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Amir wins the Kite Tournament for Baba
After Amir wins the kite tournament he describes the moment afterwards as "the single greatest moment of [his] twelve years of life, seeing Baba on that roof, proud of [him] at last" (Hosseini 66).
In this quote you can see where Amir's loyalty is and what he values. The moment he won became the best moment of those twelve years because he saw his father looking proud of him and he greatly valued his father's love. -
Amir betrays Hassan
When Hassan is confronted by Assef, Amir thinks "I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into the alley, stand up for Hassan-the way he'd stood up for me all those times in the past-and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run. In the end I ran" (Hosseini 77).
In this moment, it is clear that Amir doesn't value Hassan as much as Hassan values him. Amir cares more about himself then Hassan. -
Period: to
The Kite Runner and the article
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Ali and Hassan leave
When leaving, Ali says, "Life here is impossible for us now, Agha sahib. We're leaving'" (Hosseini 106).
Ali and Hassan are leaving because of Amir's wrongdoings towards them. Ali feels he cannot let Hassan live with Amir, who had done nothing when Hassan needed help. -
Soviet Union Troops Come to Afghanistan
In 1979, "The first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul on Dec. 27" (The New York Times). -
Amir and Baba leave Afghanistan for America
Amir and Baba are taking Karim's service of "driving people out of Shorawi-occupied Kabul to the relative safety of Pakistan'" (Hosseini 111).
Amir and Baba are leaving Afghanistan because it is no longer safe to live there. They are going to America. -
Amir meets Soraya
The night after Amir met Soraya he "thought of Soraya Taheri's sickle-shaped birthmark, her gently hooked nose, and the way her luminous eyes had fleetingly held [his]. His heart stuttered at the thought of her. Soraya Taheri. [His] Swap Meet Princess" (Hosseini 142).
Amir is becoming less dependent on Baba when he marries Soraya. Baba is no longer the only one he wishes to receive love from. -
Baba gets sick
When Amir and Baba meet the doctor, he tells them, "Baba's [cancer] was called 'Oat Cell Carcinoma.' Advanced. Inoperable" (Hosseini 156).
After Baba gets sick, he relies more on Amir who once depened a lot on Baba. This highlights how their relationship has changed. -
Amir marries Soraya
When Amir thinks about his wedding with Soraya, he thinks about "walking toward the stage, now in [his] tuxedo, Soraya a veiled pari in white, [their] hands locked" (Hosseini 170).
Amir's greatest moment of his life is not when he won the kite tournament and Baba was proud of him. It could also be when he marries Soraya. -
Baba dies
After Baba went to bed one day, "Baba never woke up" (Hosseini 173).
Baba is gone so Amir is no longer able to rely on Baba to make decisions or do things for him. Amir must learn to live life without Baba. -
Amir and Soraya can't have kids
According to the doctor, "he couldn't explain why we couldn't have kids. And, apparently, that wasn't so unusual. It was called 'Unexplained Infertility'" (Hosseini 185).
This is one of the tests life throws at Amir after his father's death. Having children is important to them and it's a challenge that AMir faces without his father. -
The Last Soviet Troops Leave Afghanistan
After peace talks through the United Nations "the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989" (The New York Times). -
Rise of the Taliban
Mullah Omar, a leader of the Taliban, "had nearly 12,000 followers and was rolling up the warlords to the north and east" by the end of 1994 (The New York Times). -
Taliban Take Control of Afghanistan
In the New York TImes article it says, "the Taliban by 1996 had taken control of Afghanistan" (The New York Times). -
Taliban Provide Haven for bin Laden and Al Qaeda
Mr. bin Laden was an islamic extremist and a founder of Al Qaeda. According to the New York Times, "The Taliban also provided a haven for Mr. bin Laden . . . and for Al Qaeda" (The New York Times). -
Assef beat up Amir
All that Amir could remember from when Assef was beating him was this: "His brass knuckles flashing in the afternoon light; how cold they felt with the first few blows and how quickly they warmed with my blood" (Hosseini 288). Amir doesn't try hard in fighting Assef because he believes he deserves it for what he allowed Assef to do to Hassan.This is another step closer to redemption. -
Sohrab goes to America with Amir
When Amir thinks back about what happened he thinks, "We arrived home about seven months ago, on a warm day in August 2001" (Hosseini 357).
Amir bringing Sohrab to America and taking care of him is the final step in making up for his mistakes. Sohrab begins to open up after a while in the States. -
Amir visits Rahim Khan in Pakistan
Amir tells Soraya that he needs to go to Pakistan. When she asks why Amir says, "' Rahim Khan is very sick'" (Hosseini 191).
Amir going to visit Rahim Khan is similar to visiting his past and remembering the things he had done in the past. Going to see Rahim Khan is just one step closer to atonement. -
Amir returns to Kabul
When Amir saw Kabul for the first time in 20 years he thought, "Kabul finally did unroll before us, I was certain, absolutely certain, that he had taken a wrong turn somewhere" (Hosseini 244).
By returning to his home his is also returning to the place where he committed many wrongs. When he returns it is also a chance for him to make up for those wrongs. -
Amir finds Sohrab and meets Assef
When Amir finds Sohrab with a Talib the Talib says, "'I've been wondering . . . Whatever happened to old Babalu, anyway?'" (Hosseini 281).
Babalu is an old nickname for Baba that Assef and his friends would use to tease Baba. Meeting Assef and finding Sohrab is one step closer to making up for the things he did in the past to Hassan. -
Sohrab tries to kill himself
Amir wishes that the scene he had seen when he found Sohrab near death was just a dream. He describes the scene like this: "the left arm dangling over the side of the tub, the blood-soaked razor sitting on the toilet tank-the same razor I had shved with the day before-and his eyes, still half open but lightless" (Hosseini 347-348).
Sohrab tries to kill himself because Amir tells him he has to go to an orphanage before he can come to America. He hates orphanages. -
Sohrab saves Amir
After Sohrab shot his slingshot at Assef, [Assef] put his hand where his left eye had been just a moment ago. Blood oozed between his fingers" (Hosseini 291).
Shorab shooting Assef for Amir is a reflection of Hassan threatening to shoot Assef for Amir. Hassan and Sohrab are very similar in that they share many traits and protect Amir. -
9/11 Invasion
There was a terrorist "attack on the World Trade Center in New York on Sept 11, 2001" (The New York Times). -
Hamid Karzai is Named Chairman of Interim Government
In The New York Times article it says, "In December 2001, Hamid Karzai, a supporter and relative of Mohammad Zahir Shah, the exiled former king of Afghanistan, was named chairman of an interim government . . . making him leader of the country" (The New York Times). -
Hamid Karzai becomes Interim President
According to the New York Times, "He took office as interim president in June 2002" (The New York Times). -
Hamid Karzai is Elected to a Five-Year Term as President
In The New York Times article it states that "[Hamid Karzai] took office as interim president in June 2002" (The New York Times).