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The Kite Runner
For Hassans tenth birthday, Baba got him a surgeon,"'I am Dr. Kumar, he said ... 'my job is to fix things on people's bodies. Sometimes their faces."(Hosseini). Hassan and Amir were confused because this was a unusual gift. Later on, they found out that the surgeon was to fix his lip, Amir was jealous of Hassan getting that gift. -
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Kite Runner and the History of Afghanistan
Timeline on the Kite Runner
1975-present day -
The Kite Runner
Amir ran away from Hassans rape, "I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me."(Hosseini 77). Amir ran away and didn't stick up for Hassan like how Hassan stood up for him. He didn't want to get hurt by Assef and his friends so he didn't do anything about it. -
War in Afghanistan
The war in Afghanistan began on 27 April 1978, when the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) took power in a military coup, known as the Saur Revolution. "General Daud is overthrown and killed in a pro-Soviet coup. The People's Democratic Party comes to power but is paralysed by violent infighting and faces opposition by US-backed mujahideen (guerrilla fighters in Islamic countries) groups." http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253 -
The Kite Runner
Baba and Amir left in silence, didn't tell anyone but Rahim Khan. They went in a bus then a fuel tank," the fuel tank was pitch black... The air wasn't right, it was too thick, almost solid."(Hosseini 121). Baba and Amir would do anything to escape from the war. They knew that it would be a long ride but they still went on. -
The Kite Runner
Baba and Amir are escaping from the war and their life wasn't as good as before in Afghanistan,"Just one month after we arrived in the U.S., Baba found a job ... as an assistant at a gas station owned by an Afghan acquaintance ... Six days a week, Baba pulled twelve-hour shifts pumping gas, running the register, changing oil, and washing windshields."(Hosseini 130). Baba was working hard day and night and they lived in a small house. A while later, Baba got sick and he never got sick. -
The Kite Runner
Amir finally graduated from high school,"That summer of 1983, I graduated from high school at the age of twenty, by far the oldest senior ..."(Hosseini 131). Amir transferred to a high school in America so he had to start from freshman. Another reason why he was the oldest was because he hadn't learned the things they were learning in the US. -
The Kite Runner
Amir was happy with Soraya and married her," ... I married Soraya ..."(Hosseini 177). Soraya told Amir about all her secrets and her past, but Amir hasn't told her about Hassan. They both wanted a baby but Soraya couldn't have a baby (miscarriage). -
US supplies Mujahideen with military supplies
"US begins supplying mujahideen with Stinger missiles, enabling them to shoot down Soviet helicopter gunships. Babrak Karmal replaced by Najibullah as head of Soviet-backed regime."
US begins supplying mujahideen with Stinger missiles, enabling them to shoot down Soviet helicopter gunships. Babrak Karmal replaced by Najibullah as head of Soviet-backed regime.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253 -
The Kite Runner
Baba had gotten cancer,"Baba's was called 'Oat Cell Carcinoma. Advanced. Inoperable."(Hosseini 156). Baba refused chemotherapy but Amir disagreed with him. Later when they got home, Amir began crying because he felt like he couldn't live without Baba. -
The Kite Runner
Amir loves writing and he wrote a book,"I fished the roll of stapled pages from my back pocket."(Hosseini 152). The last time Amir and Soraya met, he promised that he would bring one of his books. Right when he gave her the book, he came face-to-face with General Taheri -
Banning women from doing things
Taliban seize control of Kabul and introduce hard-line version of Islam, banning women from work, and introducing Islamic punishments, which include stoning to death and amputations. -
US bombs Afghanistan
US-led bombing of Afghanistan begins following the September 11 attacks on the United States. Anti-Taliban Northern Alliance forces enter Kabul shortly afterwards. -
The Kite Runner
Amir was finally feeling atoned after he didn't stop Hassans rape, "My body was broken ... I felt healed. Healed at last."(Hosseini 289). Amir finally feels like he got what he deserved since 1975. He was looking forward to the beating and finally felt like he was at peace. -
The Kite Runner
Amir went to the Talibans place to get Sorhab, there he got beaten by Assef, "You have to earn him...the slingshot made a thwiiiiit sound when Sorhab released the cup. Then Assef was screaming."(Hosseini 219). Amir was getting severely injured then Sorhab couldn't take it anymore and shot Assef in the eye socket. Sorhab had saved Amir and they ran towards Farids car and drove away. -
The Kite Runner
After Amir promised Sorhab that he wouldn't put him back in the orphanage, he told him that he would have to put him in there. Sorhab begged and disagreed, " ... the bloody bathwater: the left arm dangling over the side of the tub, the bloodsoaked razor on the toilet tank.(Hosseini 348). Sorhab would rather die than go back to an orphanage. He said they did things to him. -
The Kite Runner
General Taheri doesn't treat Sorhab with respect because he is a Hazara, but Amir stands up for him,"You will never again refer to him as 'Hazara boy' in my presence. He has a name and its Sorhab."(Hosseini 361). Amir wants General Taheri to treat Sorhab with respect (standing up for him) because he didn't get a chance to do that with Hassan. Amir wants to make up for what he never did for Hassan so now he's seeking atonement by doing this. -
The Kite Runner
Amir is staring to feel like he is connecting to Hassan when Assef was beating in him,"blood from my split upper lip."(Hosseini 288). Hassan had a scar on his upper lip after the surgery. This quote is relating Amir and Hassan with the upper lip. -
The Kite Runner
Amir went back to Kabul to meet up with Rahim Khan and finds out that Hassan was his half brother and gets furious,"How could you hide this from me? From him?"(Hosseini 223). Amir is furious because Baba and Rahim Khan never told him or Hassan that they were half brothers. He starts tracing back to his old memories and saw a sign, Baba had hired a doctor to fix Hassans lip, never missing his birthday, and never considered getting new servants. -
King Zahir Shah returns
Former king Zahir Shah returns, but makes no claim to the throne and dies in 2007. -
The Kite Runner
Amir had lost Sorhabs trust and he hasn't talked or smiled ever since,"I looked down at Sorhab. One corner of his mouth curled up just so. A smile."(Hosseini 370). When Amir promised Sorhab that he wouldn't put him back to the orphanage, he said that he would have to put him back. Ever since then, Sorhab was "mute". -
NATO
Nato assumes responsibility for security across the whole of Afghanistan, taking command in the east from a US-led coalition force. -
The Strengthening of Afghanistan
US President Barack Obama unveils new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. An extra 4,000 US personnel will train and bolster the Afghan army and police and there will be support for civilian development. -
Leaks info about Afghanistan
Whistleblowing website Wikileaks publishes thousands of classified US military documents relating to Afghanistan. -
Bloodiest year since 2001
NATO formally ends its 13-year combat mission in Afghanistan, handing over to Afghan forces. Despite the official end to Isaf's combat role, violence persists across much of the country, with 2014 said to be the bloodiest year in Afghanistan since 2001. -
The US protects Afghanistan
US President Barack Obama says 8,400 US troops will remain in Afghanistan into 2017 in light of the "precarious security situation". NATO also agrees to maintain troop numbers and reiterates a funding pledge for local security forces until 2020.