Comment on the role of trauma in Karim's development

Trauma—i.e. the emotional and mental shock that follows a stressful event or injury—is one of The Road to Chlifa's most prominent themes. Early in the book, Karim is emotionally closed off to his family and hostile or cold to his classmates. When he does reflect in his diary, his words are drenched with hate and dissatisfaction, which seems to erupt when he defends My-Lan from Dave, pummeling Dave with his fists. In the second part, the narrative explains how Karim came to be traumatized by the death and violence he witnessed and felt implicated in during his journey to Chlifa. By the end of the novel, it is clear that Karim's repression and anger from Part I are symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. When he comes to understand My-Lan's trauma, Karim realizes that he is not alone in his suffering, and that other people have also endured traumas which he could not imagine.