Kite Runner & the History of Afghanistan

By Justin Sasano

  • The Alley

    Hassan went to retrieve the kite that had flown into a nearby allleyway. Unlucky for Hassan, Assef and his friends were also there and Hassan was assaulted. Watching the whole time, Amir just stood there debating whether to help Hassan or runaway, "in the end [he] ran" (Hosseini 77).

  • Amir's 13th Birthday

    In the summer of 1976 Amir had turned 13, and was having a party. Assef unexpectedly shows up to the [arty and gives an odd gift, a biography of Hitler. Then Rahim Khan gives him a gift of a notebook for him to write all his stories on. Amir really appreciated the gift.

  • Hassan & Ali Leave

    Not wanting to make things complicated Amir plants money and a watch underneath Hassan's bed to make them leave. It doesnt work and they end up leaving anyway. When "Baba took Ali and Hassan to the bus station" bascically shows that they are leaving them (Hosseini 108)

  • Kite Flying Competition

    Amir particiopates in the kite flying competition held every year mainly to impress his father and get his approval. When Amir lasts the whole day and eventually wins the competition, his father is very pleased and proud of his on. but when he told Hassan to go and retrieve the kite, he saw something that would change his life forever.

  • Soviet Invasion of Afghnistan

    The Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan creating a "prolonged and bloody occupation" lasting 9 years.
    (New York Times 4)

  • Journey to the U.S.

    Amir and Baba have traveled by truck to Pakistan to escape the Russain Invasion, meeting people along the way.They reached Jalalabad to switch transportation to another vehicle, gasoline truck, which made it very hard to breathe, "the air was too thick" (Hosseini 120)

  • Fremont, Califronia

    Amir, now desperate to leave the country, goes with his father to Fremont, where there are other immigrants who live there. Amir sees a girl that he really likes and immediately falls in love with her. Little does Amir know that they get married a month before his father dies of lung cancer.

  • Amir Meets Soraya

    Amir after longing to marry Soraya, goes to her house and musters the courage to talk to her and ask for permission to marry her. The General being the nice guy he is approves and they get married a month later.

  • Soviet Withdrawal From Afghanistan

    Soviets,findng no need to continue the fighting, withdraw from their campaign, leaving a country "devastated by war and a beacon for islamic extremists". (New York Times 2)

  • A New Force Rises

    After the Soviet withdrawal, a new religious extremist group was forming. Mullah Omar being their leader had accumulaterd 12,000 followers of the Pashtun religion. He had promised these people that he would "restore centrality of Islam to daily life". This had created a popular movement in a country weary of corruption and brutaltiy.

  • Making Connections

    The Taliban, now owning Afghanistan, housed many of the wanted terrorists of the U.S. includiong Osama Bin Laden. He landed in "Jalalabad Airport" forming a new alliance between the Taliban and the Al Qaeda. (New York Times 3)

  • Total Control

    In 1996 after creating a huge influence on Afghannistanian population, the Taliban takeover, "imposing strict enforcement of fundamentalist Islamic Law"on the country.(New York Times 3)

  • Amir Goes Back

    When Amir goes back to Afganistan, he meets up with an old friend named Rahim Khan. He was good friends with Amir's father and still is. Rahim wants Amir to atone for his sins for Hassan's sake.

  • Rescueing Sohrab

    When Amir goes back to Afghanistam and talks to Rahim, he realizes that he should atone for Hassan by rescueing his son from the orphanage he stays at. After finding that he is not there he hears that the Taliban have taken him. Amir finds out the Taliban member holding him is Assef. He and Assef get in a fight: "

  • 9/11 Attacks

    Due to the attack on the World Trade Center, the United States joined forces with the Northern Alliance,consisting of "minority tribes", and forced the Taliban out of power. (New York Times 3)

  • A New Leadership Rises

    Hamid Karzai a supporter of the modern day governament had taken over instead of the Taliban forming a new Afghsanistan.

  • Days in Silence

    After Amir rescues Sohrab from Assef, Sohrab enters this phase of not talking to anyone about anything. It was probably because of all the trauma that he had experienced when imprisoned with Assef. It took time for Sohrab to talk again but when Amir told him of a story about his dad(Hassan), and how they used to kiterun together all the time.

  • A New President

    Elected to office in 2002, Hamid Karzai had won the presidency, giving Afghnistan much hope for their future as a country. He was very "popular in the White House" but as time went on his own country lost faith in him.

  • Obama Sends in More Troops

    Obama gave a speech at West Point, saying he was going to add another "30,000 more troops" into Afghanistan, to surpress the terrorist groups there.(New York Times 4)

  • Change in Mind

    After the experation of the idea of teh soldiers returning fromAfghanistan, the Obama Administraion changed its mind to a much later date in 2014. That way the troops there can maintain stability.