-
The Rape
Hassan gets raped by Assef. Before raping Hassan, Assef remarks, "And there's nothing sinful about teaching a lesson to a disrespectful donkey"(Hosseini 75). Assef is so blinded by his hatred towards Hazaras that he thinks whatever he does is correct, even if it means sexually abusing a person. He even has the nerve to justify raping Hassan, saying that there's nothing sinful in doing so. -
Period: to
Kite Runner and Events in History of Afghanistan
Fictional events from "The Kite Runner" and real events from the history of Afghanistan. -
Framed
Amir framed Hassan for stealing his watch and money. When Baba asked if Hassan actually did steal it, he said yes and, "Then I understood. This was Hassan's final sacrifice for me"(Hosseini 105). Amir came to the conclusion that Hassan did this all for him, even though he betrayed him by being a coward about the rape. Amir resorted to this last step to try to get rid of the pain and misery that incident had caused him. -
Sardar Mohammed Daoud Khan
He overthrew King Mohammad Zahir and supported Pashtunistan. Daud was a prime minister in the past but, "General Daud [was] overthrown and killed in a pro-Soviet coup" http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253 -
Russian Invasion
The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan with thousands of troops and took over Kabul and more of the country. This led to, "...a brutal, decade-long attempt by Moscow to subdue the Afghan civil war and maintain a friendly and socialist government on its border." https://history.state.gov/milestones/1977-1980/soviet-invasion-afghanistan -
Babrak Karmal
Babrak Kamal was elected president after General Daud was overthrown. Karmal, "..was a founding member of the PDPA (People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan), and served as its secretary general" http://www.afghan-web.com/bios/yest/karmal.html -
Fremont, California
After the incident with Mr and Mrs. Nguyen, Amir explains that, "'My father is still adjusting to life in America'"(Hosseini 128). Baba experiences a shift in power because he used to be a wealthy and respected man but became nothing but a mere assistant at a gas station after arriving in America. He didn’t mind doing this job to support Amir, but it certainly took a toll on his pride and honor. -
Graduation
Amir has graduated high school at the old age of 20. He remarks,"That summer of 1983, I graduated from high school at the age of twenty, by far the oldest senior tossing his mortarboard on the football field that day"(Hosseini 131). This was an enormous achievement for Amir because he completed that portion of his education and was able to earn his father's thumbs up. Amir had the capability to finally gain Baba's approval he always lacked as a child. -
Diagnostics
Baba is diagnosed with Oat Cell Carcinoma by Dr. Armani. When Amir and Baba finds out, Amir remarks, "It turned out that like Satan, cancer had many names. Baba's was called 'Oat Cell Carcinoma'"(Hosseini 155-156). Baba has the attitude of acceptance that he has this disease and is reluctant for chemotherapy. Amir, on the other hand, asks him to consider it and as a grown man, is afraid of losing him. -
Ali Killed
Ali and his cousin were both killed in a land mine accident. When Rahim Khan was telling Amir of what had happened, he remarks, "He told me that Ali and his cousin-who had owned the house-had been killed by a land mine two years before, just outside of Bamiyan. A land mine"(Hosseini 206). Rahim Khan felt distressed when talking about this, because he was his and Baba's friend. The three of them grew up together, so when Rahim first heard of this news, he was saddened to hear it. -
Rahim Khan and Hassan
Rahim Khan went to Hazarajat to find Hassan. One of the reasons why as he notes, "The biggest one, Allah forgive me, was that I was lonely"(Hosseini 203). Even though he was lonely, he still took the time to find him and eventually had a bittersweet reunion. Rahim Khan also later asks for him and his wife Farzana to move to Kabul with him because he couldn't look after the house by himself and perhaps because of the same reason he looked for Hassan; which was loneliness. -
The U.S Helps
To help with the Soviet-Afghan war, the "US begins supplying mujahideen with Stinger missiles, enabling them to shoot down Soviet helicopter gunships. Babrak Karmal replaced by Najibullah as head of Soviet-backed regime." http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253 -
Amir and Soraya's Wedding
After Baba talks to General Taheri for Soraya's hand in marriage, they both accept it and Soraya and Amir later wed. Amir excitedly expresses, "'I'm so happy I don't know what to say'"(Hosseini 164). General Taheri was the main obstacle for both Soraya and Amir because of her imperfect past with another man. It took Amir so long to have the courage to speak with Soraya, and to finally be able to marry her, it was an immensely joyous occasion for them. -
Baba Dies
Baba died after the day guests came over to his house for dinner. When he was put to sleep, the next day, "Baba never woke up"(Hosseini 173). This affected about almost everyone he knew because Baba was a good man who aided anyone that needed assistance. During the funeral, Amir overheard comments people had to say about Baba, and later realized how ashamed he was to have let Baba down all these years, and the weight he had by taking the roll of being the reflection of him. -
Peace
In order for the war to stop, "Afghanistan, USSR, the US and Pakistan [signed] peace accords and Soviet Union [began] pulling out troops." http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253 -
Sanaubar's Return
The same year when Farzana became pregnant with Sohrab, Sanaubar makes a miraculous return, reuniting with Hassan. Rahim Khan observes that, "Sometimes, I would look out the window into the yard and watch Hassan and his mother kneeling together, picking tomatoes or trimming a rosebush, talking"(Hosseini 210). Although Sanaubar gave up Hassan for quite some time, he still cared enough to bond and care for her. Hassan was courteous to not question her actions of the past and cherished the moments. -
Farzana and Sohrab
Farzana becomes pregnant with Sohrab. Rahim Khan states, "It was Sanaubar who delivered Hassan's son that winter of 1990"(Hosseini 211). Farzana went through much grief after losing her baby girl at birth but her heart was filled once again after Sohrab was conceived. Rahim Khan, Hassan and Sanaubar also all took an important role in caring for Sohrab and being significant adult figures in his life along with Farzana. -
Tests on Soraya
Amir and Soraya have been trying to conceive a baby for a while, but have been unsuccessful. Amir informs that, "It was called 'Unexplained Infertility'"(Hosseini 185). There was no real explanation as to why Soraya wasn't able to have a child, making it harder for her to deal with it. It isn't easy for a woman to know that she can't have any children of her own blood. -
Hassan and Farzana Killed
Hassan and Farzana were wrongly murdered by Talib officials because they defended themselves for living in Rahim Khan's house. When Rahim was explaining this to Amir, he stated that, "They accused him of lying when Hassan told them he was living with me even though many of the neighbors, including the one who called me, supported Hassan's story"(Hosseini 218). This portrays people of the Taliban as unlawful and unreasonable. The bias towards Hazaras greatly affected the outcome of the incident. -
Taliban Seizes Control
The Taliban take over Kabul and they "introduce hard-line version of Islam, banning women from work, and introducing Islamic punishments, which include stoning to death and amputations." http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253 -
Mohammad Najibullah
Najibullah used to be the fourth president of Afghanistan but met his fate at the hands of the Taliban. What happened was that, "On September 27 1996 Taliban militiamen burst into the compound and dragged Najibullah to the presidential palace, where he was beaten and shot." http://www.afghanland.com/history/najib.html -
Amir Finds Out Hassan is His Half Brother
When Rahim Khan was trying to convince Amir to retrieve Sohrab, he starts telling him how, "Sanaubar wasn't Ali's first wife"(Hosseini 222). It isn't directly stated, but Amir solves the calculation and concludes that Hassan is indeed his half brother. He is at first angry, asking why this significant detail was kept out of his and Hassan's life. However, later on, he starts to acknowledge more about all the good Hassan has done to him and recovers Sohrab. -
Attempted Suicide
Sohrab attempts suicide because he was afraid of going back to the orphanage. After hearing the news, he begs to Amir, "You promised you'd never put me in one of those places, Amir agha"(Hosseini 341). He obviously went through a traumatic experience to dread going back to an orphanage. It says a lot that Sohrab would rather die than go back to an orphanage to avoid reliving what had happened to him. -
Ahmad Shah Massoud
Massoud was an advocate for the resistance of the Taliban, however, "...a team of al-Qaida agents carried out an assassination that was the first step in their plan leading to the Sept. 11 attacks"(Lawrence). -
9/11
Osama Bin Laden leads a terrorist attack to take down the twin towers. What happened was, "Two of the planes were flown into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania." http://www.history.com/topics/9-11-attacks -
U.S Invasion
Following the events of the 9/11 bombings, "On this day in 2001, a U.S.-led coalition begins attacks on Taliban-controlled Afghanistan with an intense bombing campaign by American and British forces" http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-led-attack-on-afghanistan-begins