In many of the small villages that the boys pass through, they are treated with suspicion, fear, or even aggression. But when they reach the crowded village, everyone there is cheerful and welcoming. Even though they have clearly seen their share of the

In Chapter 10, the villagers welcome the boys, and Beah receives hopeful news about his family. However, they lose Saidu in that village, which is yet another testament to the fact that any happiness they experience must be short-lived. Beah’s reaction to the villager’s hospitality - reminding them that their friend will always be buried here and therefore they have a place to return to - shows how the boys’ harsh circumstances have hardened them to emotional happiness. He knows they have become survivors, not merely wanderers, and so will act first for self-preservation even above the comforts of friends and family.