-
Amir's opinion on Hassan is altered.
After hearing Amir's first short story, Hassan questions why a character acted in a certain way. As a response to Hassan's curiosity, Amir thinks to himself, "What does he know, that illiterate Hazara? ... How dare he criticize you?" (Hosseini 34). That night was the first time Amir ever felt truly superior to Hassan. From that point on, Amir's actions regarding Hassan completely change due to his realization of their difference in socioeconomic status. -
Amir tricks Hassan.
In an attempt to mock Hassan's illiteracy, Amir pretends to read a story but actually makes up his own. When Amir finishes, Hassan claims that it was "the best story [he] read to him in a long time" (Hosseini 30). This event is significant in Amir's life because it is the point where he realizes his amazing ability to create stories. Although it began as a trick, Amir's trick led him to pursue a career in writing as an adult. -
Afghanistan is declared a republic.
According to an account by RadioFreeEurope RadioLiberty regarding the coup de tat that lead to Afghanistan becoming a republic, "Daoud Khan's coup marked the end of the last relatively peaceful and prosperous period of their lives" (Synovitz). -
Hassan is raped.
As Hassan is raped by Assef, Amir runs away from the scene out of fear. When he sees Hassan next, he is unable to look at Amir because he was terrified of seeing "what [he] feared most: guileless devotion" (Hosseini 78). This is the first time Amir states how much Hassan valued him and it is also the time that he realizes that it is necessary to distance himself from Hassan. After this point, Amir and Hassan's relationship drastically changes due to Amir's guilt over not fighting for Hassan. -
Amir frames Hassan.
After receiving a present from Hassan and Ali, Amir feels guilty for not defending Hassan. As a result, Amir "lifted Hassan's mattress and planted [his] new watch and a handful of ... bills under it" (Hosseini 104). Ultimately, Amir's guilt forces Ali and Hassan to leave Baba and Amir, resulting in a lost friendship between the two. For the rest of their lives, Amir and Hassan never meet again, and Amir is left with sins that have not been atoned. -
Daoud is overthrown. The People's Democratic Party comes to power.
According to History.com, "The murder of a leading Afghan Communist Party leader ... may have their successful campaign against the Daoud regime later that month" (History.com) -
The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan.
History.com states that "the Soviets organized a massive military airlift into Kabul .... Within a few days, the Soviets had secured Kabul" (History.com). -
Amir and Baba flee Afghanistan.
As Baba and Amir ride in a fuel tank, Amir becomes anxious and carsick. In order to comfort his son, Baba tells Amir to "'Think of something good .... Something happy'" (Hosseini 122). Baba and Amir's fleeing of Afghanistan becomes the point where the two realize how much they are going to depend on each other once they enter America. Although the two are leaving behind everything they know, they still have each other, which will help them survive in the United States. -
Baba realizes the difference between Kabul and America.
After being accused of theft, it occurs to Baba that people in America do not have trust for one another, and begins to miss life in Kabul. Amir felt that, for himself, "America was a place to bury [his] memories. For Baba, a place to mourn his" (Hosseini 129). The two contrasting beliefs regarding America follow the two men as they grow older. Since Amir is young, his ability to use America to forget his youthful arrogance helps him grow, but Baba longs to return to simpler times. -
Amir graduates from high school.
After Amir's graduation ceremony, Baba says, "'I am moftakhir, Amir' ... proud" (Hosseini 131). In America, Amir begins to hear his father say things that would have been unknown to him if they had stayed in Kabul. No longer living under Afghanistan's cultural standards, Amir and Baba's relationship begins to flourish. Though the move was difficult for the both of them, it enabled the two to rely on each other and develop a bond much different than what they had in Kabul. -
Amir meets Soraya.
After a brief encounter with Soraya at the flea markets, Amir inquires about her In response to Amir's questions, Baba gravely says, "'All I've heard is that there was a man once and things ... didn't go well'" (Hosseini 141). Living in America, Soraya's past does not follow her as it would in Kabul. Similarly, Amir's former life with Hassan begins to leave him as he distances himself from the places that the boys grew up, which presents America as a place to escape a person's past. -
Amir and Soraya are married.
On the night of his wedding, Amir thinks of the people he left behind in Afghanistan, specifically "wondering if Hassan too had married" (Hosseini 171). Although Amir still feels remorseful for failing to defend Hassan, Amir's feelings of adoration for Hassan never leave. Although the two have not interacted in years, Hassan remains a constant memory and thought in Amir's mind. -
Baba dies.
At Baba's wake, Amir realizes that, his entire life, he "had been 'Baba's son' .... Baba couldn't show [Amir] the way anymore .... The thought of it terrified [him]" (Hosseini 174). The grief that Amir feels causes him to question his ability to act as his own person, rather than his father's son. Although the close relationship that Baba and Amir developed does not become truly evident until the end of Baba's life, the time the two spent together help Amir make decisions in the future. -
Peace accords are signed and Soviets begin to leave.
According to History.com, "the Red Army’s failure to suppress the guerrillas, and the high cost of the war in Russian lives and resources, caused significant discord in the Communist Party and Soviet society" (History.com). -
Amir's first novel is set to be published.
When Amir discovers that his book will be published, he speaks with Soraya, acknowledging the pride Baba would have felt and "wishing [Baba] could have seen [him]" (Hosseini 183). Much of what Amir does is based on his desire for Baba's pride and respect. Although Baba is no longer physically with Amir, Amir wishes to bring pride and dignity to Baba's name by leading a successful and good life to make up for the disappointment he felt he was to Baba as a child. -
The last Soviet troops leave Kabul.
According to History.com, "the Soviet Withdrawal mean an end to the death and destruction .... Civil war continued to wrack the nation" (History.com) -
Amir reconnects with Rahim Khan and receives a letter from Hassan.
Upon his return to Pakistan, Amir reads a letter written to him by Hassan that reveals Hassan's wishes to reunite with Amir. At the end of his letter, Hassan tells Amir that, if he returns, "'[He] will find an old faithful friend waiting for [him]'" (Hosseini 218). Although Amir did not treat Hassan as kindly as he should have, Hassan still longs to rekindle the friendship the pair once had. Hassan's letters help Amir to move past his wrongdoings and seek atonement. -
Amir begins to look for Sohrab.
While looking for Hassan's orphaned son, Sohrab, Amir begins to "imagine that things might have turned out differently if [he] hadn't [driven Ali and Hassan out of the house]" (Hosseini 226). Amir's forever unanswered questions cause him to feel a stronger need to find Sohrab and protect him from the warzone that Afghanistan has become. Amir begins to feel that the only way to atone his sins against an entire family is to save the only link left to Hassan and his family. -
Amir meets one of his mother's former colleagues.
While walking the streets of the city to find Sohrab, a beggar reveals that he used to teach at the university with Amir's mother (Hosseini 249). By discovering that the most surprising person, a beggar, held a connection to him, Amir begins to feel more hopeful in his search for atonement, remembering that Afghanistan is full of connections. The use of a beggar to portray a former professor also illustrates the devastating effects the war had on Afghanistan's civilization. -
Amir adopts Sohrab.
As General Taheri asks Amir what to tell people when they see that Soraya and Amir adopted a Hazara boy, Amir tells the general to "'Never again refer to him as 'Hazara boy' .... He has a name and it's Sohrab'" (Hosseini 361). By stopping Sohrab from being referred to as the 'Hazara boy', Amir is preventing the same mistreatment that Hassan received as a child from their society. Amir feels that Sohrab is his second chance to lead a good life, and wants to do all he can to protect Sohrab. -
Taliban seize control of Kabul.
BBC.com states that the Taliban introduced "hard-line version of Islam, banning women from work and introduce Islamic punishments, which include stoning to death and amputations" (BBC) -
The leader of the main opposition to the Taliban, Ahmad Shah Masoud, is assassinated.
Paul Wolf of Global Research states that "Massoud has become an abstract symbol of the defeat of the Taliban, the defeat of the Soviet Union, and of the Afghan "resistance" generally" (Wolf) -
Afghanistan is bombed by the U.S.
History.com states that "The invasion of Afghanistan was the opening salvo in the United States 'war on terrorism'" (History.com). -
Hamid Karzai is inaugurated.
According to BBC.com, "Hamid Karzai is sworn in as head of an interim power-sharing government" (BBC.com). -
International Security Assistance Force is deployed.
According to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, International Security Assistance Force's "primary objective was ... to ensure Afghanistan would never again become a safe haven for terrorists" (nato.int).
