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Hassan gets his cleft lip fixed
After Dr. Kumar fixes Hassan's cleft lip the scar "was just a pink jagged line running up from his lip."(pg.47) After Hassan gets his lip fixed he becomes happier and he got it fixed because Baba payed for it. This shows that Baba used this as an attempt to be there for his secret son and that Baba is trying to have a relationship with his son without Hassan knowing that he is Baba's son. -
Hassan is raped
After Hassan gets the blue kite (Amir's kite) he is trapped in an ally by Assef and his friends and "Assef knelt behind Hassan, put his hands on Hassan's hips and lifted his bare buttocks."(pg.75). Assef rapes Hassan to show that he had more power than Hassan. This also questions Assef's sexuality and uses the fact that he may be gay or bisexual to justify his actions of raping males. -
Amir wins the kite flying contest
Amir won the kite flying contest and even though his eyes were closed he knew he won because "Hassan was screaming and his arm was wrapped around my neck." (pg.66) When Amir won the contest he finally was apple to prove that he has done something to make his father proud of him. This means that Baba can talk about his son with pride because Amir did not do sports so, Amir did not have many accomplishments fathers would brag about in Afghanistan. -
Baba wants to keep his servants
When Amir asked Baba " have you ever thought about getting new servants." Baba became furious and completely denied the possibility of that event happening. The reasoning is that Baba had a connection with Ali and Hassan that Amir did not understand. With Baba being grown up with Ali and that Ali takes care of Baba's son, Hassan, Baba never wanted those two to ever leave his life. -
Ali & Hassan Leave
When Ali and Hassan said they were leaving, this caused Baba to "do something [Amir] had never seen him do before: He cried" (pg.107). Baba cries because of the lost of his son Hassan and with this lost, it meant that Baba could not grow any more of a connection with Hassan. Baba usually does not cry so, this showed that even though it was a secret Baba could not keep his emotions away from the fact that his secret son was leaving him forever. -
The Soviet Union attacks
Afghanistan was attack when "Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul on Dec[ember] 27, 1979". -
Baba stands up for a woman
When they are trying to get across the border the Russian soldier wants to have sex with a woman and Baba stands up for her and asks the soldier "where his shame is"(115). This shows that even though Baba wants to get to a safe place for him and Amir he is unwilling to drop his morals and beliefs. This shows how a hero acts and Baba is defending a woman who he does not know but he still follows his own morals and beliefs. -
Baba and Amir leave Kabul for Pakistan
After the soviet union started attacking Baba and Amir "left Kabul just after two in the morning"(pg.110). This shows that Baba still cares for Amir and his safety and are unwilling to stay to see the war. Baba is still protective even though Amir is an adult and this could be because he has already loss one of his sons. -
Baba and Amir are in Fremont
"Baba loved the idea of America"(pg.125) which made Baba want to live there so much that there is where Amir and Baba moved to. Baba chose America to move to because he loves the place. He thinks America will be a great new start for him and that it was the perfect place to move to after they left Afghanistan because of the war. -
Amir graduated from high school
When Amir was twenty he "graduated from high school"(pg.131) which means he has a diploma. Since he has a diploma, Amir has the possibility of many ways he can live his life like going to college or getting a job. Amir is given the chance of getting a better life than Baba had when he came to America and Amir may go to college and get a degree so he has a better chance of becoming an author -
Amir developed a crush on Soraya
When Amir went to the flee market with Baba he met a woman named Soraya which led to him "lying awake in bed that night, [thinking] of Soraya"(pg.142). This shows that Amir is growing up and that it foreshadows that possibility of him marrying Soraya and having a family with her. Also since she also has a rich blood line, this shows that your blood line is also relevant in America likewise in Afghanistan. -
Amir marries Soraya
When Amir wanted to ask Soraya to marry him he has to ask Baba to "ask General Taheri for his daughter's hand"(pg.161) which General Taheri later accepted. This shows that the "Afghan way" is extremely relevant still in America and that the woman's father decides who she marries. Even if Soraya did not want to marry Amir if her father agreed to it then it was going to happen. -
Al Qaeda went into effect
After the "Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989", the war left behind extremist groups like Al Qaeda founded by Osama bin Laden. -
Baba dies
After Baba died Amir would "drive to the gravesite every Friday"(pg.180) to pay his respects. Baba's death took a huge blow on Amir's life because Baba was his father, role model, and the one person who always wanted the best for Amir. Amir lost him and without Soraya he had no one to grieve with and may not be able to continue his writing career. -
Amir published his first novel
During the September Amir takes a huge step in his writing career because he "finished [his] first novel"(pg.183). For Amir becoming published is a large step because this means that he will gain money and a following which could lead to a career where writing is his job. This also shows that Rahim Khan was correct when he said Amir was going to become a great writer because know Amir is a great writer since he's able to live off of writing. -
Afghanistan was taken controlled by warlords and fiefdoms
After the Soviet Union troops left Afghanistan was not controlled by a government, so in "the summer of 1994 power was anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms." -
Mullah Omar was gaining followers
Mullah Omar was attacking warlords and "nearly gained 12,000 followers" because of "his promise of restoring Islam to daily life". -
Pakistani intelligence was funding Mullah Omar
Pakistani intelligence would give Mullah Omar's men "[funnel] arms, money, and supplies... as well as military advisors to help guide them in battle." -
Taliban seized Afghanistan
The extremist Islamic group, Taliban, "seized control in 1996 after years of civil war". -
Hassan and Farzana died due to the Taliban
When Hassan resisted to give up Baba's house the Taliban "shot him in the back of the head" and "shot [Farzana] too."(pg.218). When Amir is told this he is shocked and thinks that it is impossible to atone for his sin of letting Hassan get raped. Amir realized that the man he grew up with and later pushed away, is that Amir could not see Hassan again and that he was not able to remake the lost friendship. -
The Taliban did not give up
The Taliban continued to fight after losing and were "from a base in the mountainous and largely lawless tribal area on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border". -
Amir goes to Peshawar to see Rahim Khan
When Amir arrives in Peshawar he meets Rahim Khan and he has an awkward "initial moments of [his] reunion with Rahim Khan." (pg.197). Amir is speechless towards Rahim Khan because he has no idea what to say to Rahim Khan when he's dying right in front of Amir. This shows how Amir has not changed as being awkward toward people he was not close with. -
Attack on Taliban Rule
President George W. Bush "joined forces with rebel groups that had never accepted Taliban rule" so, the United States could taken down the Taliban tribe. -
Hamid Karzai became president of Afghanistan
In the new Afghanistan government, Hamid Karzai "took office as interim president in June 2002. -
American soldiers are kept in Afghanistan
When initial plans were to withdraw American soldiers from Afghanistan, President Obama wants to "have forces in the country until at least the end of 2014".