Literary Elements

Hisham Matar brilliantly expresses the mind of a child during tough times. After Suleiman's mom tells him not to play with Kareem so much, Suleiman is disheartened to see the way Kareem acts when he does play with him. As Kareem sulks around when he is playing with Suleiman, it makes Suleiman realize how much Kareem has lost. Matar repeats the word "quiet" to show how Kareem has changed, "He became quieter--he was always quiet, but not this quiet". Suleiman, no realizing how much his father means to him, ignorantly thinks "I wished the Revolutionary Committee would return and this time take my father so that we would be equal". The bond between the two children is so great, Suleiman does not want something his best friend doesn't have. Then, Suleiman seems mature beyond his age, "Sorry we didn't all stand arm in arm to block the way". This touched me the most, to think that a nine-year old would say something so deep. Then in a moment of recognition, Suleiman realizes he was behaving the same way earlier. He says he was mad at Kareem, just like the way his mother must have felt. The level of maturity given to Suleiman creates a power story.