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Hassan gets raped
Amir witnesses Hassan's rape and decides weather he was going to "stand up for Hassan the way he stood up to me all those times in the past-and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run" (Hosseini 77). The quote demonstrated the internal conflicts Amir is having with himself weather to help Hassan or not. Amir mentions all the time Hassan has stood up for him in the past but yet the protagonist still struggles in deciding to help his true friend. -
Ali and Hassan leaves
Ali tells Baba that Hassan is leaving with him and Amir assumes that Hassan told Ali about the rape due to the protective position that Ali holds Hassan. Baba, confused and grieving, he tells Ali he was "the brother I never had, Ali, you know that. Please don't do this" (Hosseini 106). The quote demonstrates that Baba grieves over their leave and loves Ali with all his heart. Baba also shows hints of begging the two to stay while reminding Ali that they grew up together. -
Daud Khan Presidency
As Daud drifts back towards the old to the royalists way "A new constitution in 1977 promotes Daud to the role of president" This makes him the first president Afghanistan has. http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/plaintexthistories.asp?historyid=ad09#ixzz4NNJU8NgA -
Daud's death
As the government collapses, "General Daud is overthrown and killed in a pro-Soviet coup" (BBC.com).
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253 -
Soviet invades and props us communist gov.
Soviets unions moves in to Afghanistan because they are "the Soviet-Afghan Friendship Treaty of 1978" (History.com).
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviet-tanks-roll-into-afghanistan -
Russian invasion
Amir claims that "Long before the Roussi army marched into Afghanistan, long before villages were burned and schools destroyed… Kabul had become a city of ghosts for me. A city of harelipped ghosts" (136). Basically the quote discusses the land that Amir knew before the Russians invaded Kabul. Amir also mentions the damage the Russians did such as destroying property. -
Amir graduates High School
As Amir finally graduates from high school at the age of twenty he walks up to Baba, and Baba says "I am moftakhir, Amir,' he said, Proud" (131). Basically, Baba is proud of Amir that he graduates from high school and capable of having a life in America. Additionally, Baba is proud of Amir which has been a goal of Amir' since the beginning of the novel. -
Rahim khan Attempts to find Hassan
As Rahim Khan tells Amir how he goes to find Hassan from his perspective he tells Amir "There were a lot of reasons why I went to Hazarajat to find Hassan in 1986. The Biggest one, Allah forgive me, was because I was lonely" (203). Basically, Rahim Khan goes to find Hassan due to his loneliness since all his friends has either moved away or died. Additionally, Rahim Khan also asks god to forgive him foreshadowing that something bad has happened to Hassan which relates to his presence. -
Baba's death
When Amir and Soraya sets Baba to bed one night but he never wakes up from his sleep. During Baba's funeral, Amir wonders on about all the struggle Baba has overcome, but "In the end a bear had come that he couldn't best" (173). Basically, the quote meant that Baba has overcome so many challenges that sooner or later he will eventually face a challenge he can not overcome. The reference of Baba wrestling a bear has been used across the novel to emphasize his power and resiliency. -
Amir publishes novel
In the summer of 1988 Amir finally gets his novel published, a book about "a father-son story set in kabul" (182). The quote demonstrates how Amir wants to express his story to the world about his times with Baba and himself. It also represents how dedicated Amir is to his father sometimes as he always feels he needs to be accepted by Baba. -
Soviet pulls troops out in Afghanistan
After more than eight years of intervention with the soviet, "The event marked the beginning of the end to a long, bloody, and fruitless Soviet occupation of Afghanistan" (History.com)
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviets-begin-withdrawal-from-afghanistan -
Amir and Soraya attempts to have a child
Amir says "But a year passed and nothing happened. With each cycle of blood, Soraya grew more frustrated, more impatient, more irratable" (184). Basically the quote means that Soraya attempts to have a child but they cannot have one for an odd reason. The event also foreshadows that they will have a child soon due to the urge to have a child between the couple. -
Taliban sieze control of Kabul
Taliban sieze control of Kabul as "former Afghan president Mohammed Najibullah and his brother Ahmadzai swung from a traffic post in a busy Kabul road" (Huffingtonpost.com)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/26/afghanistan-taliban-kabul-anniversary_n_982006.html -
Taliban rolls in to Afghanistan (Novel)
As the Afghans cheered for the Taliban as they rolled in Hassan tells Rahim Khan "God help the Hazaras now, Rahim Khan Sahib" (213). Basically, the quote means that as the Taliban rolls in, the Soviets moved out which is good for most Afghans. Additionally, Hassan knows that the Hazaras would suffer and become discriminated among other Afghans. -
US launches missile strikes at Osama Bin Laden suspected bases
US strikes at positions in Afghanistan where Osama is suspected to be hiding at, and "U.S. strikes against terrorist bases in Afghanistan and a facility in Sudan are part of "a long, ongoing struggle between freedom and fanaticism" (CNN.com)
http://www.cnn.com/US/9808/20/us.strikes.01/ -
Death of Hassan and Farzana
As Amir reads the letters Hassan writes to him, he asks Rahim Khan how is Hassan. Rahim Khan tells Amir that that they "ordered him to kneel' 'No God No'. And shot him in the back of the head" (219). Amir shows that he still cares for Hassan and retrieveing Sohrab is a method for Amir to atone to Hassan. Hassan also showed courage as stated before the quote he attempted to defend Baba's house but it resulted in his death. -
Ahmad Shah Masood's death
The leader of the Northern Alliance is assasinated by Al qaeda members. Masood was killed by "two al-Qaeda members, posing as journalists, found their way to Massoud. During the supposed interview, they detonated explosives hidden in their camera killing Massoud" (aljazeera.com).
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/09/afghanistan-shadow-ahmad-shah-mas-2014997826874331.html -
Response to 9/11
In response to 9/11 attacks on the twin towers, the US uses "military action, and on 7 October 2001 the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom began in Afghanistan" (bbc.co.uk)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/the_war_in_afghanistan -
Northern Alliance takes Kabul
As US invasions forced the Talibans to forefit Kabul, "the Northern Alliance began entering Kabul at dawn this morning after the Taliban's forces appeared to abandon the city overnight" (Theguardian.com)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/nov/13/afghanistan.terrorism13 -
Amir returns to Afghanistan to atone for his actions
As Rahim Khan tells Amir that there is a way to atone for his actions or "There is a way to be good again, Rahim Khan had said on the phone just before hanging up" (192). Basically, Amir knows that Rahim Khan knows what he did in the past such as witnessing the rape of Hassan which is why Rahim Khan tells Amir to redeem himself or to cleanse himself from his sins in the past. Amir also sees this as a way to redeem himself because he agrees with Rahin Khan. -
Amir leaves money under mattress for a better purpose.
As Amir eats his dinner he realizes the Wahid boys staring at his watch, little does he know they were staring at his food when Wahid argues with his wife. The next morning Amir had done something that he hasn't done in twenty six years he "planted a fistful of crumbled money under the mattress" (242). Amir realizes that the Wahid boys were looking at his food so he leaves money so they can buy food to feed the kids. On the other hand, Amir is also Atoning for the actions he did to Hassan. -
Assef beats Amir
As Amir confronts Assef on taking Sohrab, Assef says the only way to get the child was to be able to leave alive. While Assef beats Amir, Amir finally "felt healed. Healed at last" (289). Amir demonstrates that he is finally at peace with himself for his actions twenty five years ago when he witnessed Hassan's rape and left like a coward. He feels peaceful because he allows the raper of Hassan to beat him making him feel relieved. -
Fall of the Taliban gov.
When the US sucessfully forced the Taliban leader to surrender the control of Kandahar, "the southern stronghold and spiritual heart of the Taliban, marks the final collapse of their formal rule in Afghanistan" (Theguardian.com)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/nov/17/afghanistan.terrorism10 -
Sohrab nearly bleeds to death
Once Amir finds Sohrab bleeding to death in a tub he takes Sohrab to the hospital and he "gets on my knees, lower my forehead to the ground, my tears soaking through the sheets, I bow to the west then I remember that I haven't prayed in over fifteen years" (345). Basically, Sohrab becomes so depressed that he attempts to kill himself due to his inablity to go to an orphanage again. Amir also demonstrates the amount of care he shows to Sohrab and even prays for Sohrab. -
Amir and Sohrab flys kite at new years
When it is new years, Amir teaches Hassan on how to fly a kite and Amir Asks if he Sohrab wants Amir to fly his kite. As Sohrab Swallows, Amir says "For you, a thousand times over" (371).The quote basically means that Amir would fly Hassans kite for him as stated in the context. In depth, the quote was Also used by Hassan earlier on in the story as Hassan tells this to Amir because Hassan sees him as a true friend.