Discussion Board

Week 1

#1) For many critics, Writers of post 9/11 fiction fail to capture the trauma and grief of this event. Nadel and Morley give two different examples for how these failings are illustrated. Which author do you do you feel makes the stronger argument, and why?

Or,

#2) London states there are three important reasons why it is hard to write a good novel about 9/11. Do you agree with his argument? Do you think Morley and/or Nadel would agree? Why or Why not?

Week 2

#1) Religion and ritual play a central role in Falling Man. Describe what purpose religion or ritual serves in the lives of the characters. Include examples from the text in your post.

Or,

#2) Falling Man describes numerous scenes of re-appropriation. Keith re-appropriates the briefcase, DeLillo re-appropriates Richard Drew’s photograph, Falling Man (the character) as well re-appropriates the famous image. What is the significance of re-appropriation?


Week 4

#1) Who is the true Julius? What is the connection between the events of 9/11 and Julius’ struggle with identity. Include examples from the text in your post.

Or,

#2) Discuss the unique structure of Open City. Why do you think Cole chose this structure? Include examples from the text in your post.

Week 6

#1) In Hamid’s novel, who are we meant to see as the “fundamentalists”? Are there any other “fundamentalist” groups in the novel?

Or,

#2) Changez informs his audience that he is not poor in terms of status, although he is poor in terms of wealth. What is the purpose of his continuous insistence on class and his attention to wealth? How are we to reconcile his class consciousness with his later “fundamentalism”?

Week 8

#1) What does The Sirens of Baghdad reveal about the Iraq war and its effects on ordinary Iraqis that news reports do not fully convey? In what ways does it challenge, complicate, or confirm conventional narratives about the war?

Or,

#2) During a heated discussion about the war, Sayed tells Yaseen a story about an Egyptian strongman. He begins by saying, “When I was a child, my father told me a story I didn't completely grasp. At that age, I didn't know that stories had a moral." What is the moral of the story Sayed tells? How does it relate to the larger story of The Sirens of Baghdad?

Week 10

#1) Discuss why the author has chosen two two kinds of zombies: the flesh eating zombies and the "stragglers." Is Whitehead successful in giving the Zombie genre (or metaphor) new life?

Or,

#2) In entertainment, Zombies typically are killed without much thought or repercussions. What makes the stragglers different when they are killed, and why? Is this a criticism of the genre?

Week 11


#1) Are there any real "survivors" of the plague? Why or Why not?

Or,

#2) Considering the context of 9/11, why do you think post apocalyptic literature became so popular following the events of 9/11? What parallels can you draw from that day to Whitehead's novel?