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Soviet Union Begins to Gain Interest in Afghanistan
Before, in the 1800s, "the imperial Russian government vied with Britain for influence in Central Asia in the Great Game" (NYT 2). -
Baba is Born & Zahir Shah Begins Reign
1933 was the year when Amir's father, Baba, "was born and the year Zahir Shah began his forty-year reign of Afghanistan" (Hosseini 24). Baba's childhood and adulthood experiences obviously have differed greatly from what Amir is and will experience. Baba grew up with a more politically stable monarchy in rule, while Amir will have to experience the political changes and end to a monarchy will bring to a country, which may bring conflict to Baba and Amir's perceptions of things in the world. -
Hassan Is Born
Hassan was born on a "cold winter day in 1964" (Hosseini 6). His mother, Sanaubar, deserted him and his father, Ali, by running "off with a clan of traveling singers and dancers" (Hosseini 6). The fact that both Hassan and Amir have grown up without mothers bond them together. However, that means they also miss out on the affection a mother may give a child. Hassan at the very least has a loving father, but Baba's lack of affection eventually causes Amir's outlook in life to be very negative. -
World Cup Shows on Television
Because Afghanistan did not have televisions yet, Baba had to take "a break from the construction of the orphanage and flew to Tehran for a month to watch the World Cup games on television" (Hosseini 20). The fact that Afghanistan does not have any televisions yet shows how the country still needs to be modernized, compared to other countries like the United States. In addition, Baba's ability to travel to another country to watch the World Cup displays his high socioeconomic status. -
Amir Discovers His Talent for Storytelling
Amir discovers his talent for storytelling in July of 1973, when Hassan tells him "That was the best story you've read me in a long time" (Hosseini 30). This is a very pivotal moment for Amir, for before this, he's never had something to tie himself with that made him proud. His lack of interest for soccer and anything his Baba likes has made his father scorn him, and therefore has made him feel useless. Amir will remember Hassan for giving him the motivation to find his voice as a writer. -
End of King Zahir Shah's Reign
As the day Amir describes as the day Afghanistan [suddenly] changed forever" (Hosseini 34), July 17th, 1973, was when King Zahir Shah's cousin, Daoud Khan, had ended Zahir Shah's reign through a bloodless coup. The king had left for Italy, and Afghanistan changed into a republic. This date is important because not only is it getting closer to the moment when Amir says he changed forever (winter of 1975), but it also shows political instability within the country. -
The Winter Before Hassan Stopped Smiling
During the early winter of 1974, Baba had "summoned Dr. Jumar from New Delhi" (Hosseini 45), who was a plastic surgeon who got rid of Hassan's cleft lip. I cannot be sure if Baba summoned the surgeon because he was ashamed of Hassan's facial deformity, or if Baba simply wanted to mitigate the bullying Hassan recieved from other children. Either way, the surgery took away Hassan's identity, and in a way, took away the thick skin and strength he gained from having his cleft lip in the first place. -
The Moment Amir Became Who He Is
Amir mentions that "I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975" (Hosseini 1), which seems to refer to a mysterious and pivotal moment in Amir's life. I assume this moment will have to do with the political instability in Afghanistan as the country makes it's transition into being a communist country. The main communist ruling occurred from 1978 to 1989, which was also during the time of the Cold War. -
Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan
Afghanistan (Islamic Republic of Afghanistan) "has known little peace since 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded" (NYT 1). Soviet troops first parachuted into Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, to aid Babrak Karmal, who was then the president of Afghanistan due to a successful coup "within the Afghan Communist leadership" (NYT 2). -
Amir & Baba Leaves Kabul (Part 1)
As Amir tries to contain his carsickness, he narrates that "[the bus driver] was taking us to Jalalabad, about 170 kilometers southeast of Kabul, where his brother, Toor, who had a bigger truck with a second convoy of refugees, was waiting to drive us across the Khyber Pass and into Peshwar" (Hosseini 111). Amir's narration shows how this experience was already shocking him -- and possibly traumatizing him. The fact that this escape out of Kabul will consist of Amir spending more time with... -
Amir & Baba Leaves Kabul (Part 2)
...Baba shows possible conflict between the two as they learn to fight together for their survival, and the possible growth in their relationship as they learn to lean against each other while leaving their homeland. -
Amir & Baba Arrive in America
In the early 1980s, Amir and Baba arrived in America--specifically, Fremont, CA. There, Amir reveals that "the Bay Area's smog stung [Baba's] eyes, the traffic noise gave him headaches, and the pollen made him cough" (Hosseini 126). Baba's discomforts due to living in the Bay Area and his public political differences with others foreshadows that he may have some trouble adjusting in the future. In addition, for Amir to notice these things about Baba shows that the two are growing closer. -
Baba's Incident at the Grocery Store (Part 1)
When Baba releases his temper in the Nguyens' grocery store, Amir steps in to stop the situation from escalating and pulls Baba out, apologizing to the Nguyens. As he did so, Amir narrates that "I wanted to tell them that, in Kabul, we snapped a tree branch and used it as a credit card [...] By the end of the month, my father paid him for the number of notches on the stick. That was it. No questions. No ID" (Hosseini 128). For Amir to know how to step in and stop Baba's temper from rising... -
Baba's Incident at the Grocery Store (Part 2)
...shows how much Amir has matured since he left Kabul and his childhood. His awareness of the different culture in America compared to Kabul allows him to better fit in with American society than Baba is able to with his divergent political standing and mindset. -
Amir Speaks with Soraya (Part 1)
Disregarding the ideals of honor and respect when it comes to approaching women in Afghan society, Amir speaks to Soraya and continues to do so, even when realizing "[he was] a mojarad, a single young man, and she an unwed woman. One with a history, no less. This was teetering dangerously the verge of gossip material, and the best kind of it" (Hosseini 146). Amir had always been a coward, a rule-follower -- not a rule-breaker. When he witnessed Assef rape Hassan, he ran away rather than... -
Amir Speaks with Soraya (Part 2)
...deciding to help him. Rather than jump into his love for writing, Amir gained approval from an influencial character -- Rahim Kahn -- before deciding to write more. For Amir to risk others in the flea market gossiping about his interaction with Soraya, and to ignore his father's warning about the misconceptions other people may have about him, shows a pivotal change in Amir's mindset -- that he's now starting to risk his image to pursue what he wants, rather than what others want of him. -
Baba Refuses CAT Scan B/c Doctor is Russian
Baba "lost it [when] Dr. Schneider said [he was from] Russia" (Hosseini 155) when Baba visited the doctor for a CAT scan. Despite Dr. Scheider being a well-educated, American-born doctor, Baba cannot hold in his hatred of the Russians because his perspectives of the world is still tainted with Russian tanks destroying his home -- Afghanistan. For him to risk his health like this shows how deep wounds from war experiences run in someone who had to leave their home by the hands of another country. -
Baba Reads Amir's Stories (Part 1)
During his childhood, Amir struggles with Baba's lack of affection towards him. Baba's distaste in Amir's lack of resemblance to him magnifies when Amir announces his love for writing and stories, and therefore, Baba has never read any of Amir's stories. Only until the end of his life does Baba ask Soraya to read from Amir's notebook, saying, "I put her up to it. I hope you don't mind" (Hosseini 172) when Amir walks in on them. Amir's surprise shows how accustomed he had become to Baba's lack... -
Baba Reads Amir's Stories (Part 2)
of affection for him that he cannot believe Baba would appreciate Amir for doing something that made him happy. For once, Amir realizes that Baba loves him for who he is, and that Baba is content with who Amir is as a person. This rare display of affection and approval from Baba is one of utmost importance to the story, as Baba does it before his life ends, showing Baba's change of how he views his son -- with pride for who Amir is, instead of disgust for everything Amir is not. -
Revelation of Taheri's Character
After Amir spends time with the Taheris, he learns that General Taheri "had kept his family on welfare and had never held a job in the U.S" (Hosseini 176). Amir quickly realizes that not every Pashtun man had the pride and honor Baba possessed, who worked himself to near death and lived on unstable money during the first few years in the U.S. By experiencing the general's different standards of honor, Amir gains valuable insight into how some people act in the world in comparison to his father. -
Soviet Air Force = Useless
Because of "advanced stinger antiaircraft missiles supplied by the United States to the rebels" (NYT 2), the Soviet Air Force was regarded as useless. (Happened AFTER 1986) -
Soviet Union Leaves Afghanistan
The "last Soviet troops left Afghanistan" (NYT 2) after peace talks organized by the United Nations. -
Power in Afghanistan Becomes Divided
After the Soviet troops left Afghanistan, power became "anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms" (NYT 2). -
Mullah Omar Gains Followers
Because of his promise of restoring Islam to daily life, "by the end of 1994 Mullah Omar had nearly 12,000 followers and was rolling up the warlords to the north and east" (NYT 2). -
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Taliban Takeover
The Taliban is an Islamic extremist group that began when students started a group with the intent of purifying the country. Mullah Omar is regarded to be the man who first sparked action by attacking a group of warlords who had raped a girl and shaved her head. This is a "story that is now part of Afghan folklore" (NYT 2). -
Amir in Kabul, Once Again
In Kabul, when Amir mentions that he "feel[s] like a tourist in [his] own country"(Hosseini 231), Farid enlightens him on the fact that Amir has lived a very priveleged life in Kabul, one that Baba built for him. Amir's wealthy upbringing has sheltered him from the brutal realities of Kabul, but now that he's returned, the poverty and adversity many suffer from can clearly be seen. Gaining this new insight on his childhood home will allow him to grow out of his single-mindedness and selfishness. -
Money Under the Mattress
Amir shows his growth in character when "[he] did something [he] had done twenty-six years earlier:[he] planted a fistful of crumpled money under a mattress"(Hosseini 242) in Wahid's home. The last time he did this was in spite of Hassan, to get his only friend in trouble. This time, however, Amir's attentions were much more charitable -- he wanted to thank Wahid's family for sparing him food when their children barely had any to eat. This small act shows Amir's growth in mentality and kindness. -
9/11 Invasion
Terrorists attack the "World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001" (NYT 3). -
Hamid Karzai Named Leader of Afghanistan
Hamid Karzai was a relative of Mohammad Zahir Shah, who was the exiled former king of Afghanistan. He "was named chairman of an interim government that replaced the defeated Taliban, making him the leader of the country" (NYT 3). -
War with Afghanistan Under Obama
Obama derided to "widen United States involvement in Afghanistan" (NYT 4) because he believed "the American military would be successful enough in fighting the Taliban that significant withdrawals would be under way by then" (NYT 4). -
Obama's Speech to Continue War
In 2009, Obama promised to bring the "30,000 additional troops" (NYT 4) he employed in Afghanistan home by mid-2011. -
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Soviet Union in Afghanistan
The Soviet Union first entered Afghanistan in "the 1979 invasion by the Soviet Union" (NYT 2) and left the country in February of 1989.