In the passage “The Return” by Saadat Hasan Manto, the phrase, “Total confusion prevailed, with people looking for lost sons, mothers, wives,” disgusted and intrigued me as a descendant of Holocaust survivors. This phrase describes what Jewish refugees experienced after the Holocaust and what African-Americans experienced after slavery ended in the US, suggesting a form of extreme trauma took place on the train ride from Amritsar to Lahore. The phrase “looking for lost sons, mothers, wives,” suggests that an oppressive force forcibly separated the refugees from their families, leaving them vulnerable and increasing their loneliness. Those closest to you were torn apart from you, one of the most traumatic things that can happen to a person. To end this nightmare, they were desperately looking for family members. The words “Total confusion” imply that without their family and being in an unfamiliar land, they could not call “home,” the refugees were disoriented. They had no idea what was going on, and they were scared of what would happen to them and what happened to their loved ones. Overall, this phrase describes people’s sheer desperation and confusion after a traumatic event occurs to them.

-Zachary Rosman