Fear Does Not Prohibit Courage

The children are frequently afraid as the novel opens. They are all afraid of Hussein because of the harsh punishments he doles out and the power he has over their future. Because of this, they do what he says, and they do not stand up against him. Karim, while overseer of the children, appears at most times to be even more afraid of Hussein than the rest of them are. If the other children are not released, their lives will stay the same. Karim is older and is not bonded. Should Hussein become angry with him, he could send Karim out, and he has nowhere to go. As the novel opens, all of the children are too afraid to counter Hussein in any purposeful way.

Iqbal comes and is different. Fatima recognizes that there is no fear in his eyes. This changes...