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Amir is born
Hassan was born in the "winter of 1964, just one year after [Amir's] mother died giving birth to [him]". Amir was the son of Sofia Akrami and Baba. His mother died in child birth, it is seen in the novel that Amir inherited more of his mother's traits which is why Baba and Amir have a hard time connecting. -
Hassan is born
Behind the mansion-like house Baba and Amir lived in was a, "little shack, that Hassan was born in the winter of 1964" (Hosseini 6) Hassan is the son of Baba and Sanaubar which is founded out later in the book, and Ali was not Hassan's father. Sanaubar known to "sleep around" in the community left soon after giving birth and fled with a group of traveling singers and dancers. -
Tricking Hassan
On this day, Amir "played another little trick on Hassan . [He] was reading to him, and suddenly [he] strayed from the writing story" (Hosseini 30). Amir is not a well liked at this time of the novel when he is arrogant and a very immature young child. Either it is that he feels he needs to fill his pride or feels so much higher above him that he needs to tease Hassan to prove he is smarter or just to his own amusement -
Mohammed Daud seizes power
1973, Daud "seizes power in a coup and declares a republic"(http://www.bbc.com/news). -
Hassan's Birthday
Winter 1974, Hassan received a surgeon for a present to fix his harelip since "[i]t was Hassan's birthday" (Hosseini 44). Baba never missed Hassan or Amir's birthdays and always gave them some extravagant present. This is one point of foreshadowing where it shows how deeply Baba cared for Hassan, but couldn't show his full meaning of compassion due to the secret of him being is father. -
Period: to
Kite Runner and Afghan History
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Amir wins Kite Contest
When Amir was about sliced the string of the last kite he "didn't need to hear the crowd's roar to know. [He] didn't need to see either. Hassan was screaming and his arm was wrapped around my neck" (Hosseini 66).This is the moment Amir feels so alive and proud and is one of the last happy moments he shares with Hassan. This moment he is happy to know that Baba is proud of him and that is all he really wanted along: Baba's love and affection. -
Hassan gets raped
Witnessing Hassan being raped by Assef, Amir decides that he "could step into that alley, stnd up for Hassan...or [he] could run. In the end, [he] ran" (Hosseini 76). This is the moment that will haunt Amir for the rest of his life and the moment he regrets the most. He is known to be a coward and a truly horrible person becaus eof his decision to choose Baba's affection over saving his best friend-- who would do anything for him. -
Khan is overthrown
In 1978, Khan is killed and, "Nur Mohammad Taraki, one of the founding members of the Afghan Communist Party, takes control of the country as president...and declare[s] their policies to be based on Islamic principles, Afghan nationalism and socioeconomic justice" (http://www.pbs.org/). -
Soviet Invasion
December 1979, "Soviet Army invades and props up communist government" (http://www.bbc.com/news/). -
Communism
To start a new type of ruling system, "Soviet Army invades and props up communist government" (http://www.bbc.com/news/). -
Karmal Ruler
1980, "Babrak Karmal installed as ruler, backed by Soviet troops...[and] opposition intensifies with various mujahideen groups fighting Soviet forces" (http://www.bbc.com/news/). -
Escape from Kabul
To escape from the war, Amir and Baba and leave to "Jalalabad, about 170 kilometers southeast of Kabul, where [his brother,] Toor, who had a big truck with a second convoy of refugees, was waiting to drive [them] across the Khyber Pass and into Peshawar. The war has gotten worse and seriously as Russia starts to take over Afghanistan. They think is the best to a new life and that is to leave their country known as their home. -
Amir graduates high school
After starting high school late in America, Amir finally "graduated from high school at the age of twenty, by far the oldest senior tossing his mortarboard on the football field (Hosseini 131). This is a big stepping stone for Amir's education and career to pursue in writing. Baba and Amir also have a heart to heart moment where Baba shows his proudness for Amir's accomplishments and they share a true bonding moment. -
Novel done
After attending San Jose State University and spending lots of hard work on his writing, he "finished [his] first novel, a father-son story set in Kabul" (Hosseini 182). Knowing that someone is interested in his writing is a huge accomplishment and a push of motivation for his to write his future books. This milestone also leads to more events and his thriving career. -
Novel Published
After working with the agency to push the book forward, his "novel was released in the summer of...1989 (Hosseini 183). This is a proud moment for him and all his family supports and congratulates him. Publishing a novel makes him a minor celebrity to the Afghans and sets him in stone for a better career. -
Amir and Soraya try to have kids
It was very sad news that after many tests, the doctor "couldn't explain why [they] couldn't have kids (Hosseini 185). This is a hard time for Soraya and Amir since they both wanted this so much. Eventually they do get through this and live a happy life as a couple. -
Start of Taliban
During the time of desperation for finding a new government, in 1996, "the Taliban, rises to power on promises of peace. Most Afghans ... approve of the Taliban for upholding traditional Islamic values" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/). -
Control over Kabul
In 1996, "Taliban seize control of Kabul and introduce hard-line version of Islam, banning women from work, and introducing Islamic punishments" (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253). -
Call from Rahim Khan
When Amir hangs up the phone and tells Soraya, "'I have to go Pakistan...Rahim Khan is sick, ...[and thinks] Come. There is a way to be good again, Rahim Khan had said on the phone just before hanging up" (Hosseini 192).This a time of reflection for Amir to decide what he needs to do and face his action in the winter of 1975. He eventually realizes he needs to go back to Afghanistan and atone for his sins and to see his dying friend who has always been there for him. -
Amir meets Assef
The man who Amir needed to talk to to find Sohrab asked, "'Whatever happened to old Babalu anyway?" The question hit me [Amir] like a hammer between the eyes. [He] felt the color drain from my face" (Hosseini 281). At this moment Amir realizes this man is Assef, his childhood enemy and the one person who possibly made his life so much worse and complicated. This eventually leads them to fight and Sohrab saving Amir's life by slingshotting his eye. -
Home at last
After lots of fighting to bring Sohrab to the U.S., they "arrived home... on a warm day in August 2001" (Hosseini 357).They are both thrilled to bring Sohrab to their home and it's almost as if they have their own child. Unlike anything they expected they receive a year of silence from Sohrab who didn't engage with them at all either for a long time. -
911
Killing thousands, September 1, 2001,"[h]ijackers commandeer four commercial airplanes and crash them into the World Trade Center Towers in New York, the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C."(http://www.pbs.org/newshour/). -
End of Taliban
Northern Alliance troops push Taliban to there limit and, "Taliban leaders surrender the group’s final Afghan territory, the province of Zabul. The move leads the Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press to declare 'the rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan has totally ended' (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/) -
Kite Flying
Amir took Soraya and Sohrab to a New Years party "on a cool rainy day in March 2002, [and] a small, wondrous thing happened" (Hosseini 363). This is the day Sohrab and Amir go out to fly a kite, Sohrab and flashes a small smile to Amir and that's all he needs to fill the light inside of him. Even though he only smiled it seems to mean way more to Amir to send him running for the kite with a huge smile. -
New Government
2004 in Afghanistan, "Loya Jirga adopts new constitution which provides for strong presidency...[and during presidential elections] Hamid Karzai is declared winner" (http://www.bbc.com/news/).