-
BOOK - Amir's Lip Surgery
For Hassan's birthday, Baba hires someone to repair Hassan's upper lip. This was so significant that even in 2001, Amir "kept thinking of that day" (Hosseini 219). This portrays that this moment was really important to Amir. He cherishes this moment as a key moment in his childhood. -
BOOK - The Win that was a Loss
This was the winter where Hassan got raped by Assef while Amir watched. He remembers, "In the winter of 1975, I saw Hassan run a kite for the last time" (Hosseini 55). This was the last time he and Hassan had fun running kites. This winter was a turning point in Amir's life and relationship with Hassan. -
REAL WORLD - New Constitution
In order to modernize the largely communist state,"Khan proposes a new constitution that grants women rights" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/). -
BOOK - Hassan leaves Amir
In the summer of 1976, Amir turned thirteen and had a large party. At this party, Hassan served Assef which had Amir feel really guilty. As a result, he tried to sabotage Hassan by placing money under his bed so he would get kicked out. Baba pleads to stay, but "Ali had already turned to the door" (Hosseini 107). This was a turning point as Hassan's life and family was completely altered. -
BOOK - Growing Up
Amir states, “I turned thirteen that summer of 1976, Afghanistan’s next to last summer of peace and anonymity” (Hosseini 93). This is significant because at such a young age he witnesses lots of horrors. It portrays how Afghanistan has no filters; war and poverty affects everyone in the country. -
REAL WORLD - Coup
in 1978, the president of Afghanistan, Khan "is killed in a communist coup" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/). -
REAL WORLD - Soviet Union Invasion
Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to "bolster the faltering communist regime" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/) -
BOOK - Leaving Kabul
According to the text, "[Amir's] innards had been roiling since [they'd] left for Kabul just after two in the morning" (Hosseini 110). Amir's life was changed as he left the only home he knew. This also leads to a major change in plot as they leave Afghanistan and enter a brand new completely different setting. -
BOOK - Kamal's Dad's Suicide
After Kamal dies, his father cries as he looked at his dead son then took a gun and "shoved the barrel in his own mouth" (Hosseini 124). This portrays how fathers have a deep connection to their children. Despite his outer walls, Baba cares deeply about Amir. -
BOOK - Reaching America
Baba and Amir flee Afghanistan after the Soviets invade. Amir thinks, "Baba loved the idea of America" (Hosseini 125). This is significant because it conveys how ready Baba is to move on from the tragedy in Afghanistan. -
REAL WORLD - People Flee
Following the Soviet invasion, "Some 2.8 million Afghans have fled from the war to Pakistan, and another 1.5 million have fled to Iran. Afghan guerrillas gain control of rural areas, and Soviet troops hold urban areas" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/). This conveys how war completely transformed many Afghan lives. -
BOOK - Settling into American Life
Amir graduates high school "embraced America" (Hosseini 136). This is significant because it conveys how he easily forgets his life in Afghanistan. However, Baba struggles to settle, proven at how he bursts "'What kind of a country is this? No one trusts anybody!'"(Hosseini 128). This conveys how Baba has a deep tie to Afghanistan. -
BOOK - Meeting Soraya
Amir and Baba start regularly running stands at an Afghan sector at the flea market. Here, Amir meets a woman named Soraya. Late at night, Amir thinks of her, "[His] Swap Meet Princess" (Hosseini 142). This is significant because a new important person enters Amir's life. -
BOOK - Baba Has Cancer
After a hacking cough, Amir takes Baba to the doctors. There, he realizes Baba has cancer. He thinks, "It turned out that, like Satan, cancer had many names. Baba's was called 'Oat Cell Carcinoma'"(Hosseini 156). In this moment, a very valuable person in Amir's life signs a contract with death. -
REAL WORLD - Rebel Aid
In order to help against the war, "[t]he Mujahadeen [a rebel group against the Soviets] are receiving arms from the United States, Britain and China via Pakistan" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/). -
REAL WORLD - Al-Qaida forms
In order to fight against the Soviets and others who oppose their view of Islam, "Osama bin Laden and 15 other Islamists form the group al-Qaida" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/) -
REAL WORLD - Soviets Left Afghanistan
The Soviets leave Afghanistan after "[t]he U.S., Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Soviet Union sign peace accords in Geneva guaranteeing Afghan independence and the withdrawal of 100,000 Soviet troops" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/). -
BOOK - The Child of Hassan
Rahim Khan informs Amir and Hassan's like and explains, "It was Sandbar who delivered Hassan's son that winter of 1990."(Hosseini 211). Sohrab becomes a majorly important character as Amir eventually adopts his to atone for his mistakes. -
BOOK - Amir and Soraya Try to Have a Baby
After failing to receive a baby, Soraya has concerns. She explains. "For one thing, they grow up and want to know who their natural parents are" (187). This conveys how their culture has an intense belief that blood is family. It also may lead Amir to find other means to have a child. -
REAL WORLD - Taliban Rise to Power
The Taliban rises to power because "[m]ost Afghans, exhausted by years of drought, famine and war, approve of the Taliban for upholding traditional Islamic values. The Taliban outlaw cultivation of poppies for the opium trade, crack down on crime, and curtail the education and employment of women" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/). -
BOOK - Amir Recieves a Call from Rahim Khan
Amir receives a call from Rahim Khan to explain he is sick. This leaves Amir to explain this to his wife by saying, "'I have to go to Pakistan'" (Hosseini 191). This is significant because the plot will shift back to his life in Afghanistan. Amir will have to face his past. -
BOOK - Discovering the Truth
After meeting with Rahim Khan, Amir learns about the life of Hassan and his deeper relationship to Hassan. He discovers Hassan and his wife was killed by the Taliban. He also learns Hassan was his biological brother. Upon learning this, "All [Hassan] could manage to do was to whisper 'No. No. No.' over and over again" (Hosseini 219). This was a revelation to Amir. He completely betrayed him all those years ago with his rape and now his world comes tumbling down. -
REAL WORLD - September 11 Attacks
The September 11 attacks was when "Hijackers commandeer four commercial airplanes and crash them into the World Trade Center Towers in New York, the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C., and a Pennsylvania field, killing thousands. Days later, U.S. officials say bin Laden, the Saudi exile believed to be hiding in Afghanistan, is the prime suspect in the attack" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan/). This event is a majorly known one throughout the entire world. -
REAL WORLD - New Leadership
In order to combat increased violence, "NATO takes over security in Kabul in August. The effort is the security organization’s first-ever commitment outside of Europe" (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan). -
BOOK - Arriving Home
After an eventful time at Afghanistan, Sohrab and Amir "arrived home about seven months ago, on a warm day in August 2001" (357). This moment Sohrab reaches his new home and they become a family. Amir has an opportunity to be a better friend to Hassan.