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Zahir Shah became king
In the year of 1933 in Afghanistan, a big longtime change occurs since "Zahir Shah becomes king. The new king brings a semblance of stability to the country and he rules for the next 40 years." -
Ali is introduced to Amir's family
In 1933, during Zahir Shah's reign, some young men killed a Hazara couple. The police "brought the somewhat contrite young men and the dead couple's five-year-old orphan boy before my grandfather"(24). In the end, "[Amir's] grandfather adopted him into his own household and told the other servants to tutor him, but to be kind to him. That boy was Ali" (24-25). -
Assef gets into a fight with Amir and Hassan
As Assef gets mad at Amir for having Hazara's in his house, he says "You're part of the problem, Amir. If idiots like you and your father didn't take these people in, we'd be rid of them by now" (41). Just as Assef is about to hit Amir, he sees Hassan has a slingshot aimed at his face. Hassan protests to Assef by saying "Please leave us alone, Agha"(42). Assef decided to leave them alone just because of Hassan's slingshot. -
Daoud Khan overthrows Zahir Shah
In the year of 1973 in Afghanistan "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." -
Khan proposes for a new Constitution
In 1975, "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." It was a hard time for people who didn't agree with Khan's ways. -
Amir proves himself to Baba
Right as Amir wins, he notices himself "screaming, and everything was color and sound, everything was alive and good. [He] was throwing [his] free arm around Hassan and [they] were hopping up and down, both of [them] laughing, both of [them] weeping" (66). Amir witnesses Hassan getting raped and notices "a look [he] had seen before. It was the look of the lamb" (76) on Hassan's face. He could have helped Hassan but "[He] was afraid of Assef and what he would do to [him]" (77). -
Hassan gets raped
Amir witnesses Hassan getting raped and notices "a look [he] had seen before. It was the look of the lamb" (76) on Hassan's face. He could have helped Hassan but "[He] was afraid of Assef and what he would do to [him]" (77). -
Ali and Hassan leave Baba and Amir's house
When Amir puts money and a watch under Ali and Hassan's matress and blames them for stealing it, Ali and Hassan leave. They both know about Hassan's rape and how Amir reacted to it. Ali explains to Baba that "'[They] are leaving'...'[They] can't live here anymore'" (89). Baba however protests and says 'But I forgive him, Ali, didn't you hear?'". However, Ali explains that "'Life here is impossible for us now, Agha sahib. We're leaving'''(89). -
Khan is killed
Khan is killed and "conservative Islamic and ethnic leaders who objected to social changes introduced by Khan begin an armed revolt in the countryside. In June, the guerrilla movement Mujahideen is created to battle the Soviet-backed government." -
Baba and Amir move to America
Baba and Amir move to San Francisco. This is good news for Amir because "For [him], America was a place to bury [his] memories. For Baba, a place to mourn his" (108). This led him to take his mind off of the sins he made in Afghanistan that he regrets. -
Soraya and Amir get married
Soraya and Amir get married and they "settled into the routines-and minor wonders-of married life. We shared toothbrushes and socks, passed each other the morning paper. She slept on the right side of the bed, I preferred the left. She liked fluffy pillows, I liked the hard ones. She ate her cereal dry, like a snack, and chased it with milk" (155). Amir is extremely to have someone he loves in his life. -
Baba dies
"'IT STARTED WITH A HACKING COUGH and the sniffles. He got over the sniffles, but the cough persisted. He'd hack into his handkerchief, stow it in his pocket. I kept after him to get it checked, but he'd wave me away. He hated doctors and hospitals. To my knowledge, the only time Baba had ever gone to a doctor was the time he'd caught malaria in India'" (129). Baba's condition however worsens and Baba eventually dies. -
Taliban rises to power in Afghanistan
In 1995, a new change occurs in Afghanistan. This leads for a "Newly formed Islamic militia, the Taliban, [to] [rise] 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 cultivation of poppies for the opium trade, crack down on crime, and curtail the education and employment of women." -
Hassan and Farzana are murdered
Hassan and Farzana were murdered but sadly as Rahim Khan has explained"were dismissed as a case of self-defense. No one said a word about it. Most of it was fear of the Taliban, [he] think[s]. But no one was going to risk anything for a pair of Hazara servants" (186). -
General Taheri isn't sure he wants Sohrab in his family
Sohrab is introduced into Amir's family but General Taheri is concerned that "[he] [has] to deal with the community's perception of our family. People will ask. They will want to know why there is a Hazara boy living with our daughter" (319). -
Amir stands up for Sohrab
When the General shows his concerns of having Sohrab living with them, Amir responds by saying "'you see, General Sahib, my father slept with his servant's wife. She bore him a son named Hassan. Hassan is dead now. That boy sleeping on the couch is Hassan's son. He's my nephew. That's what you tell people when they ask'. 'And one more thing, General Sahib,'I said. 'You will never again refer to him as 'Hazara boy' in my presence. He has a name and it's Sohrab.'" -
Amir fights Assef
Amir comes in contact with Taliban leader Assef and fights him. He afterwards feels cured and "[remembers] the day on the hill I had pelted Hassan with pomegranates and tried to provoke him. He'd just stood there, doing nothing, red juice soaking through his shirt like blood...I hadn't felt better, not at all. But I did now. My body was broken--just how badly I wouldn't find out until later--but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed" (248). -
Sohrab attempts suicide
As Amir explains to Sohrab about life in America, he reveals one condition to going they. He says to Sohrab that " Mr. Faisal thinks that it would really help if we could... if we could ask you to stay in a home for kids for a while" (302). However, Sohrab freaks out and almost kills himself right when Amir was going to give good news that they could go strait to America. Once Amir steps into the bathroom where Sohrab is, he starts "screaming through my clenched teeth" when he sees Sohrab"(305). -
Amir finds out Hassan is his half brother
When Rahim Khan explains to Amir that Ali was sterile, Amir protests and says "'No he wasn't. He and Sanaubar had Hassan, didn't they? They had Hassan-' 'No they didn't,' Rahim Khan said. 'Yes they did!' 'No they didn't, Amir.' Then who- I think you know who.'" (189-190). -
Sohrab and Amir fly a kite and Sohrab smiles
When Amir and Sohrab cut a kite together, Sohrab barely makes "A smile. Lopsided. Hardly there. But there"(327). This is something Sohrab hasn't done in a while.
