is aware of having been abused by someone he considered a friend. Brooks Bouson states that:

Shame, which is often called the “master emotion” …has profound consequences for individuals in their daily interactions with others” (Brooks Bouson, 2000, p.12).

Bouson’s analogy of trauma is indeed very sufficient in describing the emotions that Mansur feels, but he is overwhelmed with an uneasiness which he feels he must repent by paying pilgrimage to Mecca despite actually not being responsible for another person’s actions.

Neoliberalist theory can also be applied to The Bookseller of Kabul as the novel focuses on the era of Neoliberalism and reveals how the climates of financial strains have impacted upon