War Trauma in Second Generation: Suffering of Zaid from The Good Muslim

This study investigates the long-lasting effects of war trauma over multiple generations, focusing on the analysis of Tahmima Anam’s novel The Good Muslim. The narrative centres around the suffering experienced by Sohail, a Bangladeshi revolutionary combatant dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, guilt, and religious extremism in the aftermath of the 1971 conflict. Additionally, it explores the unintended consequences of his little son Zaid, who becomes a victim of the second generation without his knowledge. The paper examines the transformation of Sohail from a carefree young person to a disturbed individual who strongly adheres to fundamentalist Islam. This highlights the profound psychological scars caused by the brutalities experienced during the conflict—his adherence to rigorous religious practices and emotional detachment from family showcase hallmark PTSD symptoms. Nevertheless, Sohail’s trauma has profound repercussions for Zaid, a six-year-old who is deprived of parental affection and normal childhood freedoms due to his father’s rigid rules. Zaid experiences social isolation and receives cruel treatment in a religious school, leading to episodes of violent outbursts, a tendency to steal, and repetitive recitations that indicate a possible anxiety problem. Through the lens of psychoanalytic theory on childhood trauma, the paper argues that Zaid represents the ‘silent victims’ of war - a second generation forced to inherit the suffering borne of their parents’ anguish. This comprehensive depiction highlights the broader event and serves as a sombre reminder of the human toll of violence. Achieving reconciliation requires addressing invisible wounds that perpetuate across generations.