The Attack

When Amin loses his wife, all that remains of Sihem are Amin’s memories and photographs. As Amin begins to learn more about his wife’s true beliefs, these memories become tainted, forcing him to confront uncomfortable truths about how little he knew his wife. 

Amin’s favorite photograph of Sihem sits on his bedside table; Sihem is the only person deemed worthy of occupying this important position by Amin’s bedside (and in his life). When Amin loses Sihem, before he learns the truth, he looks at the photo and feels nothing but despair for the comfortable, loving life that has been ripped away from him. When he does learn about Sihem’s involvement in the bombing, he can no longer bear to look at the picture. He turns the picture away from him, no longer certain of the true nature of the person staring back at him. 

Many items around the house embody Sihem’s spirit. When Amin is still in denial, he feels as though the house is haunted with her spirit. Even after the police come and turn the house upside down, physically disrupting the once-quiet household, Amin can feel his wife’s presence. He does not want to admit that Sihem could have committed murder, so the photographs in the household (as well as all of the furniture and her possessions) become alien to him.