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Kite Runner & The History of Afghanistan
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Britain withdraws from India
"Britain withdraws from India, creating the predominantly Hindu but secular state of India and the Islamic state of Pakistan. The nation of Pakistan includes a long, largely uncontrollable, border with Afghanistan" -
Mohammad Daoud Khan becomes prime minister
"The pro-Soviet Gen. Mohammed Daoud Khan, cousin of the king, becomes prime minister and looks to the communist nation for economic and military assistance. He also introduces a number of social reforms including allowing women a more public presence" -
Amir and Hassan are born
Amir describes their very early lives when he says "Hassan and I fed from the same breasts. We took our first steps on the same lawn in the same yard. And, under the same roof, we spoke out first words. Mine was Baba. His was Amir. My name" (11). Amir tells the reader that he and Hassan grew up like brothers, but Hassan and Amir differ in where their loyalties are. Amir's first words were Baba, while Hassan's were Amir, showing Hassan's loyalty to Amir, while he does not return it. -
Formation of the Afghan Communist Party
"The Afghan Communist Party secretly forms. The group’s principal leaders are Babrak Karmal and Nur Mohammad Taraki" -
1973 Afghan coup d'état
"Khan overthrows the last king, Mohammed Zahir Shah, in a military coup. Khan’s regime, the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan, comes to power. Khan abolishes the monarchy and names himself president. The Republic of Afghanistan is established with firm ties to the USSR" -
Amir and Hassan Get Confronted by Assef
Amir recounts one day when they encountered Assef, and how he "gave me an icy look. 'You're part of the problem, Amir. If idiots like you and your father didn't take these people in, we'd be rid of them by now. You're a disgrace to Afghanistan.' I looked in his crazy eyes and saw that he meant it. He really meant to hurt me" (41). This shows how Assef's anti-Hazara ideology is the cause of his hatred towards Amir and Hassan. This hatred is the reason why he attempts to confront them. -
Amir and Hassan Get Confronted by Assef
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Khan's New Constitution
"Khan proposes a new constitution that grants women rights and works to modernize the largely communist state. He also cracks down on opponents, forcing many suspected of not supporting Khan out of the government." -
Amir Wins the Kite Competition
Amir remembers when he won the kite competition when he says "A gust of wind lifted my kite and I took advantage. Fed the string, pulled up. Looped my kite on top of the blue one. It was trying desperately to maneuver out of the jam, but I didn't let go. I held position. The crowd sensed the end was at hand" (65). This shows how Amir felt as he fell within arms reach of winning the tournament. It also shows why Amir thinks Baba will respect him once he wins. -
Hassan's Rape
Amir describes the event "which made him who he is today," when he describes how "Assef positioned himself behind Hassan. Hassan didn't struggle. Didn't even whimper. He moved his head slightly and I caught the glimpse of his face. Saw the resignation on it. It was a look I had seen before. It was the look of the lamb" (75). This shows how Assef's twisted beliefs caused him to take a horrible action against Hassan. This also affects Amir, causing him to show cowardice and later resent Hassan. -
Amir's Plot to Remove Hassan from the Household
Amir succeeds in his plot to rid Hassan from his house when he "took a couple of the envelopes of cash from the pile of gifts and my watch, and tiptoed out. I went downstairs, crossed the yard, and entered Ali and Hassan's living quarters by the loquat tree. I lifted Hassan's mattress and planted my new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under it" (104). This shows the great lengths Amir goes to in order to get Hassan out of the house. In his mind, he believes that the two can't coexist. -
Communist Coup
"Khan is killed in a coup. Nur Mohammad Taraki, one of the founding members of the Afghan Communist Party, takes control of the country as president, and Babrak Karmal is named deputy prime minister. They proclaim independence from Soviet influence, and declare their policies to be based on Islamic principles, Afghan nationalism and socioeconomic justice. But a rivalry between Taraki and Hafizullah Amin, another influential communist leader, leads to fighting between the two sides" -
Death of Adolph Dubs and Taraki
"American Ambassador Adolph Dubs is killed. The United States cuts off assistance to Afghanistan. A power struggle between Taraki and Deputy Prime Minister Hafizullah Amin begins. Taraki is killed on Sept. 14 in a confrontation with Amin supporters." -
USSR invasion of Afghanistan
"The USSR invades Afghanistan on Dec. 24 to bolster the faltering communist regime. On Dec. 27, Amin and many of his followers are executed. Deputy Prime Minister Babrak Karmal becomes prime minister. Widespread opposition to Karmal and the Soviets spawns violent public demonstrations." -
Baba and Amir Smuggle Themselves out of Afghanistan
Amir goes through several methods of transport before finally exiting a gas truck and remembering "The blinding light of the early morning as I climbed out of the fuel tank. I remember turning my face up to the sky squinting, breathing like the world was running out of air. 'We're in Pakistan, Amir,' Baba said" (123). This shows Amir's joy to be in Pakistan rather than in the horrible conditions he found during his journey. It also shows that Amir is approaching his destination, America. -
Baba is Banned From a Store
After arriving in America, Baba and Amir visit a grocery market in which Baba causes trouble when it was found that "Baba had no cash on him for the oranges. He'd written Mr. Nguyen a check and Mr. Nguyen had asked for an ID. 'Almost two years we've bought his damn fruits and put money in his pocket and the son of a dog wants to see my license!" (127). This shows Baba's reaction to his loss of power in America. He is not accustomed to being not respected like he was in Afghanistan. -
Amir Meets Soraya
While doing his normal flee market routine, Amir meets a woman with "black eyebrows that touched in the middle like the arched wings of a flying bird, and the gracefully hooked nose of a princess from old Persia. Her eyes, walnut brown and shaded by the fanned lashes, met mine. Held for a moment. Flew away" (140). Amir shows how this first encounter with Soraya made a lasting impact on him. It shows that he feels affectionate to her which ultimately leads to their relationship. -
First documentation of Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan
Although he claims to have traveled to Afghanistan immediately after the Soviet invasion, Saudi Islamist Osama bin Laden makes his first documented trip to Afghanistan to aid anti-Soviet fighters. The United Nations investigates reported human rights violations in Afghanistan. -
Amir and Soraya Get Married
After months of preparation, Amir and Soraya finally wed in a large ceremony where they say vows and marry one another. Later in the ceremony, they "did Ayena Masshaf, where they gave us a mirror and threw a veil over our heads, so we'd be alone to gaze at each other's reflection. Looking at Soraya's smiling face in that mirror, I whispered that I loved her. A blush, red like henna, bloomed on her cheeks" (171). This shows Amir truly loves Soraya. It also shows the importance of their wedding. -
Rahim Khan finds Hassan
Rahim Khan, after lots of solitude in Kabul, ventures to Hazajarat to find Hassan. He finds him in a small village, where he finds him and says "Let me look at you,' I said. He had those same narrow green eyes, that scar on his upper lip, that round face, that affable smile. You would have recognized him, Amir jan. I am sure of it" (205). This shows that Hassan's appearance, similar to his personality, had not really changed. This shows how Hassan is deep in heart, the same as when he was a kid. -
Hassan Dies
Rahim Khan recounts how Hassan died when he says "They told Hassan they would be moving in to supposedly keep it safe until I return. Hassan protested again. So they took him into the street and ordered him to kneel and shot him in the back of the head. Farzana came screaming and attacked them, they shot her too. Self-defense, they claimed later" (219). This shows the vicious violence that the Taliban had caused against Hazaras like Hassan. It also shows a motive for why Hassan saves Sohrab. -
End of the Soviet-Afghan War.
"The U.S., Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Soviet Union sign peace accords in Geneva guaranteeing Afghan independence and the withdrawal of 100,000 Soviet troops. Following Soviet withdrawal, the Mujahadeen continue their resistance against the Soviet-backed regime of communist president Dr. Mohammad Najibullah, who had been elected president of the puppet Soviet state in 1986. Afghan guerrillas name Sibhatullah Mojadidi as head of their exiled government." -
Amir Leaves for Pakistan
Amir talks about how he is invited to return to Afghanistan to atone for his sins by Rahim Khan when he is told "Come. There is a way to be good again, Rahim Khan had said on the phone just before hanging up. said it in passing, almost as an afterthought. A way to be good again" (192). This shows the reasoning behind why Amir wishes to return to Afghanistan; to atone for his sins, and "be good again". This symbolizes the feat he achieves later on, saving Sohrab. -
Amir Leaves for Afghanistan
Amir describes his journey from Pakistan to Afghanistan in the truck of an Afghan, Farid, who he strikes up a conversation with by saying "I feel like a tourist in my own country... ...because you wanted to know,' he spat. He pointed at an old man dressed in ragged clothes. 'That's the real Afghanistan, Agha sahib. You've always been a tourist here, you just didn't know it' (232). This shows Amir's ignorance of that his Afghan past, thinking it was normal. The conversation makes Amir realize. -
Sohrab shoots Assef in the Eye
In the middle of a heated battle to the death between Amir and Assef for Sohrab, Sohrab aims his slingshot at Assef and releases "making a thwiiiiiit sound when Sohrab released the cup. Then Assef was screaming. He put his hand where his left eye had been just a moment ago. Blood oozed out between his fingers" (291). This shows the connection between Hassan and his son. Hassan had threatened Assef by taking out his eye with a slingshot, and Sohrab followed through with this threat posthumously. -
Sohrab Attempts Suicide
Sohrab attempts to kill himself by cutting himself with razor blades and bleeding out in the bathtub. He makes an almost full recovery in the hospital. While asked about himself, he replies, "Tired.' 'I know. Dr. Nawaz said that was to be expected-' He was shaking his head. 'What, Sohrab?' He winced when he spoke again in that husky voice, barely above a whisper. 'Tired of everything" (353). This shows that Sohrab attempted suicide because of the life that was taken away from him by the Taliban.
