. four of them . . . tried to fight . . . God . . . took him . . . bleeding down there . . . his pants . . . doesn’t talk anymore . . . just stares . . . (Hosseini, 2009, p. 127, ellipses in original).

It seems evident that the torture of the rape inflicted upon Kamal has silenced him and muted him for life. Ironically it is clear that life dealt him with the same fate as Hassan whom he held down as Assef raped him in broad daylight as a young child. Kamal’s father is unable to explain what ordeal his son has endured. He merely states using various silences ‘………bleeding down there….his pants’ (Hosseini, 2009, p. 127). Hosseini uses various examples of ellipses within the text to demonstrate the unease and uncomfortable topic of child abuse that is being