Shadow

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, child death, animal cruelty, and mental illness.

At the heart of Shadow are individuals who persevere in the face of adversity. Aman’s tale about how he and his mother came to England as asylum seekers illustrates the toll of displacement, trauma, and injustice. Throughout their journey, they faced persecution from the Taliban, exposure to the elements in the harsh deserts of Afghanistan, robberies, attempted kidnappings, and, finally, incarceration due to government bureaucracy. Their journey has taken its toll, particularly on Aman’s mother, who has PTSD after being tortured in an Afghan jail. However, Aman and his mother refuse to give up, no matter how steep the odds are. This reflects their deep religious faith as well as their faith in themselves. Through learning Aman’s story and helping free the Khans, Matt and Grandpa are also inspired by their resilience.

The novel illustrates that the characters’ perseverance helps them through physically dangerous conditions as well as through psychological trauma. Aman and his mother’s journey to England is a relentless test of their endurance, forcing them to survive physical threats—such as crossing deserts, being smuggled in inhumane conditions, and escaping armed captors—and emotional ones, such as uncertainty, loss, and unfamiliarity. However, they persist despite the trauma of losing a young friend like Ahmed and their fear of never being granted asylum. Morpurgo shows that their acts of care are a type of perseverance: Aman comforts his mother during her panic attacks, and she refuses to give up hope even when she believes death is imminent. Their ability to keep moving forward, despite their fear and suffering, exemplifies their resilience. 

However, their struggles come to a head during their time at the Yarl’s Wood detention center. Aman and his mother know that only danger and death await them in Afghanistan; therefore, they know it is imperative that they do whatever they can to prevent their deportation. When officials threaten to separate them, Aman and his mother respond by threatening to go on a hunger strike. This tactic works, so they continue resisting wherever possible. When the officials go as far as to put Aman and his mother on an airplane, they resist with all their strength. Aman recounts, “I had almost given up by then, but Mother never did. That’s why we’re still here because Mother didn’t give up” (77). Ultimately, when their own strength reaches its limits, they put their faith in others—Grandpa and Matt—to continue the fight on their behalf. 

The protest that Grandpa and Matt help organize at the climax of the novel illustrates the importance of persevering against the odds. Despite his indignation at the unjust treatment Aman is suffering, Grandpa’s self-doubt almost causes him to give up, and Matt has to push Grandpa to write the article about Aman’s life that galvanizes public support for Aman and brings hundreds of people to protest outside Yarl’s Wood. Matt experiences numerous moments when he believes that all his efforts have failed. Aside from the false announcement that Aman and his mother have already been deported, rain is the biggest threat to their collective morale, until Grandpa steps up: “He started singing, in the rain. And that IS what he was singing too: ‘Singing in the Rain,’ from one of his favourite films, and [Matt’s] […] In no time, everyone was joining in, laughing, arms linked and singing and dancing in the rain” (92).

In addition to being a light-hearted gesture intended to keep the crowd’s spirits up, the song is a metaphor for resistance and resilience. The rain symbolizes hardship itself, while singing represents defiance. Grandpa’s song shows that hope can still exist in the darkest moments and that joy can be an act of defiance. By standing united in protest and song, the crowd demonstrates that perseverance is not just about enduring hardship but about meeting it with joy and hope.