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Abdur Rahman Khan becomes leader
- When Abdur Rahman Khan became leader, Hazaras rebelled against him. Khan sent the Pashtuns, as wells as the Tajiks and the Uzbeks, to dispose of the Hazaras' rebellion. As much as 60 percent of the Hazara population were killed under Khan's rule, the remaining few oppressed by their country until the 1970s.
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Assef rapes Hassan
After the kite tournament, Hassan runs after the blue kite, promising Amir he'd get get it for him. Shortly thereafter, Hassan comes across Assef and his friends, Assef tells Hassan "'[he's] a lucky Hazara,'" (Hosseini 72) and then proceeds to rape Hassan. This demonstrates the prejudice Hassan receives for being Shi'a. Assef shows the extreme lengths he would go to show it. -
Amir and Baba flee Afghanistan
Baba and Amir are trying to flee Afghanistan by paying a smuggler to get them a ride out. While in the vehicle, Amir thinks, "...it was a pretty lucrative business then, driving people out of Shorawi-occupied Kabul to the relative safety of Pakistan" (Hosseini 111). If not for the weak Pakistan border patrol, Amir and Baba would have never made it out of Kabul. -
People flee Afghanistan
- After the Soviet Union gains control of Afghanistan, 4.3 million people flee Afghanistan. "Afghan guerrillas gain control of rural areas, and Soviet troops hold urban areas" (A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan).
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Baba dies
At Baba's funeral, Baba's friends and family tell stories about him, especially the one when he wrestles a bear. They go on to say that "In the end, a bear had come that he couldn't best. But even then, he had lost on his own terms" (Hosseini 174). This quotation shows what kind of character Baba was. He was a strong man, and even at his weakest, he could still go on his own terms. -
Amir and Soraya get married
During the wedding, Amir and Soraya go under a veil. while looking at each other's reflections, "[Amir] whispered to her for the first time that [he] loved her" (171). This shows how much Soraya and Amir love each other. They are willing to marry each other despite not knowing each other for that long. -
Amir and Soraya try for a child
After Amir and Soraya find that they cannot have children, Amir realizes that "Perhaps something, somewhere, had decided to deny [him] fatherhood for the things [he] had done" (Hosseini 188). Amir believes that because he ran away from Hassan that day, he would not be allowed children. He thinks that this is his karma, him punishment for his bad deeds. -
The Taliban Rises
A new group arises in the midst of the other rebel groups, such as the Mujahadeen. From all the rebellions and violence, the Taliban "rises to power on promises of peace" (A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan). This is the reason the Taliban becomes popular. They promise to put an end to the rebel groups' violence and replace it in their own violence, harm that works in more subtle ways. -
Osama bin Ladin becomes a International Terrorist
Osama bin Ladin, who bombed the American Embassies in African is "by now considered an international terrorist" (A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan). This shows the power the rebel groups in Afghanistan have. They are capable of terrorizing many people across the globe. -
Amir finds Sohrab
After finding that Sohrab is in the hands of Assef, Amir remembers how they "used to apply mascara to the eyes of the sheep and feed it a cube of sugar before slicing it's throat" (Hosseini 285). He realizes the mascara on Sohrab and notes the pleading in his eyes. This shows the innocence Sohrab has and the opportunity Amir has to atone for what he did to Hassan. -
Amir meets Rahim Khan in Pakistan
After arriving in Pakistan, Amir finds the address Rahim Khan told him to go to. Amir knocks on the door and "a thing made of skin and bones pretending to be Rahim Khan opened the door" (Hosseini 197). This shows all the change that has happened since Amir and Baba left Afghanistan. Even though Amir wasn't thinking of Hassan and Rahim Khan and didn't hear from either of them, doesn't mean life stopped. -
Amir learns of Hassan's death
After reading the letters Hassan wrote to Amir, Amir asks where Hassan is now. Rahim Khan reluctantly tells him, and "all [Amir] couls manage was to whisper 'No. No. No.' over and over again" (Hosseini 219). This shows the complicated love Amir had for Hassan. At first Amir doesn't even want to hear about him, but once he finds out Hassan is dead, he can't stand that either. -
Sohrab tries to kill himself
During a phone call to Soraya, Amir finds that Sohrab will not have to stay in an orphanage like he previously thought. When he goes to tell Sohrab, "suddenly [he] was on [his] knees, screaming" (Hosseini 343). Amir later hopes that all his sins do not catch up with him, showing his remorse over not only Sohrab's suicide attempt, but also Hassan's rape. Amir's love for Hassan was complicated, and Amir regrets that it was. Amir hopes that his relationship with Sohrab is better. -
Amir and Sohrab go to America
Just before Amir is to return to America with Sohrab, after Sohrab is discharged from the hospital, Amir realizes "Sohrab never accepted my offer. Nor did he decline it" (Hosseini 356). Amir knows that Sohrab is aware that he is just an orphan, a Hazara at that. Sohrab has no choice, Amir is offering him refuge and otherwise he's homeless. -
9/11
On September 11th, 2001, four hijackers fly "four commercial airplanes and crash them into the World Trade Center Towers in New York, the Pentagon, and a Pennsylvania field, killing thousands" (A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan). This shows the fear the Afghanistan terrorist groups can strike into us. Even almost twenty years later, New York is still recovering.
