In the Name of God by Yasmina Khadra traces the descent of a fairly normal community into terror that eventually leads to a emergence of amusement about the horrific events from people who live with constant dread.
Something important that I learned from reading this book is the impact of emotion even in serious situations. It is human tendency to attach emotion to every aspect of life, so even when logical thought and action may seem like the most “reasonable” way to solve problems, people end up with overwhelming emotion that guides their choices and actions. It is impossible to separate the real, practical world from what we feel. I believe that our emotions have more to do with our decisions and actions than our reasoning does.
As I was reading, I tried to focus not only on the horrific events described, but the commonplace events that created emotions other than fear. I drew some of the emotions that I felt as I was reading. Of course, I was able to feel these other emotions because I am removed from the actual story. However, I feel that people often forget that emotions are fluid and dynamic — the “constant” fear in this novel is actually interrupted by moments of other emotions such as satisfaction, regret, and joy. Even though Ghachimat is in peril, the characters are still human — they show pride, anger, and satisfaction in addition to fear.