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Amir is born.
While Amir looks back on his childhood he says, 'I became what i am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975" (Khaled Hosseini). The quotes proves amir's birthday was in 1963 and that is also the day his mother died which would haunt him throughout his childhood. His birth was very important to the communtiy because of Baba's high scoioeconomic status and his immense power in Kabul. -
Hassan's 10th birthday
The winter of Hassan's birthday Amir remembers the fact that "Baba never missed Hassan's birthday," (Khaled Hosseini) and got the bump on his lip removed. The importance of this event is immense because it shows the the strength of Baba and Hassan's relationship. Amir has always felt jelous of Hassan and when Baba let Hassan get lip surgery it proved how Baba treats them both equally, ultimately making Amir feel as though it is unfair. -
Hassan is violated by Assef
Amir turned away from the alley and ran away as he "could hear Assef's quick rhythmic grunts" (Khaled Hosseini). Hassan's violation left a creves in Amir and Hassan's relationship because of Amir's guilt and inability intervene in the situation. Amir's guilt built up throughout the story and when he finally got the chance to atone he took the chance because he felt he needed too. -
Amir Finally talks to Hassan and they end up going to the tree for the last time
When Amir was going to the tree with Hassan he thought, "I shouldn't have come up the hill. The words I'd carved couldn't stand looking at them now" (Hossieni 87). The greif that Amir has been holding within himself was so strong that it almost took control of him, ultimately leading to him leaving Hassan and continuing to ignore him. Amir's embarrassment when he is with Hassan is stems from his feelings of guilt. -
Amir turns 13
During Amir's birthday celebration asked jnded him his present and Amir went outside and "it was a autobiography of Hitler" (Khaled Hossieni When amir was handed hilter's auto biograpghy from Assef as a gift it truely sought out Assef's cruel and pernicious nature. Assef's cruel and unfreindly nature is very important because it gives him power and the ability to control Amir and Hassan mentally. -
Afghanistan becomes very unpeaceful
Afghanistan is a very heated war zone, very confritatious and "Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republicof Afghanistan, known little peace since 1979" (NYT 1). -
Baba and Amir escape from Kabul
When Amir and Baba get into the truck when levaing Kabul, Amir thinks to himself "my Inards had been rolling since we'd left Kabul just after two in the morning" (Khaled Hosseini). Amir's was worrried that he was embarrising Baba because he always felt the need to impress him. Amir always wants to impress Baba because he feels as though Baba is not proud of him. -
Baba accepts Amir for wanting to be a writer
Through all the year with Baba Amir has always wanted his acceptance and support and when Baba finally says, "Amir is going to be a great writer, he has finished his first year of college and earned A's in all of his courses" (Hosseini). Amir has a very normal recation and has finally realized that he never needed his Baba to say ot express his support because he realized that Baba has always loved and supported him. This is a big realization for Amir and he realizes that Baba is accepting him. -
Amir and Soraya are looking to concieve a child
Amir when laying in bed "could almost feel the emptieness in Soraya's womb, like it was a living, breathing thing", and it had "seeped" (Khaled Hosseini) into their marriage. Soraya's inabiltiy to have a child left a feeling of emptieness and somewhat guilt in their marriage, ultimatelly giving Amir a reason to want to go to Kabul. This is emphasizes the importance of Amir's need to Atone and his reason to find Sohrab, ultimattely giving Amir the drive to find Sohrab. -
Hassan's mother returns to Hassan's house
In the middle of the summer in 1990 while Farzana was pregnant a woman walks up to the gate of Hassan's house and collapses. She later woke up whispering "where is Hassan?" The importamce of this event is over-whelming because it allowed Hassan to have the answers to so many lingering questions that he had about his childhood and family. Hassan was always so curious about his mother and this allowed her to Atone for leaving and Hassan's curiosity to be filtered. -
Sohrab is born
When Hassan's mother returns in the summer " a few months later Sohrab was born." When Amir hears about Sohrab he knows that he has a chance to atone for what he did to Hassan. Amir shows courage when taking a stand for Sohrab and it expresses his love for him and Hassan. -
Taliban Seize Control
Taliban seized control of parts of the Arabian Gulf and "the groups had been given safe haven in the country by the Taliban, the extremeist group that had seized control in 1996 after yearsof civel war" (NYT 1). -
The soccer game
While Amir and Farid were at a soccer game the Taliban hurled rocks at a man burruied in dirt until " the man in the hole was now a mangled mess of blood and shredded rags." This expresses the talibans brutatilty toward others who opose them leaving the cowardly citizens hopeless to stop them. Amir later stands up against the Taliban and Assef in order to save Sohrab and this emphasizes his courage because when everyone gave up Amir fought back even when he didn't have to. -
Taliban Massacre's Hazara Men and Women
Hassan and Rahim Khan were talking about how the Taliban made everything safe and Rahim's voice said after, "Taliban has banned kite fighting and, in two years, they will massacre the Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif" (Khaled Hossieni). Everyone thought the Taliban had made Afghanistan safe but they were wrong and Hassan was worried for the Hazara's like he was always thinking about others rather than him self. Hassan was a great judge of character and loyal and that is why he chose to talk to Amir. -
Rahim Khan calls from Pakistan
In December of 2001 Amir looks back to "one day last summer, my freind Rahim Khan called from Pakistan. He asked me to come see him." This is Amir's defining moment and his one chance to rid of hid guilt and atone for what he had done to Hassan. This is a very courages act, for he knew that it was very dangerous in Afghanistan, but he still chose to do so in order to Atone. -
9/11 attacks on Twin Towers United States
On Septemeber 11, 2001 Al Qaeda ¨had been given safe haven in the country by the Taliban, the extremeist Islamic group that had seized control in 1996 after years of civil war" (NYT 1). -
Amir goes back and reflects on the winter of 1975
Amir was thinking about the winter of 1975 and thats when he said, "I thought of the life I had luved until the winter of 1975 came along and changed evrything. And it made me what I am today." This quote is a very powerful quote because it foreshadows to when Hassan was violated, and expresses Amir's guilt even after saving Sohrab. The guilt that Amir is experiencing is everlasting and might never go away but his love for Sohrab will always conceal his gulit. -
U.S. invasion of Afganistan/Iraq
Later the same year the U.S. invaded Aghanastan in 2001 and the "invasion succeded in dilodging Al Qaeda and removing the Taliban from Power, but not in eradicating either group" (NYT 1). -
Period: to
Taliban comeback
Taliban left U.S. controlled/focused areas and "Taliban made a steady comeback, fueld by profits from the opium trade, dissatifaction with the weak and often corrupt Afghan government, and safe havens in Pakistan" (NYT1) -
Al Qaeda given safen haven by Taliban
The Al Qaeda group were given "safe haven in the country by the Taliban," After the september 11 attacks by Al Qaeda. -
Amir takes Sohrab kite running
While Amir and Sohrab were watching children kite run Sohrab smiled and asked, " do you want me to run that kite for you?" and Amir replied, "For you a thousand times over." Amir's appreiation for Hassan and his unwilling ability to let go and forget about him is significantly shown by Amir's response. Amir could never forget about Hassan and those were the words he though most of when thinking about Hassan and Sohrab truely reminded him of Hassan, utlimatelly giving them an unbreakable bond. -
Obama makes Afganistan the central military focus
President Obama made Afganistan the center of his military focus, "drawing troops ou of iraq and increasing the number in Afghanistan by almost 50,000" (NYT 1). -
Obama puts Gen. David H. Petraecus in charge
After the deployment of troops Obama decided to make some more changes, and "he put Gen. David H. Petraecus, the architect of the 2007 'surge' In Iraq, In command of American forces in Afghanistan" (NYT 1). -
American Combat forces begin to withdraw from Afghanistan
Calls for American Combat forces were being made to "begin withdarwing from Afghanistan in the summer of 2011" (NYT 1). -
Obama administration emphasizes forces until 2014
American Forces will continue to have forces in Afghanistan because "the Obama administration increasingly emphasizes the idea that the United States will have forces in the country until at least the end of 2014" (NYT 1).
