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Amir is born
When Amir was discussing Hassan's birth, he described that it was, "just one year after [his] mother died giving birth to [him]"(Hosseini 6). Due to the fact that Amir's mother died and Hassan's mother left, they both bonded by sharing the same breastfeeder. -
Hassan is born
Whilst Amir's mother hemorrhaged to death, Hassan's mother,"ran off with a clan of traveling singers and dancers"(6). Both Amir and Hassan bonded over the loss of their mothers. Hassan's loss may have made him more independent but also more vulnerable to abuse. -
Hassan's birthday
While Amir is getting his lip fixed as a birthday present, Amir says, "It wasn't fair. Hassan hadn't done anything to earn Baba's affections; he'd just been born with that stupid harelip"(Hosseini 46). Amir is starting to feel as though Hassan is worthless and he begins to become competitive in earning Baba's respect. He begins to become controlled by Baba and what he think Baba will want. -
Amir and Hassan win the kite tournament
After the final kite was cut by Amir, he shouts, "We won! We won!"(Hosseini 66). Friendship is displayed in this line because of how Amir shouts "we won" instead of Hassan's "you won". It illustrates how Amir tried to include him and how they were before the incident. Hassan's loyalty is also portrayed because he only congratulates Amir and not himself because he thinks of himself below Amir and he feels the need to always please Amir. -
Hassan is violated
While Hassan is in the alley being violated, Amir realizes that whether he stands up for Hassan or just runs is his,"last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who [he] was going to be"(77). Since Amir did not help Hassan, he changed drastically. He began to feel guitly and avoid Hassan. He also tried to get rid of Hassan in the hopes that it would also rid of his quilt. -
Amir's birthday
At Amir's birthday, Rahim Khan gives him, "a brown leather-bound notebook"(Hosseini 99). Rahim Khan is one of Amir's best friends and will be to the end. He is one of the only people that understand Amir and by giving Amir that notebook he displays that he understands Amir's love for stories. -
First Soviet Troops Come into Kabul
In 1979, "the first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul...to assist Babrak Karmal, who had become president in a coup within the Afghan Communist leadership"(2). -
Baba and Amir leave Kabul
Whilst in the truck, Amir's, "innards had been roiling since [they] left Kabul just after two in the morning"( Hosseini 110). Amir's car sickness has always been an embaressment to Baba and Amir is heavily impacted by the disappointment that Baba shows. -
Baba and Amir move to America
When Baba finally gets to America, after dreaming about it,"the smog stung his eyes, the traffic noise gave him headaches, and the pollen made him cough. The fruit was never sweet enough, the water never clean enough, and where were all the trees and open fields?"(Hosseini 126). After the significant change from Afghanistan to the United States, Baba will need time to adjust. This is where Amir begins to gain more power over him as he speaks more English and more people respect him. -
Baba is hired at a gas station
About a month after Baba and Amir arrived in the U.S.," Baba found a job aff Washington Boulevard as an assistant at a gas station owned by and Afghan acquaintance"(Hosseini 130). This also represents a major power change. Since Baba works at a gas station, people tend to have lesss respect for him. Amir is a student and is higher up, above Baba. This allows Amir to have more of a control on Baba rather than the other way around. -
Amir begins to separate himself from Baba
When Baba was mad at Nguyen's Amir stated that he was, "angry at Baba, his causing an old women to shake like that"( Hosseini 128). Thanks to the change from Afghanistan to America, Amir has more advantages over Baba such as the ability to speak more fluent English. He also blends in more which causes people to respect him. Now that Amir is becoming angry with Baba, it is causing a change in power and Amir is growing as his own person. -
Amir graduates from high school
A few years after arriving in America, Amir "graduated from high school at theage of twenty, by far the oldest senior"( Hosseini 131). This was not only a proud moment for Amir, but a moment for Baba. After all, Amir is the reason that they went to America and now Baba has something to brag about. -
Baba discovers that he has cancer
After finding out, Amir says, " like Satan, cancer has many names. Baba's was called "Oat Cell Carcinoma""(Hosseini 156). Baba refuses the chemo and Amir understands that he will die either way. He begins to treat Baba with more respect and understanding. -
Baba dies
After Amir finally married, Baba blessed both of them and went to bed, he "never woke up"(Hosseini 173). When Baba finally passed, Amir understood how much suffering he had to go through to see Amir succeed. He knew that he was now at peace. -
Soviet Troops Leave Afghanistan
Finally after 10 years, "...the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan... in what was in effect a unilateral withdrawal"(2). -
Power Over Afghanistan Was Duvuded Between Warlords
After the Soviet forces left, "power was anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms"(2). -
Pakistani intelligence officers begin aiding the Taliban
The Pakistani intelligance began, "funneling arms, money and supplies to Mullah Omar's men... as early as 1994"(3). -
Mullah Omar is Increasing his amount of followers
Soon after power was distributed, "Mullah Omar has nearly 12,000 followers and was rolling up the warlords to the north and east"(2). -
The Taliban have control over Afghanistan
Thanks to the Pakistani aid, "the Taliban by 1996 had taken control of Afghanistan, imposing strict enforcement of fundamentalist Islamic law, banning movies and music and forcing women out of schools and into all-enveloping burqa clothing"(3). -
Amir receives a call about Rahim Khan
After telling Soraya that he must go to Pakistan, he explains that "Rahim Khan is very sick"(Hosseini 191). This phone call starts the journey of going to Pakistan where he will find Hassan's son. It also might represent the end of Rahim Khan. -
Sohrab attempts suicide
After telling Sohrab the news that they might have to put him back in the orphanage Amir, "stepped into the bathroom. Suddenly [he] was on [his] knees, screaming"(Hosseini 343). Almost losing Sohrab scared Amir into taking much more care of him and treating him with more love and affection. He values his feelings much more now that he knows what can happen if he doesnt. -
Attack on World Trade Center
Soon after the Taliban gained control there was an, "attack on the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11, 2001..."(3). -
Hamid Karzai becomes leader of Afghanistan
At around December of 2001, "Hamid Karzai, a supporter and relative of Mohammad Zahir Shah... was named chairman of an interim government that replaced the defeated Taliban, making him the leader of the country"(3). -
Hamid Karzai takes office
The article states that Karzai, " took office as interim president in June 2002, saying he hoped to secure peace for Afghanistan and win the country much-needed international aid"(3). -
Obama plans on deploying more troops to Afghanistan
Surrounding the subject of Afghanist, Obama delivered a speech on, "Dec. 1, 2009, at West Point," and "announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops"(3).