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Kite Runner: Photograph of King
Amir looks at a picture of his "grandfather and King Nadir Shah taken in 1931" (Hosseini 5). Amir's grandfather must have been close to the king. This shows how wealthy and high up Amir's family is -
Kite Runner: Hassan is born
There was a "little shack that Hassan was born in the winter of 1964" (Hosseini 6). This shows how poor Hassan is. He is a servant to Amir, and his mom can't even give birth in a decent place. -
Kite Runner: Sanaubar
Rahim Khan reflects on Hassan's childhood and says "none of us had seen Sanaubar since she had eloped with a band of singers and dancers in 1964" (Hosseini 210) Hassan's mother left him a week after giving birth. Hassan used Sofia as a mother and this made Amir and Hassan even more like brothers. -
Kite Runner: Baba builds an orphanage
When Amir is young "in the late 1960s ... Baba decided to build an orphanage" (Hosseini 12) This shows how loving and caring Baba is. Ironically, not to his own son. -
Kite Runner: coup de tat
Amir heard shots on the "night of July 17, 1973. Kabul awoke the next morning to find that the monarchy was a thing of the past" (Hosseini 36). There are now few years where Amir lives in an Afghanistan that is still civil. This new setting sets the backbone for the rest of the book. -
Khan proposes new constituton
Khan wants to propose 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." (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/) -
Kite Runner: Intro to book on foreshadowing Hassan's rape
In the beginning of the book Amir talks about how Hassan is a servant to him an "looking back at it now, I think the foundation for what happened in the winter of 1975 ... was already laid in those first words" (Hosseini 11). Hassan's first words were "Amir". This proves that the rape that happened in 1975 was due to Hassan and Amir's mindset towards each other. Amir believes of him as a follower and not important -
Kite Runner: Amir turns 13
While Amir is still guilty about Hassan's rape "[he] turned thirteen that summer of 1976, Afghanistan's next to last summer of peace and anonymity" (Hosseini 93). Amir has had a deal with a lot of internal conflict in his childhood. This is his last year where he not only has to deal with internal conflict, but he also has to deal with external conflict in the form of war. -
Takaki Starts Rule
When Khan is killed in a coup, "Nur Mohammad Taraki, one of the founding members of the Afghan Communist Party, takes control of the country as president" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/) -
U.S. cut ties
When the US Ambassador for Afghanistan is killed, "The United States cuts off assistance to Afghanista" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/). -
Kite Runner: Amir is a refugee
Amir reflects on his time as a refugee and says "remember Peshawar pretty well from the few months Baba and I had spent there in 1981" (Hosseini 195). Amir had to leave his country, due to the war. After moving around countries, he ended up in America. -
Afghans Leave
People freak out over the new USSR rule and "Some 2.8 million Afghans have fled from the war to Pakistan, and another 1.5 million have fled to Iran" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/). -
Kite Runner: Amir graduates high school
Amir graduates high school in 1983 and Baba says, "'I am moftakhir, Amir,' he said. Proud" (Hosseini 131). This is a very important part of the book, because this is the turing point for Baba and Amir's relationship. Baba starts to become proud of Amir and the things he does. -
Kite Runner: Amir writes a book
In America "in the summer of 1988, about six months before the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan, a finished my first novel" (Hosseini 182) Amir is starting to have success in his career. While his life is improving, others in Afghanistan have to deal with terrible things. -
al-Qaida Formed
Osama Bin Ladan forms al-Qaida and starts "to continue their jihad, or holy war, against the Soviets and other who they say oppose their goal of a pure nation governed by Islam" 9http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/) -
Kite Runner: Afghans are independent
Amir is talking about how Afghans have their culture in a certain way "and what the Russians would eventually learn by the late 1980s: that Afghans are independent people" (Hosseini 52) When the Russians seized Afghanistan, the Afghan people were eventually able to fight them off. This shows the Afghans are independent people and Amir later portrays that with the rules for kite flying. -
Kite Runner: Khan hurt by Taliban
Amir was talking to Rahim Khan when "he pointed to the scar ... 'I was at a soccer game in Ghazi stadium in 1988" (Hosseini 198). The Taliban are so cruel that they will hurt innocent people for cheering too loud. The new governing force in Afghanistan has totally shifted the plot. -
Naijibullah overthrown
The Soviet leader of Afghanistan, Najibullah, gets overthrown when "The Mujahadeen and other rebel groups, with the aid of turncoat government troops, storm the capital, Kabul" 9http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/) -
Period: to
Kite Runner: Taliban in control
Rahim Khan talks about from 1992-1996 "if you went from Shar-e-Nau section to Kereh Parwan to buys a carpet, you risked getting shot by a sniper and getting blown up by a rocket." (Hosseini 199).
People were sanctioned off and weren't allowed to leave. The Taliban have really brought destruction to Afghanistan. -
Taliban come into power
The Taliban comes into power and "most Afghans, exhausted by years of drought, famine and war, approve of the Taliban for upholding traditional Islamic values. -
US send missles
Al-Qaida bombs two American embassies and "President Clinton orders cruise missile attacks against bin Laden’s training camps in Afghanistan. The attacks miss the Saudi and other leaders of the terrorist group" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/) -
Taliban leave Afghanistan
The Taliban are pushed out of Afghanistan and "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/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/) -
Election
Afghanistan presidential elections are held "more than 10.5 million Afghans register to vote and choose among 18 presidential candidates, including interim leader Karzai. Karzai is elected with 55 percent of the vote" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/) -
Kite Runner: Buys bus
A year after Amir has graduated college "the summer of 1984 ... Baba sold his Buick and bought a dilapidated '71 Volkswagen bus for $550" (Hosseini 137). Baba used this bus to go around and buy things to sell at a flea market. That is where Amir meets his future wife. -
Kite Runner: Amir and Baba move
Amir and Baba finally move in the "1980s Baba loved the idea of America" (Hosseini 125) Amir and Baba finally escape Afghanistan. The new setting changes their relationship.