People's lives are transformed by traumatic experiences. Discuss in relation to First They Killed My Father.
             "Pa says hunger and fear make people turn against one another." The Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia was a traumatic experience for many people. The fact that Cambodians were deprived from food, freedom and other luxuries, or had to witness the slaughtering of close ones or was a victim of rape affected their lives and literally transformed them. Whether it is short-term, long-term, for the better or worse numerous people undergone a change in lifestyle emotionally and physically as a response to such incidents.
             During times of desperation for his family's survival Pa undergoes a short-term change in attitude in order to save them from detection and starvation. The Pa before the regime was "truly respect[ed] and like[d]" as he was "kind, gentle and loving" and always "helped others in need". He was also a devout Buddhist who had studied to become a monk. Due to the government, Pa quickly adapts certain traits to help his family stay alive. "The old Pa seems to have gone", "he seems so serious and sad". He sets aside his pride and endures insults from soldiers and other people, "A... villager walks over and spits at Pa's feet. Pa's shoulders droop low as he holds his palms together in a gesture of greeting." Pa also disregards his religion and acts accordingly under extreme measures. "I bribed someone with one of your Ma's gold necklaces..." However, this temporary change diminishes when the soldiers take him away. "For the first time since the Khmer Rouge takeover, he stands tall. Thrusting out his chin and holding his head high...." The fraudulent activities he had to carry out against his morals were now coming to an end. He remains calm and strong as he farewells his family. "It has been a long time si
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