to Islam." "A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2016. -
Attacks Of September 11th
In another extreme act, "Hijackers commandeer four commercial airplanes and crash them into the World Trade Center Towers in New York, the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C., and a Pennsylvania field, killing thousands." "A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2016. -
Silent Sohrab
After attempting suicide, Sohrab hadn't spoken a word to anyone. Through the attacks of 9/11 and the downfall of the Taliban, "Sohrab had sleepwalked through it all" (363). Sohrab has been very distant from everybody ever since he tried to kill himself. He was like a piece of furniture to them. -
Fall of the Taliban
Taliban Leaders "surrender the group’s final Afghan territory, the province of Zabul." This is officially the fall of the Taliban. "A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2016. -
Like half-brother, Like half-brother
At their Afghan New Year Party, there was kite fighting. Amir bought one for Sohrab and pulled off one of Hassan's signature moves. He asked Sohrab, do you want me to run this kite for you? When Sohrab nodded Amir said, "For you, a thousand times over" (371). That is what Hassan would say whenever Amir would want something. It shows you what goes around, comes around. -
The Death of bin Laden
Ten years after the fall of the Taliban, Us Forces overtake "a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and kill al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden." "A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2016. -
Half-Brothers
When visiting the sick Rahim Khan, some things get spilled. We learn that Baba and Sanaubar really conceived Hassan and they are half-brothers because "Ali was sterile" (222). This was a very big plot twist. It fully changes the "he's just a Hazara" situation.
