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Hassan and Amir say their first words
Amir recalls, "And under the same roof, we spoke our first words.
Mine was Baba.
His was Amir"(Hosseini 11).
This quote shows how Amir, from his birth, has always wanted and loved his father more than anything, and Hassan felt the same way towards Amir. Due to Amir's love for Baba, Amir shows later in the book that he is willing to sacrifice anything for that love, and that includes Hassan. -
Hassan gets surgery to fix his cleft lip
Baba says, "It's an unusual present, I know," Baba said "And probably not what you had in mind, but this present will last you forever"(Hosseini 46). This quote illustrates how Baba cares for Hassan like he is a son. This present is one that will be kept forever. And the thought put into this is so considerate. -
Amir and Hassan win the kite flying contest
Amir recalls, "You won, Amir agha! You won! "We won! We won!"(Hosseini 66). This quote demonstrates how close Amir and Hassan were. They both cared for each other greatly. This was Amir's biggest goal. And know he felt like he could finally be accepted by Baba. -
Hassan gets raped
Amir remembers, "From just around the corner, I could hear Assef's quick, rhythmic grunts"(Hosseini 77). After this happened, Hassan was never the same. This was the event that changed the whole book. Hassan was scared for life. And Amir felt the guilt of not helping out every single day. -
Period: to
Kite Runner Timeline
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Amir's 13th birthday
Assef says, "Assef shifted his eyes to me. Wali and Kamal are here too. They wouldn't miss your birthday for anything, he said, laughter lurking just beneath the surface"(Hosseini 96). The reason this was so important because Amir was confronted with his greatest sin. Not standing up to Assef. Assef's only goals are to make Amir and Hassan's lives worse. -
Ali and Hassan leave to Kabul
Amir reminisces, "But it rained the afternoon Baba took Ali and Hassan to the bus station"(Hosseini 108). Ali and Baba were practically family, and they just randomly move out. Baba was torn up about this since he had known Ali as a child. And he would be losing a part of his family. -
Soviet Union Invade the Afghanistan,
The article says,"Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, has known little peace since 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded"(New York Times). -
Amir and Baba leave Kabul because of Russians
Amir recalls,"My innards had been roiling since we'd left Kabul just after two in the morning"(Hosseini 110). Amir left a big part of his life in one moment. He had lived here all his life, and one move changed that all. The Russians invaded their home and he just had to leave it like nothing happened. -
Amir graduates high school
Amir thinks back, "That summer of 1983, I graduated high school at the age of twenty, by far the oldest senior tossing his mortarboard on the football field that day"(Hosseini 131). This quote shows how Amir has transitioned to life in America. He came here about 2 years ago, and has set himself up for the rest of his whole life. -
Amir marries Soraya
Amir recalls, "We said our oaths. Signed the certificates"(Hosseini 170). This is showing one of the biggest moments in Amir's life. He married the love of his life in an awesome ceremony. He finally has someone he can tell everyone and feel happy with all the time. -
Baba dies from cancer
Amir remembers, "Shortly after Baba's death..."(Hosseini 180). Amir's father was the only person who was always with him. He knew he had a terminal illness but losing a parent is still terrible. It took Baba's death but Amir started learning he's more like his dad than he thought. -
Amir's first novel gets published
Amir says,"A month later, Martin called and informed me I was going to be a published novelist"(Hosseini 183). As a child Amir wasn't like the other kids, he liked reading more than sports. Everyone thought of him as weird and an outcast. Now he finally achieved his big goal that no one believed he could do. -
Soviet troops finally leave
New York Times says,"Eventually, after peace talks moderated by the United Nations, the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989"(New York Times). -
Mullah Omar gained 12,000 followers
New York Times says, "By the end of 1994 Mullah Omar had nearly 12,000 followers and was rolling up the warlords to the north and east"(New York Times). -
Islamic group gains control-Civil War
The New York Times Article says, "...the extremist Islamic group that had seized control in 1996 after years of civil war"(New York Times). -
Bin Laden arrives in Jalalabad
The article says, "Mr. bin Laden, who arrived by chartered jet at Jalalabad Airport in May 1996, and for Al Qaeda"(New York Times). -
The Taliban kill Hassan
Amir thinks, "No. God, no.-and shot him in the back of the head"(Hosseini 219). Hassan was one of the most important people in Amir's life. They were brothers. Even if they didn't act like brothers, they both cared for each other greatly. Hassan was part of Amir's greatest sin. And losing him just made him feel so much worse. He lost a brother, but also a great friend. -
Removing the Taliban from power
The article says, "The 2001 invasion succeeded in dislodging Al Qaeda and removing the Taliban from power,"(New York Times). -
Hamid Karzai becomes leader of Afghanistan
The article 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 that replaced the defeated Taliban, making him the leader of the country"(New York Times). -
Assef beats up Amir
Amir thinks, "What was so funny was that, for the first time since winter of 1975, I felt at peace... but I felt healed. Healed at last. I laughed"(Hosseini 289).After all the years of pain and suffering Amir has finally been atoned according to him. He always wanted to feel pain and be equal with Hassan. He knew what he did was wrong, and he needed something to make him feel atonement. -
Sohrab tries killing himself
Amir remembers,"Later, they said I was still screaming when the ambulance arrived"(Hosseini 343). Amir's new responsibility is to help create a new and safe life for Sohrab. He has so much trauma that he is unstable. Amir vows to protect Sohrab no matter what. And the only way to do that is give him a better life. -
Bush gives Taliban an ultimatum to hand over Bin Laden
The article says,"After the attack on the World Trade Center in New York on Sept 11, 2001, President George W. Bush gave the Taliban an ultimatum to hand over Mr. bin Laden"(New York Times). -
Sohrab smiles for the first time
Amir thinks, "Only a smile. A tiny thing... But I'll take it. With open arms"(Hosseini 371). Amir's main goal is to give Sohrab a second chance at a great life. And after everything he has experienced, a smile can be a 1000 words. Amir can't relate to his trauma, he can only try and help him cope with it. -
American combat forces start to withdraw from Afghanistan
New York Times says,"Though initial plans called for American combat forces to begin withdrawing from Afghanistan in the summer of 2011,"(New York Times). -
Obama decides to keep troops in Afganistan
Yet in a move away from July 2011 deadline,"The Obama administration changed its tone to increasingly emphasize the idea that the United States will have forces in the country until at least the end of 2014"(New York Times).