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Amir Wins the Kite Flying Tournament
Amir and Hassan are both ecstatic when they win an important kite flying competition in Kabul, and they start jumping up and down chanting, "We won! We won!" (66) This is a very important moment for Amir, because it will finally make his father proud of him, something he constantly strives to achieve. Amir and Hassan are both extremely excited, because it allows them to each impress the person they most want recognition from. For Amir this person is Baba, and for Hassan it is Amir. -
Hassan is Raped by Assef (part 1)
When Assef rapes Hassan, Amir decides not to “step into that alley (and) stand up for Hassan—the way he’d stood up for (him) all those time in the past—and accept whatever would happen to (him)” (77). Furthermore, instead of protecting Hassan, he decides to run. -
Hassan is Raped by Assef (part 2-analysis)
This is a very important scene in the book, because it causes the extreme guilt Amir faces for the rest of his life. It also causes him to push himself away from Hassan and eventually force him and his father to leave their house, which only worsens the regret Amir experiences. -
Hassan and Ali Leave Baba's House
After Amir framed Hassan for stealing his watch in an attempt to get him out, Ali decides that he and Hassan must leave Baba's house. Baba, who initially yelled, cried, and begged them to stay, reluctantly "took Ali and Hassan to the bus station" (108) where they left for Hazarajat. Due to this event, Baba's strong love for Hassan and Ali became apparent as well as Amir's extreme selfishness. Furthermore, Amir was willing to ruin Hassan and Ali's lives to alleviate his guilt. -
Afghanistan is Stable for Last Time until Present Day and Beyond
Before 1979, "Afghanistan was a stable, relatively prosperous and relatively secular country" (New York Times 2). -
Soviet Union Invasion
The Soviets first invaded Afghanistan when their "troops parachuted into Kabul on Dec. 27, 1979" (New York Times 2). -
Amir and Baba Flee Afghanistan
After the Soviet Invasion, Amir and Baba escape Afghanistan. In order to leave, they have to “(sit) with (their) suitcases between (their) legs, cramped with...strangers in the tarpaulin-covered cab of an old Russian truck.” (110) This event majorly changes Baba and Amir’s lives because the Afghanistan they know is being robbed from them and they have to leave their entire lives behind. In a way, this means losing themselves, which is especially challenging for Baba. -
Amir and Baba Move to Freemont
After escaping Afghanistan, Amir and Baba ended up in Freemont, California. Amir says that “Baba loved the idea of America. It was living in America that gave him an ulcer”(125). Furthermore, Baba struggles to adjust to life in America. He has to work in a gas station, learn the new culture, and accept that everything he used to have and be has been taken from him. -
Amir Marries Soraya
Hassan is overjoyed when the mullah at their wedding "questioned the witnesses and read from the Koran, (he and Soraya) said their oaths... (and) signed the certificates" (170) meaning they are officially married. Hassan's marriage represents a new chapter in his life when he matures and learns how to be selfless for the sake of another person. It is an extremely happy moment for him because he finally takes action to have what he wants, the person whom he loves. -
Baba Dies
After having cancer for months, Baba finally dies peacefully one night when he goes to bed and "never (wakes) up" (173). Seeing Baba 'defeated' shocks many people because he was so strong and powerful all of his life. Additionally, Baba's death is hard for Amir to grasp, because Baba was such an important part of his identity for so long. -
Soviet Troops Leave Afghanistan
When the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan, "they left behind a country that was not only devastated by the war but had become a beacon to Islamic extremists" (New York Times 2) -
Anarchy is Formed in Afghanistan
After the Soviets left, "power was anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual feifdoms" (New York Times 2). -
Mullah Omar Gains Support
Mullah Omar, a Pashtun who led a group that attacked lawless warlords, "had nearly 12,000 followers (by 1994)... with his promise of restoring the centrality of Islam to daily life" (New York Times 2). -
Taliban Takes Over
By 1996, The Taliban "had taken control of Afghanistan, imposing strict enforcement of fundamentalist Islamic law" (New York Times 3). -
Rahim Khan is Beaten by the Taliban
During the height of the Taliban’s power in Afghanistan, Rahim Khan is severely beaten by a Talib. Although Rahim Khan is "old enough to be his grandfather”, he finds himself “just sitting there, blood gushing down (his) face, apologizing to that son of a dog” (199) This shows how the Taliban used brutal violence to control people. Rahim Khan is stripped of his pride when the Talib hurts him for no reason. -
Hassan is Murdered
After being unfairly accused of stealing Baba’s old house, “(The Taliban) took (Hassan) to the street…(ordered) him to kneel…and shot him in the back of the head” (219) This is the last of many violent acts against Hassan simply because he is a Hazara. His race, and resulting socioeconomic status, is a major part of Hassan’s character because he has to endure a large amount of cruelty in his lifetime. -
Assef Massacres People in Mazar
When Amir encounters Assef, who has become a Taliban leader, he describes when he and other Talibs went “Door to door...calling for the men and the boys. (They) would shoot them right there in from of their families" (277). It is evident what a cruel, twisted person Assef must be to take pleasure in brutally murdering people. Furthermore, this quotation reveals Assef’s character and the horrible actions of the Taliban. -
U.S. Invades Afghanistan
While not entirely successful the United States "led an invasion after the Sept. 11 attacks by Al Qaeda" (New York Times 1). -
9/11 Attack
The Taliban staged an "attack on the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11, 2001" (New York Times 3). -
Amir Visits Rahim Khan
After Amir arrives in Pakistan after a phone call from Rahim Khan, Rahim tells him about Hassan's son, Sohrab, and asks him to "go to Kabul (and) bring Sohrab here" (220). When Amir agrees to do so, he is altering his life forever because he finally achieves the atonement he desires. Moreover, Rahim Khan knows that Amir needs to make up for his sins, and sends him on a dangerous journey to do so. -
Amir Witnesses a Taliban Stoning
While Amir and Farid are at a soccer game, the Taliban begins to stone a man and woman during halftime, because they committed adultery. After the stoning ends, all that is left are “bloodied corpses (that) had been unceremoniously tossed in the backs of red pickup trucks” (272) The Taliban constantly tries to instill fear in Afghans through violence. This horrific event shows this to Amir, and demonstrates how much Afghanistan has changed since he lived there. -
Amir Fights Assef
When Amir tries to take Sohrab from Assef, Assef declares that they must fight and the victor can have the boy. Asset brutally beats Amir until he is “lying on the floor, blood from (his) split upper lip staining the mauve carpet, pain ripping through (his) belly” (288). Ironically, even though he is experiencing great pain, Amir finally feels like he has atoned for his sins, and is therefore very happy. Finally, he can shed the heavy guilt he has had to carry for so long. -
Sohrab Attempts Suicide
After Amir tells him he might have to live in an orphanage again, Sohrab tries to kill himself. Amir enters the bathroom to find Sohrab soaking in "bloody bathwater; (his) left arm dangling over the side of the tub, the blood-soaked razor sitting on the toilet tank... his eyes still open but lifeless" (348). This event shows how much Amir cares for Sohrab, because he breaks down after finding him in the bath, and prays to God for Sohrab's survival- something very unusual for him. -
Sohrab Goes to America with Amir
After leaving the hospital, Sohrab moved in with Amir and Soraya in America. Amir understood that Sohrab "yearned for... his old life (and instead) got (Amir) and America" (356). Even though his life dramatically improved from when he was at the orphanage, Sohrab still was not happy in America. To Amir and Soraya's dismay, he remained depressed and uncommunicative. -
Hamid Karzai Elected President of Afghanistan
In 2004, Mr. Karzai was elected to a five-year term as president in 2004" (New York Times 3). -
Increased American Troops in Afghanistan
In 2009, "Mr. Obama announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops" and later decided that "the United States will have forces in the country untuk at least the end of 2014" (New York Times 4).