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Hassan Stands Up to Assef
After Assef threatened to hurt Hassan and Amir, Hassan decided to stand up to his enemy, as took his slingshot and, "pointed [it] directly at Assef's face" (pg. 42). In this quotation, Hassan proves that he is willing to risk the safety of his own life in order to stand up for himself and for others as well. Furthermore, through Hassan's actions, he shows Assef that he is not intimidated by his threats, and is not afraid to fight back using physical force. -
Hassan is Physically Abused by Assef
While wathcing Assef physically abuse Hassan in the corner of an ally, Amir decides to run away because of the fact that he, "was afraid of Assef and what he would do to [him]" (pg. 77). Through his decision, Amir shows that he is unwilling to risk the safety of his own life in order to save his closest friend. As a result, Amir experiences a strong sense of guilt that not only hurts his relationship with Hassan, but also hurts his relationship with his father as well. -
Amir and Hassan Win the Kite-Fighting Tournament
After winning the kite-fighting tournament in Kabul, Amir believed that his victory was, "the single greatest moment of [his] twelve years of life" (pg. 66). By winning the tournament, Amir is able to experience a strong sense of self-pride that allows him to repair his relationship with his father. Hence, Amir is able to receive more affection from Baba, which enables him to feel more confident and happier as an individual. -
Hassan and Ali Leave Baba's Home
After Amir tries to frame Hassan and Ali in order to make them leave Baba's home, Ali tells Baba that he,"can't live here anymore" (pg. 106). Here, Ali shows that he feels unwelcome in Baba's home because of the poor treatment he and Hassan receive from Amir. While this decision to leave may hurt Baba, it positively affects Amir, as he is able to deal with his guilt and move on from his past. -
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The Soviet Union Invades Afghanistan
The tension between the Soviet Union and the citizens of Afghanistan first erupted after, "The first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul on Dec. 27, 1979" (New York Times. Pg. 2). -
Amir and Baba Leave Kabul
When Baba and Amir arrive in America after leaving Kabul, Amir reflects on his challenging journey, as he states that he was, "thankful to be alive" (pg. 123). In this quotation, Amir expresses his happiness to have successfully left his home in Kabul. By leaving Kabul, Amir and Baba are able to start new lives in America, where Amir can completely forget about his sinful past, and look foward to a bright future. -
Amir Marries Soraya
When Amir and Soraya celebrate their wedding ceremony, Amir tells his newlywed wife for the first time that, "[he] love[s] her" (pg. 171). Here, Amir expresses the way he feels about Soraya by stating that he loves her. Just as well, this event signals that Amir is truly happy in America, and can find genuine happiness in his life, despite feeling guilt and sadness in his recent past. -
The Soviets Union Struggles to Gain Power in Afghanistan
Throughout their time spent in Afghanistan, the members of the Soviet Union Airforce had much trouble with their duties, as they, "rendered largely useless by [the] advanced Stinger antiaircraft missiles supplied by the United States" (New York Times. Pg. 2). -
Baba Passes Away
After Baba chose not to take his perscription medicine one night, he "never woke up" the following morning, as he had passed away (pg. 173). Through Baba's decision, he shows that he was aware of the consequences of his actions, knowing that his death would allow Amir to move foward in his adult life. Just as well, due to Baba's death, Amir is put in a life-changing situation, where he is forced to act independently, and not rely on his father's help. -
Hassan Reunites with his Biological Mother
After Hassan met his biological mother for the first time since his birth, he told her that, "she could cry if she wanted to but she needn't, she was home now, home with her family" (pg. 210). In this quotation from the book, Hassan shows his love for his mother, as he accepts her as a part of his family. Through this act of acceptance, Hassan proves that he truly cares for his mother, despite the fact that she did not help raise him during his childhood. -
Afghanistan Suffers from Internal Struggles
After the Soviet Union forces departed from Afghanistan, the middle eastern country soon began to suffer from internal government issues, as, "power was anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms" (New York Times. Pg. 2). -
A New Government Takes Control in Afghanistan
After suffering from an internal power struggle, Afghanistan was soon taken over by the Taliban in 1996, as the extremist group made serious societal changes by, "banning movies and music and forcing women out of schools" (New York Times. Pg. 3). -
Hassan is Killed by the Taliban
After Hassan was ordered to leave Baba's home by the Taliban, he decided to protest by not leaving the house, thus causing the terrorist group to punish him by shooting, "him in the back of the head" (pg. 219). By protesting against the Taliban, Hassan shows that he is fearless of higher authority, and is willing to risk his life in order to stand up for his own rights. Also, this event is important because as a result of Hassan's death, he leaves his only living child, Sohrab, fatherless. -
The Taliban Remains Resiliant After Their Defeat
Although the Taliban was defeated by American forces after 9/11, "the Taliban continued to wage a guerrilla warfare from a base in the mountainous and largely lawless tribal area on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border" (New York Times. Pg. 3). -
Rahim Khan Contacts Amir
While living with Soraya in San Francisco, Amir receives a call from Rahim Khan, who tells Amir to come to Pakistan because there is a way for him, "to be good again" (pg. 192). Here, Rahim Khan shows that he is aware of Amir's past, as he wants him to atone for his prior actions. Also, by traveling back to Pakistan, Amir is able to reconnect with his past, and truly see how Kabul, his homeland, has changed over the years. -
Amir Discovers that Hassan is his Half Brother
After Amir reunites with Rahim Khan in Pakistan, he learns that Hassan's biological father was Baba, as Ali was not Hassan's true father because he, "was sterile" (pg. 222). By discovering that Ali could not produce offspring, Amir was able to deduce that Hassan was his half brother, as he reasoned that his father had an affair with Ali's wife. As a result of this discovery, Amir believes that his father is a hypocrite because although Baba disliked lying, he himself lied to Amir. -
Amir Witnesses Two Deaths at Ghazi Stadium
While watching a soccer match at Ghazi Stadium in Kabul, Amir witnessed two deaths during a halftime event, where two individuals had stones thrown at them, resulting in a, "mangled mess of blood and shredded rags" (pg. 271). Here, Amir watches a powerful event in his life, as he sees the brutal killings of two people in a public environment. Just as well, this event allows Amir to see the true corruption and destruction of Afghanistan as a result of the Taliban's forceful power. -
Amir Fights Assef
While fighting Assef in order to rescue Sohrab, Amir suddenly realized that the physical pain he was feeling was a punishment for not rescuing Hassan many years ago, thus causing him to feel, "healed at last" (pg. 289). In this quotation, although Amir may be experiencing extreme physical pain, he realizes that his suffering helps atone for his childhood sin. As a result, Amir feels satisfied with himself since he believes that his pain enables him to move on from his past. -
Sohrab Attempts Suicide, but is Unsuccessful
After telling Sohrab that he would have to stay in another orphanage before coming to America, Amir saw that Sohrab tried to commit suicide in a hotel bathroom, as he was found unconscious with his, "left arm dangling over the side of the tub" (pg.347). Through his actions, Sohrab shows that he is unable to cope with the status of his life in Afghanistan. Hence, Sohrab proves that he is impulsive due to his inability to think about the consequences of his actions before committing them. -
Amir and Soraya Adopt Sohrab
After spending a month in Pakistan, Amir brought Sohrab back to America with him, as he and his wife successfully adopted Hassan's son, thus allowing them to "lift him from the certainty of turmoil" in Afghanistan (pg.356). By adopting Sohrab, Amir and Soraya prove that they both love Hassan's son. As a result of this decision, not only is Amir able to have a child of his own, but he also is able to atone for his past, as he is able to give Hassan's son a better life. -
Al Qaeda Attacks the World Trade Center
As an act of terrorism, an Islamic terrorist group known as Al Qaeda attacked, "the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11, 2001" (New York Times. Pg. 3). -
Obama Plans to Increase Troops in Afghanistan
In a speech held before the beginning of 2010, President Barrack Obama stated that he wanted to increase involvement in Afghanistan by deploying, "30,00 additional troops" (New York Times. Pg. 4). -
A New Leader Becomes Head of Government in Afghanistan
Soon after the Taliban were removed from Afghanistan in the late portion of 2001, a man by the name of Hamid Karzai, "was named chairman of an interim government that replaced the defeated Taliban, making him the leader of the country" (New York Times. Pg. 3). -
Hamid Karzai Elected to a Five-Year Presidential Term
After being chairman of the Afghanistan government for several years, Hamid Karzai, "was elected to a five-year term as president in 2004" (New York Times. Pg. 3). -
The Obama Administration Plans to be Involved in Afghanistan
Soon After becoming president in 2008, President Barrack Obama stated that he wanted to, "widen United States involvement in Afghanistan" in order to take a stand against terrorism (New York Times. Pg. 4). -
The Obama Administratin Plans to Keep Troops in Afghanistan until 2014
In July 2011, President Barrack Obama made a public announcement declaring the United States Troops would most likely stay in Afghanistan, "until at least the end of 2014" (New York Times. Pg. 4).