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Hassan is born (KR)
Amir explains how,"Hassan's mother, Sanaubar gave birth to him one cold winter day in 1964... Hassan lost his [mother] less than a week after he was born. Lost her to a fate most Afghans considered far worse than death: She ran off with a clan of traveling singers and dnacers" (6) Hassan does not know much about his mother and like Amir, he wants to learn more about his mother. Although both Amir and Hassan do not have mothers, Hassan lost his in a very different way. -
Daoud Khan takes over the government (KR)
On the night of July 17, 1973, Amir and Hassan hear gunshots and explosions outside and later learned that,"the king, Zahir Shah, was away in Italy. In his absense, his cousin Daoud Khan had ended the king's forty-year reign with a bloodless coup" (36) Amir also explains how it was the beginning of the end of the Afghanistan that they knew which forshadows a change in Afghan society. Amir and Hassan were frightened and did not know what would be happening soon. -
Hassan gets raped by Assef (KR)
After the kite fighting tournament, Hassan attempts to run and take the last kite that fell, he encounters Assef and two other bullies that raped him. Amir watched it happen in the distance and decides to run away rather than standing up for his friend. He explains that he,"[saw] Hassan run a kite for the last time." (55) Amir does not intervine because he was afraid of being hurt as well. He also justifies his actions by believing that Hassan was a Hazara which indicates that Amir was a coward. -
Amir's birthday/Hassan and Ali leave (KR)
A few days after Amir's 13th birthday party, Ali tells Baba that,"Life here is imposibble...We're leaving"(106). Amir realizes that Hassan had finally told Ali about what had happened on the day of the kite fighting tournament which makes Amir feel more guilty. When Hassan lies and tells Baba that he stole Amir's watch and money, Amir realizes that Hassan was making a final sacrifice for him despite the fact that Hassan knew that Amir had not stood up for him when he was raped. -
Soviet Union Invades Afghanistan
On Decembver 27 of 1979, the first Soviet troops came into Afghanistan in order to support Babrak Karmal (a communist) who overthrew Hafizullah Amin (the Afghan leader at the time) to become president. However, the Soviet Union was responsible for the Coup D'etat "as a pretext to replace Haizullah Amin, the Afghan leader, who had lost their trust" (2). -
Period: to
History of Afganistan & Kite Runner Plot
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Amir and Baba leave Afghanistan (KR)
Baba and Amir leave Afghanistan because the rafiqus (or comrades as Amir says) have divided society. Because of this event, Amir and Baba can no longer trust anyone as Amir says,"You couldn't trust anyone in Kabul anymore—for a fee or under threat, people told on each other, neighbor on neighbor, child on parent..."(112). The political tension in Afghanistan has made it more dangerous for Amir and Baba. In addition, this also causes Amir and Baba to flee Afghanistan. -
Amir get's married (KR)
Amir asks Baba for his permission to marry Soraya and Baba happily replies and asks Amir to,"give [him] the phone. And [his] little notebook" (161). Amir's decision makes Baba very happy because he got to witness his son turn into a man and he could die happy. In addition, Amir's decision also reasures Baba and shows him that Amir is prepared to live on his own with a wife and to not be dependent on Baba (when he would be gone). -
Baba is officially diagnosed with lung cancer (KR)
Baba is officially diagnosed with cancer and is weakaning little by little. His cancer has spread to his brain and while many doctors recommend chemotherapy (and other treatments), Baba says,"Thank you for that...But no chemo medication for me" (156). Baba's refusal helps Amir understand that he was doing this to help prepare Amir for when he was gone. This event does not only benefit Amir but it benefits both of them because it brought them closer to eachother in their relationship. -
Baba dies (KR)
A month after their wedding, Baba dies in his sleep and Amir meets many people (that he does not know) at his funeral. Amir realizes,"how much of who [he] was, what [he was], had been defined by Baba and the marks he had lef on people's lives" (174). Amir finally understands how important Baba was and how he helped many people in his life. This realization also influences Amir to take charge of his own life without Baba's guidance. -
Amir and Soraya learn that they cannot have a child (KR)
For months, Amir and Soraya have been trying to have a child. However, they learn that Soraya cannot become pregnant (for an unknown reason). Amir feels,"the emptiness in Soraya's womb, like it was a living, breathing thing. It had seeped into [their] marriage, that emptiness, into our laughs. and our lovemaking"(189). Amir's thoughts reveal the emptiness in their relationship and how it affects his relationship with Soraya greatly. -
Soviet Troops leave Afghanistan
After a decade of fighting and conflict, the last Soviet troops left the country in 1989. Afghanistan becomes a,"beacon to Islamic extremists from across the globe who had come to assist in the fighting" (2). -
Hassan meets Sanaubar again and has his first son (KR)
Hassan, Rahim Khan, and Farzana meet Sanaubar for the first time in years. Later, Farzana gives birth to Hassan and her first son, Sohrab. Sanaubar delievered him,"clutching that baby in her arms like she would never wanted to let go. Not this time" (211). Although Sanaubar left Hassan, her actions reveal her desire to watch Sohrab grow unlike what she did to Hassan. She later becomes attached to Sohrab and takes care of him often. -
Taliban starts popular movement
By 1984, the Taliban (an Islamic extremist group) lead by Mullah Omar promises to restore,"the centrality of Islam to daily life" (2). -
Hassan and Farzana's death (KR)
Hassan and Farzana was shot and killed by the Taliban. Rahim Khan tells Amir that he needs to go back to Kabul and go get Sohrab who was now an orphan. Amir says he can't but Rahim Khan gets angry and tells Amir that Baba had once said,"'a boy who won't stand up for himslef becomes a man who can't stand up to anything.' I wonder, is that what you've become?" (221). Although Hassan died, Amir still had one more chance to atone for his sins by rescuing Sohrab who was a small part of Hassan. -
The Taliban begin to control Afghanistan
The Taliban officially takes over Afghanistan with popular support and is also helped by Pakistan which gave them money, supplies, and weapons. By 1996, the Taliban strictly enforced Islamic law which,"[banned] movies and music and forcing women out of schools and into all-enveloping burqa clothing" (3). -
Amir goes to Pakistan to meet Rahim Khan (KR)
Amir recieves a phone call from Rahim Khan who is ill. Amir goes out to Pakistan to see him & learns about the the current Pakistan & about Hassan. Rahim Khan describes Hassan and explains how he had,"the same narrow green eyes, that scar on his upper lip, that round face, that affable smile"(205).This emphasizes Hassan's familiar pysical apperance but also the loyalty that he still has. His loyalty is also displayed when he cleans Baba's house and lived outside of the house in respect for Baba. -
Amir goes to Taliban offical and encounters Assef (KR)
When Amir learns that Sohrab was taken by a Taliban official, he sets up a meeting to meet with the Taliban official who took away Sohrab. While Amir is talking to him, the official says,"I've been wondering. Whatever happened to old Babalu anyway?" (281) Amir is stunned because he realizes that the offical was Assef because he used to refer to Ali as "Babalu" when they were younger. Later, the two begin to fight but Sohrab intervines and escapes with Amir. -
Sohrab attempts to commit suicide (KR)
Amir wakes up and finds Sohrab unconscious in the bath tub. Later in the hospital, Amir realizes that,"[t]here is a God, there has to be, and now [he] would pray, [he] would pray that [God would] forgive that [he] betrayed, lied, and sinned with impunity only to turn to Him now in my hour of need" (346) Amir vows to pray to God for all of his sins which displays his desire to attone for his sins. The incident also makes him want to take care of Sohrab more to give him a better life. -
Amir brings Sohrab to America (KR)
After months of chaos, Amir can finally return home. He comes home to see Soraya beaming with joy. Khala Jamila welcomes Sohrab warmly but General Sahib refers to Sohrab as a "Hazara boy" (360) which angers Amir and he tells the General,"You will never refer to him as 'Hazara boy' in my presence. He has a name and it's Sohrab." (361) Amir's actions emphasizes his affection for Sohrab and his effort to give him a better life. It also reveals that Amir is now capable of standing up for others. -
Al Queda attacks US (9/11 attack)
On September 11, 2001, Al Queda "[attacked] the World Tade Center in New York" (3). -
US invades Afghanistan
After the 9/11 attack in 2001, President Bush demands the hand oer of Bin Laden which was denied and caused the US to start "an air and ground campaign...that drove the Taliban out of the major Afghan cities by the end of the year" (3). -
Taliban increases insurgency
Taliban steadily increases their insurgency with opium trade. The Taliban also spread out into Pakistan,"raising concerns about its stability, and making Afghanistan once more a top foreign policy priority for the Western Allies" (4) Over time, the group became more coordinated and deadly. -
Hamid Karzai is elected as president
In 2004, Hamid Karzai, relative of the former king, Mohammad Zahir Shah, is elected as the president of Afghanistan. But he later becomes blamed for,"the manifest lack of economic progress and the corrupt officials who seem to stand at every dorrway of his government" (3). -
General Petraeus takes charge of US Central Command
In October of 2008, General Petraeus (an Iraq commander) took charge of US Central Command. He became responsible for,"military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and across the region" (4). -
President Obama claims to deploy more US troops in Afghanistan
President Obama vowed to deploy 30,000 additional troops and promised to bring,"American forces home from Afghanistan in the middle of 2014, saying the United States could not afford and should not have to shoulder an open-ended commitment." (4) However, he later extended the deadline to 2014 which caused many Afghans to believe that the US had began to avoid the conflict in Afghanistan.