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Kite Runner & the History of Afghanistan
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Sanaubar Leaves
After seeing Hassan's cleft lip, Sanaubar refused to look at him. People told them that, "She had refused to even hold Hassan, and five days later, she was gone" (Hosseini 10). Because Sanaubar was forced into an arranged marriage to Ali to make their family name better, she never liked that she was married to a man with polio and an expressionless face. Because of Hassan's cleft lip, she didn't even hold him only laughing bitterly when Ali held Hassan up for her to see. -
Hassan Raped
On the winter of 1975, Hassan was sexually assaulted in an alley while running the last kite for Amir. Seeing Hassan after the incident, "I pretended I hadn't heard the crack in his voice, Just like i pretended I hadn't seen the dark stain in the seat of his pants" (Hosseini 78). Despite the situation Amir had just witnessed and refused to step into, he acted like he never knew what happened. Amir's actions in this scene emphasizes his inability to stand up for himself and his loved ones. -
Hassan and Ali leaves Kabul
In the summer of 1976, the day after Amir's birthday party, Hassan and Ali decided to leave Kabul. Ali explained, "'Life here is impossible for us now, Agha sahib. We're leaving.' Ali drew Hassan to him, curled his arm around his son's shoulder" (106). Because of the incident on the winter of 1975, Amir has been avoiding Hassan and trying to get Hassan to at least hit him to make him feel less guilty. Despite Baba's pleads that summer morning, Ali and Hassan remained firm on their decision. -
Communist Revolution
While reading the Kite Runner, the narrator mentioned, "Our way of life. The end, the official end, would come first in April 1978." (Hosseini 36). The peaceful lives of the Afghan people are forced to be abolished as the Communist revolution begins. Soon after, the streets that kids were used to playing in would be filled with Russian tanks. -
Soviet Troops arrive in Afghanistan
Soviet army arrived at Kabul on this day "to assist Babrak Karmal, who had become president in a coup within the Afghan Communist leadership." "Afghanistan - An Overview". Despite their claim that "The troops came in response to a plea for help from a legitamately constituted Karmal Government" "Afghanistan - An Overview" Western analysts say otherwise. According to Western analysts, the Soviets planned the evolution to replace the Afghan leader. -
Amir enrolls in College
Two years after immigrating to America, Amir graduated high school and "Enroll in junior college classe in the fall, I told Baba the day after graduation" (Hosseini 134). After writing so many short stories as hobbies for so many years, Amir decided to major in English in college. Despite all the things Baba expected him to be able to do, Amir stood up for himself for the first time. -
Amir gets Married
After acknowledging the fact that Baba's death would be near, Amir quickly asks Baba to ask for Soraya's hand. Shortly after their engagement, Amir got married saying, "For all the frenzied preparations that went into the wedding night [...] I only remembered a handful of it" (Hosseini 170). After seeing Soraya for the first time, Amir fell in love with her. With little talks during his time in the flea market, Amir knew she was the love of his life and asked Baba to ask her family for her hand. -
Baba Dies
Shortly after Amir and Soraya's marriage, Baba dies. After his putting up a fight with the cancer within his body, Baba takes medications to decrease the pain, and the night he told Soraya that he didn't need his medication, "Baba never woke up" (Hosseini 173). Shortly after their immigration to America, Baba was diagnosed with cancer which also killed him after he refused to go through chemotherapy. -
Hassan moves back to Kabul
In the summer of 1986, Hassan moves back to Kabul under the request of Rahim Khan. Hassan had told Rahim Khan that, "'We don't have that much to drop [...] We'll go with you. We'll help you take care of the house'" (Hosseini 207). Despite living happily in a peaceful area with family, Hassan insisted to go back to a violent city of Kabul after hearing the news of Baba's death. By doing such a thing, Hassan shows his loyalty to Baba and Amir's family. -
Farzana Gives Birth to First Child
During the fall that Hassan and his family moved back to Kabul, "Farzana gave birth to a stillborn baby girl" (Hosseini 209). Farzana was pregnant when Rahim Khan first arrived at Bamiyan. They burried the stillborn baby girl in the backyard and covered it with leaves. -
Ali Dies
In 1986, Ali dies from stepping on a land mine. Ali "Had been killed by a land mine two years before, just outside of Bamiyan" (Hosseini 206). Being infected with poliovirus from a young age, the disease might have been a huge contributing factor of his death. Rahim Khan mentions he had a feeling it might have been his right leg, which was forever in the state of paralysis, that step onto the land mine. -
Departure of Soviet Force
After staying in Afghanistan for more than nine long years, "[The Soviet] left behind a country that was not only devastated by the war but that had become a beacon to Islamic estremists from across the globe who had come to assist in the fighting" "Afghanistan - An Overview". Because of such people who came to assist in the fight, power was divided among these Islamic extremists, waiting for one group to concer over all others. -
Sanaubar Returns
During the mid-summer of 1990, Sanaubar goes to Baba's old house to return to Hassan. Rahim Khan told Amir than "I sat with Sanaubar all day as the sky went from blue to purple" (Hosseini 210). Leaving Hassan right after she gave birth to him, Sanaubar returns 26 years later in attempt atone for her sins in the past. From the irresistable beauty 26 years ago, she returns with a face with scars that mark her difficulties throughout the years. -
Sohrab is Born
In the winter of 1990 Farzana gave birth to their second child and named him Sohrab. Farzana was already pregnant when Sanaubar knocked on their door in mid-summer so, "It was Sanaubar who delivered Hassan's son that winter of 1990" (Hosseini 211). Being Sohrab's grandmother and the only other woman in the house Sanaubar delivered Sohrab. They named him Sohrab because that was also Hassan's favorite hero in the stories Amir used to read to him. -
After the Departure of the Soviet Force
Devastated by the war, "Afghanistan descended into bicious internecine strife' by the summer of 1994, power was anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms" "Afghanistan - An Overview". Because of the Soviet forces, the once stable country was destroyed waiting for one of the competing warlords to eventually take over. The group that eventually took over was the highly popular group the Taliban, supported with Pakistan aid. -
The Taliban Takeover
Starting as a student movement, "By the end of 1994 Mullah Omar had nearly 12,000 followers" "Afghanistan - An Overview". The Taliban was a movement committed to cleanse the country of sins that went against the "centrality of Islam" to everyday life. With this movement becoming popular, the Pakistan government aid Mullah Omar's men and assisted in navigating them in battle. -
Sanaubar Dies
Rahim Khan told Amir that, "She lived to see him turn four, and then, one morning, she just did not wake up" (Hosseini 211). They have gotten so used to and close with Sanaubar the news took everyone hard, especially Hassan. Though Sohrab was only four years old, he had grown up with his grandmother and kept looking for her after she died. -
Taliban Seize Control
After the 9/11 attack, "[Al Qaeda] had been given safe haven in the country by the Taliban, the extremist Islamic group that had seixed control in 1996 after years of civil war" "Afghanistan - An Overview". Taking over Afghanistan in 1996, the extremist Islamic group's power was removed during the 2001 invasion along with dislodging Al Qaeda thoug not abolishing either group. Despite all the damage the Taliban has caused, the group wasn't destroyed and the Taliban started to regain power again. -
Hassan and Farzana Die
Soon after Rahim Khan leaves for Peshawar, Hassan and Farzana were killed for living in a big house alone in Wazir Akbar Khan. Rahim Khan said he received a phone call telling him, "[The Taliban] told Hassan they would be supposedly keeping it safe until I return. Hassan protested again. So they took him to the street [...] and order him to kneel [...] and shot him in the back of the head [...] Farzana came screaming and attacked them [...] shot her too" (Hosseini 219). They died an unfair death -
Amir flies back to Pakistan
After leaving the Middle East for almost a quarter of a century, Amir was sitting in the backseat of a taxi-cab, "Three hours after [his] flight landed in Peshawar" (Hosseini 195). Following the unexpected phonecall from Rahim Khan and being aware of his sickness, Amir decided to go to Pakistan. Being the first adult to become his friend, Rahim Khan was a very important person to Amir, so Amir agreed to his request to see him for possibly the last time. -
Amir finds out Hassan's true Identity
In order for Amir to adopt Sohrab, Rahim Khan tells Amir Hassan's true identity, leaving him thinking, "How could i have been so blind? The signs had been there for me to see all along" (Hosseini 224). Knowing Amir's personality, by telling him the truth, Rahim Khan knew he wouldn't have had any other choice but to adopt Sohrab. By stating this fact to Amir, Rahim Khan played his final card, one of the only truths he can tell Amir, for him to adopt Sohrab to atone for his and Baba's sins. -
9/11
On September 11, 2001, the World Trade Center in New York was attacked, "President George W. Bush gave the Taliban an ultimatum to hand over Mr. bin Laden" "Afghanistan - An Overview". The Taliban refused and the United States joined forces with rebel groups that were against the Taliban rules. The Taliban was driven out of the major Afghan cities by the end of 2001. -
The Taliban Comeback
Overtime the Taliban regained power "Despite their defeat in 2001, the Taliban continued to wage a guerrilla warfare from the base in the mountainous and largely lawlwss tribal area on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border" "Afghanistan - An Overview". Since their defeat in 2001, the American focus went to Iraq and the Taliban reformed and expande its influence. America would then have to send its troops back to Afghanistan to warn the Taliban of operations against them. -
Obama Announces his Plan
On December 1st of 2009, "Mr. Obama announced his plan o deploy 30,000 additional troops" "Afghanistan - An Overview". President Obama stated that America cannot and "should not have to shoulder an open-ended commitment" "Afghanistan - An Overview" and would bring the American troops back from Afghanistan in 2011. -
The Obama Administration Changes its Mind
When July of 2011 came, "The Obama administration changed its tone to increasingly emphasize the idea that the United States will have forces in the country until at least the end of 2014" "Afghanistan - An Overview". Though President Obama vowed to return the American forces home, officials are warning the Taliban that the United States will continue aggressive operations against them and to convince Afghan that America is not walking away.