Important Knowledge

• In chapter 1, it is 2001 and we later find out Amir must be in his late 30s
• In chapter 2, Amir is a young child born in 1963 (now it is the 70s)
• When Amir leaves Afghanistan, he is 18
• In America, Amir's job is as a student, then an author
• When he returns to Afghanistan, Amir is in his mid 30s
• Baba's house is located in the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul
• Baba's ethnicity is pashtun
• Baba's wife died during childbirth and his friend is Rahim Khan
• Baba dies of cancer and the last custom he fulfils before he dies is attending Amir's engagement
• Baba flees to Afghanistan to protect Amir and offer him a better life after the Russian invasion
• Baba's attitude to his first doctor is that he won't be treated by a Russian
• Ali came to work for Baba as Baba's father was the judge in the case against young men who killed Ali's parents in a car crash, and he adopted Ali.
• Ali's ethnicity is hazara
• Ali's wife left, having given birth to a son
• Ali leaves Baba as Amir is fighting with Hassan. Ali goes to Hazarajat
• Hassan is a child in chapter 2, we are told he was born in 1964 and chapter 2 is in the 70s.
• Hassan is in his mid 30s when he dies
• Hassan is looking after Baba's house to protect it from the Taliban
• Hassan is married to Farzana and his son is called Sohrab
• Hassan's mother is called Sanaubar and she left after giving birth to him and returns when he is in Hazarajat
• Hassan's attitude to Amir's writing is impressed and encouraging. He can not read and write as he is not entitled to an education.
• Hassan defends Amir when they are under attack from Assed when playing - he threatens Assef with a slingshot
• Assef's ethnicity is Pashtun
• Assef sexually assaults Hassan because he wants revenge for Hassan defeating him earlier (racism)
• Baba's attitude to Assef is one of admiration at Amir's party
• Assef becomes a leading Talib when we see him in the second half of the novel
• 3 women in the novel: Soraya, Sanaubar, Farzana
• Before Soraya met Amir, she left home and moved in with a drug dealing boyfriend
• 5 things banned by the Taliban:

  • Kite flying
  • Beardlessness
  • Lamb?
  • Cheering at football matches
  • Women talking loudly
• At orphanages under the Taliban, children are starving and freezing in old factories
• Football matches under the Taliban consist of:

  • no cheering
  • Talibs with whips
  • Talibs with Kalashnikovs
  • Sermons and executions at half time
• In this novel, an atrocity/massacre committed by the Taliban is the killing of at least 10,000 Hazara people in Mazar-i-Sharif
• Sohrab is at the Taliban house as he has been bought from an orphanage to be abused
• The Taliban house is in the Wazir Akbar Khan district and the Talib that turns out to have Sohrab is Assef
• Sohrab rescues Amir by taking out Assef's eye with the slingshot
• While he is waiting to get into America, Sohrab might have to go in to an orphanage
• On discovering the fact that he might have to go into an orphanage, Sohrab's immediate reaction is to attempt suicide
• Sohrab's long term reaction to finding out he might have to go into an orphanage is to become mute
• Sohrab half smiles when flying a kite at the very end of the novel
• Sohrab's name comes from the ancient Persian text Shahnameh