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Amir and Hassan are Born
Hassan and Amir were born in 1963, and "fed from the same breast....took [their] first steps on the same lawn in the same yard...and under the same roof spoke their first words" (page.11). Amir and Hassan seemed to be inseperable from birth. They did everything togetther, and loved eachother as brothers. -
Amir and Hassan Speak their first words
Amir's first word was "Baba" and Hassan's "was Amir" (pg.11). This shows that from the beginning Amir would always try to be loved by Baba, even though until the end, he thought he failed. Hassan's first word shows that he is so utterly devoted to Amir that nothing could ever make his loyalty waver. -
Amir overhears Baba saying he doesn't believe Amir is his son
Amir overhears Baba say to Rahim khan that had he not seen "the doctor pull him out of [his] wife, [Baba'd] never believe [Amir]'s his son" (pg.23). Because of this, Amir never believes that Baba truly loves or appreciates him. Without this support, Amir does bad things to others to get attention from his father. -
Soldier taunt Hassan about his Mother
As Hassan and Amir are walking to a movie, a soldier yells to Hassan, "I knew your mother, did you know that? I knew her real good" (pg.7). Although both of their mothers aren't with them, because Hassan's mother eloped, it cause much more stress to Hassan than Amir's mother's death does to Amir. Also, Hassan's mother had quite a reputation as being very "easy", which is why the soldier called out to Hassan. -
Hassan Stands Up for Amir
When Assef, the neighborhood bully taunts Amir, Hassan says, "Please leave us alone Agha" (pg.42). Even though Amir doesn't say anything when Assef targets Hassan, Hassan doesn't blink before standing up for Amir. This shows that Amir and Hassan don't have a very equal relationship. -
Amir and Hassan win the kite tournament
After Amir and Hassan win, Hassan goes to run the kite, yelling back to Amir, "For you a thousand times for you" (pg.67). Hassan goes unknowingly to the alleyway where the event that will change all of their lives takes place. Hassan doesn't think twice about doing anything for Amir, because he loves Amir that much. -
Hassan is violated
Amir sees Hassan being violated, and describes the look on Hassan's face as the "look of the lamb" (pg.76). Although Amir is too scared to doing anything, he recognizes the innocence of Hassan. This event is important because it seems to break Amir's friendship with Hassan. -
Amir Frames Hassan
After everyone is out, Amir goes to Ali and Hassan's hut, "lifts Hassan's mattress and planted [his] new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under it" (pg.104). Amir doesn't know what to do with the guilt of seeing Hassan be violated. Consequentl, Amir thinks the only solution is to make Hassan leave. -
Ali and Hassan Leave
Hassan tells Ali everything, and Ali tells Amir and Baba, "We can't live here anymore" (pg.106). Ali knows what happend to Hassan and that Amir didn't stand up for him. Ali realizes that Amir isn't going to help Hassan at all, and the only way to save Hassan from him is to leave. -
Soviet Union Invades Afghanistan
After many years of stability, "the first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul on Dec. 27, 1979" and Afghanistan "has known little peace since" (NYT 1-2). -
Period: to
Kite Runner & the History of Afghanistan
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Amir and Baba Leave for America
Amir and Baba are in a smuggler's truck, after leaving "Kabul just after two in the morning" (pg.110). Because Afghanistan is no longer safe, Amir and Baba decide to head to a better life in America. This event is important because it makes Amir lose any chance of seeing Hassan again. -
Soviet Air Force Rendered Useless
After the United States supplied Stinger antiaircraft missles to the rebels, "the Soviet Air Force was also rendered largely useless" (NYT 2) -
Amir and Soraya get married
Amir tells Soraya, no matter what, "[he] wants [them] to marry" (pg.165). Although Soraya tells Amir she has already been with someone, Amir admires her for being able to tell her secrect. This event is important, because Soraya becomes the backbone and support that Amir has yearned for his whole life. -
Baba Dies
Soon after Amir and Soraya's marriage, Baba goes to sleep, and "never wakes up" (pg.173). Amir begins to feel that he has always only been "Baba's son" and now he isn't living in someone else's shadow (pg.174). He can now live as his own person, without having to wonder if Baba will approve. -
Soviet Union Leaves Afhganistan
After almost ten years in Afghanistan, "the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989...and left behind a country that was...devastaed by war" (NYT 2) -
Pakistan begins to help Taliban
The Taliban wouldn't have been so strong without the help of Pakistan who started "funneling arms, money and supplies to Mullah Omar's men... as early as 1994" (NYT 3). -
Afghanistan in Internecine Strife
By the summer of 1994, after the Soviet troops left, "power was anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms" (NYT 2) -
Mullah Omar Aquires 12,000 Followers
At the end of 1994, "Mullah Omar had nearly 12,000 followers and was rolling up the warlords to the north and east" (NYT 2) -
Tabliban Seizes Control
After years of civil war, "the Taliban, an extremist Islamic group, ...seized control in 1996" (NYT 1) -
Hassan is Killed
The Taliban "shot [Hassan]" after he wouldn't leave his home, along with his wife Farzana (pg.219). Although Amir thought he was going to see Hassan again, the realization of his death, is almost too much to bear for Amir. The Taliban showed no human emotions towards Hazara's and that's all Hassan was to them. -
Rahim Khan talks to Amir
After many years of silence, Rahim Khan calls and tells Amir he "is very sick..[and that Amir] has to go to Pakistan" (pg.191). After Baba and Amir left, they would only get occasional messages from Rahim Khan. Now Amir is supposed to go to an unstable country, and risk his life to see someone who hasn't spoken to him in a long, long time. -
Amir Saves Sohrab
Amir finds out that Assef is keeping Sohrab prisioner, and goes to rescue him. Assef nearly kills Amir, but Sohrab hits him in the eye with his slingshot, and they "stumble [out], Sohrab's little hand in [Amir's] (pg.291). Although Amir is brutually injured, he finally feels healed, and the fact that he saved Sohrab seems to add to Amir's triumph. This event is important because it is the first step in Amir's road to recovery. -
Amir and Sohrab arrive home to America
Amir and Sohrab "arrived home... on a warm day in August 2001" (pg.357). After the long wait for Sohrab to heal in Kabul, they finally get home to America. This event is important because it shows the beginning of a new happier era, with Amir, Soraya and Sohrab as a family. -
9/11
While President George W. Bush was president, Al Qaeda attacked "the world Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11, 2001" (NYT 3). -
Karzai made Chairman
In December 2001, "Hamid Karzai... the exiled former king of Afghanistan, was named chairman of an interim government the replaced the defeated Taliban" (NYT 3) -
Obama's Speech
At West Point on "Dec. 1, 2009... Mr. Obama announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troups [to Afghanistan]" (NYT 4).