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Shootings/ Bombing in Afghanistan
Having never heard gunshots, Amir and Hassan were greatly frightened and stayed huddle up for the night after the sound of bombs filled their ears. The Afghans, along with the city of "Kabul awoke the next morning to find that the monarchy was a thing of the past" (Hosseini 36). This significant plot point in the story shows the beginnings of a power shift in Afghanistan and previews in brief what will eventually take place. It also exposes Amir and Hassan to the dangers once unknown to them. -
Hassan's Tenth Birthday
Hassan's 10th birthday was approaching and Baba never missed a birthday for the world. This year, Baba's gift to Hassan was a plastic surgeon to fix his cleft lip. Eventually, his lip was fixed "which was ironic. Because that was the winter Hassan stopped smiling" (Hosseini 47). Moreover, Amir gives the impression that Hassan would soon loose his happiness and that something bad was approaching. This is a key piece of evidence foreshadowing the major events that were yet to come. -
Kite Tournament
When Amir and Hassan find out the yearly kite flying tournament is taking place in Kabul, they are determined to win. In the same tournament, Amir also says "In the Winter of 1975, I saw Hassan fly a kite for the last time" (Hosseini 55). Not only does this event foreshadow once again that Hassan was in for trouble, but also gives the reader a look into what a typical winter was like in Afghanistan. Similarly, it signifies the importance of kite flying to Hassan and Amir's childhood. -
Hassan's rape
After Amir and Hassan won the kite tournament, Hassan was raped by Assef and Amir secretely witnessed the whole thing. Amir could have stopped the situation, but "In the end, [he] ran" (Hosseini 77). This pivotal plot plot in the story shows Amir had sinned for not standing up for Hassan and explains why their friendship would soon after never be the same. The foreshadowing leading up to this had hinted that Hassan lost his happiness, and now it is obvious why -
Hassan and Ali leave Afghanistan
Amir framed Hassan for stealing his watch, which causes Hassan and Ali to leave. Because of this, Amir was heartbroken as he tells "I watched Baba's car pull away from the curb, taking with it the person who's first spoken word had been my name (109). This is a turning point in the story, as a huge part of Amir and Baba's life was suddenly gone, and they would now have to face living without family. This made Amir even more guilty for what he had done to Hassan. -
Soviet Union Invasion
The peace in Afghanistan ended when "the first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul on Dec. 27, 1979, to assist Babrak Karmal, who had become president in a coup within the Afghan Communist ledaership" (New York Times" -
Amir and Baba leave Kabul
Five years later, Afghanistan is ruled by the Talaban, which causes Amir and Baba to escape for their own safety. Amir describes leaving in the middle of the night by saying "My innards had been rolling since we'd left Kabul just after two in the morning" (110). After knowing Kabul as their home all their life, it is hard for Baba and Amir to make this sudden change and see the modern day Afghanistan under Talaban rule. The place they had known as home all their life was now being destroyed. -
Amir and Baba's move to America
After safely escaping Afghanistan, Amir and Baba decide to make the move to the America. It was a lot different from their society in Afghanistan, but offered many great opportunities and "Baba loved the idea" (125). This plot point changes the whole setting of the story and will soon start to unravel the power shifts and new way of life that Baba and Amir will soon have to adapt to in their new home. This is also where Amir eventually form a life of his own and mature as a adult. -
Amir meets Soraya
After adjusting to life in America, Amir is now 21 and has learned to mature and grow to be like his father. On one of the many days Amir and Baba spend at the Fremont farmer's market, Amir meets Soraya Taheri, who caught his eye at first sight. Amir later states "My heart stuttered at the thought of her" (142). This was the day Amir had met his future wife. This plot point also describes the new life that Amir and Baba have made in America and the mature side of Amir. -
Power Anarchically Divided In Afghanistan
New York times states "... by the summer of 1994, power was anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms." -
Pakistan advancements
Pakistani intelligence officers began making advancements in 1994 when they started "funneling arms, money and supplies to Mullah Omar's men, as well as military advisers to help them battle" (New York Times" -
Bin Laden arrives at Jalalabad
New York times says "The Taliban also provided a haven for Mr. bin Laden, who arrived by chartered jet at Jalalabad Airport in May 1996, and for Al Qaeda." -
Taliban Take Control
By 1996 The Taliban "had taken control of Afghanistan, imposing strict enforcement of fundamental islamic law, banning movies and music and forcing women out of schools and into all-enveloping burqa clothing" (New York Times) -
Taliban massacred the Hazaras
After the Taliban had announced an end to fighting, they had soon struck again. They had robbed Afghans of their freedom and "A few weeks later, the Taliban banned kite flying. And two years later, in 1998, they massacred the Hazaras..." (213). Hassan was a Hazara which poses an extremely devastating event for Amir, especially since he hasn't seen him since childhood. It's also devastating for Amir to see his childhood tradition of kite flying get banished. -
Amir finds out Rahim Khan is sick
After life is going good in America, Amir receives a call saying that Rahim Khan is very sick. This greatly effects Amir because he says "When I was a kid, he was the first grown up I ever thought as a close friend" (191). Rahim Khan is a very important person in Amir's life and after loosing Baba, he can't bare to loose someone else that important. This causes Amir to make an immediate trip to Pakistan to see Rahim Khan. -
Sohrab attempts suicide
After Amir tells Sohrab he might have to go back to an orphanage, he is hopeless. Prior to Amir finding him after his attempted suicide, Amir starts "screaming until [he] thought [his] throat would rip and [his] chest explode" (343). Amir feels as if taking care of Sohrab would make up for his sins or make him a better person. Since he was Hassan's son, Amir felt a huge responsibility to treat Sohrab as his own, and couldn't bare to see what he had done to himself. -
Assef and Amir fight
After trying to find Sohrab, Amir traces him back only to meet Assef, who beats him up in exchange for Sohrab. Amir was very weak when came to fighting Assef, as he describes "That was the first time I'd fought anyone. I had never so much as thrown a punch in my life" (288). This event causes Amir's sins of the past to haunt him as he remembers Hassan and Assef as children. Amir takes the beating form Assef just like Hassan took the sexual assault, and Amir was atoning for his sins. -
Sohrab arrives back in America with Amir
After going through a lot of work to get the adoption finalized for Sohrab, they finally arrive back home in America to Soraya. As Sohrab meets his new mother for the first time, Amir says "Looking at her smiling at Sohrab, her eyes tearing up a little, I had a glimpse of the mother she might have been..." (358). Even though Amir and Soraya did not have kids themselves, Sohbrab would become their own and they would have to learn how to raise him as a son. It was a very happy event for Amir. -
Al Qaeda Attack on Afghanistan
New York Times quotes "The United States had been military involved in Afghanistan since 2011, when it led an invasion after the Sept 11. attacks by Al Qaeda." -
World Trade Center Attack
A tragic event was the "attack on the World Trade Center in New York on Sept 11, 2001" (New York Times) -
Amir takes Sohrab Kite Flying
After having lived with Sohrab in America for over a year, Amir takes Soharb to a kite tournament. When Amir is teaching Sohrab how to fly kites he says to Sohrab "Did I ever tell you your father was the best kit runner..." (367). This was a way of bonding for Sohrab and Amir and also sad telling him about the father he had hardly grown up with or come to know. This also allows Sohrab to hear about a huge part of Amir and Hassan's childhood. -
Amir has hope in Sohrab
After going through a tough time prior to Assef's attempted suicide and harassment from Assef, Sohrab doesn't enjoy life anymore and has been robbed of a normal childhood. When Amir takes Sohrab kite flying, he sees a bit of hope and realness to Sohrab he had never seen before. Amir had gotten caught up with the downs in life that he "wondered when [he] had forgotten that, despite everything, he was still just a child" (369). In this moment Amir sees something new and hoped for new beginnings. -
Hamid Karzai for prez
Hamid Karazai "... took office as interim president in June 2002..." (New York Times" -
General Petraeus takes charge
New York Times quotes " General Petraeus, The Iraq commander who received much of the credit for success of the surge there, had taken charge of the United States Central Command in October 2008, with responsibility for military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and across the region." -
Obama's plan
New York times says " In a speech delivered Dec 1, 2009, at West Point, Mr. Obama announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops."