Mengiste is able to show the effects of conflict on even a relaxed atmosphere. When the government issues an order asking for officials to turn themselves in, a contrast appears between the festive party and the harsh government. On Chapter 10, pg. 45, the mood shifts from a light celebration of a girl's birthday and a toast to Ethiopia to a confusing situation that could be merely symbolic or very serious. Mengiste shows the conflict specifically in the actions of the people present at the party. Kifle freezes mid-toast and doesn't think anyone's safe. Yonas and Hailu are more optimistic, trying to calm down Kifle by patting his arm and insisting that the government's actions are symbolic and that the prisoners will soon be released.
All of these actions show different responses to conflict. Kifle freezing shows that he is afraid for his own and perhaps others' lives. Yonas and Hailu dismissing the announcement show denial as they refuse to believe that the government is bad. This division of fear and denial is present in all kinds of conflicts, even when the initial conflict is not present. These mens' different reactions all show the confusing and chaotic time that they all were part of. Mengiste presenting these initial reactions in this way also implies that reactions to conflicts are very much gut reactions. All of these men respond to each other quickly and feel the need to state their opinions on the matter as soon as they come to mind. In this case they represent a microcosm, a small model of a larger system, attitudes that were shared by more than a few people but whom they all are representing. Therefore they represent the entire country at the time as it struggled to adapt to the government's changes.
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