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Amir Gets Circumcised
A year before Hassan gets his surgery, Amir gets circumcised. This causes him to feel, "like someone had pressed a red hot coal to my loins" (Hosseini 46). He blames Baba for this, saying, "Why Baba had waited until I was ten to have me circumcised.. is one of the things I will never forgive him for" (Hosseini 46). This quote, easily glanced over, shows that Amir harbors hate and love for his dad. He feels that Baba was wrong to wait until ten, and blames him for the terrible pain he felt. -
Hassan Gets Surgery
For Hassan's thirteenth birthday, he is given, " Dr. Kumar from New Delhi. Dr. Kumar is a plastic surgeon" (Hosseini 45). Of course, Hassan is not given a plastic surgeon for his birthday. However, he can change his hair lip. His hair lip was the reason that Hassan's mom left, or so she said. By allowing Hassan to get rid of it, Hassan can believe that he won't be left again. -
Hassan Gets Raped
In the beginning of the book, after Hassan runs down a kite for Amir, he runs in to Assef, and after Hassan doesn't give up the kite, "Assef knelt behind Hassan, put his hands on Hassan's hips, and lifted his bare buttocks" (Hosseini 75). This event symbolizes the complete loss of innocence. After this event, everything in the family gets blown apart, and things will never be the same. It is the major turning point of the book. -
Amir Wins Approval
After Amir wins the kite and Hassan runs it down, Amir returns it to his dad. His dad, after years of shunning him, "opened his arms. I put the kite down and walked into his thick hairy arms" (Hosseini 79). This is the moment in which Amir finally gains respect from Baba. This could easily be the most important day in all of Amir's life. All he wants is for Baba to treat him like a son. By winning the kite, he finally got exactly what he wanted. -
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Afghan History
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Hassan and Ali Leave
Ali and Hassan realize that this household has become far too uncomfortable for them to live anymore, and Ali says to Baba that, "life here is impossible for us now, Agha sahib. We're leaving" (Hosseini 106). This is the point where Amir can finally feel relief at not having to see Hassan anymore, but it also is the point in which he has gone to far, and he cannot come back from this. He cannot go to Hassan and explain everything. Only something something drastic could allow him to atone. -
Start of the War
Before the war began, there was turmoil inside of the country. The Soviet Union was, "sending in some 30,000 troops and toppling the short-lived presidency" (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica). However, people disliked this because many of the laws went against Muslim culture. This caused the citizens to rebel. These rebels were called Mujahideen. Soon, a leader of these took control and had the president killed. He was named Hafizullah Amin. -
People of Afghanistan Flee
While there is fighting going on throughout Afghanistan, many Afghan people decide to flee to the relatively safer area of Pakistan, and by 1982, "some 2.8 million Afghans had sought asylum in Pakistan" (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica). -
Baba and Amir Arrive in San Francisco
When Baba and Amir arrive in San Francisco, Amir believes, "America [is] a place to bury memories" (Hosseini 129). This new place to live for Amir is the largest act of distancing himself he will commit. He is attempting to get as far away from the rape as he can, to try to just forget about it. He attempts to flee the memory just as he fled from Afghanistan. Instead of facing it, as one would have to do to be free from it, he attempts to flee. -
More Afghans Flee
While Pakistan became increasingly more difficult to get into, many people found refuge in Iran. In fact, "another 1.5 million had fled to Iran" (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica). Because of the wave of people who left from the suburban areas, people began to leave the urban areas as well. -
The USA Supplies Missiles
While Russia was fighting Afghanistan, Russia was engaged in the Cold War with the USA as well. Because of this, the USA decided to help the Afghans, "through the use of shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles" (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica) This helped the Afghans to fight off the persistent Russians. -
Baba Dies of Lung Cancer
Baba, while suffering from lung cancer and refusing treatment, dies peacefully. After falling asleep, "Baba never woke up" (Hosseini 173). This event is almost freeing to Amir. He doesn't have to constantly have the overbearing shadow of Baba. Despite the sadness that his death cause, Baba dying allows Amir to become free to do whatever he wants. He can be free from trying to appease Baba. -
Amir Loses His Virginity (Gets Married)
After being in a relationship with Soraya for a while, Amir finally has Baba ask for her hand in marriage, as is tradition. They have a beautiful wedding, funded by Baba himself. The night of the wedding, as is tradition, Amir, "discovered the tenderness of a woman" (Hosseini 171). All his life Amir has been surronded by men. His mom died, Hassan's mom died, so he never really got the oppurtunity to be around a woman. This is the point where that changes, allowing him to truly be with Soraya. -
The Rebels Become More Coordinated
Despite the mujahideen being incredibly fragmented throughout the state, they are able to maintain military resistance. This is because of the before mentioned weapons were, "shipped to the rebels, via Pakistan, by the United States and other countries and by sympathetic Muslims from throughout the world" (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica). This sympathy allowed Afghanistan to hold out for far longer than would have been expected. -
Muslims Join the Fight
From all over the world, "an indeterminate number of Muslim volunteers" (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica) came to help fight off the Soviet Army. These fighters were named Afghan-Arabs, despite their original nationality. They helped to shift the war as well. -
Russia Suffers Large Casualties
By the late 1980s, the Soviet Army hadnt gotten the easy success that they had expected. In fact, "Soviets suffered some 15,000 dead and many more injured" (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica), which was a fairly brutal loss to the Russians. This heavy casualty count was the beginning of Russia's retreat. -
The Treaty
By 1988, Russia had suffered huge casualties. However, Afghanistan had as well. Instead of seeing the fighting out until the end, "the Soviet Union signed an accord with the United States, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and agreed to withdraw its troops" (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica). This eventually ceased any more possible bloodshed there may have been. -
Russia Pulls Out
It took a little while for the treaty to take effect, but, "The Soviet withdrawal was completed on Feb. 15, 1989" (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica). This marked the end of the Afghanistan Russian War, an incredibly brutal war that ended with both sides dealing with huge losses. However, this ended up being far worse for the Afghani people. -
Chaos After the War
After the war, many rebel groups faught against each other. This never allowed the country to rebuid itself as a nation. Eventually the, "continued bloodshed among the warlords gave rise to the radical Taliban movement" (Quil Lawrence). This ended up making Afghanistan a jihadist ruled country, where murder was committed in the streets on daily basis for the purpose of Islam. -
Hassan is Killed
Hassan is killed during a Taliban sweep of the city. They find him in Rahim Khan´s house, "ordered him to kneel... and shot him in the back of the head" (Hosseini 219). This is the point in the book that Amir realizes that he will never be abe to apologize to Hassan about what happened. It will become near impossible for Amir to make up for what he has done. Amir recognizes this loss, and understands the window of opportunity has closed. -
Assef and Amir Fight
Assef refuses to give up Sohrab, and a fight between him and Amir erupts when Assef says, "we have some unfinished business, you and I" (Hosseini 286). This is the point in which Amir must earn Sohrab. Amir has to face his cowardice and step up to fight the boy who had ruined his life forever. This is arguably the most important part of the book, as it signifies Amir's switch from cowardly boy to a man who will stand for himself. -
Amir Atones (Finally)
While fighting Assef, Amir suddenly feels, "at peace...because in some hidden nook in a corner of my mind, I'd been looking forward to this" (Hosseini 289). This was the point in the story in which Amir finally takes responsibility for his actions, and recieves te punishment for not stepping in to save Hassan when he was being raped. This is something Amir needed to free himself from this constant overwhelming weight on his chest. He finally feels as though he's payed for all the pain he caused. -
Amir Learns About Hassan's Father
This is the point in the book when Amir learns that his dad was not only his dad. Rahim Khan drops the bomb, saying, "Ali was sterile...No [Ali] didn't [have Hassan]...I think you know who [did]" (Hosseini 222). This was the turning point for Amir. This was the point in which he realized Hassan was a half brother, not just like a brother. This is what makes Amir go to get Sohrab, because Sohrab would actually be his cousin, his blood relative. This makes it for more than just friendship. -
Amir Witnesses a Stoning
Once Amir comes to Afghanistan, it is nothing like the country he once knew. This strikes him as he watches a man, "[hurl] a stone at the blindfolded man in the hole" (Hosseini 271). This is the point in which Amir realizes that Afghanistan has changed. It is now a dangerous war zone in which you can be killed for the simplest of things. The man getting stoned to death was just an adulterer. Amir realizes that the man who has Sohrab is not a rational man who can be reasoned with. -
Sohrab Attempts Suicide
After discovering that going back to an orphanage might be necessary, Sohrab attempts to kill himself, by using, "a blood soaked razor [that was] sitting on the toilet tank" Hosseini 348). Sohrab´s suicide attempt makes Amir understand just how deep his love for this boy is, and how he would do near anything for him. Before this action, it was about Hassan, but after, it becomes about the boy. It shows that Amir already atoned for his actions, and can now take responsibility for what is his. -
Sohrab Smiles
After attempting to commit suicide, Sohrab rarely smiles. No matter what Soraya and Amir try, he stays somber. That is, however, until Amir takes him out kiting. Then, Amir, "looked down at Sohrab. One corner of his mouth had curled up just so. A smile" (Hosseini 370). This quote may be the most powerful in the book. It shows that, no matter what may occur, things can always turn out right, no matter the odds against it. Sohrab cannot resist the fun of the kites, showing how human he is.
