Nadeem Aslam is what can be considered a transatlantic writer. First I would like to deal with the recurring "Great Buddha" who is omnipresent throughout the novel and represents a key point of reference for its readers. Rather than suggesting that this is a reference to a religious issue, it is actually a reference to the past and the peace that Afghanistan embraced before the horrors of war. If we take for example Marcus, who is the great pacifist of the novel, he is fantastically described as “a ruined prophet” by his native Russian Lara. What is immediately represented by Marcus is in fact a wreck, recovered from the war. The first reference to the Great Buddha can be contrasted with Marcus as he too is a relic of the past, as he is described as "A face from another time". (Aslam 22) Nadeem Aslam pointed out in an interview with “BookBits” that a country cannot bury its past, so The Great Buddha is not just a memory of the past, but a memory of a peaceful Afghanistan. The Buddha's purpose is not to romanticize Buddhism or condemn Islam, but to condemn war and act as a stark reminder of peace. Fascinatingly enough, Aslam creates another contrast with the historical references in his masterpiece. The book is punctuated quite frequently, with references to the 2001 Twin Tower attacks, but refrains from heavily detailing the attacks. Jean Baudrillard wrote a bold piece in the aftermath of these atrocities stating that; “The spectacle of terrorism imposes on us the terrorism of the spectacle.” The impact of such an attack is therefore based on the symbolic value of the element. I make this observation to highlight a stark contrast between these atrocities and a second symbolic act carried out by Muslim extremists in 2001 which... middle of paper... level, but nevertheless represents a change in mentality. The first episode in which this change is suggested begins with The Great Buddha. Casa momentarily appears slightly disoriented as he falls asleep. “He lies there, aware of the gigantic features hovering above him in the dim light. Eyes almost closed. The smile." (Aslam 164) Although his mind wishes him to move away from the "idol", his body rejects such movement, giving the sensation that it is attracted to the Buddha and the ideology associated with it. Perhaps a phrase from the novel that stands out regarding Casa's redemption concerns the discovery of a mine. «He knows that he must stop Marcus and the others from venturing near the mine. He cannot care what happens to them (Aslam 259) This passage suggests an internal conflict of Home, regarding the safety of Marcus, Lara and David.