Mud City

Shauzia is a 14-year-old girl living in a refugee camp in Pakistan. Her last name is never given. As the protagonist of Mud City, Shauzia is a dynamic and round character whose journey explores the tensions between individual survival and communal responsibility. Her experiences as a displaced Afghan refugee drive the narrative, forcing her to confront the harsh realities of poverty, the elusiveness of independence, and the definition of home. Initially driven by a singular, fierce desire for personal freedom, Shauzia undergoes a significant transformation, ultimately choosing collective duty over her isolated dream. Her character serves as the primary lens through which the novel examines its central themes.

Shauzia is defined by her relentless pursuit of independence, a goal symbolized by her treasured magazine photograph of a lavender field in France. This image represents an idyllic escape from the suffering and confinement of her life, a place of peace where “no one could bother her” (21). This intense individualism fuels her conflict with authority figures like Mrs. Weera, whose focus on community and long-term planning feels like a trap. Shauzia views the refugee camp not as a sanctuary but as a “dead end” (8) made of mud