A Land of Permanent Goodbyes

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. The final lines of the novel are a plea for empathy as Destiny asks the reader to make the world a better place.

• How does the author build empathy between the characters and the reader? (topic sentence)
• Provide and discuss in support of your topic sentence two examples from the novel where the author builds empathy for the characters.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain why empathy is an important topic in the novel and how it contributes to the novel’s overall purpose. Include a connection to the novel’s themes of The Refugee Experience or The Universal Nature of Trauma.

2. During Tareq’s time in Istanbul, he and Musa spend a lot of time in “Little Syria.”

• What purpose does Little Syria serve for refugees and immigrants in the novel? (topic sentence)
• Describe Little Syria, including why it is important for refugees and immigrants, and how it helps individuals both practically and emotionally.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain why Musa was able to adapt to life in Little Syria better than Tareq and how it is influenced by Little Syria’s practical and emotional function. Make a connection between the function of Little Syria and the novel’s theme of The Refugee Experience.

3. The novel is full of helpers and villains who interact with refugees in some way.

• What is the difference between helpers and villains in the novel? (topic sentence)
• Compare the helpers with the villains on the Greek island of Lesbos. What characteristics contribute to the individual being either a villain or a helper?
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain why there is some crossover between characters who are villains and helpers in the novel. Make a connection between helpers and hunters and the novel’s themes of The Refugee Experience or The Destructive Nature of Human Greed.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. When Tareq and Susan arrive in Lesbos, Susan is taken by human traffickers on the island. What does this reveal about the dangers refugees encounter as they reach Europe—a place people often associate with safety? Why might refugees be targeted by human traffickers? What does the author include these experiences in the novel? How does this relate to the novel’s theme of The Destructive Nature of Human Greed?

2. While Tareq’s journey is undoubtedly difficult, he points out the added difficulty women face. Consider the women and girls that Tareq encounters. How do each of these characters have a difficult experience because of their gender? Why is Fayed determined to send Susan away from Turkey? Why did Shams and Asil’s parents send them with Fayed? How do Najib and Jamila have a different experience than Tareq because of their gender? How does this expand the reader’s understanding of the novel’s theme of The Refugee Experience?

3. Salim, though he is a member of Tareq’s family, has a drastically different story than Tareq, which is only recounted in the novel’s epilogue. Why did the author choose to include Salim’s story? Support your thinking with text details. How does Salim’s story provide additional details about the experiences of refugees? How does this relate to and deepen the reader’s understanding of the novel’s theme The Refugee Experience? How does Salim exhibit strength of character like many other refugees?