how marnus deal with expirencing trauma

Marnus' narrative seems, on the surface, to be an account of childhood innocence. His life is filled with friends, adventure, loving parents, holidays, light-hearted squabbles with his sister, and a rich connection to his personal and national history. However, his childish tone and his naivete belie the rot and the darkness at the heart of his family and of his country. Even though Marnus isn't fully comprehending of everything that he sees or experiences, his experience is being slowly chipped away. He has to acknowledge his mother's infidelity and his father's sexual predation of his best friend. He grapples with Tannie Karla's banishment from the family, the horrors of what happened to Little Neville, and other uncomfortable aspects of apartheid (Chrisjan's behavior, Ilse's growing recognition of its immorality, etc.). Marnus' innocence is corrupted by the place where he lives and the people who perpetuate its cruelty.