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Kite Runner and the History of Afghanistan
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Mohammed Doud becomes president
The government changes from a monarchy to a republic because the former prime minister "Mohammed Daud seizes power in a coup and declares a republic." http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253 -
Assef Bullies Hassan and Amir
Assef threatens to beat up Amir with his brass knuckles, but Hassan stops him by holding "a slingshot pointed directly at Assef's face" (Hosseini 42). Hassan stands up for both himself and Amir, but Assef vows to get revenge. Amir is dependent on Hassan to save him, but he does not say that Hassan is his friend. -
Amir wins the kite flying contest
Amir flies a kite in the competition. He really wants to win because he wanted to be "someone who was looked at, not seen, listened to, not heard" (Hosseini 65). Amir feels like this is his chance to become really important and respected, especially by his father. His dad has not been very supportive of Amir throughout his life and he wants to make his father proud. When Amir wins, he feels like he has done just this. -
Assef Rapes Hassan
Assef rapes Hassan as revenge for being threatened by Hassan earlier and because he wants the kite that Hassan has run from the competition. Amir watches this happen, but he "ran because [he] was a coward" (Hosseini 77). This shows how Amir's and Hassan's relationship is completely unbalanced. Hassan would do anything to make Amir happy, even get raped. Amir wanted the kite really badly so that his dad would approve of him and be proud. Amir didn't even help Hassan when he went through this. -
Hassan and Ali leave Amir and Baba
Amir makes it look like Hassan stole money and a watch from him. He feels too guilty about seeing his rape to continue life with Hassan. Hassan admits to stealing the things, although he didn't, and Baba forgives him. However, Ali and Hassan decide "life [t]here is impossible for [them]" because of Amir's cruel treatment (Hosseini 106). Amir's selfishness drives away his closest friend and his fathers' too. He causes intense grief in the lives of people around him to make himself feel better. -
The Soviet-Afghan War Begins
On December 24, 1979 "the Soviet army invaded Afghanistan" because they were afraid of the collapse of Hafizullah Amin's rule.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Afghan_history -
Amir and Baba Leave for Pakistan
Amir and Baba had to go "out of Shorawi-occupied Kabul to the relative safety of Pakistan" (Hosseini 111). The Soviets had taken Kabul and Amir and Baba were no longer under the good graces of the government. Before, they had been rich and lived in a big house, but the switch in government meant that they had to leave their fancy lifestyle to start a new life elsewhere. -
Amir Graduates High School
When in Fremont, California, Amir "graduated from high school at the age of twenty" (Hosseini 131). He is much older than all of the other students, and that sets him apart, making it hard for him to make friends. He did not want to go to college originally, but he decides to eventually. He wants to get a good job and start a life in America -
Amir Meets Soraya Taheri
Amir meets a woman named Soraya Taheri at the market. After that, Amir "invented excuses to stroll down the aisle" of the market just to see her (Hosseini 144). He fell for her the moment he saw her and couldn't stop thinking about her. She is the daughter of a former general of Afghanistan. Amir is too shy to even talk to her and he mainly just watches her from afar for a long time. -
The Mujahideen Form
The Soviets experience more opposition as the "Mujahideen come together in Pakistan to form alliance against Soviet forces." In addition, about half of the population had fled Afghanistan to go to other countries for safety. (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253) -
Baba is Diagnosed with Cancer
Baba smokes often and gets a cold. Eventually he goes to a doctor and finds out he has "'Oat Cell Carcinoma [which is] ... Advanced [and] Inoperable" (Hosseini 156). Because he smoked for so long, he ended up with lung cancer. He is stubborn and refuses to get chemotherapy too. Baba stays true to who he is, even when diagnosed with cancer. -
Amir and Soraya Get Married
Amir asks Soraya to get married and they do. Baba ends up spending "$35,000, nearly the balance of his life savings, on ... the wedding ceremony" (Hosseini 169). Baba knows he is about to die and he wants Amir to be happy. Amir and Soraya may not have ended up getting married if Baba was not in such a critical condition. Soraya and Amir also have to skip their engagement period because they do not know if Baba would live long enough to see the wedding otherwise. -
Baba Dies
Soraya's family comes to visit and Baba is there too. Baba goes to sleep without taking his cancer medications. In the morning, Amir and Soraya found out that "Baba never woke up" (Hosseini 173). Baba never took chemo therapy, and was happy to see Amir married. He died a happy person and on his own terms. He was stubborn even until death, but that was just the way Baba would have wanted it. -
The US Supports the Mujahideen
The United States gave support to the Mujahideen and they "supplie[d] them with Stinger missiles, enabling Mujahideen to shoot down Soviet helicopters." (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-06-02/timeline-afghanistans-turbulent-history/1702156) -
The Soviets Sign a Peace Treaty
The Soviet power declines and the Soviets begin to leave Afghanistan after "Afghanistan, USSR, the US and Pakistan sign peace accords" (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253) -
Al-Qaeda was Formed
In August, 1988, "Osama bin Laden and 15 other Islamists form the group al-Qaida" to continue fighting the communist Soviets and later start fighting America.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/ -
Islamic State of Afghanistan is Made
After the Soviets left Afghanistan, "Afghan political parties signed the Peshawar Accord which created the Islamic State of Afghanistan and proclaimed Sibghatullah Mojaddedi its interim President" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Afghan_history -
Taliban Takes Kabul
After much fighting, the "Taliban conquered Kabul and declared the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" and started a suppressive rule.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Afghan_history -
Amir Goes to Pakistan to See Rahim Kahn
Amir finds out that Rahim Kahn is sick and he goes to Pakistan to visit. Rahim Kahn tells Amir that Hassan has been living with him and that Hassan has a son. He also reveals that Hassan "'was [his] half brother'" and that he died (Hosseini 237). These revelations completely change Amir's outlook on his life so far. Many of the people he thought he knew are very different, including Hassan and Baba. He is asked by Rahim Kahn to go into Afghanistan and saved Hassan's son, Sohrab, and Amir agrees. -
Amir Returns to Kabul
Amir goes into Afghanistan to save Hassan's son Sohrab. Amir is driven by a friend of Rahim Kahn, Farid. They go through the country side and Amir says he "'feel[s] like a tourist in [his] own country'" (Hosseini 231). Post-war Afghanistan is nothing like the Afghanistan he knew as a child. He was shocked to see so much destruction, poverty, and fear in what he thinks of as his home country. There are many beggars in Kabul and everyone lives in fear of the Taliban. -
Amir Finds the Orphanage of Sohrab
Amir and Farid are directed by a beggar in the street to the orphanage where Sohrab is staying. They find out that the owner is selling children to a Taliban officer. The owner says that the officer "'took Sohrab a month ago'" (Hosseini 257). Farid attacks the man when he finds out. The owner needs the money to feed all of the other children. Also, if he did not give the officer the children, then the officer would take 10 more. He does not want to do it but he feels he has not choice. -
Assef and Amir fight
Assef and Amir fight to the death over who gets to take Sohrab. Assef fights with his brass knuckles and is about to kill Amir when Sohrab pulls out his slingshot and he "released the cup" (Hosseini 291). This knocks out Assefs eye. Just like Hassan said earlier in the book, Assef has become one eye Assef. This interaction between Amir, Assef, and Sohrab shows how history repeats itself, except this time, Amir has grown and developed his morals so that he stands up for Sohrab. -
Amir Finds Sohrab
Amir goes and finds the Taliban officer at the Ghazi stadium. He sets up a meeting with him and goes to his house. When he gets there, he realizes the officer is Assef. Assef has become very powerful and enforces the Taliban's rule by shooting people "in front of their families" (Hosseini 277). Assef has not changed at all since Amir left Afghanistan he is still sadistic and enjoys seeing people in pain. This shows just one of the many parallels between the beginning and end of the book. -
Sohrab Attempts Suicide
In order to adopt Sohrab, he must go back into an orphanage. When he is told this, he attempts to kill himself and Amir brings him to a hospital. When Sohrab wakes up, he says to Amir: "'I wish you had left me in the water'" (Hosseini 355). Sohrab was so scarred by his experience with Assef and orphanages that he would rather die than go back. He wants to go back to his old life, just like Amir wanted to after originally leaving Afghanistan. -
Sohrab and Amir Go to America
Amir takes "Hassan's son from Afghanistan to America" (Hosseini 356). Amir and Soraya had dreams that Sohrab would be the son they never had but he stops talking altogether after he tries to kill himself. He doesn't interact with them but just stays alone in his room. This could be a type of punishment to show that even though Amir changed his ways by helping save Sohrab, his sins from his past are still present. -
9/11
On September 11, 2001, "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." The US suspected bin Laden and al-Qaeda were behind the bombings http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/ -
Taliban Rule Ends
After the events with Al-Qaeda in September, the Taliban rule ends and "Hamid Karzai sworn in as head of an interim government."
