Hope And Other Dangerous Pursuits

Which character do you most strongly identify with? Are there any characters you have difficulty identifying with? Explain your answer.

Why do you think the collection is organized the way it is? Do you find this organization effective? Why or why not?

What are the differences between the stories in Part 1 and those in Part 2? What are the similarities?

How do the roles and stories of men and women differ? How are they similar?

What role do the titles of each chapter play in the way you interpret the stories? How do they relate to one another? Would the collection be different if these stories were untitled? Why or why not?

What role does violence (or the threat of violence) play in the lives of these characters? Does the role of violence shift in the three sections? Explain your answer using examples from the text.

In writing about the immigrant experience, is the author attempting to alter the reader’s perception of undocumented workers? Why or why not?

How would this book be different if it took place in a different setting, such as Mexico, Syria, or North Korea? Would there be any similarities?