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1973 Mohammed Zahir Shah
PBS mentions, "Khan overthrows the last king, Mohammed Zahir Shah, in a military coup. Khan’s regime, the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan, comes to power. Khan abolishes the monarchy and names himself president. The Republic of Afghanistan is established with firm ties to the USSR."
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan -
1965 The Afghan Communist Party
The Afghan Communist Party secretly forms. The group’s principal leaders are Babrak Karmal and Nur Mohammad Taraki. -
Slingshot incident
As Assef tried to punch Amir, “Hassan held the slingshot pointed directly at Assef’s face. His hand trembled with the strain of the pulled elastic band and beads of sweat had erupted on his brow...”(42). Hassan knew he had to be there for Amir as Assef was approaching them. This shows how even though Hassan and Amir are in different socioeconomic status Hassan protects Amir as much as he can. -
Hassan gets his lip fixed
Later when Amir and Hassan get settled they take Hassan to get his lip fixed, "Then his lips twisted, and, that time, I knew just what he was doing. He was smiling.." (47). Baba and Amir are so proud of Hassan for accepting the opportunity for he needed this pleasure from Baba. This shows how Hassan should be grateful of Baba for the was smiling. -
Period: to
Women's Right
Khan proposes a new constitution that grants women rights and works to modernize the largely communist state. He also cracks down on opponents, forcing many suspected of not supporting Khan out of the government. -
hassan and the watch- hassan and Ali move
After Amir blames Hassan for stealing his watch Ali and Hassan leave, “Baba took Ali and Hassan to the bus station..If this were one of the Hindi movies Hassan and I used to watch.. We’d hug in the downpour”(108 & 109). This shows how one by one Amir regrets and always get reminded back to how Hassan is gone. Because of Hassan socio economic status, Amir overall does feel so ashamed and guilty for leaving him. -
1978 Khan gets killed
Khan is killed in a communist coup. Nur Mohammad Taraki, one of the founding members of the Afghan Communist Party, takes control of the country as president, and Babrak Karmal is named deputy prime minister. They proclaim independence from Soviet influence and declare their policies to be based on Islamic principles, Afghan nationalism, and socioeconomic justice. Taraki signs a friendship treaty with the Soviet Union. -
1979 The Relationship between Afganistan & U.S
American Ambassador Adolph Dubs is killed. The United States cuts off assistance to Afghanistan. A power struggle between Taraki and Deputy Prime Minister Hafizullah Amin begins. Taraki is killed on Sept. 14 in a confrontation with Amin supporters. The USSR invades Afghanistan on Dec. 24 to bolster the faltering communist regime. -
Soraya and Amir Get Married
After Amir settles in America he then finds his love and his future, "My heart stuttered at the thought of her. Soraya Taheri. My Swap Meet Princess ...Then the wedding, which would be paid for by Baba. We all agreed that Soraya and I would forgo the Shirini-khori. "(142 & 169). Amir needed this love beside him whenever he struggled with being lonely he'd always want someone by his side with he had found. -
Baba has cancer
As Baba starts to get sick they head over to the doctors and find out, "Cancer? 'Possible. It's suspicious anyway.. the doctor muttered"(154). Baba unexpectedly gets the info that he is not doing well towards his lungs but he toughs it out like a "man." This is a important moment in the book because this shows how Amir will be the supportive son to Baba when he is struggling. This shows how Baba is getting old but he has Amir who will guide him just like baba taught Amir to. -
Amir, Baba, and the others at fuel truck
Both Baba and Amir get ready to find their own future dad and son aboard where they can experience a new life, "They made me sad for Baba. After everything he'd built, planned, fought for, fretted over, dreamed of, this was the summation of his life: one disappointing son and two suitcases"(124). Amir is somewhat sad but Baba sacrifices his standing in Afghanistan and rises to lead his son's career. This shows how Baba is really brave and caring because he does all he can. -
Amir graduates high school
After settling in America Amir finally graduates through the works of Baba, "That summer of 1983, I graduated from high school at the age of twenty, by far the oldest senior...'I am moftakhir, Amir,' he said. Proud"'(131). Baba confidently smiles as Amir graduates in America ready to blast to college. After all that Baba had done to set a pathway for Amir he is ultimately really proud of his son to be happy. -
Hassan dies
Before Amir can atone for his sins, " I struggled to find the right words. I'd barely had time to deal with the fact that Hassan was dead" (220). Hassan dies by getting raped by the Taliban leaders before Amir can atone for what he had done. Amir struggles with knowing that Hassan died because he wanted to bring back memories with him later. This reveals how Hassan dies from his Afghan values of being a Hazara boy. -
Baba dies
Baba dies, Amir gets brought back Baba’s presence,” My father died a few years ago, and, yes I do miss him... Baba’s thick neck, his black eyes..”(317). After Baba passes away Amir again gets thrown back into the memories he had with Baba. Although this shows how much Amir handles with how much he had sacrificed to get acknowledged from Baba. This is a important part of the book because this shows the significance of the relationship of Baba and Amir’s past. -
1995 Famine
Newly formed Islamic militia, the Taliban, rises to power on promises of peace. Most Afghans, exhausted by years of drought, famine, and war, approve of the Taliban for upholding traditional Islamic values. The Taliban outlaw the cultivation of poppies for the opium trade, the crackdown on crime, and curtail the education and employment of women. -
Period: to
1995-1999 Drought
Continuing drought devastates farmers and makes many rural areas uninhabitable. More than 1 million Afghans flee to neighboring Pakistan, where they languish in squalid refugee camps. -
March 2001
Ignoring international protests, the Taliban carry out their threat to destroy Buddhist statues in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, saying they are an affront to Islam. -
Sorab slingshots Assef in the eye
As Amir goes to pull out Sohrab from the Taliban leaders, Amir gets abused but, “Sohrab had the slingshot pointed to Assef’s face...the slingshot made a thwiiii sound when Sohrab released the cup..”(291). Just like in the beginning of the book Hassan was debating on slinging the slingshot this time Sohrab defends Amir. Sohrab chooses to protect Amir from Assef through the big chaos. -
Amir brings Sohrab back to America
After Sohrab later gets better," Can you believe me? I dropped my voice.' Will you come with me"...what he got was me and America"(355 &356). Amir finally takes Sohrab with him as his brave uncle staying by him trying to interact with Sohrab. This was Amir's goal and the duty that he accomplished. This shows how Amir can atone for what he had done by saving his nephew by the power of God. -
Amir finds out that Hassan is his half-brother
As Amir goes back to Afghanistan he meets up with Rahim Khan and finds out new information behind his hometown, " I too wanted to protect Baba's secret. But there had been enough lies already. 'He was my half-brother"(237). This shows how guaranteed Amir will get to atone for what he had done in his young age. Since Hassan is his half-brother there is a better chance that Amir would go back and save Hassan's son like a good uncle. -
Sohrab in slience
After Sohrab heals and returns to America with Amir Sohrab is in, "Slience is pushing the OFF button. Shutting it down. All of it"(361).This shows how traumatized Sohrab is to a new country and new faces to see. All he can do is to be in silence and be shy around people. This shows how uncomfortable he is but Amir starts to welcome him each step by step. -
Sohrab and Amir fly a kite
After Sohrab and Amir settle back at America, Amir starts by showing Sohrab how to fly a kite. Amir waits for this day to come when, “In the winter of 1975, just after I had cut the last kite, when I spotted Baba on our rooftop, clapping, beaming. I looked down at Sohrab. One corner of his mouth had curled up just so. A smile.Lopsided”(371). Amir is so proud for he’d always wanted to see Sohrab smile because Amir waited for this moment because he is like a dad to Sohrab. -
Sorab tries to suicide
" I pushed the door open. Stepped into the bathroom. Suddenly I was on my knees, screaming.. Later, they said I was still screaming when the ambulance arrived" (343). Sorab tries to suicide after hearing that Sohrab might have to stay at a orphanage. This shows how Sohrab felt when he heard that he had to be away from his family. This is a really important event in the book because this is so traumatizing for Sohrab going through getting abused in the orphanage. -
9/11/2001
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. -
2001
Two days later, Taliban leaders surrender the group’s final Afghan territory, the province of Zabul. The move leads the Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press to declare “the rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan has totally ended.”
