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Baba builds the orphanage
When Amir goes to get Sohrab from the orphange, it reminds him of when "Baba decided to build an orphanage" (Hosseini 13). He realizes all that the Taliban have done to his heritage. They have taken over his house and destroyed his fathers orphanage. It makes his hatered for the Taliban grow stronger. -
Sanaubar leaves Ali
When Sanaubar "eloped with a band of singers and dancers" (Hosseini 210), Ali and Hassan were left alone. Hassan grew up without a mother. It is very tough to grow up and not know who your true parents are (Baba and Sanaubar). It made him very loyal because he did not want to be like his mother and betray the people he loved. -
Amir plays a trick on Hassan
When Amir "played another little tick on Hassan" (Hosseini 30), he realizes that he is a good writer. He makes up a story to read to Hassan, and Hassan loves it. This is what kicks off Amir's love for writing, and what makes him realize that he has a true talent. -
Hassan and Amir climb their tree
WHen the two boys "go to climb [the] tree" after the shooting (Hosseini 37), they come across Assef. The words said and discrimination against Hassan is a parallel to the rape. Assef is cruel and racist against Hassan, and Amir just stands there and watches. He was even going to defend himself, even if that meant harming Hassan even more. -
Hassan's Birthday
Hassan gets the birthday present of " a plastic surgeon" who can "fix things on ... faces" (Hosseini 45). Amir becomes very jealous of the attention Hassan recieves. Amir has always been envious of Hassan, and when he gets a wonderful present from Baba, Amir grows very angry. He holds a grudge against Hassan about the love he recieves from Baba for a very long time. -
Amir wins the Kite tournament.
After Amir wins th tournament, Hassan makes sure that he is the one who gets the kite; "Right now, [he is] going to run that blue kitefor you" (Hosseini 66). When he is running, he gets raped. This event causes rifts in Amir's and Hassan's relationship, and affects every action and choice Amir makes after he won. He also avoids Hassan, and Amir begins to exclude him, which only builds upon Amir's guilt. -
Amir's 13th Birthday
When Amir "turn[s] thirteen that summer of 1976" (Hosseini 93), his father throws a big party. Amir talks to Rahim Khan, and he recieves a journal. He writes his stories in this journal, and keeps it throught the whole book. He takes it to America, and that is what starts his career as an author. -
Soviet Troops First Enter Kabul
The Soviet invasion led to many conflict in the counrtyside because "[t]he Kabul Government ... was unable to rout the rebels in the countryside, where the conservative popi;ave was antagonized at the outset by changes in social and land policies that offended Muslim tradition" (Afghanistan - An Overview). -
Baba and Amir leave Afghanistan
Amir recalls how he and Baba "left the house where [he]'d spent [his] entire life, as if [they] were leaving out for a bite: dishes smeared with kofta piled in the kitchen sink; laundry in the wicker basket in the foyer; beds unmade; Baba's buisness suits hanging in the closet" (Hosseini 112). They escaped Afghanistan with nothing, leaving everything they had ever known behind. They fled to America, a place neither of them knew much about, and were unprepared for all that was coming their way. -
Baba gets upset over the ID
When "Mr. Nguyen had aksed for an ID" (Hosseini 127), Baba gets very offended. He still has the ego and confidence in himself as when he was in Afghanistan. He thinks that he has power in America, but he does not have nearly as much control over what happens. Baba has a tough time adjusting to the American culture, and that is evident throughout the novel. -
Amir graduates high school
Baba is very proud when Amir "graduated high school" (Hosseini 131). Baba is glowing and boasting about his son. Amir is also very pleased with himself. It is one of the rare times where the father and son are pleased with each other. Amir is very pleased when his father is proud of him, and that makes Amir very happy. They go out and celebrate, and Amir gets to see the Baba he used to know - the one who lived in Afghanistan. -
Rahim Khan goes to find Hassan
When Rahim Khan is reminiscing on his journey, he mentions how he "went to Hazarajat to find Hassan in 1986" (Hosseini 203). Because Rahim Khan found Hassan all those years ago, he had a vague idea of what had happened to him and his family, making it much easier for Amir to find Sohrab. Amir was able to find the only family he had left, and Sohrab was able to finally meet his uncle. -
Amir finished his novel.
Amir is working on his novel, and when he "finished his first novel, a father-son story set in Kabul, written mostly with the typewriter the general had given" him (Hosseini 182), he began to look for publishers. When he finds a publisher, Amir, Soraya, and her parents had a big celebration. It makes him think about Baba, and how proud he would have been of Amir. He also starts to think about Rahim Khan and how he helped get Amir start writing. -
Soviet troops leave
After many years in Afghanistan, "the last of the Svoiet troops left Afghanistan" (Afghanistan - An Overview). -
Sohrab is born
When Hassan's mother comes back to Hassan, she "delivered Hassan's son" (Hosseini 211) Sohrab is the last living family Amir has left. He helps Amir atone for his sins committed as a child, and Sohrab ties Amir with Hassan in the end. Amir can finally forgive himself after he meets Sohrab. -
Soraya tells her parents she cannot have children
After she finds out she is infertile, "Soraya broke the news to her parents" (Hosseini 186). If she had been able to bear children, she might have not been willing to adopt Sohrab later on. Her parents also accept Sohrab, and part of the reason they are so willing to invite him into the family is because their daughter could not have kids. -
Mullah Omar has many followers
Mullah Omar gained followers quickly, and "[b]y the end of 1994 Mullah Omr had nearly 12,000 followers and was rolling up warlords to the north and east" (Afghanistan - An Overview -
Osama bin Laden Arrrives in Jalalabad
Aftern the Taliban gained power, they "provided a safe haven for Mr. bin Laden" (Afghanistan- An Overview), who was considered a major terrorist to the Untied States after the September 11 attacks. -
The Taliban Take Control
After many years of working closely with Pakistan, "tha Taliban by 1996 had taken control of Afghanstan, imposing strict enforcement of findamentalist Islamic law" (Afghanistan - An Overview). -
Rahim Khan calls
Amir feels compelled to go and atone when "Rahim Khan calls from Pakistan" (Hosseini 1). He still carries arounf the guilt from all those years ago when Hassan was raped and Amir was just a bystander. He will do whatever he can to try and make up for that day - even if It means adopting Sohrab. -
Terroist attack on the Twin Towers
AL Qaeda attacked the world trade center, leading to "The United Stated [getting] militarily involved in Afghanistan" (Afghanistan- An Overview). -
The Untited States is attacked
After the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. was getting fed up with the Taliban, so "the United States joined forces woth rebel groups that had never accepted Taliban rule. ... An air and ground campaign began that drove the Taliban out of the Major Afghan cities" (Afghanistan - An Overview). -
Hamid Karzai takes office
After Hamid got rid of the old king, the bacame "the interrim president... saying he hoped to secire peace for Afghanistan" (Afghanistan- An Overview). -
General Petraeus takes charge
When Obama was elected President, he "tapped Gen. Pretaeus to lead the war effort [in Afghanistan]" (Afghanistan - An Overview). -
Obama tells the world his plan
Obama gives a speech and "announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops [in Afghanistan]" (Afghanistan - An Overview).