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Afghanistan and the US
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Kite Runner: Baba marries Sofia
When people do not think Baba will marry well, he marries Sofia Akrami, "a highly educated woman universally regarded as one of Kabul's most respected, beautiful, and virtuous ladies" (Hosseini, 15). This means that Baba is a man that people give great respect to. Although the people though that he would not marry well, Baba ended up marrying a wonderful woman. -
Kite Runner: Father-son relationship
In the Kite Runner, when Amir sits on his father's lap the author says, "Baba heaved a sigh of impatience . That stung too, because he was not an impatient man" (Hosseini, 18). This shows that Baba is impatient with his son. This can be bad because it shows that Baba does not really value his son. -
Kite Runner: Baba builds an orphanage
In the Kite Runner, the author states, Baba decided to build an orphanage...then Baba succeeded and everyone shook their heads in awe at his triumphant way" (Hosseini, 13). When people doubted that Baba could build an orphanage by himself, he proved them all wrong. Besides making people shake "their heads in awe" he also gave a good home to many poor and homeless children. -
Kite Runner: Amir, the poet
When Amir was in school, he played a game called, "Battle of the Poems...[He] took on the whole class and won...fathering a son who preferred burying his face in poetry books to hunting...well, that wasn't how Baba envisioned it" (Hosseini, 19,20). Although Amir is good at poetry, his father is unsatisfied with his son's gift due to the fact that he wanted an athletic child. Also, this is a reason why Baba is mostly disappointed in his son. -
Kite Runner: Amir's childhood days
When Hassan and Amir were children, they "used to climb the poplar trees in the driveway...and annoy [the] neighbors by reflecting sunlight into their homes with a shard of mirror" (Hosseini, 3). As children, Amir and Hassan lived a happy, simple, and pleasant life. This is a good beginning to lives of children such as Amir and Hassan. When one is a child, they want to have fun, and by "climbing the poplar trees," Amir and Hassan have fun. -
Kite Runner: Baba opens the Orphanage
In the Kite Runner, the author says, "Outside the orphanage... they ran out of chairs...Afterward, people shook his hand... I was so proud of Baba, of us' (Hosseini, 14,15). Because Baba was so popular, they "ran out of chairs" and this led to a bigger crowd. When there were so many supporters, Baba became more respected within the orphanage. -
Kite Runner: Baba becomes a merchant
Despite the success of the Orphanage, people were always doubting Baba. "They told Baba that running a bussiness wasn't in his blood and he should study law like his father. So Baba proved them all wrong by not only running his own business but by becoming one ot the richest merchants in Kabul" (Hosseini, 15). Baba wants to go beyond, and by opening an orphanage and by becoming a merchant he proves everyone wrong. This means that Baba is a man of strength and wants the very large burden of work -
Kite Runner: stort of Baba fighting the bear
One day, Amir thought about the story of Baba fighting the bear. The author states, "[Amir's] father once wrestled a black bear...Baba did have those three parallel scars coursing a jagged path down his back" (Hosseini, 12). Although people tell stories of their friends and exaggerate them, everyone knew that Baba's story of fighting the bear was true. In addition, if they did not believe him, Baba has the scars to prove it. -
Kite Runner: Amir wins the Kite Tournament
When Amir is flying one of the last two kites, "the moment came. [he] closed [his] eyes and loosened [his] grip on the string...and then...[he] didn't need to hear the crowd's roar to know" (Hosseini, 65,66). Amir is pleasantly surprised that he won the Kite Tournament. This also means that his father will be very pleased with him as well. -
Peace ends in Afghanistan
In The New York Times, an author states, "Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, has known little peace scince 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded." (NYT). -
Soviet Troops aid Afghanistan
During winter in Afghanistan, "The first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul on Dec. 27, 1979, to assist Babrak Karmal, who had become president in a coup within the Afghan Communist leadership" (NYT). -
Soviet Troops left Afghanistan
After helping Afghanistan and fighting a conflict, "eventually after peace talks moderated by the United Nations, the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in Febuaryl 1989, in what was in effect a unilateral withdrawal" (NYT). -
Kite Runner: Amir gives a gift to the children in Afghanistan
When Amir arrives at his guests hut, he notices that "The oldest of the boys - rocked back and forth, his gaze glued to my wrist watch...I unsnapped the wristwatch and gave it to the youngest of the three boys" (Hosseini, 238). Amir is doing a kind gesture when he gives the boys a gift from America. This means that although the family is poor, Amir still pays his respect by giving the family a gift. -
Kite Runner: Amir stashes money under the poor family's cot
When Amir realizes that the boys were staring at the food on his plate, and were slowly starving, "earlier that morning, when [he] was certain no one was looking, [he] did something [he] had done twenty-six earlier: [he] planted a fistful of crumpled money under a mattress" (Hosseini, 242). After giving his wristwatch to the family, Amir understands that the boys were looking at his plate of food, not his watch. Therefore, he puts money under their mattress, hoping that they will now buy food an -
Kite Runner: Amir meets a beggar that once knew his mother
When Amir meets a begger who once knew his mother, he realizes, "Now I knew my mother had liked almond cake with honey and hot tea, that she'd once used the word "profoundly," that she'd fretted about her happiness" (Hosseini, 250,251). Amir is happier now because he now knows some more details about his mother. In addition, he thanks the beggar because he knows how helpful the beggar was and how much he values his mother. -
Pakistani officers offer aid to Mulla Oma's men
According to an article in the New York Times, "as early as 1994, Pakistani intelligence officers began funneling arms, money and supplies to Mulla Omar's men, as well as military advisers to help guide them in battle" (NYT). -
US become involved in Afghanistan
According to the New York Times, "The United States has been militarily involved in Afghanistan since 2001" (NYT). -
exile of former king of Afghanistan
In the New York Times, "Hamid Karzai, a supporter and relative of Mohammad Zahir Shah, the exiled former king of Afghanistan, was named chairmen" (NYT). -
Kite Runner: Amir and wife become involved in an Afghan Project
After 9/11, the author states, "Soraya and I became involved in Afghan projects, as much put of a sense of civil duty as the need for something-anything-to fill the silence upstairs" (Hosseini,363). In other words, Soraya and Amir want to do something so they partake in a government project. This means that they are helping a cause they like and being productive at what they are doing. -
Kite Runner: Sohrab's American life
When Sohrab moved to America, Soraya was planning things like "swimming classes. Soccer. Bowling league. Now she'd walk past Sohrab's room and catch a glimpse of books sitting unopened... the jigsaw puzzle unassembled, each item a reminder of a life that could have been" (Hosseini, 362). When Sohrab moved to America, Amir's wife was excited and therefore wanted their new son to do all sorts of activities. However, Sohrab was still unhappy, and as a result, did not participate in any of the fun a -
Iraq commander takes credis of a US general
According to the New York Times, "Gerneral Petraeus, the Iraq commander who recieved much of the credit of for the success of the surge there, had taken charge of the United States Central Command in October 2008" (NYT). -
Obama removes a US general from Afghanistan
In one article, it states that "in June 2010, President Obama removed Gen. McChystal, after contemptuous quotes from the general and his staff about his senior administration officials" (NYT). -
US military continues to stay in Afghanistan
Recently, Obama decided the "initial plans called for American combat forces to begin withdrawing from Afghanistan in the summer of 2011" (NYT). -
Kite Runner: When Amir hits Hassan with a Pomegranate and Hassan won't fight back
When Amir throws a pomegranate at Hassan, he says," Get up! Hit me!...You are a coward!...Then Hassan did pick up a pomegranate. He walked toward me. He opened it. and crushed it on his own forhead. 'There...are you satisfied?' He turned around and started down the hill" (Hosseini, 93). When Hassan will not throw a pomegranate at Amir, Amir gets mad. Amir thinks that Hassan is such a coward and will never fight back. -
US troops have a possibility of leaving Afghanistan
One of Obama's plans as president is to "[emphasize] the idea that the United States will have forces in the country until at least the end of 2014, when it intends to pass responsibility for security of the Afghan government" (NYT).