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The Kite Runner
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Assef threatens to hurt Amir, buy Hassan stand up to him
Assef said bad things about Hassan, and the Hazaras. Assef wanted to hurt Amir for hanging out with Hassan, but Hassan "[bent] down and [stood] up quickly... I turned and came face to face with Hassan's slingshot" (Hosseini 41). Hassan was standing up for both himself, and Amir. He was very loyal, and wouldn't 'et anyone hurt Amir. -
Hassan gets raped, and Amir just watches
When Hassan is getting raped by Assef, Amir is thinking, "I could stand up for Hassan- the way he'd stood up for me all those times in the past- and accept whatever happens to me. Or I could run. In the end, I ran" (Hosseini 77). Amir was afraid of what Assef would do to him, and the consequences/risk of speaking up was too high. Amir was afraid. Not standing up for Hassan shows how unloyal Amir is to their friendship compared to Hassan. -
Hassan and Ali leave Baba's House
After Hassan admits to stealing the money and watch, Hassan and Ali leave. Amir is upset, but also slightly relieved. He wanted "to start with a clean slate. I wanted to be able to breathe again" (Hosseini 105). Amir seeing Hassan made him think more and more about his guilt. He wanted to forget about that, and move on. Baba was very upset about the departure of Hassan and Ali. -
Amir accuses Hassan of Stealing Money, and a Watch
After breakfast, "I took a couple of envelopes of cash from the pile of gifts and my watch, and tiptoed out... I lifted Hassan's mattress and planted my new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under it" (Hosseini 104). Amir felt guilty for not standing up for Hassan, while Hassan was getting raped. Amir wanted Hassan to not admit to the stealing, and get Amir in trouble. This would make him feel less guilty. -
Russians take Power in a coup
Several years after Amir, Baba, Hassan, and Ali experienced the bombing in Afghanistan, "the official end [came] first in April, 1978 with the communist coup d' etat, and then in December 1979, when Russian tanks [rolled] into the very same streets where Hassan and I played, bringing the death of Afghanistan" (Hosseini 36). Hassan and Amirs daily lives would never be the same. They had to move out of the country due to all the terrible violence. The conditions were terrible. -
Soviet Troops invade Kabul
The Soviet Union "parachuted into Kabul on Dec. 27, 1979... [they] stayed in the country for more than nine years" (New York Times 2). -
Period: to
The History of Afghanistan
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Amir and Baba leave Kabul
The Soviet troups occupied Afghanistan, so Baba and Amir "left Kabul just after two in the morning" (Hosseini 110). Baba and Amir left all they had in Kabul, which was a lot considering they were a very rich family. They had to leave for their safety, because Afghanistan was very dangerous with the war going on. -
Baba stands up for a lady, when the Soviet threatens to rape her
The Soviet soldier at a checkpoint said that the price for letting the truck pass was that he got to spend 30 mins in the back of the truck with the lady. Baba was furious about this and when the soldier threatened to shoot him he said, "[t]ell him I'll take a thousand of his bullets before I let this indecency take place" (Hosseini 116). Baba truly believed that raping the woman is wrong, and she didn't deserve it. He stands up for whats right, no matter the consequence. -
Baba and Amir must live in a basement with many other people
Baba and Amir lived in a basement with about thirty other people. They "sat shoulder to shoulder along the walls, ate crackers, bread with dates, apples" (Hosseini 120). Amir and Baba went from living a pretty fancy, luxury life to sharing a room with 28 other people, and living off barely enough food. Escaping the dangers of war leads to letting go of the great life you might have had beforehand. The war in Afghanistan leads to Baba and Amir leaving Kabul and living in a basement with others. -
Amir secretly visits Soroya
Amir wanted to see Soroya, so he "wait[ed] until the general went for a stroll, then [he'd] walk past the Taheris' stand" (Hosseini 150). The generals presence embarrased Soroya, so Amir would see her when General Taheri was not around. Amir always did all he could to see Soroya. -
Baba gets sick
One summer day, Baba got very sick. He cought a sever cold, which "started with a hacking cough and the sniffles" (Hosseini 153). Amir finally took Baba to the doctor, and they foundout Baba has cancer. Baba always refused to go to the doctor, and he only went once in his life. If Amir hadn't taken Baba to the hospital, Baba would die much sooner. -
Amir asks Baba to ask the general for Soroyas hand (marriage)
Amir had something very important to ask Baba. When Baba was in the hospital, Amir asked him to "'ask General Taheri for his daughters hand'" (Hosseini 161). Amir knew Baba was going to pass away soon, so he wanted to get married before that happened. Baba asking for Soroyas hand, and his presence at the wedding was important to Amir. -
Amir and Soroya get Married
After the engagement party at Soroya's house, the wedding came right after, since Baba didn't have much longer to live. The ceremony was paid for by Baba, who "spent $35,000, nearly the balance of his life savings, on...the wedding ceremony" (Hosseini 169). It was important for Baba to be at the wedding, so the engagement party and wedding were the same day. Amir's marriage was a big deal to Baba, and he wanted to make it a very special day for him. -
Baba Dies
After a party at Baba and Amir's house, Baba did not take his medicine before bed. He told Soroya he did not have pain, so he did not need it, but the next morning, "Baba never woke up" (Hosseini 173). Baba's death deeply hurt Soroya and Amir. Although they did not always get along, Baba was always there to protect Amir, and his death changes Amirs life. -
The Soviets Leave Afghanistan
After 9 years of battle, "the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989" (New York Times 2). -
Taliban Take Control of Afghanistan
With the help of Pakistan, "the Taliban by 1996 had taken control of Afghanistan, imposing strict enforcement of fundamentalist Islamic law, banning movies and music forcing women out of schools and into all-enveloping burqa clothing" (New York Times 3). -
Rahim Khan is very sick
One summer day, Amir receives a phone call from Rahim Khan. He finds out that "'Rahim Khan is very sick.' A fist clenched inside [him] with those words" (Hosseini 191). Rahim Khan was always very close with Baba and Amir, so the fact that he is sick really hurts Amir. Amir wants to go and help him, since he knows thats the right thing to do. -
Sohrab shoots Assef with a slingshot
After Assef fighting Amir. Sohrab "[held] the cup of the slingshot at the end of the elastic band which was pulled all the way back... Sohrab had the slingshot pointed to Assef's face" (Hosseini 290). Sohrab was thankful and loyal to Amir for saving him, so he wanted to protect him. Also, he didn't want to be abused by Assef anymore. Sohrabs father, Hassan, threatened to shoot Assef with a slingshot to protect Amir, and this time, Sohrab actually did. Like father, like son. -
Attack on the World Trade Center
There was an "attack on the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001" (New York Times 3). -
Hamid Karzai is the new leader of the country
Replacing Taliban, "Hamid Karzai... was named chairman of an interim government... making him leader of the country" (New York Times 3). -
Amir runs the kite for Sohrab
When Sohrab agreed to Amir's request to run the kite, Amir says "' For you, a thousand times over" (Hosseini 371). This shows that Amir does care for Sohrab, because thats what Hassan did for Amir. Amir remembers that those were the words Hassan said to him. Hassan was very loyal to his and Amir's friendship. Amir wanted to be loyal to Sohrab, since he wasn't to Hassan. This was his way of atoning for his sins. -
Hamid Karzai is officially president
Hamid Karzai officially "took office as an interim president in June 2002, saying he hoped to secure peace for Afghanistan and win the country much-needed international aid" (New York Times 3). -
Taliban continue to try and get what they want
Even though they lost all power in 2001, "the Taliban continued to wage a guerrilla warfare... Taliban regrouped and began to extend its influence in the southern part of Afghanistan" (New York Times 3). -
General Petraeus is now in charge of the US Central Command
In October of 2008, "General Petraeus, the Iraq commander who received much of the credit for the success of the surge there, had taken charge of United States Central Command in October 2008, with responsibility for military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and across the region" (New York Times 4) -
Obama's Speech to deploy more troops to Afghanistan
Obama made a decision to "deploy 30,000 additional troops. He vowed to start bringing American forces home from Afghanistan in the middle of 2011" (New York Times 4). He announced this in a speech at West Point -
Date of American Troops in Afghanistan postponed
After making a promise that American Troops will be home before the end of 2011, Obama "increasingly emphasize[d] the idea that the United States will have forces in the country until at least the end of 2014" (New York Times 4).
