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Hassan is Born
Hassan and Amir have both lost their mothers, as Sanaubar gave birth to Hassan and then "ran off with a clan of traveling singers and dancers"(Hosseini 6). Despite their contrasting level of power and wealth, Hassan and Amir share much in common.Amir lost his mother at birth and Hassan a week later after he was born.Though Amir finds himself superior, the reader understands that the only differing factor between the boys is their ethnicity. Therefore, the later actions of Amir are unjustifiable. -
Daoud Khan Ends Zahir Shah's Reign With a Bloodless Coup
For the first time, Amir notices "fear" in his father's face after the coup blocked roads and telephone signals. The author depicts Baba to be very determined and brave; however, this event reveals that even a man like Baba can be afraid. As a result, Amir is capable of understanding the severity of the attack and the amount of danger he is in. -
Hassan's Harelip is Fixed
As Amir describes the results of the surgery, he informs the reader that the winter of 1975 "was the winter that Hassan stopped smiling(Hosseini 47). Surprisingly, after Hassan receives the abilities of a normal lip, Amir foreshadows that Hassan will no longer smile. Thus, this hint induces the reader to be alert of significant events, and will later help the reader comprehend the reason for Hassan's sadness. -
Assef Rapes Hassan
As Amir watches Assef commit his sin in the alley, he compares Hassan's look to the "look of the lamb"(76). After this event, Amir tries to console himself for remaining silent during the rape by telling himself that Hassan is just a Hazara and was born to make sacrifices for Amir.In fact, Amir sadly admits that he believes Hassan is the sacrifice he must make to gain Baba's love. The event forces the reader to consider Amir's selfish perspective by seeing the extent he goes to for Baba's love. -
Ali and Hassan Ask to Leave the House
Once again, Amir recognizes fear in Baba as he begs for his servants to stay, and Amir can "never forget the way Baba said that, the pain in his plea, the fear"(Hosseini 107). Though Ali clearly presented his wish to separate, Baba still begs. Furthermore, as Baba reluctantly drives his servants away, he exposes the hidden power in Ali, and his own power's limits to enforce actions. Thus, Baba's shift in power to Ali proves that status and wealth can only provide restricted power over others. -
Soviet Invasion in Afghanistan
The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to "assist Barack Karmal, who had become president in a coup within the Afghan Communist leadership"(The New York Times). -
Period: to
Timespan of the History of Afghanistan
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Amir Marries Soraya
Even during his wedding, Amir wonders if Hassan "had married...[and] Whose henna-painted hands he had held?"(Hosseini 171). the fact that Amir thinks about Hassan in all of his happy moments after twenty or so years proves that Amir still feels the same guilt he did years ago. Amir's thoughts induce the reader to infer that Amir believes he was a significant factor in Hassan's life, and that his actions altered the rest of Hassan's happiness. -
Baba Dies
Commonly throughout the novel, Baba possesses a powerful influence over others and continues to, even after his death. Amir realizes that he "had been defined by Baba and the marks he had left on peoples' lives"(Hosseini 174). Consequently, Amir feels obliged to live up to be "Baba's son" after Baba's death, but clearly lacks his father's morals and characteristics, as shown in his past. Nonetheless, the reader and other characters do not expect Amir to perform actions of morality. -
Soviets Leave Afghanistan
After influence from the United Nations, the Soviets departed from Afghanistan, but they "left behind a country...that had become a beacon to Islamic extremists..."(The New York Times". -
Power Division Dilemma
Once the Soviets left, the governemnt's power over Afghanistan was "anarchially divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms"(The New York Times). -
Birth of Taliban
Mullah Omar became the founder of the Taliban and he gathered "nearly 12,000 followers... with the promise of restoring the centrality of Islam to daily life..."(The New York Times). -
Pakistan Supports the Taliban
Pakistan began helping the Taliban in 1994, as the "Pakistani intelligence officers began funneling arms, money, and supplies to Mullah Omar's men, as well as military adviders to help guide them in battle"(The New York Times). -
Beginning of Taliban Control
With help from Pakistan, the "Taliban by 1996 had taken control of Afghanistan, imposing strict fundamentalist Islamic law,... forcing women out of schools..."(The New York Times). -
Amir Returns to Pakistan and Meets Rahim Khan
Years after the chaos,Amir finds Rahim Khan at an old, dirty apartment with a "wispy mattress set along the wall, across the window overlooking the noisy street below"(197).The setting of the characters' reunion exemplifies the destruction of Rahim Khan's socioeconomic status.Similarly, though Baba left for America,in the end,he and Rahim Khan both faced a loss of power the same time their country fell into the hands of terrorists.Thus,their socioeconomic status depended on Afghanistan's status. -
Amir Finds Out Hassan is His Half Brother
Amir is shocked when he discovers his father had been lying to him his entire life,but realizes that they had "both betrayed people who would've given their lives for...[them]"(226). In most of the novel, Hosseini contrasts Baba and Amir, but after the truth is revealed, Baba and Amir's similarities in their sins refute any previous differences in their characters.Moreover, an analogy is presented, as Baba betrayed Ali the way Amir betrayed Hassan.Amir is the one to atone for both of their sins. -
Amir Revisits Kabul After Many Years
Years after the chaos, Amir compares returning to Kabul to"running into an old,forgotten friend and seeing that life hadn't been good to him, that he'd become homeless and destitute"(246).Back in the US, Amir was aware of the disastrous situation in Kabul, but chose to remember Kabul in all of its glory. Likewise, Amir's comparison of Kabul to an old friend hints Amir's deep feelings of sadness for Hassan, as Hassan's state had not been so different than Afghanistan's. -
Assef and Amir Fight
Sohrab resembles his father in many ways, as years ago, Hassan defended Amir from Assef when he threatened to use his slingshot.Unbelievingly, Sohrab saved Amir with his slingshot, then "took...[Amir's] hand"(291).Ironically, this time, Assef loses one of his eyes and Amir and Assef seem to have earned what they deserved after years of unworthy peace. In fact, Amir's and Assef's fighting is a significant event because it ignites Amir's motivation to help Sohrab and to begin forgiving himself. -
Sohrab Gets Lost in Islamabad
Unsurprisingly, Amir worries about Sohrab and the hotel manager offers to drive Amir to find Sohrab because, like Amir, the manager is a "father"(315). The reader is aware of the falsity of the term, but Amir soon begins to act like a father to Sohrab, especially when he brings Sohrab home to America. Once again, Hosseini foreshadows the relationship of Amir and Sohrab through the single word and Amir's accepting response to the manager. -
Amir tells Sohrab that they're related
As Amir and Sohrab ponder the reason why no one had told Amir or Hassan that they were half-brothers,Sohrab blurts out that it must've been "because he[Hassan]was a Hazara"(322).Though Sohrab is young,he too realizes the difference in power and the value of lives between Pashtuns and Hazaras.With Sohrab's proposal, the reader is encouraged to decipher Baba's genuine need for lying. The author intends to provoke the reader to question if Amir would have acted differently, had he known the truth. -
Sohrab Commits Suicide
When Sohrab cuts himself because he doesn't want to go back to an orphanage,Amir prays to God that his hands don't get"stained with the blood of his[Hassan's]boy too"(346).Evidently, Amir's mission is to receive atonement through helping Sohrab,thus when this tragic event occurs,Amir pleads to God so he himself won't feel more guilt and so Sohrab can live the life he deserves;but, the reader is unable to refrain from wondering whether Amir wishes for Sohrab's health for selfish reasons or pity. -
Beginning of US Involvement in Afghanistan
After the September 11 attacks by Al-Qaeda, the United States "has been militarily involved in Afghanistan..."(the New York Times). -
Taliban is Defeated
An interim governement replaced the Taliban after defeating them and made "Hamid Karzai, a supporter and relative of Mohammed Zahir Shah, the exiled former king of Afghanistan,... the leader of the country"(The New York Times). -
Amir and Sohrab Fly to America to Start a New Life
Sohrab rarely speaks after coming to the US,but after he nods, asking Amir to run a kite for him,Amir familiarly replies that he would "a thousand times over"(371). Ironically, Hassan had used the same phrase to Amir twenty-six years ago.As a result, Amir's usage of the phrase proves he feels bringing Sohrab to America was the equivalent of atoning for his sins. The first scene of the novel was a flashback to Hassan's tragedy, and Hosseini's intent to end the novel with this scene justifies so. -
Hamid Karzai Becomes President
Hamid Karzai officially started to govern Afghanistan as an interim president and "hoped to secure peace for Afghanistan and win the country much-needed international aid"(The New York Times). -
Mr. Karzai is Reelected
Though Mr. Karzai was "elected to a five-year term as president", the Afghan people blamed him for the stumped economic progress. -
US Sends Troops to Afghanistan
Mr. Obama "announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops" to Afghanistan.