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Amir is born
His mother, a poetic college professor at the University, hemorrhaged to death and left Baba, Amir’s renowned, well-respected, business elite father, to raise him alone. Baba hires a midwife to breast feed Amir while in companionship with Ali, Baba’s long-time childhood Hazara friend who was adopted by Baba’s father after drunk drivers killed his parents -
Hassan is born
Baba impregnates Ali’s wife, Sanaubar. However, he does not mention this to anyone except Rahim Khan, Baba’s business partner/best friend, and fools Ali into thinking that Hassan is his son, even though Ali is sterile. The same midwife breastfeeds Hassan due to Sanaubar’s disappearance after Hassan’s birth. Hassan is also born with a cleft lip. -
King Nadir Shah is overthrown by his cousin, Daoud Khan, through a bloodless coup
During a regular afternoon, gunshots are heard across Afghanistan during the coup to exile the monarchy of Afghanistan into a republic or pre-commuist regime. Ali tries to calm Amir and Hassan from the gunshot noises and Hassan senses fear of the word “republic” on the radio
[Article on the overthrow of King Nadir Shah](www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/23/AR2007072301824.html) -
Hassan gets surgery to fix his cleft lip.
On Hassan’s birthday, Baba announces to Hassan that Dr. Kumar will fix his lip forever. Amir inevitably feels jealous over Baba’s love. Amir also grows suspicious over Baba's decision to upgrade Hassan's birthday present. However, Amir comforts Hassan into the surgery and supports his new smile. -
Amir wins the kite-fighting tournament but Hassan gets raped.
Hassan is raped by Assef, the neighborhood bully, in the process of retrieving the blue kite for Amir. Amir witnesses this and refuses to step in or defend Hassan. Amir believed that retrieveing the blue kite to Baba was more important than saving Hassan. Hassan was the lamb he had to slay to win Baba. This way, Baba would finally be proud of Amir. However, the close relationship between Amir and Hassan tightens due to Amir's guilt and cowardice. -
Amir’s 13th birthday party
Baba throws Amir a huge birthday party in which Assef is invited. Assef gives Amir a biography on Hitler. Additionally, Amir declines to open up about what happened to Hassan to Rahim Khan. Even throughout all the hardships between Amir and Hassan, Ali manages to give Amir a book that is very valuable between the relationship of Hassan and himself. -
Hassan and Ali leave
Amir stashes a handful of Afghani bills and a new lightning bolt watch in Hassan’s and Ali’s bed to frame them for theft to make Hassan go away or forget. Baba forgives Hassan for “stealing” but Ali demands to leave. Eventually, Hassan and Ali leave and Amir never sees them again. -
Communist coup d’état invade Afghanistan
This marks the beginning of the communist terror in Afghanistan. There is a rapid increase of mistrust in the government as well as in the people. Again, major migrations occur in order to avoid further conflict or suffering. Information on the communist coup d'etat T -
Russian tanks and military push force into the streets of Afghanistan.
Physical trauma as well as fellow snitching takes places between the peoples of Afghanistan. The wealthy escape and seek refuge in neighboring Paskistan or the USA. However, some are not as lucky and endure the battle between the Soviets. -
Baba and Amir escape from Kabul to Peshawar
During their journey, Baba confronts a high/drunken Russian soldier who only permits passage in exchange for sex with a young mother on board. However, the soldier is restrained and the truck proceeds to Jalalabad until a bad engine lands Baba and Amir in a crowded basement to wait for a new truck. Eventually, Amir and Baba arrive at Pakistan and then Peshawar. Video on Afghan refugees in Pakistan -
Amir graduates from high school
After already establishing a refuge in America, Amir and Baba undergo the casualties of the unprivileged or working class in San Francisco. Amir remains a student but with the passion of writing and literature while Baba works 12-hour shifts at a gasoline station. Amir continues to pursue a major in English in hopes of being a writer. -
Baba is diagnosed with cancer and Amir marries Soraya
After coughing up blood and having a seizure/heart attack in the flea market, Baba is deemed with the presence of cancer. Being the man he is, he denies chemotherapy and moves on. Since Baba is approaching death very soon, Amir asks Baba to arrange a marriage with Soraya. Baba accepts as well as General Taheri and his wife Jamila Taheri. The wedding and festivities occur just in time Traditional Afghan Wedding -
Baba and Amir begin to earn extra cash at the flea market and Amir meets Soraya
Once united with an Afghan community, Baba finds comfort from going to the market. Amir meets Soraya, who has a troubled and gossip-filled past, and falls in love with her regardless of her father, General Taheri’s unknowingness/disapproval. Amir and Soraya establish a deep bond with books but she is quite the opposite in regards to morality. We learn that Soraya wants to be a teacher ever since she was little girl when she taught her servant to read and write. Amir never taught Hassan to be literate. Amir did this to prevent Hassan from being smarter than him, even though it is clearly known Hassan is more advanced mentally than Amir will ever be. -
Baba dies in his sleep
After being diagnosed with cancer and refusing chemotherapy/radiation, Baba slowly deteriorates in the hands of Amir and Soraya. Once Baba passes away, Amir is finally alone in the world. He comes to ponder about the definition of Baba as a man but also of himslef. Amir begins to wonder if he himslef is a great man like his father or just a coward. -
Amir and Soraya attempt to have a child
However, after a multitude of visits to the doctor and trying in vitro fertilization, Soraya is diagnosed with an unexplained infertility. This leads to Amir and Soraya to consider adoption even though General Taheri disapproves. Additionaly, this infertilization is karma, bad karma, towards Amir for being coward in 1975. In a way, Amir feels he deserves it. -
Shorawi or Soviets are defeated by rival Afghan groups (Massoud, Rabbani and Mujahedin)
The communist era in Afghanistan finally dies down, however a wave of new terror is about to begin. This is unknown to anyone mainly because these groups saved Afghanistan. Many believed that Afghanistan would return to the hands of peace but instead it turned sour. -
Taliban mandate Afghanistan
Islamic extremist principles take place in which ban hundreds of regular activities or customs throughout Afghanistan. The ones who rebel are killed or tortured in the most inhumane ways. Strict regulations on gender roles are also actively present. Rules of the Taliban -
Taliban massacred the Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif
At this point, the Taliban conduct almost Nazi tactics of ethnic cleansing to the population. News of this spreads worldwide. Hassan an his family are not affected by this (physically) but do feel and emotional/mental downfall. Article on Hazara genocide statistics and information -
Rahim Khan calls Amir to visit him in Pakistan
He mentions to Amir that there is a way to be good again or to redeem himself. This triggers Amir to fly out to Pakistan and visit Rahim. Amir also suspects that Rahim knows about Amir's past including the rape of Hassan. -
Amir meets with Rahim Khan and is exposed to the truth
After meeting with Rahim Khan, Amir discovers that Hassan is his half brother. When Baba and Amir left Afghanistan, Rahim took care of their house with the aid of Hassan and his family. Rahim went to Mazar-i-Sharif to find him and took him along. There, Hassan and his pregnant wife Farzana, live in the mud hut voluntarily and accompany Rahim. Unfortunately, Farzana’s baby girl is a stillborn and Hassan experiences another blow of grief. Eventually, Farzana becomes pregnant with a boy and Sanaubar returns. When Farzana gives birth, Sanaubar raises Sohrab and becomes with harmony to the family until her death. And then, Hassan and Farzana are killed by the Taliban for living in the house in Kabul whilst Sohrab is taken to an orphanage. Rahim Khan asks Amir to go to Kabul to retrieve Sohrab. Amir reluctantly accepts. -
Amir rescues Sohrab whilst confronting Assef.
Once arriving in Kabul, Amir sets out to find Sohrab. With the aid of his driver Farid, they visit a rundown orphanage in hopes of finding Sohrab. The owner, Zaman at first is reluctant to give away Sohrab’s location, but then reveals that Sohrab was taken by a Taliban official in exchange for food/money for the orphanage. Amir and Farid set out to Gazi stadium and find the man who took Sohrab. They schedule a meeting for the next day. The following day, Amir goes alone inside the location and meets with the Taliban official, Assef. Assef creates a deal in which he’ll give back Sohrab if Amir beats him in a fight to the death. Amir, almost on the verge of death, is saved by Sohrab who shoots a ball into Assef’s eye. Amir and Sohrab flee. -
Sohrab attempts suicide
After rescuing Sohrab, Amir plans on adopting him and promises him to do so. However, immigration/adoption policies were initially prohibiting Sohrab to do so. Amir suggests to Sohrab that he must stay in an orphanage in the meantime. Sohrab is deeply saddened by this and decides to slit his wrists in the bathtub. Amir was on the verge of telling him that he didn’t have to go to an orphanage after all, but discovers him lifeless in the tub. After a miracle, Sohrab is revived but becomes mute and surrenders to going to America with Amir. -
Amir and Sohrab return to America
However, Sohrab remains quiet and depressed. Soraya is overjoyed with the idea of having a child to take care of. General Taheri and Jamila Taheri are accepting towards Sohrab. Although, General Taheri calls Sohrab a Hazara in which Amir confronts him. -
Twin Towers terrorist attack.
Taking place in New York City, the world trade center is targeted by the extremist Islamic group al Qaeda. American flags and national unity is present throughout the nation. Amir and the Afghan community are also affected. However not mentioned in the novel, new aspects of racism occur and ignorance take place throughout the decade towards not only Afghan or Middle Eastern communiities but followers of Islam as well. -
Amir runs a kite for Sohrab
After almost a year of Sohrab being in America, Amir succeeds in returning humanity in Sohrab. Sohrab aids Amir in taking down a kite in the park. Amir runs the kite for Sohrab while saying “for you a thousand times over”. Amir has finally reached redemption at the end of the novel. Amir and Sohrab kite flying
