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Sarawa
The official police chief for the village of Sabray and, along with Sarawa, the person most responsible for the survival of Marcus Luttrell. Gulab is a kind, honorable man, and he and Luttrell come to like and respect one another, in spite of their language and culture barriers. Gulab risks his own life to protect Luttrell from the Taliban soldiers who menace his village, at one point refusing to give up Luttrell even when the Taliban threaten to murder his entire family. (After the publication of the book, Gulab and Luttrell reconnect and go on to have a rather fraught relationship, best described in the 2016 Newsweek article “Marcus Luttrell’s Savior, Mohammad Gulab, Claims ‘Lone Survivor’ Got It Wrong”.)
Mohammad Gulab Quotes in Lone Survivor
The Lone Survivor quotes below are all either spoken by Mohammad Gulab or refer to Mohammad Gulab. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 12 Quotes
Gulab walked down the hill to me and tried to explain Sharmak had handed him a note that said, Either you hand over the American—or every member of your family will be killed.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Mohammad Gulab Character Timeline in Lone Survivor
The timeline below shows where the character Mohammad Gulab appears in Lone Survivor. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 10
...wounds. Luttrell is then taken to stay in the home of a man named Mohammad Gulab, the police chief and the son of the village elder. Gulab and Luttrell genuinely like...
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Gulab tells Luttrell that there’s an American military base two miles away. However, he says, Luttrell...
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During his time with Gulab, Luttrell learns about the al Qaeda networks in Pashtun villages. Jihadists (i.e., Muslim terrorists) are...
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Gulab arranges for some men to move Luttrell to a different location, since it’s too dangerous...
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...fly on. Luttrell assumes that the American military has given up looking for him. However, Gulab informs Luttrell that his father has left for Asadabad: Luttrell’s future “rested in the soft...
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Chapter 11
Luttrell continues to stay with Gulab while Gulab’s father walks out to Asadabad to talk to the American military. Gulab informs...
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...the American military has dropped supplies near Sabray—presumably to help the fallen SEALs. Shortly afterwards, Gulab and his men give Luttrell his rifle, his ammunition, and his radio. Luttrell knows that...
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...doesn’t want villagers to suffer because of him. But his options are limited, and furthermore, Gulab’s father may or may not have made contact with the Americans in Asadabad. Luttrell could...
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...overnight walk was canceled due to the rain. Luttrell is furious and—he admits later—ungrateful to Gulab for looking out for his safety. He realizes that Ben Sharmak is still waiting to...
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Later in the day, Gulab cries out, “Taliban! Taliban are here!” Luttrell runs out of the house, but then realizes...
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...it becomes clear that the Taliban aren’t approaching any further. After an hour or so, Gulab tells Luttrell, “Taliban gone.” Gulab also tells Luttrell that a helicopter is coming to help...
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Though Luttrell doesn’t know it at the time, Gulab has correctly guessed that the Taliban have broken into the building where Luttrell was staying,...
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In Sabray, Gulab and Luttrell decide to “make a break for it.” They rush away from the village...
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While the men hold their fire, Gulab and Sharmak speak in private. Luttrell knows they’re talking about him. This is a standoff...
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Chapter 12
After five minutes, Gulab and Ben Sharmak return from their conversation, and Sharmak walks away to rejoin his forces....
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Gulab leads Luttrell through a forest in the mountains. They’re vulnerable to Taliban soldiers, but they...
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...an ally of the American military. Behind the fighter, Luttrell sees two U.S. Army Rangers. Gulab, displaying “unbelievable presence of mind,” shouts out Luttrell’s BUD/S class numbers: 2-2-8.
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The Rangers lead Luttrell back to Sabray with Gulab. Back in Sabray, Luttrell gives the Ranger captain a full debriefing on his situation. He...
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Suddenly, Gulab shouts, “Taliban!” The American soldiers spring into action. It’s clear to Luttrell that the Taliban,...
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...retreat, an American helicopter lands in the Hindu Kush. The Rangers help Luttrell, and then Gulab, into the helicopter. Gulab is uncertain for the journey ahead, both because he doesn't know...
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